Foodie Friday: Chana Masala

We love Indian food, but I used to be terrified to cook it.  All the billions of spices tended to intimidate me a little bit.  Then my good friend from middle school visited and she showed me how freakishly easy it was to cook.  As long as you use a bunch of spices and warm them thoroughly before use, you're good to go.

Chana Masala (Chick Peas and Tomatoes)

(adapted from Post Punk Kitchen)

Spice blend:
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 cardamom pods
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

For everything else:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced in medium pieces
2 jalapenos, deseeded and thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 heaping tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
3 lbs tomatoes, diced
Fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 cans chickpeas

Juice of one lime

Chop everything first.  This is how I cook almost anything, and if this is your first time cooking Indian food then its a must.  Saute the onion in the olive oil for about 10 minutes, and while that's going you can mix together all your spices. Once your onions are starting to brown, add your jalapeno, garlic, and ginger. Saute until you can really smell the spice coming off of it. Add the cilantro and all the spices.  Cook for about two minutes to really warm through the spices.

Add the tomatoes and chickpeas, season with salt, and mix well. Bring everything to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes.  Taste it periodically to see if the spices are coming together well.  Your tomatoes should almost completely break down before serving.  Keep simmering until this happens. Right before you serve, add the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper until you're happy with the flavors. Serve over basmati rice and garnish with some fresh cilantro.

An OCD's Nightmare

It's no secret that I'm borderline OCD.  I like things neat and tidy, and I hate messes.  Especially sticky, goopy ones.  I am convinced that God gave me Corgan to help me get over that...and quick.

I've been meaning to write this post for a long time, but for some reason have never gotten around to it.  I'm looking at the picture and video and asking myself, "Who is that kid?" Her face is thinning out, she has a neck now, and her bangs are practically covering her eyes all the time! I say again, "Who is that kid?!?" Anyway, back to the post...

This was when Corgan first insisted that she feed herself with her spoon.  I couldn't help. She wouldn't let me. This was the result:

A New Toy

Today's post is a photo-montage of one of the best purchases we've made for Corgan: a tented ball pit! She looooooves it, and we love the giggles.

A new toy?

What could this be?

The pieces are coming together...

A thing of beauty!  She's already having a ball!

The open top on the ball bit makes for a lot of fun...

 

Even the hubby likes it!!!

A Week Off?

This week the church I work at has 'gone dark' for a summer break. Baby Girl is still in daycare in order to keep her schedule consistent and Stuart is still at work, which means I get a week to myself!  Oh, the things I'm getting done and it's only been a day!!!

Items Done:

mow yard (front and back)

weed wack the back, overgrown corner of the yard

shopped for shelving

installed new shelving in downstairs bathroom

bought paint

took time to relax

removed some old shelving

re-installed old shelving in two closets

went clothes shopping (didn't buy anything)

pickup up Baby Girl and had a GREAT evening with her

did a 45 walk/jog on the treadmill

Still To Do:

paint downstairs bathroom

put down weed barrier in the back corner of the yard

make and cook freezer meals

try clothes shopping again :)

clean upstairs loft

clean out the litter pan

work on my wine bottle crafts

get a facial

keep running on treadmill

drive to Houston to see Barenaked Ladies and Blues Traveler in concert!!!

I know that vacations are supposed to be just that, but I love getting stuff done! This is how I relax and it feels great to be so productive. I look forward to getting back in the routine of things once the school year ramps up again, but in the meantime I am totally enjoying summer!

5 Years! (Re-Living the Proposal)

Our engagement photo. (Sorry for the bad quality)

I'm still in shock that I have officially been married for 5 years.  I guess when you marry your soul-mate, the time really flies.  To make a loooooong story short, Stuart and I met while I was on a date with another guy.  We had this one mutual friend who just knew we were meant for each other, so he kept putting us in situations where we could hang out.  Not too long after we met, I arranged to get dumped by my boyfriend, so that Stuart would be clear to ask me out.  Not too long after than, we went on our first date.

