Well fearless reader, you have are about to receive the pleasure of not one but two dinner reviews. Hold on tight.
BUTTER CHICKEN
Well after the boarder had butter chicken on Tuesday night my wife and I discussed the pros and cons of making butter chicken. We internet searched a couple of recipes and it looked rather time consuming so I thought it was all for naught. Wasn't I wrong. After arriving home on wednesday evening from my dentist appointment what was a met with but a harried wife (three kids while trying to make a dish for the first time with no real instructions) and an amazing meal. I loved it and it was even better today at school for lunch. Turns out my better half had brought home a whole chicken, parts had been separated, and she decided that it was butter time. Here is what the rest of the tribe thought.
SMOKIES AND SALAD
Then this evening I arrive home to a classic weekend starter. Smokies and spaghetti salad. The coolest part of the dinner was that the son had made his own bun at preschool today. It was pretty good bread but I was later told that there were three tablespoons of sugar in the dough. That must have been what gave it that pastry quality. After dinner it was Peanut Buster Parfaits (2 dishes for the four of us, definitely shareable) and now we are at bath time.
Not wanting to jinx myself I have to say that the first week of this semester has been amazing. I know we are still in the honey moon phase but so far are I am not just staying above water but definitely swimming with the tide and catching the occasional wave. Not wanting fate to smite me I am trying to stay humble and appreciative. But things are pretty good.
Showing posts with label curry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label curry. Show all posts
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Boys Night
Not that we had any special night, it was just the wife was taking the pics and the daughter had already finished. So yeah just us boys.
I think we all look pretty much the same. Da Boys. Well onward and upward. Lets talk about dinner.
We made wraps this evening. There were two types of filling for the wraps. There was a curry tofu filling and a bean and pepper filling. The bean and pepper went better with salsa and guacamole. I had the tofu filling just with rice and cheese. They were gooey and a little sloppy and just great. I had three in total and am now feeling quite full. Although... when the wife offered up the idea of cracking open a bottle of red wine I was in. We also had two bags of chips this evening. Dill pickle for the boy, sea salt for the girl. I had a huge amount of both.
Well after the fact, and with me quite oblivious as I was getting my blog up and listening to some "This American Life", the kids talked mom into making another set of "Mug Cakes." These are some crafty little cakes you make in a small mug in the microwave. We had some last night and they were tasty yet a little tough. This evenings fare however was springy, chocolaty and reminded one somewhat of pudding and somewhat of cake.
And the daughter managed to get in the show. You had to know she would.
It was a banner day here. Library, shopping, filling holes with drywall compound, talking to possible realtors, swimming at the pool, renting a wall paper steamer. I cannot be overly critical with the fact that I didn't get a run in. Tomorrow will be here soon enough. Moving to Japan in the Summer is starting to get pretty darn real.
I think we all look pretty much the same. Da Boys. Well onward and upward. Lets talk about dinner.We made wraps this evening. There were two types of filling for the wraps. There was a curry tofu filling and a bean and pepper filling. The bean and pepper went better with salsa and guacamole. I had the tofu filling just with rice and cheese. They were gooey and a little sloppy and just great. I had three in total and am now feeling quite full. Although... when the wife offered up the idea of cracking open a bottle of red wine I was in. We also had two bags of chips this evening. Dill pickle for the boy, sea salt for the girl. I had a huge amount of both.
Well after the fact, and with me quite oblivious as I was getting my blog up and listening to some "This American Life", the kids talked mom into making another set of "Mug Cakes." These are some crafty little cakes you make in a small mug in the microwave. We had some last night and they were tasty yet a little tough. This evenings fare however was springy, chocolaty and reminded one somewhat of pudding and somewhat of cake.
And the daughter managed to get in the show. You had to know she would.It was a banner day here. Library, shopping, filling holes with drywall compound, talking to possible realtors, swimming at the pool, renting a wall paper steamer. I cannot be overly critical with the fact that I didn't get a run in. Tomorrow will be here soon enough. Moving to Japan in the Summer is starting to get pretty darn real.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Curri-tastic.
Well it is official, the wife makes a darn good curry. It was the chickpea vegetarian version and with a little hot sauce it even had some kick. The kids gobbled it up so that was a double happiness. The meal was accompanied by a green salad with the Thai sesame dressing. We also had some foccacia bread to round out the meal. It turns out the actual date for the show (in which the daughter has a stunning 6 lines) is Thursday the 26th of November. We can put you up Thursday night if you want. I know its tough but think about it. In anycase the show will probably be video taped for posterity.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Recipe Wonders
Well the Mrs. has found the true glory of recipes. Inspiration.
