Drink Bailey's at work without getting fired!

I am just coming down from my birthday high.  I had such a glorious, sunny, lovely birthday.  I hope wherever you live you experienced the same weather we had here in Southeastern Idaho.  I wore a tank-top.  Outside!  After three great parties, I went to bed Sunday night sun-kissed, sleepy and so thankful for all of my friends and family.

Oh, and I forgot to mention.  My rump hurt, too.  LOVE, baby!  

There are a few things that make me truly grouchy -- someone chewing ice within earshot, left lane drivers, NO COFFEE.  I have professed my love and unyielding affection for coffee before on this site.  If I don't have at least two cups of coffee within half an hour of waking up, I turn into a cranky little bitch.  I may be so brazen to say that I love coffee more than any other foodstuffs.  

That said, this little bottle of goodness has made my coffee cup all the more enjoyable:

You can now drink Bailey's at work without getting fired!  How cool is that?  This creamer really is more than a gimmick.  It is delicious.  Watch out Coffee-Mate.

Moving on, a recipe . . . on a food blog.  Go figure!  (I apologize for the sarcasm.  I am only on cup one).

I will be the first one to stand up and shout on my soap box about processed foods.  However, there are times when life prevents us from making CURRIES FROM SCRATCH.

Thank you Thai Kitchen:

I was skeptical about these curries (I have also seen green, red, and panang in the Asian section), but I could not be bothered making my own.  I was pleasantly surprised, which is why I am sharing this easy, super quick, yummy meal with you all.  It is nice to have ready meals such as this one at hand for days when you haven't consumed enough coffee.  Or someone chewed ice in your ear all day.  Or you got stuck behind a left lane driver.  Just saying.

 These are the same potatoes you saw a few weeks ago that were beginning to sprout new potatoes; they were begging to be cooked.  Along with them, I diced up some chicken, an onion, a few carrots and a sweet potato.  Feel free to add any veggies or meat that you and yours enjoy.

 This was a lucky score!  Sweet basil is great in curries, too.

 I parboiled my taters in the noodle water first then added the rice noodles, sauteed the chicken and onion in a separate pan, then tossed in the potatoes and curry sauce.  Fifteen minutes total.  

Close to takeout.  

Spring, what spring?

This is the view out of my window this morning:

Don't let the peek of blue sky fool you . . . it is 32 degrees with 35 mph wind gusts.

Poor crocus. Poor Eater Bunny. Where is he going to hide the eggs and Easter baskets tonight? Under a snowdrift?

My family will be gathering for an Easter feast tomorrow morning -- that is if I-86 isn't closed due to drifting. Actually, they're coming down tonight for some beer and bowling! Watch out, people. My mom has been known to throw her balls backwards. She's a wild one.

I'll be sure to post the photos and recipes of our meal. Tomorrow is Sunday, and you know what means: champagne!

Until then, here's a cozy and comforting curry dish that takes no time to throw together. If I had had some cauliflower, I would have included it too, but I was too lazy to go to the store. This would be great with chicken, as well, for my carnivore friends.

I hope you all have a great weekend and a Happy Easter! I hope the Easter Bunny brings you something good! xoH

Potato curry with garbanzo beans

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes, juice and all

1/2 cup broth, vegetable or chicken

3 tbs curry powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

2 tbs olive oil

sour cream and chopped cilantro for garnish

In a large pan or crock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for about three minutes. Add the spices and stir well to combine, cook for about a minute. Add the potatoes, tomatoes and broth. Be sure to scrape up any spices that have accumulated on the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. Serve hot over rice or couscous; garnish with sour cream and cilantro.

On the mend

For those who don't know, I had surgery last week to close an 11 mm hole (just shy of half an inch) in my heart.  I am starting to regain my energy and the nausea from the blood thinners is dissipating.  I feel so loved and appreciate all of the well wishes I received from my friends and family.  Thank you, thank you to my awesome parents and sister Heather for being such good care takers.  Love you!  Because of the nausea, I didn't have any desire to eat, or cook for that matter, but I have a renewed sense of taste this morning and plan to cook up a storm this weekend so look for lots of new recipes in the next few days!  Below is a recipe for the easiest homemade curry I have found. Buen provecho!

    Two of my favorite ladies: Liz and Maxine.

           Beautiful flowers from my sweet baby sister.

Potato Curry with Peas and Carrots

3 smallish potatoes, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

3 large tomatoes, diced (or one can crushed/diced tomatoes)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup frozen peas and carrots

1 tsp tomato paste

1 tbs olive oil

2 tbs curry 

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder (more if you like it spicier)

sour cream or plain yogurt and cilantro to garnish

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add diced potatoes and cook until just tender.  Meanwhile, saute onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat. Once translucent, add the spices.  Stir well to incorporate and cook for about a minute to let the spices come to life.  Add the potatoes, frozen veggies, tomatoes and paste.  Simmer for about ten minutes or until the juices have reduced making a thicker consistency.  Serve over rice and garnish with sour cream/yogurt and cilantro.