For those of you who are regular visitors of Simple Seasonal, you may have noticed there hasn’t been much new content over the last FIVE days. My excuse is that life sometimes dumps on you… Everyone has a week like that from time-to-time. In my life, this dumping included identity theft, a sprained neck, a barfing kid, work days that were longer than they should have been, and…oh…we just made an offer on a house!

This may seem a little odd, but when life gets crazy, my training as a nurse kicks in and I tend to approach a cluster of problems with the triage tactic. In triage, medical professionals look at breathing and circulation. So basically, if someone is critically ill but can be saved if immediate action is taken, they’re first priority. If someone is seriously ill, but they’ve got some time, then they’re priority #2. If someone is injured, but their life isn’t threatened, then they’re priority #3. If someone is dead… well… anyway… After a disaster, when there is more to accomplish than there is time and resources, triaging is great because it gets as much done as efficiently as possible.

When I triage a schedule that’s out of control, I think in terms of the consequences of not accomplishing a task; no consequences, mild consequences and severe consequences. For example, if I don’t make the time to order supplies or get an antibiotic for my patient I could cause immediate physical harm, so that becomes a high priority. On the other hand, if I don’t make time to play with my son, I’m neglecting his need to feel loved by his mother every day, so that’s a moderate consequence that could be severely damaging if it becomes a pattern, so second priority. Then, if the laundry doesn’t get folded I’ll end up with wrinkly clothes, which is a pretty mild and arguably insubstantial consequence, so priority #3. Finally, if I forgot about and missed a doctor’s appointment, there’s nothing I can do to remedy the situation, so I don’t waste my time sweating it; apologize and reschedule. I love this method because I don’t doubt whether I did what was right, and I can go to bed at night knowing I made the most of the day.

When I was a new nurse and mother, I would get all bent out of shape about my responsibilities. My house had to be clean, a nice dinner had to be put onto my table and I had to be a perfect wife, mother, and nurse. The “perfect” part of the scenario was exhausting!

Over the last few years I have striven to be better at managing the stress in my life, and I even made it a New Year’s resolution one year. Along my journey I came across the book, “Good Enough Is the New Perfect,” by Becky Beapre Gillespie and Hollee Swartz Temple. This book basically talks about the role of women in work and in the home and talks about the balance between feminism and the ideal of “superwoman” next to the more traditional view of the female role. It addresses the benefits and the failures of both paradigms and how the modern woman should consider both to define what success and happiness for herself and her family will look like. This changed my life because it caused me to realize that I have a choice about how I respond to my situation. I’m the one who gets to decide what my priorities are and I get to determine what success and happiness in my life will look like. If you’re a women who feels over-burdened with responsibilities, or if you’re going to soon embark of the journey of motherhood, this is a great read!

Paired with the topic of modern womanhood, we have Creamy Purple(!) Potato Salad today. Don’t be fooled – guys can eat this tasty salad too!

Creamy and Light Purple Potato Salad

Serves: 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes                        Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 lbs purple potatoes
• 1/2 C diced celery
• 1/2 C thinly sliced and halved red radishes
• 1/4 C finely chopped green onions
• 1 C light sour cream
• 2 Tbsp tahini
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp fresh, chopped dill
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp of tahini and diced green onion for garnish

Directions

1. Wash the purple potatoes and place in a steamer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until just fork-tender. Potatoes for potato salad are often boiled, which should be avoided for this salad, as boiling will cause them to lose much of their purple hue. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the heat and allow them to come to room temperature. Once cooled, peel the potatoes and cut into cubes.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together your light sour cream, tahini, lemon juice, dill, sea salt, and black pepper to make your dressing.

3. Dice the celery, slice the radishes, and finely chop the green onions.

4. Add the potatoes, celery, radishes, and green onions into the bowl with the dressing. Gently fold the ingredients together until the potatoes are coated in dressing. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving. Garnish with a drizzle of tahini and and a sprinkling of green onions for an extra touch.

Creamy and Light Purple Potato Salad

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This recipe is mayo-free, has a fresh flavor, and is so purple!

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Ingredients

• 2 lbs purple potatoes
• 1/2 C diced celery
• 1/2 C thinly sliced and halved red radishes
• 1/4 C finely chopped green onions
• 1 C light sour cream
• 2 Tbsp tahini
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp fresh, chopped dill
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp of tahini and diced green onion for garnish

Instructions

1. Wash the purple potatoes and place in a steamer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until just fork-tender. Potatoes for potato salad are often boiled, which should be avoided for this salad, as boiling will cause them to lose much of their purple hue. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the heat and allow them to come to room temperature. Once cooled, peel the potatoes and cut into cubes.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together your light sour cream, tahini, lemon juice, dill, sea salt, and black pepper to make your dressing.
3. Dice the celery, slice the radishes, and finely chop the green onions.
4. Add the potatoes, celery, radishes, and green onions into the bowl with the dressing. Gently fold the ingredients together until the potatoes are coated in dressing. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving. Garnish with a drizzle of tahini and and a sprinkling of green onions for an extra touch.