I Feel

I feel happy that Siena's tail is wagging and back to normal.

I feel starved for good quality fresh fruits and vegetables.

I feel indignant that no one in Moscow holds the door. 

I feel limited by the lack of counter space in my Russian kitchen. 

I feel lucky to be married to such a patient man.  

I feel guilty for not always being in the present.

I feel proud that I gave birth to a healthy baby with a smile that lights up the room.

I feel confused by Russian customs and communication style. 

I feel sad that there's no doggy daycare.

I feel nervous and excited about starting solid foods.

I feel frustrated that I don't have a garbage disposal in my Russian kitchen. 

I feel anxious that Siena still has a bladder infection. 

I feel surprised by the wonderful women I've met in the American Women's Organization of Moscow. 

I feel disappointed in myself for not being as brave as I thought I was. 

I feel relieved that I've made it this far. 

Oven Beef Burgundy Fail

Got a tasty-looking one-pot recipe from my mom over the holidays. I need dishes like this. Things that I can make in the afternoon or morning and forget about because by dinner-time things get hectic and more importantly, I start to get too hungry and too tired to begin thinking about making something. It's also nice to make these "pot" dishes because they usually yield enough for a couple meals.

Well, I left it in the oven for over 3 hours (after checking a few times and stirring "gently" as the recipe called for) and it came out so tough it was just no good. No good at all. Yuck. It was so bad, I didn't even finish, which is a big deal for me lately since I'm always hungry. I hate when this happens! I hate my Russian kitchen and I hate that I can't figure out how to buy/cook Russian meat! Actually I hate that I always have to cook, too!!

This package of meat was even from Metro so I thought it was good quality. It cooked for so long, wouldn't ANY meat get tender?! So disappointing, especially since it smelled pretty good while it was cooking. What a waste of time and energy!!!!