Tonight we had a chicken and barley curry. Page 12. The curry factor was very low for the kids but the yum factor was still high. There was quite a bit of lentils in it too. In a shocking turn of events the daughter ate a salad with some raw zucchini spears in it. This fact has yet to be verified by any scientific method but we are pretty sure of our results.
In other news the youngest did a pretty good job of eating solid food. More than three quarters of the bowl was in his mouth at one point or another. Of that a great majority was swallowed. Bring on the stinky poops.
Tonight we had a chicken and barley curry. Page 12. The curry factor was very low for the kids but the yum factor was still high. There was quite a bit of lentils in it too. In a shocking turn of events the daughter ate a salad with some raw zucchini spears in it. This fact has yet to be verified by any scientific method but we are pretty sure of our results.
In other news the youngest did a pretty good job of eating solid food. More than three quarters of the bowl was in his mouth at one point or another. Of that a great majority was swallowed. Bring on the stinky poops.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Summer Zaaaa
Well, it was pizza night again at Chez Us and we even invited some friends over to share in our good fortune. The pizza was pretty good but the last three pizzas had an interesting flaw. 
After letting the dough rise while making the first to I think the dough became to porous. Each of the last three pizzas stuck to the peal and wouldn't slide gently into the oven. The first of these was a complete mess as it was totally dressed on the peal. The other two I didn't dress until they were in the oven yet they still suffered from sauce seapage. When I was making the dough I added a cup of whole wheat where I would have normally used all purpose. I didn't add any extra water and the dough was tough to kneed. However, it seemed fine after rising. I am going to try the rolling pin next time right before dressing to see if this closes up any gaping pores. It was a hot day and I left the yeast in the warm water for quite a while as I was also prepping the toppings. So lots of variables could have brought this. I was quite disappointed with my pizza transfer however the actual pizza was pretty good.
The Mrs weighed in with some Japanese curry and a spinach salad with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The friends brought home made brownies and ice cream. Mmm mmm good. I am filling rather rotund and in need of some coma time. Manyana.
After letting the dough rise while making the first to I think the dough became to porous. Each of the last three pizzas stuck to the peal and wouldn't slide gently into the oven. The first of these was a complete mess as it was totally dressed on the peal. The other two I didn't dress until they were in the oven yet they still suffered from sauce seapage. When I was making the dough I added a cup of whole wheat where I would have normally used all purpose. I didn't add any extra water and the dough was tough to kneed. However, it seemed fine after rising. I am going to try the rolling pin next time right before dressing to see if this closes up any gaping pores. It was a hot day and I left the yeast in the warm water for quite a while as I was also prepping the toppings. So lots of variables could have brought this. I was quite disappointed with my pizza transfer however the actual pizza was pretty good.
The Mrs weighed in with some Japanese curry and a spinach salad with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The friends brought home made brownies and ice cream. Mmm mmm good. I am filling rather rotund and in need of some coma time. Manyana.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Curry and Cabbage.
Yes it is the green stuff but not money. I do like the idea of calling money cabbage but I never have enough cabbage or cabbage conversations to use that particular idiom, colloquialism, saying. So the cabbage will have to remain in my wife's salad. She chose the Chinese variety this evening and made a nice vinaigrette dressing to cloth it in. 
I went with curry but foolishly forgot to forage some coconut milk. I improvised but it wasn't my best work. Strangely enough the kids both finished off their plates (small lunch syndrome is my guess). After dinner we went kite flying and it was a perfect night for it. Gusty but not too strong. We had the long line all the way out and man was that kite flying high. After coming back home we had strawberry smoothies for dessert. Good times.
Below are the finished product pictures for the bed room. Fortunately the resolution isn't that good.
I touched up the really glaring stuff but I have definitely learned from this experience. From here on out it will be paint the trim first and then tape and paint the rest. That has to be easier than the other way around. Also carry a rag and wipe off the glaring stuff so that when you paint the alternate colour on the trim/wall you don't need three coats. Yes many many lessons learned.
I also need a thinner brush to paint the grooves in the wall board. I truly loathe wall board. I can't even imagine what a wide expanse of gyproc must be like to paint. You, a roller and twenty minutes. Zip, zip zip.
The wife mentioned how nice the room looked and wouldn't it have been nice to live in a house that looked that way the whole time. She is a little put out with the fix it up to sell thing. I pointed out that we would have had to paint again anyways as the kids have crayoned, painted, and written on most of the wall areas they can reach. She fortunately gave me this point but I don't think I will be that lucky in our next digs. Moving in will be much busier next time. That may be a "lets hire someone and go on vacation for a week," kind of a scenario. Time will tell.
