Life Update

Not that anyone reads this but me, but maybe someday when I'm dead, my amazing daughter will find this and laugh at me.  

I'm off the box.  It seems a bit odd posting under "The Medic Mom" when I'm not on the box anymore.  I'm still a state and nationally certified medic.  But I'm not on the box anymore.  Haven't been for over a year now.  

And it's not a bad gig, this teaching thing.  See, right now, I'm working from home (well, RIGHT now, I'm procrastinating from home).  My darling daughter is napping in the other room, and I'm posting quizzes and lectures for my student.  The best part:  You don't know if I'm dressed up, clean and showered, or sitting here in my underwear right now.  And it DOESN'T MATTER!

I love my job.  It's not too hard, but it's still challenging.  I have time to breathe, I sleep in my own bed every night, and the most dangerous part about my job is driving too and from work.  No scary, creepy people, no middle of the night wake-ups, no out-in-the-rain accidents.  It's cush.  

But here's the rub- I like medicine more.  I always have, and I'm finally ready to start pushing my way back toward medical school.  I'm solving some of my "life" problems- sleep, exercise, health, organization, discipline- we're saving as much money as we can, and I'm studying to take the MCAT next spring.  

I'm a little nervous, but not about school itself.  I'm nervous about how it will change the family dynamics we have built.  School is school.  I love medicine, and while the first two years will be challenging, it's not anything that I can't handle.  The rest of it, I think, will be awesome.  Because I'm not in it for the money, the prestige, or the fancy white coat.  I'm in it because you can wear pajamas to work because I love medicine.  I love the intricacies of the human body.  I love physiology.  I love the dynamic between emotional, social, and physical health.  I love people.  I love the challenge of "what's wrong with this person."  And I love the feeling of providing relief to someone who is hurting.  

Yeah, I'm an idealist... what can I say...

Nonetheless, my path in life is curvy, but I'm learning to enjoy the twists and turns.  Time to push forward and see what else is in store...

Perfect Pintos

Family in town, husband wants meat fajitas.  I'm not in the mood for meat tonight... so... it's bean time!!!

Here's my perfect Pintos:

4 c stock (I had a bag of homemade chicken stock in the freezer, veggie stock appropriate too)
2.5 c water
1 lb dried pintos, rinsed and picked over- no need to pre-soak
4 cloves garlic
1 spicy pepper, whole/seeds removed (this will be removed after cooking)- I used an anaheim from my garden
2 big sprigs of cilantro (also from my garden- I plucked off the soon-to-be seeding stalks- they were perfect for this)
2 stems of oregano (fresh from garden, can sub extra dried if you like)
1 t dried oregano
1 t smoked paprika
1 t salt (more or less to taste depending on stock used)- even better if it's smoked!
2 t cumin
2 t onion powder
dash of chili powder (not sure this even really did anything)
1 T liquid smoke (more if omitting the ham hock)
1 bay leaf

Optional: 1 smoked ham hock (I had one on hand so I threw it in).  I like picking the tiny bit of meat out of the hock and mixing it in when I'm done cooking.

Dump everything in the pot.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 2-3 hours more, until beans are soft.  Be sure to watch for the need for additional water! I started mine around 11:30 in the morning, and they were perfect around 3.

Could also be done in the crockpot, but without boiling first I would recommend cooking it much, much longer, or soaking overnight, or doing a quick soak before putting into the pot.  How much water you need gets wonky, though, so don't leave it unattended!