My sister has accused me of having a strong personality. Actually, she meant it as a compliment and that's exactly how I took it. It came as a bit of a surprise to me, though, after what felt like a lifetime of being "the girl with."
The girl with?
You know, the girl with Kara, the girl with Mandy, the girl with Mindy. The girl with. I wasn't Natalie or anyone really - I was Michael's girlfriend, Scott's girlfriend, Annie's friend, and occasionally, when I was lucky, That Girl Who Sings. My personality was smothered by my friends' bigger personas, prettier faces, or just my own personal weaknesses and fears. So when my sister told me I have a strong personality, I loved her more than ever before, and I loved me, too.
Unfortunately, there is a downside to having a strong, confident personality - people who are still who I used to be: uncertain of themselves, lacking confidence, thin-skinned. So, I have recently found myself pussy-footing around the insecurities of entirely too many people for my own comfort.
When I was younger, I was the target of many pickings-on at school. I wouldn't ever say I was bullied, but I was definitely terrorized a little by my classmates. I used to come home and cry to my mother and beg her to intervene somehow that wouldn't make people laugh at me or to send me to a different school where I could start over. She almost relented and I know it hurt her to see me so sad, but she said something to me that helped me to become who I am, who I love now. She told me I was too sensitive and needed a thicker skin.
She was right. If she hadn't said that to me (and believe me, I didn't appreciate it at the time), I might have become one of the people I'm busy trying not to offend now and I wouldn't have liked me nearly as much as I do. Now, if only someone would tell my colleagues/"subordinates" to toughen up a little.
As long as we're talking about delicate situations, let's talk about my new Wednesday Night Adventure:
Broccoli,
Delicata Squash, and a sweet potato, all scrubbed and ready for roasting. I've never had delicata squash before, but there was a whole basket of little, pretty delicatas at
Essene the other day, and I thought they were pretty when I read
this post, so I thought I'd give them a try. On a Wednesday. Because Mister hates squash.
I came up with a new recipe when I picked up the squash, because I was also craving tempeh, so I figured I'd really do it up this week on One-Serving Wednesday since I slacked off last week and shoved
vegan pizza in my face instead of cooking (one plain cheese and one with sausage and avocados).
Tamari Tempeh with Roasted Vegetables
2 large or 4 small servings
8 oz tempeh
1 small winter squash (I used Delicata)
1 small jewel yam or 2 medium carrots
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
2 Tbsp tamari
1/4 cup water
olive oil
sea salt (optional)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the yam and squash into generously bite-sized pieces (remember, they'll compress a little while roasting), toss with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with sea salt if desired. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 35 minutes, stirring every 7-10 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and more oil in the last ten minutes, stirring to combine.
Meanwhile, cut the tempeh into four equal pieces and place in a large skillet with sloped sides. Combine tamari and water, then sprinkle liquid over tempeh. Heat over medium heat until liquid has been absorbed by the tempeh, flipping once or twice with tongs.
I stopped at Whole Foods on my way home from the train tonight because I was one breakfast away from running out of fruit. After selecting one of each variety of apple (because I live to make life difficult for the cashier), a bunch of almost-ripe bananas, and a couple of kiwis, I also picked up a new-to-the-shelves jar of apple butter. I spread some on a slice of bread while the veggies were roasting and realized that I probably would have been perfectly happy to make a meal out of that, so it was a good thing I'd already set the wheels in motion for my roasted dinner.
Happy October! (again)