I went with curry but foolishly forgot to forage some coconut milk. I improvised but it wasn't my best work. Strangely enough the kids both finished off their plates (small lunch syndrome is my guess). After dinner we went kite flying and it was a perfect night for it. Gusty but not too strong. We had the long line all the way out and man was that kite flying high. After coming back home we had strawberry smoothies for dessert. Good times.Below are the finished product pictures for the bed room. Fortunately the resolution isn't that good.
I touched up the really glaring stuff but I have definitely learned from this experience. From here on out it will be paint the trim first and then tape and paint the rest. That has to be easier than the other way around. Also carry a rag and wipe off the glaring stuff so that when you paint the alternate colour on the trim/wall you don't need three coats. Yes many many lessons learned.
I also need a thinner brush to paint the grooves in the wall board. I truly loathe wall board. I can't even imagine what a wide expanse of gyproc must be like to paint. You, a roller and twenty minutes. Zip, zip zip.The wife mentioned how nice the room looked and wouldn't it have been nice to live in a house that looked that way the whole time. She is a little put out with the fix it up to sell thing. I pointed out that we would have had to paint again anyways as the kids have crayoned, painted, and written on most of the wall areas they can reach. She fortunately gave me this point but I don't think I will be that lucky in our next digs. Moving in will be much busier next time. That may be a "lets hire someone and go on vacation for a week," kind of a scenario. Time will tell.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Going Veggie.
Well we are trying for a few days of vegetarian now that we are back home. You know, kind of flush out the system. So in that vein I made a vegetarian curry this evening. It had lots of different kinds of beans and I kicked up the flavour a notch with some ginger powder.
Unfortunately, we were all pretty satisfied by the time I got around to taking a picture so all we have for you is this mostly empty bowl. The bean and lentil soup mix didn't have enough time to soak or boil so there were some pretty crisp beans on everyone's dish. Thats what teeth are for I say.
I made up for the crunchiness of the beans by whipping up an incredible raspberry smoothy. We are currently inundated with raspberries so we are using them in everything. Even raspberry jam. (see last night). Below is the son doing his best surprised look. 
Unfortunately, we were all pretty satisfied by the time I got around to taking a picture so all we have for you is this mostly empty bowl. The bean and lentil soup mix didn't have enough time to soak or boil so there were some pretty crisp beans on everyone's dish. Thats what teeth are for I say.
I made up for the crunchiness of the beans by whipping up an incredible raspberry smoothy. We are currently inundated with raspberries so we are using them in everything. Even raspberry jam. (see last night). Below is the son doing his best surprised look. 
Friday, July 3, 2009
Meh, Curry.
Well I didn't exactly rip it up this evening. I tried to overcompensate for a lack of chicken stock and low and behold there was too much cumin and vinegar in my curry. The mango I added didn't have any effect. Really I need to stay with apples. Pureed apple adds both a sweet and a tangy element. That and some boullion cubes definitely kick up the chick pea vegetarian curry to that next level. I mean I could have added ketchup or some pureed tomatoes. Anyways, this curry is still a work in progress. I would say I get it right about one in four times. Next up is my son being mercilessly dressed up by his sister. Yes the schedule is still running so in the afternoon when they don't get to watch tv this is what they get up too.
Birthday madness tomorrow. Looking for a little strength here.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Honey Curry
In the sense that the wife said, "honey can you make some tofu chick pea curry." We passed at the intersection between the two schools. I was about to head home with the family when I found out they were going to play at a friends house. And I was going home to make dinner. As you can see it all worked out. The curry was good but next time, when I food process the chick peas I will add the apple chunks first. I think apple sauce is better than apple chunks for the flavour I am going for. The wife also put together some salad and I whipped up a snacking plate of cheese, carrots, cucumber and crackers. I guess it really should have been called a cnacking plate. Hee hee. Well one more work day this week. Lets see if I can make it.
Monday, May 25, 2009
That boy.
Here sure knows how to push buttons. Recently a neighbour commented that he is a real individual and may end up being a handful to raise. I have a feeling she may be right.
This is the picture prevent mode. He waits right till the last second and then shoots his hand or face right into the frame. I am working on that whole redirect. Rather than say stop give him a chance to do what he wants and then redirect him to a better activity. The key element is having the patience to do this. Not so strong in this department.
Here is the actual feta topped red cabbage and lettuce salad. Nice simple vinegrette to top it off.
I has tasked with making curry and in spite of my last curry debacle I was a little wary but I went very middle of the road. Too much salt but it both tasted of curry and was not too spicy. The kids put back their bowls, the son going through two. Here he is posed by my bowl.
He had his first swimming lesson today and it was very different from the daughters first lesson. Unlike his sister he was totally disinterested in the other students and had no fear of diving in to retrieve stuff that was under water in the kiddie end. Did not pay any where near as much attention to the teacher but looked over at me about the same as his older sister. They are both in lessons now for the second week of the summer. Yes, I love it when a plan comes together.
