Surviving Sandy, Enchilada Style

Hurricane Sandy is finally starting to die off in the PA/NJ/NY region, but not after leaving millions without power and hundreds of trees collapsed over houses, cars, roads, and fences... We're thankful downtown Philadelphia didn't get hit too hard, and our hearts and prayers go out to all of you that were more affected by Sandy - especially you guys in NYC or north Jersey!

Both of our schools were closed yesterday and today. For some reason, being "stuck" at home (as opposed to choosing to stay home) made studying unbearable enough that we barely got anything done! But we plowed through the day and, just as the storm started hitting the hardest, rewarded ourselves with a comforting dinner and movie. (Side note: We never watch movies because it's too much time away from studying and other responsibilities. So this was not a small deal.)

So if your electricity's still on, and you're stranded at home for another day or two (like us), give this recipe a try! I didn't change anything from the Pioneer Woman's Enchilada recipe, so visit her website to learn how to make it - and to see photos that do better justice to the meal than our measly point-and-shoot attempts :)

Our version - Enchiladas con Sandy

I started by simmering this enchilada sauce for 45 minutes, which smelled so good...

This recipe involves a lot of chopping. You should chop chop chop while the sauce is simmering.

Oh, a tip: The original recipe calls for canned diced green chilies that, I assume, are not supposed to be spicy. I used fresh Serrano hot peppers instead, and put less than the recipe called for to even out the spice. If you want to use hot peppers like me, I'd suggest halving the amount altogether. Hubs found that the spiciness took away from the other flavors, although I didn't mind.. but then again, I like everything extra spicy. ;)

Dipping corn tortillas in the sauce: don't let it soak for too long!

Meat, olives, peppers, and cheese; then rolled up and placed seam down into the pan.

We improvised on the cheese: cheddar + leftover mozzarella + leftover Habanera sandwich cheese. I like wandering off the recipe.

These smelled so good in the oven. Oh my gosh. Look at that cheese (and don't think about your arteries).

I don't usually make high-calorie meals like this, but hurricane weather allows for some special circumstances. Right?

I think this was a pretty darn good meal, all things considered. It was my first time making enchiladas, and I didn't really know what an enchilada was before I decided to make it, and I'm not a huge fan of Mexican food to begin with (it's Mexican, yes?).

A great dinner for stormy weather. :)

Back from the (Blog)Dead

Pic source

I'm back!

For those of you who did, thank you for expressing your sadness over the dead state of this blog the past couple of months. I am touched that you find my blog posts captivating to read, and our lives worth keeping up with! The Jeongs have been surviving, thriving, and striving.

Surviving.
Whew, MS2 (2nd year of medical school) is no joke! During MS1, I struggled to keep up with the immense amount of information that was force-fed to us every day. The material wasn't actually difficult, though; it was just too much, too fast. This year, the coursework is not only highly accelerated, it is also difficult to learn. For example, in 2 1/2 weeks, we learned about every single bacteria that has ever infected humans: their biological characteristics, how to grow and identify it in a diagnostic lab, how it causes disease, how to diagnose it, and how to treat it. And then we learned about antibiotics: mechanisms of action, side effects and toxicities, warnings, and what doctors use each drug for. Needless to say, my brain is being challenged and stretched. It is a steep learning curve that hasn't exactly leveled off yet (does it ever?). But I am passing my classes, and I thank the Lord for that.

Hubs is loving seminary. Let me rephrase that. He is absolutely loving his studies, enjoying his classes, and staying on top of his schoolwork. I am thankful to have a husband who finds joy in studying, excitement in attending class, and eagerness to share everything he is learning with me. I sat in on one of his classes a few weeks back, and I had to keep reminding myself that this was a lecture and not an extended sermon! It was good. :)

Our house has become a little messier, my cooking is less frequent and more basic-survival-mode, and our leisure time is very limited. But God has been good to us in our marriage, and through Christian community. Surviving.

Thriving.
I recently had my first recorded patient interview of the year. First and second year students practice their doctoring skills by interviewing "fake" patients (paid to act as patients) in a simulated hospital room. The interviews are recorded, then watched in our small groups with peers and professors, who provide feedback about what we did well and what we need to change.

It's slightly embarrassing to show your video to others, but thank goodness I'm not the guy who worked up a good lather of soap in his hands before realizing that the water didn't turn on; or the girl who asked her post-menopausal patient for the date of her last period (she said, "I went through menopause. I don't get periods."), and then immediately asked if she was on birth control (she just looked at the poor student.). Oh wait, that was me. Let's just say, I've learned a lot since then.

A month ago, we had to interview a patient and then guide them through their diagnosis and treatment plan. We weren't told that the patients were instructed to challenge our plan and demand another form of treatment. After fumbling around in the beginning (I nervously introduced myself by my maiden name and earned a confused glance at my white coat, which clearly said "JEONG". I guess "Pak" is easier to say when I'm flustered?), I got myself settled. The interview really took off from there! I genuinely enjoyed the interview, and got super excited when I found out that I had just learned about my patient's case in class that very morning. It was one of the best [fake] interviews I've done, and the first time I used what I'm learning in class to help a patient out. It brought back meaning and motivation to my studies, which, frankly, I need a lot of. I'm itching to get to the end of second year and finally hit the wards, but I think I'll let myself enjoy this process of learning a little more - because this year, what I learn can actually be applied to someone in need. Thriving.

Striving.
Hubs and I are striving to become more sacrificial, more forgiving, and more proactive in our relationship with each other. We've been extremely busy since this school year began, and we let too many things fall by the wayside: our weekly family worship times, praying for each other, showing our love with acts of service, and spending time together (outside of studying). We want our marriage to continue to grow and mature, especially in this busy season of our lives. We love and crave your married advice and encouragement, so please feel free to send them our way!

There - I've finally dusted out the unused pages of my blog! Here's to more frequent (albeit shorter) updates from the Jeongs - cheers! :)

Walking should be a sport

I can't believe I walked 6.6 miles on Saturday. 

From home to Rittenhouse square to meet my friend, then to Logan Square in search of some College Day coupons (which we failed to find), to Chinatown for some bubble tea, and then all the way to Race Street Pier by the Delaware River.... and finally my hour+ walk home!

Walking should be a sport. I'm good at it.