Comforting + Lost Identity

Since we're on the topic of food, here's a little graphic from The Bump, where you can track your baby's size with corresponding fruits and vegetables. Next week: Banana. Also next week, I will begin month 5. People say pregnancy flies by. I feel the slowly ticking clock, nothin' is flying around here.

But back to less healthy fare than fruit, that's more fun, isn't it? We've had a handful of stressors fall upon our home in the past couple months: job loss, taxes, hormones. . .
And now! NOW! we're dealing with identity theft. Not the somebody stole a check and cashed it kind (which is also a creepy and ill-feeling experience) but the full-fledged somebody stole my {well, actually C's} social security number and used it {enter several paragraphs of expletives here} theft.

But not to dwell on the cretins of the world.

Stressful times call for comfort food. Actually, we went out to dinner last night, because the thought of exerting any sort of energy was far too much for either of us. This was all found out after a full work day for both of us and then a 4 mile {ok, ok 3.8 mile} walk around town. Needless to say, we were both tired.

However, if I'd cooked, we would've had something similar to our Friday night dinner: Swiss Chard and Mashed Potato Casserole. There wasn't an actual recipe to follow, I just made it up as I went. I roasted red potatoes (cut into approximately 1" cubes) with salt and olive oil earlier in the day, for about 2 hours on 300, but any way you like to roast your veggies will work--there are so many different approaches, I say do what's easiest for you! While the oven is preheating (375) saute one big bunch of Swiss chard with garlic in olive oil; drain if you need to and set aside. Season and mash the roasted potatoes, spread half of them on the bottom of the dish (I used an 8 x 8" square glass dish), top those with a layer of sauteed chard, then added a healthy heaping of cheese mixture. The cheese mixture was about 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar and mozzarella 'cause that's what we had) with 2 eggs, all mixed up. Top the cheese with another layer of chard and top it all off with the rest of the potatoes. Sprinkle the top with shredded cheese, if you feel so inclined, and cook for about 30 minutes or until golden on top and the cheesy mixture no longer warrants salmonella concern or whatever it is that makes people avoid raw-ish eggs.

Let it cool a bit, and then dig in. And eat again for lunch the next day {and snacks all afternoon if you're hungry all the time, like I am}.

I'm thinkin' tonight calls for baked macaroni and cheese made with the local hoop cheese we picked up this past weekend, followed up by an evening veggin' out on the couch with the tv on and a fair bit of hand holding, and {hopefully} a whole lotta calm.