This is the picture prevent mode. He waits right till the last second and then shoots his hand or face right into the frame. I am working on that whole redirect. Rather than say stop give him a chance to do what he wants and then redirect him to a better activity. The key element is having the patience to do this. Not so strong in this department.
Here is the actual feta topped red cabbage and lettuce salad. Nice simple vinegrette to top it off.I has tasked with making curry and in spite of my last curry debacle I was a little wary but I went very middle of the road. Too much salt but it both tasted of curry and was not too spicy. The kids put back their bowls, the son going through two. Here he is posed by my bowl.
He had his first swimming lesson today and it was very different from the daughters first lesson. Unlike his sister he was totally disinterested in the other students and had no fear of diving in to retrieve stuff that was under water in the kiddie end. Did not pay any where near as much attention to the teacher but looked over at me about the same as his older sister. They are both in lessons now for the second week of the summer. Yes, I love it when a plan comes together.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Dai Shippai
That was the original title I was working with for this evenings blog. It means "complete screw up" and refers to the fact that neither of my kids would even swallow one bite of this evenings meal. It was kind of a bean curry. The wife thought I was being hard on myself but let me lay out my case.
So we had this packet of vinadaloo curry paste sitting in the cupboard. I knew it was hot but figured a big pot of beans and veggies with some vinegar and crushed tomatoes would spread that heat out and everyone would enjoy. Well, I really liked it. The wife enjoyed her bowl too but the kids. Well the kids are just not into spicy. I think I should take my mother's avenue of attack and start making two batches of everything. Then I will tell the kids they are not allowed the hot one. Slowly the spicy will gain esteem in their eyes as they are not allowed to eat it. Eventually they will be converted, probably right around the time I develop heart trouble and have to lay off the spicy food. Well I said it here first.
The watermelon was nice and my son chiseled in on the boarders pork chops. The daughter had her "last day of dance class" party and was pretty snacked up by the time she got home. So it might not be all my fault. But it might be.
So we had this packet of vinadaloo curry paste sitting in the cupboard. I knew it was hot but figured a big pot of beans and veggies with some vinegar and crushed tomatoes would spread that heat out and everyone would enjoy. Well, I really liked it. The wife enjoyed her bowl too but the kids. Well the kids are just not into spicy. I think I should take my mother's avenue of attack and start making two batches of everything. Then I will tell the kids they are not allowed the hot one. Slowly the spicy will gain esteem in their eyes as they are not allowed to eat it. Eventually they will be converted, probably right around the time I develop heart trouble and have to lay off the spicy food. Well I said it here first.The watermelon was nice and my son chiseled in on the boarders pork chops. The daughter had her "last day of dance class" party and was pretty snacked up by the time she got home. So it might not be all my fault. But it might be.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
April Fool
Well that was me this morning. On the walk to school I discussed with the daughter the various things that can occur on April 1st. However, I clearly stated that most of them are not good and she should hold off on trying any April Fools today. The temptation was too great. She tried an April fool on some of her classmates and got in trouble. Then she got the double whammy of getting it again from her parents over dinner. Tough day. I would appreciate if no one ever brought this up with her as it is done now and I have said we don't need to think about it anymore. I think this was the first really heavy conversation we have had to have with one of our kids. They sure do grow up fast.
So that was eventful. Fortunately, the dinner was also really eventful. We had a wicked combination dinner. The wife wrapped up the leftover curry in some spring roll wrappers and then pan fried them. Totally totally awesome. I fried up some pork chops with salt pepper and garlic powder. Delish. The kids just ripped through the meat. I was definitely thinking leftovers. Fat chance. There was also rice and some broccoli, corn and peas. I have to get it through my head that I am the only one loving the heated up peas and corn. The broccoli was well received.
Well that was the first day of April. Lets hope the rest of the month isn't as "lesson filled" as today.
So that was eventful. Fortunately, the dinner was also really eventful. We had a wicked combination dinner. The wife wrapped up the leftover curry in some spring roll wrappers and then pan fried them. Totally totally awesome. I fried up some pork chops with salt pepper and garlic powder. Delish. The kids just ripped through the meat. I was definitely thinking leftovers. Fat chance. There was also rice and some broccoli, corn and peas. I have to get it through my head that I am the only one loving the heated up peas and corn. The broccoli was well received.Well that was the first day of April. Lets hope the rest of the month isn't as "lesson filled" as today.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
The end of the line.
So I officially go back to work tomorrow. It has been a good run. Lots of good meals made in the last five weeks. I know I started to slack off at the end but I think it has been quite a good transition. I haven't gone fishing for opinions on this one so I may be out on a limb here but I think I did a fair to average job. And I had a good time. Which is what really counts as far as I am concerned.
