I have this recurring dream. I’ve been having it for years. And to be honest, up until now, I have never given it much thought.
I am always a senior in college, just a short time away from graduation. And at some point in the dream, I always discover that I am not going to graduate because I am going to be a few credits short. And the reason I’m going to be short is because I’m going to fail a class (or sometimes two). Why? Well, because in these dreams, I simply forget that I had ever registered for the course, or I repeatedly forget that I’m supposed to be in class on X day at X time.
In some versions of this dream, once I realize what is happening, I actually make an attempt to go to the classes, write down the dates of tests and big assignments in my planner, and then try to turn the situation around. Ultimately, I always end up forgetting about the classes again, resulting in my failure to turn in the assignments or take the tests.
The types of classes are all over the place in these dreams. Sociology, math, history, whatever. It’s always different. Sometimes the professors are teachers I had in high school or professors I actually did have in college. None of them are ever people I would have considered my “favorites” or professors that I think often about. They are always the random ones that I had once, maybe twice.
The anxiety that I feel in these dreams, the fear of failing, the fear of my GPA dropping (not to brag, but I was pretty close to a straight A student), not graduating… it all feels very real. So real, in fact, that I often wake up thinking to myself, “Wow, I need to figure out the deal with that missing class…”
It’s only after I really become fully conscious that I realize, Wait. I’ve been out of college for five years. And then? Then, I feel a tremendous sense of relief. This dream, even though it has fooled me many times, is of course, never real.
But this morning, as I sat and ate my breakfast and thought about it, I realized how weird it is that I keep having this same dream. Different variations of it, but always the same setting, the same situations, the same problems. I cannot think of another dream that I have ever had more than once. It’s strange.
And I’m just left wondering… What does it mean? The mind is so fascinating.
On the first day of our honeymoon in Hawaii, we went to lunch at a little place called Cheeseburger in Paradise.
Normally, I won’t touch chicken salad with a 10-foot pole because I absolutely loathe mayo. But I noticed a “Polynesian Chicken Salad Sandwich” on the menu that was made with a ginger sauce instead of mayo, and decided to give it a try. Michael got it, too, and we were both really impressed by it. Honestly, it was maybe my favorite meal of the entire honeymoon, and we had a lot of nice ones!
Ever since then, I’ve been wanting to come up with a copycat recipe. The problem has always been the dressing. Someone on The Nest suggested trying a ginger salad dressing, and so today, I decided to give it a go. I switched it up and instead of putting the chicken mixture on a wheat roll like the restaurant, I bought some whole wheat pitas.
Quite honestly, at the end of the day, this wasn’t a success for me. I picked up a bottle of Sesame Ginger dressing, fearing that I might not like it (I was pretty sure I had tasted something similar before), and as it turned out, I hated it. It was definitely nothing like the ginger sauce/dressing used on the sandwiches at Cheeseburger in Paradise. When I looked back at the menu online, the description mentions that the sandwich also includes mango chutney. I don’t remember that at all, but who knows… maybe that is what my sauce was missing. I did see a mango ginger dressing at the store, so maybe we will try that next time.
Anyway, I’m still sharing this recipe because my husband really liked it. And for all of you out there who like sesame ginger dressing–this will be right up your alley. For the people who don’t like it, like me? Well, you can still make these and personalize them to your tastes by using a dressing you do like. I ended up tossing my chicken mixture with some honey dijon vinaigrette dressing and it was good.
The search continues for the perfect dressing…
Sesame Ginger Chicken Pitas
(Inspired by the Polynesian Chicken Salad Sandwich at Cheeseburger in Paradise)
Ingredients:
– 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into really small chunks or strips
– 1 small/medium red pepper, diced
– 1/2 – 3/4 cup green onions, diced
– 1 small can water chesnuts, diced
– 1/2 cup chopped cashews
– sesame ginger dressing
Directions:
1. In large skillet, brown chicken over medium-high heat.
2. Add red pepper, green onions, water chesnuts and cashews. Cook until peppers become soft and the whole mixture is warmed through.
3. Add dressing (use your own judgement on the amount) and toss to coat.
4. Spoon mixture into pitas.
I have a love/hate relationship with Daylight Savings Time.
I love the light in the evenings; I hate the dark in the mornings.
I love how it indicates that we are one step closer to spring and summer (even though we’re not as close as usual since they changed the DST schedule).
I hate how losing the hour totally kicks my ass for at least a week, maybe two. I feel like a zombie, and it sucks.
