Functioning at 70%

I pride myself on being a very organized, sharp, and efficient person. My brain is always going. Going, going, going. It never stops. Always thinking. Looking at things and figuring out how to do them faster and better. After these last two weeks, I am functioning at 70%.

You may have noticed, that I haven't posted a blog in a while. Normally I post after work, unfornately in the past two weeks there has been no "after work." I have been working 14 hours a day. Its been mad. Work is always busy, but this is the first time that I have felt burned out. I get to work at 7:30AM, and I don't leave until 9:30PM. And all day long its just go, go, go.

I got put on another account, Burt's Bees, and I basically did a month's worth of work in a week and a half. All of that on top of my usual helping of the NBA, Town Sports, and Twinings Tea. All of this work has gotten to me. My brain is now working at 70%. Case in point:

1.Yesterday, I gave our Account Team 5 WRONG budget numbers. It was pathetic. I kept having to call them back and be like, "I swear these are the right numbers.
2. Today I walked into my boss's office with my presentation. Look at the packed of papers, and thought to myself, "I have to get my presentation." I proceed to walk back to my desk and when I got to my desk I was like, "that was my deck."
3. Today I forgot my keys. On my way to Derek's office to get his keys I took the subway in the wrong direction.
4. Tonight at dinner I wanted to have water, and when the waitress asked me what I wanted I said, "I'll just have WINE for now. NO WAIT, WATER." She thinks I am a lush.

Thank god for the long weekend. I think I should have enough time to recover and get my brain back to at least 100%. (Please forgive all of the possible typos in this blog, its hard to blog at 70%.)

Three 30 Minute Recipes, Highly Recommended!

Yesterday the magazine "Everyday with Rachael Ray" came in to present the magazine. Besides the fact that I really liked the magazine, I thought to myself "Rachael Ray is so living my life." She gets to travel, cook, eat, and be famous for being "relateable." I can so do that.... You need proof? Check out the recipes below. Each at less than 30 minutes. Start to finish!

Meal 1: Baked Shrimp w/ Tomatoes & Feta, Orzo & Green Beans on the side (feeds two)
Ingredients:
1/2 lb Medium Shrimp, shelless and tails off
Oil
Garlic
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Oregano
Feta Cheese
1 cup Orzo
1/2 lb green beans, cut into 1" pieces
Lemon

Peheat oven to 475 degrees.

Saute oil and garlic until for 2 minutes, cut cherry tomatoes in half and add with oregano to pan. Cook until liquid is gone. Turn off heat toss in shrimp, transfer to baking pan. Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly. (About 10 minutes.)

While shrimp is baking, boil salted water. Add 1 cup orzo, after 4 minute add green beans. After 5 minutes drain and toss with lemon juice (1/2 a lemon), oil, salt, and pepper.

Meal #2: Panko Pork Chops
Ingredients
4 1/2" boneless center cut loin pork chops
Egg
2/3 cup of Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
Peanut oil
Salt
Ground ginger
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoon dry sherry (cooking wine)
2 tablespoon soy sauce
Wasabi powder

Dip pork chops in egg wash, dredge in Panko. Heat peanut oil in non stick pan, and fry pork chops over medium high heat. Cook about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove pork chop. Combine remaining ingredients, add seasonings to taste. Bring sauce to a simmer in the same pan that you made the pork chops in. Serve sauce over pork chops, and you can serve this with rice and veggies. Sometimes I add bok choy or snow peas to sauce when it is simmering.

Meal #3: Middle Eastern Chicken Tenders with Couscous
1 can of Chick Peas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup raisins
Oil (1 teaspoon)
1/2 cup couscous
Ground ginger
1 1/2 lbs of chicken tenders (trade hard tofu for chicken if you roll that way)

In a saucepan combine Chick Peas, raisins, oil, 1 cup of water, season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in couscous. Turn off heat and cover. Heat oil in a pan, and toss chicken in ground ginger. Pan fry chicken in oil over medium heat 3-4 minutes per side. Fluff couscous with a folk. Serve with cucumer salad (seedless cucumer, fresh parsley, white wine vinegar and oil.)

All of these recipes use ingredients that are inexpensive and pretty healthy. On an average week I make at least 2 of these dishes. More recipes to come in future blogs!