As for dinner this evening I tried to get my curry mojo going again but came up wanting. Maybe I am adding to much veggie and not enough spice. Maybe worrying that the kids may not like it is inhibiting my natural flair for mixing up the right combination of spice, salt and savoury. In any case I was not impressed with what I came up with tonight. I really wish I could get back to that curry I made two weeks ago which really knocked my socks off. Maybe it is the trying to go vegetarian which is holding me back. Who knows.
This picture is the current food chain at our house. I make the curry, the wife eats the curry, the son gets breast milk made from curry and I clean out his diapers which appear to be full of curry. Don't get me wrong. I like breast milk poopy diapers much better than real food poopy diapers. Months six to eighteen are not pretty. Here is to hoping it is the last time we have to run this gauntlet.
As for dinner this evening I tried to get my curry mojo going again but came up wanting. Maybe I am adding to much veggie and not enough spice. Maybe worrying that the kids may not like it is inhibiting my natural flair for mixing up the right combination of spice, salt and savoury. In any case I was not impressed with what I came up with tonight. I really wish I could get back to that curry I made two weeks ago which really knocked my socks off. Maybe it is the trying to go vegetarian which is holding me back. Who knows.
This picture is the current food chain at our house. I make the curry, the wife eats the curry, the son gets breast milk made from curry and I clean out his diapers which appear to be full of curry. Don't get me wrong. I like breast milk poopy diapers much better than real food poopy diapers. Months six to eighteen are not pretty. Here is to hoping it is the last time we have to run this gauntlet.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Super Curry
No pictures, no comment.
I started todays curry in the afternoon and gave myself plenty of time to make it. The result. Pretty darn good curry if I do say so myself. The only real issue was that I cooked it down too much. It ended up being quite thick and flavourful. Here is the breakdown of how I made it.
I started with diced onions, mushrooms and red peppers. One med onion, 6 mushrooms and a whole med red pepper. I sweated them on about four (my medium is between 5 and 6) until the onions were starting to go transparent and then I transferred it all to a bowl. With some more oil in the pan (it is a deep fry pan that we got from my older sister) I turned up the heat to about 6 and I added minced garlic 2 large cloves and minced ginger (a similar amount to the garlic) then I threw in two pretty thick pork loin steaks worth of cubed pork. I fried this for a bit and then once the pork was cooked to white on at least one side I added the spices. 1.5 tbsp madras curry powder, 1 t turmeric, 1/4 t paprika ( I would increase this if it weren't for the kids), 1/2 t ground cloves, 2-3 t salt. I continued to fry this adding a bit more oil every time everything got too dry. Once most of the pink was gone from the pork and we had the good fragrance going I added 2-3 cups of water and all of the vegetable stuffs. I also added maybe 1.5 tbsp of vinegar and 6 or 7 shots of worchester sauce. I also added a diced large carrot at this point. I got this boiling turned down the heat and let it simmer for about half an hour. Then I added about 2 tbsp of ketchup. The wife said I should added some cocoa powder at this point but I chickened out. Maybe next time. After I mixed this all around I took one cup of milk and one tbsp of flour and put them in a sealed container. I shook this vigorously and then poured the combined ingrediants into the curry and brought the heat back up. Here is where I messed up. I didn't turn it down to like 2 for a good simmer. I went and got involved in something else and didn't return until the wife said, "what about the curry." By this point I had reduced the liquid by half. It would have been perfect if I had just brought up the heat and then stirred it until it thickened. Then I could have turned it off and left it for dinner. In any case I believe it is my best from scratch curry ever and that is why I took the time to write it all down. Hopefully it will help me remember what I did next time.
It was report card day. Everything continues as normal. However, it seems that sometimes the social is getting in the way of the academic. We really need to ... What am I talking about, she's six. Just gotta keep enjoying school at this point.
I started todays curry in the afternoon and gave myself plenty of time to make it. The result. Pretty darn good curry if I do say so myself. The only real issue was that I cooked it down too much. It ended up being quite thick and flavourful. Here is the breakdown of how I made it.