Also not helping the situation? I have not seen a single glimpse of the sun since Saturday morning. It has been so tremendously gray and dreary here, and I just cannot take it any longer. Winter has been absolutely brutal this year, and frankly, it’s starting to get the best of me. I’m not sure I can handle this anymore. I want spring! SPRING, damnit! Mother Nature, do you think you can get on that? I promise, it’s urgent. I’m going nuts over here.
After what seemed like the longest. week. ever., we finally got to meet our new nephew yesterday.
We woke up fairly early and hit the road to Michael’s sister’s house. It was so great to see everyone (it had been way too long), and of course, the baby is A-DOR-ABLE. Brendan, too.
And being that I am who I am, I took pictures. Lots of them. More than 200, to be exact. So I’ll just shut up now and let the photos do (most of) the talking.
Brendan is an extremely happy boy. Here, he was cracking himself up.
Cristina with little Logan.
I, of course, absolutely LOVE him. This is one of probably 100 kisses he received from me yesterday.
I love this picture.
He was so alert, especially for a baby who is only 5 days old. He was awake almost the entire time we were there. Such a good baby, too.
Big brother kisses. So cute it makes me heart ache!
Loving reading with Uncle Michael.
Brendan and Logan’s proud parents
Love this pic of Brendan with mommy.
Brendan was smacking my leg (playfully), and his parents said, “Be gentle!” So he hugged it instead.
This was so hilarious. This is their dog, Max (it’s not Tessa, haha). He started “attacking” Brendan with kisses, and Brendan was loving it. He erupted into huge belly laughs and I almost died from the cuteness.
After dinner, I snuck into the den where Logan was sleeping and had myself a little photo shoot.
When he eventually woke up, I tried to sooth him back to sleep and get him into a position for more photos lying on a blanket. He was not having it. In this pic, he’s pissed. I kept snapping, though, because I told Melissa–“We have to have proof that he wasn’t always rainbows and sunshine!”
When you’re only 5 days old, a binky can solve the world’s problems.
With daddy.
The day’s commotion left Max exhausted.
Once everyone started looking like this, we decided it was time to head home.
I cannot wait until our next visit!
[1 year ago: Pre-Cana]
I made this for the first time a year or two ago. We enjoyed it, but it was one of those recipes that got shoved into the recipe pile and hasn’t been revisited since. I’m not even sure where the recipe came from. It’s something I jotted down on a couple of post-it notes!
Earlier this week, when I was trying to come up with a meal that could be prepared ahead and would travel well, this popped into my mind. We wanted to bring dinner and dessert to Michael’s sister and her family when we drove down to meet our newest baby nephew. This enchilada casserole was the perfect solution.
I didn’t get any good pictures of it after it was baked, so the ones I snapped last night after we assembled it will have to suffice. It’s super easy and didn’t take long at all to prepare. We stored it overnight in the fridge, then baked it at my sister-in-law’s today. The result was a tasty meal with just the slightest amount of kick to it. It is a bit “soupy,” however. It doesn’t hold together well like other casseroles and lasagnas. We like to serve it topped with lettuce, and just eat it as is. Maybe it could also even be served over rice? Give it a try and see what you think.
Enchilada Casserole
(Source: Unknown)
Ingredients:
1-2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 cans enchilada sauce
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans refried beans
6-8 tortillas (8-10″ ones are best)
10-12 oz. cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Brown ground beef and drain if necessary. Add enchilada sauce and cream of chicken soup into the beef.
2. In a 9″ x 13″ pan, begin by tearing tortillas to fit on the bottom of the pan. On top of the tortillas, spread one of the cans of refried beans. Top that with half of the beef/sauce mixture. Sprinkle liberally with cheese. Add another layer of tortillas, the other can of refried beans, the rest of the sauce mixture, then more cheese. Top the casserole with one more layer of tortillas and a bit more cheese.
3. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.
About
I'm Heather. I'm 33 and have been married to Michael for seven years. Together, we have two beautiful little girls we love more than anything, and a miniature dachshund who drives us crazy. I'm a full-time working mom who has very little time for my own "stuff" these days, like home improvement, cooking/baking, cake decorating, and photography. Despite the team not making the playoffs since 1999, I'm STILL a Buffalo Bills fan, which I think speaks to my loyalty AND sense of humor. I can't wait to pick up the pace with travel again some day... you know, when we're done being ruled by tiny fists. Welcome to my blog.
