Aha!!! Two posts in one day? Is it senior year at college again? Anyway, On Kyu's request, easy chicken vindaloo:


Adapted from Epicurious.com:

what chu need:

3 Yellow Onions, chopped
2-3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp of white vinegar
2 garlic cloves (chopped if you want)
1 tsp of fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp of tomato paste

1 tsp of the following spices:
paprika, garam masala, ground coriander seed, tumeric, cumin,

1/4-1/2 tsp of Cayenne Pepper (I like using a heaping 1/2...spicy!)

2 Tbsp of cooking oil
1- 1.5 lbs of potatoes, scrubbed and peeled, chopped into small pieces (I like using regular russet baking potatoes or golden yukons)
6 chicken skinless, boneless thighs, chopped into smaller pieces/strips.
1 C of carrots chopped
1.5 cup of low-sodium chicken broth (or water)

what chu do:
1. Put the first six ingredients and all the spices (including the cayenne) in a food processor or blender. Mix/puree until well blended, but not smooth.
2. Heat up cooking oil in large pot over medium heat. Add mixture from the food processor/blender to the pan, and cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add potatoes, chicken, and carrots into the mixture, and saute for 5 minutes.
4. Add chicken broth or water, and bring to a boil. I add salt to taste here. Then reduce to a simmer and let it cook until chicken is cook thoroughly and potatoes and carrots are tender, stir occasionally. This is about 13-15 minutes.

I eat it with some naan bread, or rice. Also, a nice addition is fresh cilantro on top with some plain yogurt (or mix some plain yogurt- I find Greek yogurt the best- with a pinch of cumin if you want, or mix it in a food processor/blender with chopped cucumber and cumin). Yum.

I have been in my pjs all day with both my laptops in bed, in almost complete darkness. Being sick sucks!

I am rarely sick. I get migraines once in a while, and some lady problem crampage during that time of the month, but other than that I am a walking stamp of health. Well, not really :) But for the past week, I've had a sinus headache, allergies, a slight fever, a toothache, and cramps like I've never had before. Yes, yes, I should get to a doctor, but with the problems with my insurance, I have had to change over all my doctors. SIGH. New general practitioner, gyno. Gah. Insurance is frustrating.

Last night I made a big old pot of chicken vindaloo. So tasty. Ate it with fresh cilantro and greek yogurt (i've fallen in love with fage yogurt, 0%...so good, plain!). I had it for lunch and I will have it again for dinner. Indian food is such a treat because Nick is not a big fan of it, so I rarely get to make it or eat it if we go out, so cooking up a huge quantity will keep me appeased until the next time I can get to it.

Also, I am working on quitting smoking! Seriously! I haven't bought a pack in a about three weeks- which is a step. I haven't had a cigarette in the last 3 days, and have broken the smoking-in-my-car habit. I still nipped a bit during the past two weeks if I was around smokers, but only 1 or 2, definitely not as much as I used to smoke. Yay! It's pretty liberating- I like not having to depend on making a stop to a store or anywhere when I don't need anything else, and spending that 5.00-7.00 dollars per pack. It's nice to have some cash left in my wallet- more money to spend on pretty clothes.

Speaking of pretty things, I finally got a pair of boots I enjoy:




They're a bit wrinkly on the bottom, but tuck really well into my jeans.