I started with diced onions, mushrooms and red peppers. One med onion, 6 mushrooms and a whole med red pepper. I sweated them on about four (my medium is between 5 and 6) until the onions were starting to go transparent and then I transferred it all to a bowl. With some more oil in the pan (it is a deep fry pan that we got from my older sister) I turned up the heat to about 6 and I added minced garlic 2 large cloves and minced ginger (a similar amount to the garlic) then I threw in two pretty thick pork loin steaks worth of cubed pork. I fried this for a bit and then once the pork was cooked to white on at least one side I added the spices. 1.5 tbsp madras curry powder, 1 t turmeric, 1/4 t paprika ( I would increase this if it weren't for the kids), 1/2 t ground cloves, 2-3 t salt. I continued to fry this adding a bit more oil every time everything got too dry. Once most of the pink was gone from the pork and we had the good fragrance going I added 2-3 cups of water and all of the vegetable stuffs. I also added maybe 1.5 tbsp of vinegar and 6 or 7 shots of worchester sauce. I also added a diced large carrot at this point. I got this boiling turned down the heat and let it simmer for about half an hour. Then I added about 2 tbsp of ketchup. The wife said I should added some cocoa powder at this point but I chickened out. Maybe next time. After I mixed this all around I took one cup of milk and one tbsp of flour and put them in a sealed container. I shook this vigorously and then poured the combined ingrediants into the curry and brought the heat back up. Here is where I messed up. I didn't turn it down to like 2 for a good simmer. I went and got involved in something else and didn't return until the wife said, "what about the curry." By this point I had reduced the liquid by half. It would have been perfect if I had just brought up the heat and then stirred it until it thickened. Then I could have turned it off and left it for dinner. In any case I believe it is my best from scratch curry ever and that is why I took the time to write it all down. Hopefully it will help me remember what I did next time.
It was report card day. Everything continues as normal. However, it seems that sometimes the social is getting in the way of the academic. We really need to ... What am I talking about, she's six. Just gotta keep enjoying school at this point.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Is it the weekend?
I mean when you have three options for your wrap filling things are looking pretty good. 
Orginally I was just planning to make a tuna salad and a salmon salad option for this evenings wraps. However, the daughter mentioned she would not eat either so I threw in a chick pea and green pea curry as a third option. The fish salads were made from canned tuna and salmon. I minced some onion and soaked it in vinegar to start off both salads. The tuna then had minced carrot and celery added with some mayonaise, salt and pepper. The salmon salad was minced red pepper with our home made yogurt. I also whipped up some guacamole to go along with the shredded romaine lettuce and the left over rice. I had three wraps and feel great about it. 
This is the kidlet and he looks like he is waving. He is sitting beside the home made bear he got yesterday. Gotta love people who go the extra distance.
This is a story of fatigue. I managed to get some quality conk out time with the youngster too. All in all another great day.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Currying Favour
Was what I was attempting to do when I made curry this evening. I thought I could win my mother over into staying another day. Alas I did not and she leaves bright and early on the morrow.It might have been the less than stellar gustatory performance I put on this evening. Not having any curry powder or turmeric I was in sort of a pinch but I managed to get by. I used the usual suspects and whipped up a tofu chick pea curry. There were assorted other vegetables included as well. As a special treat I whipped up a chili pepper topping with some of our dried chilis. This added some needed wow to the mild child friendly curry. You know, it could have used some mango. Also I have to be a little tighter with my spicing. If I am going to fly by the seat of my pants then I need to be testing the sauce at more frequent intervals. I am also contemplating using honey instead of molasses next time. A lighter sweetness.
Here is mother and child on day six. Starting to round out nicely. Not crying too much and the wife says he slept for two three hour stretches last night. I doubt it will last but it is good for now.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Ask a question.
Well I asked the kids what the wanted for dinner and they told me in no uncertain terms. One wanted noodles. The other wanted curry. So I made pasta with curry sauce.
The Mrs. wanted to go for a walk so I gave her a wish list on her way out the door. Steak, chick peas, cream and frozen corn. I also asked for a cucumber for the salad but seeing as I didn't make the salad I don't know if that counts. My final request was for a treat, something chocolatey. She did let us down. But first lets talk about the sauce.
I started by frying the steaks in a little oil in a sauce pan. While they were browning I diced some onions and garlic and started to sweat them in a biggish pot with some oil. While the onions sweated and the steaks were turned over, I food processed half the chick peas with some vinegar and water. The consistency was closer to smooth than chunky but it definitely wasn't humus. By now the steaks were browned on the outside so I transfered them to a cutting board and sliced them into little chunks. Then I added the steak and spices to the onions. I added about a table spoon each of, cumin, coriander and paprika with a teaspoon of tumeric and cinnamon. I covered this and let is cook for about five minutes. By then the colours had all blended and it was starting to look like curry. Next I added the chick pea puree with the remaining whole chick peas, the sliced red peppers, and the frozen corn. Then I made a classic blunder. Not quite up there with getting involved in a land war in Asia but close. I wanted to add some kind of roux to get that nice thick curry consistency. Unfortunately I added too much flour. I started by heating up a cup of water in the microwave. Then I added about half a cup of flour (should have been maybe 2 or 3 tablespoons) with a small container of cream and some oil. I whisked this in the measuring cup and then added salt pepper and basil. This was then added to the curry. Don't get me wrong it was still great but the flour muted much of the spice flavour. This made the kids happy and they gobbled up their portions. Lots left for lunch tomorrow and we are thinking of using it as a filling for wraps when we head over to see the widwife.
