Summer Veggie Hash

This week I had one of those "ah-ha" moments when I was doing the dishes after dinner. I was just scrubbing away when I looked outside and saw my little girl riding her tricycle up and down the driveway (don't worry there's a gate and I can see her the whole time) by herself and I realized I am missing out on being a part of that because I am doing these stupid dishes. I felt awful. Most days it is just her and me and I realize that I have a lot of responsibility owning a house by myself but those tasks can wait when I am missing her childhood trying to keep up. Here are some things I think living alone with my daughter has taught me...
1) The dishes can wait. They are nagging you when your kid is slowly still eating, they are calling to you when dinner is done... but they can wait. Eat dinner at the table with your kid until they are done, do the dishes after they go to bed. Now I will say that I can't go to bed with a sink of dishes because you know what? When you live alone and you wake up the next day they are still there... stupid dishes. Note to self- dishwasher would be nice in my next house.
2) Put your cell phone down. When we are in the backyard, I don't need my phone. When we are walking to the park, I don't need my phone in my hand. When we are watching a movie, I don't need my phone next to me. I don't need to always be available and other people can wait. This generation is going to grow up not knowing what it is like not to have a phone attached to them and constantly being available to people. We need to stop trying to video tape the moment and posting it to social media instead of living in it.  Sad.
3) You can't be a "perfect" parent. Did I get a little to frustrated with her purely because I am tired? Yes. Did she poop in my backyard twice this week? Yes. Am I failing as a mother because she doesn't want to be my sweet little girl all the time as she is now asserting her independence? No. Sigh. There will be rough days, days when the laundry doesn't get done, an activity doesn't go as planned, and days when I just really need to not be needed by her every second. I need accept that those thoughts are ok and when it comes down to it, no one is perfect and the struggle to be your idea of perfection will be nothing more than frustrating.
4) My final thought is that it takes more than one person. I have said before I have a lot of help- my mom, my dad, my sister all help me a lot. There is a reason it takes two people to make a child. Owning a home on top of that is also at least a two-person job in my opinion. There is no one else responsibilities fall on  besides me. Mow the lawn, clean the rooms, take out the trash, fix things, bills, etc....all me. Watching my daughter play in the backyard of a nice home I work hard to provide for her is well worth all of it and sometimes I just need to suck it up and ask for help.

Summertime... fresh veggies and farmer's markets. Zucchini and squash are in season so I wanted to make a breakfast dish incorporating them. Plus I really think we all need more vegetables in our lives. Here is my summer veggies hash... I am thinking some turkey sausage patties and avocado or fresh tomato would be a nice addition also. :) If you have leftovers, put some chicken on top instead of the eggs and you have dinner, or lunch the next day.

Summer Veggie Hash

(Printable Version)

- 1 Sweet Potato, peeled and diced in 1/2" cubes
- 1 Zucchini, halved and diced
- 1 Yellow Squash, halved and diced
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- Eggs, I did 2 per person
- Chives (optional, for garnish)

1. Over medium heat, add some olive oil to a large skillet and toss in the potatoes and seasonings. As they are cooking, chop the other veggies.
2. When the potatoes are fork tender, about 5-7 minutes, add the squash and zucchini. Saute until tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Portion onto plates and sprinkle with chives. I use the same pan to cook the eggs, saves dishes. :) Cook the eggs any way you like them, personally I like over-easy, but poaching or scrambled would work well too. Enjoy!