Monday, April 25, 2011

Favorite dinner of the moment: Chickpea Curry!



So. Easy. SO Delicious! I have finally learned how to make rice in a skillet. It is a big deal. I realize that the whole world has been doing it this way forever, but I grew up in a rice-cooker home ok? Now that I at last have one of my favorite staples back, I decided to try and make of of my favorite meals that my mom makes. Basically my mom wings it every time and tried to remember what she did so that I could replicate it. This is what I managed to get.  Enjoy my version of a "recipe."

To make, you gotta have:

  1. Cooked Rice. Lots, cause you will want to eat lots. 
  2. Chickpeas. I used a big ol can, and drained only half of the water off the top. 
  3. Garlic powder. About a tablespoon for a big can of peas. More for more peas, less for less. Got it?
  4. Consomme powder, chicken flavored. No idea what this is. Apparently it can be found in a regular grocery. About a tablespoon is good, or a little more, or less. To taste. Chicken bullion cubes could prolly work, but I have never tried.  
  5. Curry powder. A tablespoon or more or less to taste. 
  6. Several good sized stalks of celery
  7. A regular sized onion, or half of a big one. Or all of a big one. If you like onions, use more.

Start warming the chickpeas and throw in your garlic, curry powder and consomme. Or bullion. Whatevs. Stir them in (more or less) till it smells good. Chop your celery and onion into small enough pieces to stuff into your food processor. Blend (chop? mince?) till there are no large pieces left, but you don't want it to get pasty. Toss into your chickpeas. Stir occasionally till everything is hot and your onion and celery has a little bit of crunch left. Or none if you like your veggies a little more lifeless. I like a little more texture in there, so I let them stay a little firmer. And viola'. Serve your chickpea "curry" over rice. Mm.Mm.

Basically, just throw stuff in a pot and cook it till it tastes good. Got it? Hurrah! Enjoy.




Friday, April 1, 2011

Praying for Valentina.

My aunt is from Belarus, where her family lives. I was fortunate enough to meet her sister and mom a few years back in England, where we were all vacationing for two weeks. Recently, her sister got married, and after a lot of struggle and dangerous medical problems, she and her husband were blessed with a little baby girl named Valentina. From the very beginning, this little sweetling had some tricky allergies, skin problems and such. A few days ago, she was taken to the hospital with a large cyst on her little two month old neck. Today we found out that the doctors could not operate because of its size and location, and that this little angel has cancer. The hospitals in Belarus do not allow parents to stay overnight in the hospitals, even when the baby is a nursing one. Chemo starts soon, but it is likely that the treatment could be very damaging to her little body, if she survives it at all.
My heart is utterly breaking for them. I can not even begin to process what they must be going through.

Our God is mighty to save. Please ask Him to be with this little family that is suffering so far away.