Simple Living
Curry in a Hurry
Aaron invented this dish out of whatever we had in the cupboard a few years ago, one of those days when we really needed groceries. I’ve refined it over the years and it is so yummy. beef or lamb cubed 1 can whole tomatoes 1 onion, diced fresh cilantro turmeric cumin 1/4 tsp – 1/2 tsp curry If I’m using a nice cut of beef, I throw everything (except the onion) together in a container and marinate for 1/2 hour before cooking. Using hands or scissors, mush up the tomatoes into bite size pieces. If I use stew beef, I simmer it in 4 cups of water for an hour prior to adding everything else and then I omit the marinating phase. Cook onion in a tsp of oil until translucent. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. I like it mild, especially with kids at the table, so I don’t put much curry. I like the curry flavour without the burn and this way Rain will eat it. You can always up the curry-quotient if you like spicey. Serve with basmati rice and...
Read MoreHarvest Chicken Vegetable Soup
I made this up tonight, mostly from whatever was in the fridge. 6 cups chicken stock 1 chicken breast, shredded 1/2 nameless orange squash (leftover in fridge), cubed 5 small new red potatoes, skins on, cubed 1 small onion, diced 1/2 cup green beans, chopped dash salt & pepper 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning 1 star anise Yum. yum.
Read MoreJam Sweethearts
Rain started preschool in January and, much to my delight, was given a Scholastic book order form that dredged up fond memories from my school days. We sat down together and chose several books. One of the books was a cookbook for kids published by DK books, one of my favourite publishers. Rain has always liked to help in the kitchen and for his 3rd Birthday we got him an apron from Natural Pod. He also took a cooking class at the community centre in the fall where they made spaghetti & meatballs, apple crisp, salad with creamy dressing, banana muffins, witches finger cookies and other tasty treats. They were given the recipes at the end of the session and the meatballs are now part of our regular repertoire. Besides a delicious smoothie made from pineapple, coconut milk and ice cream, we also made these delicious cookies just in time for Valentine’s...
Read MorePropane
It is 2:00 am. I am snuggled in bed. Down duvet. Down pillow. Aaron and Rain are cuddled next to me. It is raining outside and I can hear the steady drum of drops on the metal roof, lovely lullaby because I’m not out in it. Being January, the temperature outside is probably hovering around zero. A sound rouses me from deep sleep – the steady whirring of a fan blowing. The propane furnace runs periodically and we are used to it. But there is something different about it. With dread, I drop my hand over the edge of the bed to hang in front of the vent. Cold air blows over my warm fingers. Out of Propane. I slip out of the covers and walk to the fuse panel to turn off the furnace. No point letting the fan blow cold air all night. Returning to bed, I pull the blankets as tightly as I can and squirm close to Rain to warm up. The temperature in the bus has already started dropping and I want to stay warm as long as possible. I nudge Aaron “We’re out of propane.” Groan. There isn’t much that compares to the sinking feeling in that groan. The knowledge that all night the temperature inside will keep declining, until morning when we’ll be able to see our breath inside. It’ll likely mean hitting the snooze button many times because it takes an iron will to get out of the warm bed in the dark to get ready for work in a propane-less bus. It’s even worse because you’ll forget and think “At least a cup of tea to warm up while I eat my cereal,” only to remember an instant later (or when you try to light the burner under the kettle) that no propane means no furnce, no cooking, and no water heater. It means washing your already cold hands and face with frigid water and dressing quickly, making the space between getting out of bed and leaving for work as short as possible. For those who get to go to work. For me, it means sleeping in as long as Rain will let me, then bundling myself and my toddler to head out in the winter weather. Unhooking the small propane tanks in the rain, icy fingers slipping on the wet couplings, and driving down Grandview to have them filled at 8:30am as sleepy commuters shuttle past. The attendant filling the tanks in his regulation issue SuperSave Gas parka looks at me like “Great day for a bbq.” I don’t miss that one...
Read MoreThe best sushi
Rain is a sushi fiend. He adores miso, sashimi (eats it by the fistful), avocado rolls, california rolls. He knew the names of all the dishes as soon as he could talk and he often pretends to be a waiter. He gets a piece of paper and a pen and takes our order, asking if we’ll have sashimi or teriyaki or sunomono. Before we moved away from Vancouver, we had a parting meal with Auntie Mel. Her kids were at their dad’s so we had an opportunity to visit with only 1/2 the chaos (because Rain creates the same chaos as all 4 of Mel’s kids). We ordered Indian Food from Tandoori King on Main St. We served up our plates and dug in. After a few bites, Rain exclaimed “This is the best sushi I’ve ever had!” We laughed and explained that it was actually Indian food so Rain corrected himself and said “This is the best Indiana Jones food I’ve ever...
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