Next step: the proposal (a year later).  I totally ruined it.  It was summer, and in Texas that means hot.  This makes me irritable.  I had to take my car into the shop, and we had contractors at the house we were staying in.  Pretty much a 'perfect storm' to put me in a bad mood.  Well, it just so happened that I was trying to cut back on my coffee intake so I had switched to half-caf coffee.  On a morning when I had to be up at 6:30 to get my car to the shop, there was no way on God's green Earth that I would be having half-caf.  I went for the real stuff and made a cup of full-caf coffee.  As my pot was brewing, Stuart stumbled sleepily into the kitchen, at 6:30 AM, on his day off.  He looked at me quizzically, I asked him what he was doing up, and he mumbled, "I forgot to do the dishes..." And, yes, he did start doing the dishes in his pajamas.  What I didn't know is that there was a diamond engagement ring in the half-calf coffee container.  If you know me and my obsession with coffee, then you know how awesome a proposal this would've been.  However, I, in my caffeine-desperate frenzy, ruined it.

Later that evening, in order to put me in a better mood after my crap-tacular day of car fixes and work, we went for a dress-up dinner at a local restaurant, then went for a drive under the stars.  We drove out into the Texas Hill Country and opened the moon-roof. We spent about an hour driving around, talking, and enjoying each others' company and ended up in Boerne.  This is a small town just north of us that is cute and quaint.  We parked near main street and walked to the town square.  There is a gorgeous, white gazebo in the middle of it, and yes, we danced.  Partway through, Stuart 'noticed his shoe untied' and bent down to fix it.  Next thing I know, there is a shiny bling thing staring up at me.  I of course started to bawl like a baby and shouted "yes."

One short year later, we were married on 7/7/07 (that's a whole 'nother story!), and 5 years after that we are healthy, happy, and blessed with a fabulous Little Girl.  Here's to many, many more years!!!

My Label Lifters Came In!!!

I know I shouldn't be so excited, but my label lifters finally came in! Remember I told you that I was going to start crafting with our wine bottles. The first step with that is to get the labels off.  These things are great! They act as a laminator for the labels and they come of beautifully.  I used 50 lifters and only tore three labels :)

Next step? Using my new glass cutter and borrowed Dremel to start crafting! Here's my first attempt from the other night.  I put a new, smaller votive in it after I took the picture, but this will give you an idea.

Four Generations & a Farmer's Market

This past Saturday my Mom and I took Corgan up to my Grandmother's house.  This is Corgan's Gigi.  We left the house early, picked up pastries in town, and headed over for breakfast.  We walked in the door, and Gigi had a surprise for Corgan: a doll.  But not just any doll.  Gigi had found a doll that she had back on the farm when she was 10 years old! (By the way, when I say 'back on the farm,' I mean it.  We're West Texas Royalty, y'all.) The doll was a little creepy to me, but Corgan really seemed to enjoy it. 

Soon we sat down to breakfast of fresh pastries, pigs in a blanket, and fresh cut fruit.  Don't forget the gigantic Bloody Mary, either.  Thank you, Opa Grover!  What a way to start my weekend. Corgan got her own treat from the bakery, too.  Grandma found a duck sugar cookie covered in blue icing.  Suffice it to say that not only were her lips blue, but so was her clothes, the chair, her cheeks, and, my favorite, she left lip prints on the door glass :)

After the fabulous breakfast, we headed off to the local farmer's market.  It was soooo neat!  Most of the farmer's markets near us are tented on asphalt, but this market was actually on a farm!  The whole area was shaded under beautiful trees, and the ground was mulch.  The heat of the Texas summer was still nutso, but the shade and mulch made such a difference.  Corgan was completely thrilled with all the people who brought their dogs, and she was excited to see the chickens (they were metal craft sculptures, but she didn't know.)

My favorite part was walking among the veggies that were still growing.  They had a whole section set up with plants that were growing.  Corgan got to walk around and see the tomatoes, zucchini, and okra still growing.  I can't wait to get our 'at home' garden started so she can keep learning.  

Kiddo crashed out as soon as we got home.  Good to see that she enjoyed herself so much that it wiped her out.  I'm enjoying watching her develop into a person that is interested in things.  As she gets more and more curious, I'm starting to appreciate things more and more.  I'm a biologist. I know plants grow, but to see her point excitedly at a bloom and shout "What's that (da dat)?" reminds me to appreciate the small things.