I bought the Indian spice mix called garam masala last night at the Oriental grocery and I have no idea how to use it. I've been wanting to expand my culinary horizons and have always wanted to try to cook Indian food. If you have any ideas, please share them with me.
I also bought one of my favorite things...ginger candy. I'm dieting but a little piece of candied ginger won't hurt once in a while. They always sell it around Chinese New Year, which occurred this past week..oh and by the way...Gung Hay Fat Choy in this Year Of The Ox.
I really do need to get my house Feng Shui'd!!!
A brand new governor for Illinois!! Woo hoooooo. I for one (but I'm not alone) am so happy that Blago is gone! He is a self-serving, arrogant, sidestepping, shysterly, piece o' work and he was doing no good for Illinois at all. He can join Ryan in prison and make license plates as far as I'm concerned. (Come on Gin, tell us what you really think!)
We are having a wonderful day. 45° and sunny today. Some of our snow will be gone like Blago! Another reason to be happy!
I have a three-day weekend this week. Yesterday sister Marsha and I went on a day trip to the Mississippi Palisades in Savanna, Illinois. The park was closed so we couldn't get up to the overlooks, but we had a nice drive and a nice day. We ate at one of our favorite restaurants in Andy's Iowa hometown on the way home. I took Andy home a loaf of their wonderful French bread and he wasn't too upset that he wasn't with us! We went up the Illinois side of the river and back down on the Iowa side and even tho it was sort of cold and windy, the sun was shining and it was a great day. We got some photos but nothing that spectacular. We saw lots of eagles on the way home but didn't stop to take any shots of them. I have tons of eagle photos in my files already.
This afternoon Andy and I went to lunch with two of my sisters and their guys and had a nice visit and a good Mexican lunch. Sis Gloria has Dad today so she brought him along, he likes tacos. My neice Kelly was there too. I really wanted Molé Poblano, but settled for the more diety Grilled Chicken Taco salad. Go me. Andy got his usual Carne Asada tacos. We got a small bowl of guacamole to share...it's fat but it's good fat! I only had a couple chips with guac on them.
Last night while we were cooking supper, the smoke alarm in the hallway went off. So tall Andy reached up and took the battery out of it and laid it on the bookcase next to where the smoke alarm is attached to the ceiling. Having used the smoke alarm as a timer for anything I'm baking lately (it was a pork roast last night) we have been constantly pulling the battery out. After we went to bed last night, I was laying there reading and remembered that the battery was still out. I got the footstool and tried to reach it to put it back in but had to get Andy up to do it. I just couldn't reach it. He tried to put it back in and ended up pulling a wire loose where the battery seats into the alarm. There's no way I could sleep, knowing we had no smoke alarm upstairs, so we brought the alarm from the basement up and I slept just fine. But today while we were out, we got a new 10-year smoke alarm. It's pretty cool. You never need to replace the batteries in it and it has a button you push to shut it off when you're baked goods are done. Actually, if I'd get my oven cleaned, I wouldn't need the smoke alarm to tell me when things are done! There's really no excuses, I have a self-cleaning oven. I just have to stay home long enough to run it thru it's paces. And now we just need to remember to test the smoke alarm once a week.
I'm going to go get my book and read a bit more. It's Stephen King's Just After Sunset. Shortstories that are very "SK'ish". And speaking of books, my friend Ruth Hull Chatlien just had a book published. It's a youth book about some famous Indian Chief's. Just click on that link and check it out on her blog. I have it in my Amazon shopping cart...I'll be purchasing it as soon as I come up with $25 worth of free shipping stuff to buy!
Oh, Gin, how sweet of you to mention me. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I'm always amazed that you live where eagles are a common sight. And a little envious.
Ruth, I thought the same.... "tons of eagle photos already" And congratulations!
ReplyDeleteGinni, about garam masala, you can use it when you sauté vegetables like cauliflower and potatoes (or skip the cauliflower - I think you said you're not fond of them?). I have sort of a recipe here: http://nikkipolani.wordpress.com/2008/07/09/some-of-this/
Guac is good for you!!! Sounds like you're having a great weekend. I'm glad.
ReplyDeleteRuth, you're very welcome. I just can't wait to read Lily and Max's story! ;)
ReplyDeleteWe're very lucky to have eagles...I didn't mean to sound flip about it...I'm thrilled to see them too...but I was driving so couldn't take pix and my sis didn't particularly want to stop. I plan to go on an eagle photo shoot before they leave for the north, tho.
Thanks, Anne!! I love cauliflower!! I will try it next time I roast some veggies. Great idea. I'll check out your link too.
Oh Kathy, I love guac! Yum!
Ginni, I have a question - why does your smoke alarm go off when you're baking or cooking roast? I'm puzzled.
ReplyDeleteLet me know how you like the spice, I might want to try it too!
XOXO
You made me smile at the story of the smoke detector , would have done the same thing. So wise getting a new one.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have had 2 very enjoyable days and lunches to boot.
Good luck on watching what one eats I do the same and I can watch it a lot!
Sounds like a wonderful weekend. Have you checked your kitchen fan to make sure it's working right? Maybe you could get one with a little more umpf? - Make sure Fiwa see this post. I'm betting she may have some ideas on the Indian cooking.
ReplyDeleteMasala of any kind= yummy in the tummy!!!! I LOVE Indian food!!
ReplyDeletetoo many pics of eagles??? How is that possible? lol
And about those smoke detectors...aren't they a nuisance?? Very needed but they can give us a challenge can't they? lol
Glad you had a nice look-about. :)