This year’s spring cleaning means something completely different to me. I think I finally understand what Lent, and Easter stand for. For the first time I didn’t clean my house from top to bottom (although I should have, it would have made me feel good). Instead I cleansed my body and my soul. I gave up alcohol, sugar, coffee, meat, fish, gluten etc (I should just say that I only ate fruit and vegetables so the list will be much shorter). I spent my energy reading books about having a healthy mind, meditating, listening to recollections, and cleaning up my address book. I wiped out my Facebook account from “friends” I never met or cared about; got rid of all the toxic people around me. God it feels good to be free of the drama they created, trying to manipulate or control my life; always jealous and envious, critical of other people, gossipy and bitter. They know exactly what buttons to push and when. They bring you up and then try to break you. How many times have I heard what needs to be fixed in myself before owning their own flaws and working on themselves rather than change who or what I was. They made me feel small and unimportant, even if I have given myself unconditionally. I know exactly the mechanism behind this behavior. They feel badly about themselves, so they make other people around them feel badly too.
I was always exhausted and angry when I was with them. I felt badly and ashamed of myself, getting down to their level of pity. I was stuck in a cycle of trying to fix or care for them. I always felt like “I was walking on eggshells“ interacting with them. I finally got it. It was pointless to try to change them, I had to change my approach to them instead. I made a list of people who I felt a sense of dread when I would see their number appear on my phone or I felt frustrated after I talked to them. I slowly started to drop them from my life. I blocked their numbers, and sent some of them a message that I didn’t wish to be friends with them anymore. Some of them were not even worth a personal touch, I just stopped talking to them, or responding to their messages. It wasn’t easy to end those relationships. Some of them were painful, particularly the ones that share a long history. But once I made that big step. I knew I had created space for much healthier and far more nourishing relationships in my life. And that’s what Easter and Awakening is about to me this year.
To end on a bit lighter note, here is another Easter recipe. This one has waited almost a year to be published. I took these pictures at the begging of my “photography career” and although they are not the best, I didn’t want to dispose of them. Photography is a learning process like everything else and we start from nothing and slowly build our way up. Sometimes never getting anywhere but hey, you can't have results without trying. I am proud of my mistakes and that’s why I decided to present them here along with this easy but impressive recipe for Easter brunch. inspired by Sunday Suppers. Baked eggs with shiitake mushrooms in a jar. Instead of mushrooms you can use anything else. Ham, spinach, onion, bell pepper, whatever you like in your omelet ( the same concept)
Ingredients :
serves 4:
8 eggs
3/4 lb shiitake mushrooms
2 scallions minced
1 tbs chives minced
1 cup of cream or yogurt
1 cup grated parmesan
3 tbs of olive oil
salt, pepper
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
In a skillet placed over a medium heat add half of olive oil and sliced mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes.
Prepare 4 glass jars and rub some olive oil on the bottom and inside edges. Distribute mushrooms evenly in each jar, break 2 eggs on top. Add cream or yogurt, sprinkle with scallions salt and pepper and top with parmesan fricco ( spread a layer of grated parmesan on a flat heated surface (non stick) and carefully flip when crispy.) Place the jars on the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or if you like them more done longer. Carefully take them out of the oven, remove the lid, sprinkle with chives and serve.
Skladniki:
8 jajek
400g grzybow ( shiitake, kurki albo pieczarki)
szczypiorek posiekany
1 szklanka slodkiej smietany lub jogurtu
1 szklanka sera parmesan
3 lyzki oliwy
sol pieprz
Przygotowanie:
piekarnik nagrzac do 180 C
grzyby pokroic w plastry
na patelni rozgrzac olej dodac grzyby i smazyc prze 3 - 5 min.
sloiki wysmarowac pozostala oliwa. dodac grzyby, wbic po 2 jajka , dodac smietane lub jogurt, posypac polowa szczypiorku, dodac sol i pieprz a na wierz przykryc waflem z parmesanu. ( na plaskiej rogrzanej patelni usypac 4 placki z sera, kiedy sie zarumienia ostroznie przerzucic na druga strone) ulozyc sloiki na blaszce do pieczenia i piec przez 15-20 min lub dluzej jezeli lubisz bardziej sciete jajka. wyjac ostroznie z piekarnika, otworzyc wieczka ( szklane) i posypac resztka szczypiorku.