When I was young I shied away from this story because I thought I knew it all from the movies and I thought Tiny Tim was sappy. But for the past couple of decades I have re-read this beautiful little book almost every Christmas and everytime I come away with a new insight; sometimes small, sometimes big.
It’s not too late to read it for Christmas this year. It’s a short book and can easily be read in an evening. When our kids were young we read it a once or twice in the lead up to Christmas; reading 1 chapter a night. The kids are all grown up now so I read it on my own.
Chicken Tikka Masala
As I was measuring out the third group of spices for this dish I thought to myself “this had better be worth it”. Although it took an overnight marinade, three groups of spices, and two pans to cook, this dish was well worth the effort.
Hyland Forest Park through the year
One of the few blessings from this dumpster fire of a year was an opportunity to stretch my legs walking every day. One of my favorite destinations is Hyland Forest Park which I had walked on the outskirts of for years but never in. Starting in April 2020 I explored the trails in the 29.5 acre park. It’s 1½ miles from my house up to the park, then about a one mile loop – or maybe a bit more if I walk down more trails, then 1½ miles home. So a 4 mile walk with plenty of elevation change and a beautiful forested park in the middle. I’ve been intrigued by how the woods have changed over the 8 months.
Carbon Steel Skillet Seasoning – Update
Carla calls this my Diva pan – and I see her point. I bought a Matfer Bourgeat 11 7/8-inch carbon steel skillet in November then cleaned and seasoned it the day before Thanksgiving (November 25, 2020). You can read about that experience and how I smoked up the house here. Then I used it for a few cooks and had to re-season it. This pan definitely demands attention as I start the seasoning and early cooking stages.
Continue reading…
Yellow Thai Chicken Coconut Curry
Wow, so many words to describe curry dishes! Last month I cooked and wrote about Green Thai Curry Chicken Soup. It was supposed to be a curry but was really more of a soup. That left us with a curry itch that needed to be scratched – real curry with an aromatic, tasty thick sauce that would coat the back of a spoon.