As for the treat the wife managed to pick up some of these bad boys on sale. Gotta love the week after valentines. Its all good.
The Mrs. wanted to go for a walk so I gave her a wish list on her way out the door. Steak, chick peas, cream and frozen corn. I also asked for a cucumber for the salad but seeing as I didn't make the salad I don't know if that counts. My final request was for a treat, something chocolatey. She did let us down. But first lets talk about the sauce.I started by frying the steaks in a little oil in a sauce pan. While they were browning I diced some onions and garlic and started to sweat them in a biggish pot with some oil. While the onions sweated and the steaks were turned over, I food processed half the chick peas with some vinegar and water. The consistency was closer to smooth than chunky but it definitely wasn't humus. By now the steaks were browned on the outside so I transfered them to a cutting board and sliced them into little chunks. Then I added the steak and spices to the onions. I added about a table spoon each of, cumin, coriander and paprika with a teaspoon of tumeric and cinnamon. I covered this and let is cook for about five minutes. By then the colours had all blended and it was starting to look like curry. Next I added the chick pea puree with the remaining whole chick peas, the sliced red peppers, and the frozen corn. Then I made a classic blunder. Not quite up there with getting involved in a land war in Asia but close. I wanted to add some kind of roux to get that nice thick curry consistency. Unfortunately I added too much flour. I started by heating up a cup of water in the microwave. Then I added about half a cup of flour (should have been maybe 2 or 3 tablespoons) with a small container of cream and some oil. I whisked this in the measuring cup and then added salt pepper and basil. This was then added to the curry. Don't get me wrong it was still great but the flour muted much of the spice flavour. This made the kids happy and they gobbled up their portions. Lots left for lunch tomorrow and we are thinking of using it as a filling for wraps when we head over to see the widwife.
As for the treat the wife managed to pick up some of these bad boys on sale. Gotta love the week after valentines. Its all good.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Late Curry
Sorry for the delay. I had to run right off after dinner to referee a basketball game. Good game. Good dinner.
We were treated to a fabulous turkey curry tonight. That massive beast from Christmas is still doing great service. And is it ever good turkey. The mrs. whipped up a beautiful sauce which she called, "Turkey soup?? curry??" but whatever it was it was good. I ladled mine over a bowl of rice. Added some vinegar from the pickled peppers to kick up the heat and nuked it. 2 and a half minutes later I was in dinner heaven.
After getting back home this evening I managed to get some book time with the daughter. Then the wife and I sat down to watch "The Visitor." Interesting movie. The wife said that she still feels a little scared living in Canada because she is not a citizen. I can understand that. Especially when I was living in Japan I always had that niggling doubt that if I did something to over the top I would just be packed up and sent home. That kind of feeling really helps one keep in line. Well sorry about the lateness of the post. Later.
We were treated to a fabulous turkey curry tonight. That massive beast from Christmas is still doing great service. And is it ever good turkey. The mrs. whipped up a beautiful sauce which she called, "Turkey soup?? curry??" but whatever it was it was good. I ladled mine over a bowl of rice. Added some vinegar from the pickled peppers to kick up the heat and nuked it. 2 and a half minutes later I was in dinner heaven.
After getting back home this evening I managed to get some book time with the daughter. Then the wife and I sat down to watch "The Visitor." Interesting movie. The wife said that she still feels a little scared living in Canada because she is not a citizen. I can understand that. Especially when I was living in Japan I always had that niggling doubt that if I did something to over the top I would just be packed up and sent home. That kind of feeling really helps one keep in line. Well sorry about the lateness of the post. Later.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Late Dinner
Well it was a pretty busy day. Ups and down, twists and turns and now I am here. Ready to spill.
Lets start with dinner. It doesn't work chronologically but it will keep my occupied while I organize my thoughts. I arrived late for dinner. Everyone else was reading a book in bed. The haru-maki (literal translation "spring (the season) roll") were home made and quite scrumptious. Ground beef and assorted veggies seasoned nicely. When I went into the kids room and asked if they had had rice with dinner I was given a resounding yes. Followed by, "but they ate it all." So I had left over banana curry as my side dish. The curry was even better because it had aged for a day. And the banana is really misleading. It is curry with a hint of banana. Just a hint. You cannot see the bowl of miso soup that is burbling away in the microwave while I scarfed down this plate of food. What you can see is the rest of the bottle of white wine we opened on the weekend for a guest. It was nice.
