What matters.

It was kind of a crappy day from the outside... We were almost late to school this morning (the result of having one hard-to-wake 6 yr. old and a demanding 3 yr. old); the cable guy showed up 30 minutes early and I had just barely gotten out of the shower; my nephew accidentally ran into the door of our entertainment center, re-cracking the wood frame; I had to have my hubby come home from work on short notice so I could go to see the doctor (meh); kids had a hard time napping; and if you've made it this far, I still had no idea what I was going to throw together for dinner. I had planned to make a Roasted Tomatillo Salsa today and sadly that is not enough to eat as a main course. I mean, I could, but it would probably not be wise.

So I did my fair share of complaining today. But then I get to tonight and look back and have realized all the blessings that happened in the midst of the chaos and seemingly bad stuff.

• My daughter wasn't late for school.
• At least the cable guy wasn't late. And I wasn't actually in the shower when he arrived.
• The cabinet door can be wood glued (we hope).
• I got to see my hubby at lunch, which is a rarity and always nice.
• Doctors appt. went well.
• Both kids ended up napping.
• I was able to throw together a delicious salad for dinner with ingredients on hand. And it was tasty. (Recipe below)

And while all of these things are awesome, the most incredible blessing was hearing last night that an amazing little boy named Ben who has been battling an awful childhood cancer on and off for most of his young life received the news we (and a lot of other people) have been praying for - his last scans came back cancer-free. 

So I sit here, my belly full, thanking God for giving me a different perspective and for healing the Bean. Turns out it was a pretty good day after all. 

Pear and Pecan Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

Adapted with ingredients on hand from allrecipes.com. The original used Roquefort instead of the Parm, which I would have totally used if I would have had it on hand. But I didn't, so Parm it was. Here's the original: Roquefort Pear Salad Recipe

Serves 2, with a little leftover pecans and dressing. And the pecans rock. You'll want leftovers of those. Trust me on this.

Ingredients

• 3 c. leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 large pear or 2 small pears - cored and chopped
• 1 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp. Craisins

Directions

1. In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, stir 1/4 cup of sugar together with the pecans. Continue stirring gently until sugar has melted and caramelized the pecans. Carefully transfer nuts onto waxed paper. Allow to cool, and break into pieces.
2. For the dressing, blend oil, vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, mustard, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper.(I used an emulsion blender for this.)
3. In a large serving bowl (or two good sized bowls), layer lettuce, pears, Parmesan cheese, and green onions. Pour dressing over salad, sprinkle with pecans, and serve.