So the rest of the day was pretty hectic. I had to referee two basketball games after school and the first was sort of a nightmare. A super aggressive team that expected to win but didn't. Some coaches who wanted to question every call we made. I didn't feel on top of my game because I don't ref enough if there is even the slightest crack in a ref's confidence then, at least to me, the whole thing collapses like a house of cards and you spend the rest of the game being second guessed, and second guessing yourself, on every call. "They need refs. I am doing a good thing. It is a service to the community". Everyone needs a mantra. Really I just need to prepare a little more myself and then it all works out.
After the stressful afternoon which turned into evening, and following the awesome meal, I sat down to watch a movie with the wife. We watched a definite chick flick. The Jane Austen Book Club. I really enjoyed it. Had a great conversation afterwards about life and us. Sometimes I just over think things. But its kind of endearing. I hope.
Lets start with dinner. It doesn't work chronologically but it will keep my occupied while I organize my thoughts. I arrived late for dinner. Everyone else was reading a book in bed. The haru-maki (literal translation "spring (the season) roll") were home made and quite scrumptious. Ground beef and assorted veggies seasoned nicely. When I went into the kids room and asked if they had had rice with dinner I was given a resounding yes. Followed by, "but they ate it all." So I had left over banana curry as my side dish. The curry was even better because it had aged for a day. And the banana is really misleading. It is curry with a hint of banana. Just a hint. You cannot see the bowl of miso soup that is burbling away in the microwave while I scarfed down this plate of food. What you can see is the rest of the bottle of white wine we opened on the weekend for a guest. It was nice.
So the rest of the day was pretty hectic. I had to referee two basketball games after school and the first was sort of a nightmare. A super aggressive team that expected to win but didn't. Some coaches who wanted to question every call we made. I didn't feel on top of my game because I don't ref enough if there is even the slightest crack in a ref's confidence then, at least to me, the whole thing collapses like a house of cards and you spend the rest of the game being second guessed, and second guessing yourself, on every call. "They need refs. I am doing a good thing. It is a service to the community". Everyone needs a mantra. Really I just need to prepare a little more myself and then it all works out.
After the stressful afternoon which turned into evening, and following the awesome meal, I sat down to watch a movie with the wife. We watched a definite chick flick. The Jane Austen Book Club. I really enjoyed it. Had a great conversation afterwards about life and us. Sometimes I just over think things. But its kind of endearing. I hope.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Don't tell the kids.
There were bananas in the"almost curry stir fry" this evening. The wife was a little apprehensive about serving up this evenings dinner. She felt like she had been caught between two meals. A nice chicken curry on the one hand and a chicken stir fry on the other. 
Did I mention there were bananas in it. Well in the end it was delicious and without the information they didn't need the kids gobbled it up. Coleslaw came along for the ride and had just the right amount of creaminess for me. You may noticed I topped mine with some pickled peppers. Just a little more heat for the dad.
The kids asked me to take this one after snapping the one of dinner. I had to remind the son to smile.
On a different note, we are having a bit of a rough patch with the daughter and her school lunches. The thing is the wife tries to pack just the right amount of lunch. Not too much but a little bit of everything. Then the lunch comes home less than half eaten and the daughter is whining for a snack. How hard to we want to play hardball? Are feeling is that she is too interested in going to play and because she is kind of a slow eater she can't get through her lunch in time and just puts it back. What to do what to do? We have already talked to her teachers once about this and I don't want to be a pest. Maybe we should start serving her her lunch for dinner if she doesn't finish it. Or we could hang her upside down by her ankles and force feed her. Or maybe we should just not take it too seriously and let her eat when she's hungry. I wonder what the super nanny would do?
Did I mention there were bananas in it. Well in the end it was delicious and without the information they didn't need the kids gobbled it up. Coleslaw came along for the ride and had just the right amount of creaminess for me. You may noticed I topped mine with some pickled peppers. Just a little more heat for the dad.The kids asked me to take this one after snapping the one of dinner. I had to remind the son to smile.
On a different note, we are having a bit of a rough patch with the daughter and her school lunches. The thing is the wife tries to pack just the right amount of lunch. Not too much but a little bit of everything. Then the lunch comes home less than half eaten and the daughter is whining for a snack. How hard to we want to play hardball? Are feeling is that she is too interested in going to play and because she is kind of a slow eater she can't get through her lunch in time and just puts it back. What to do what to do? We have already talked to her teachers once about this and I don't want to be a pest. Maybe we should start serving her her lunch for dinner if she doesn't finish it. Or we could hang her upside down by her ankles and force feed her. Or maybe we should just not take it too seriously and let her eat when she's hungry. I wonder what the super nanny would do?
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