Late October Daybook and a Recipe

{Outside My Window}  A spectacular sunset.  That's one good thing about living out in the country in Central Indiana.  Flat often equals boring, but not when it comes to viewing sunsets.

{Listening To}  Nothing.  Ahhhh.  The girls are upstairs with the doors closed.  At these ages that's a good sign.

{I Am Thankful For}  A wonderful day at the zoo.  Thanks to some friends who have a season pass, it only cost us some snack money.  It was pretty chilly, but the good kind.  Cold enough to bundle up, but not so cold that anyone was miserable.  The animals are so much more active when it's cold.  It's actually a lot more fun to go when it's cool than in the heat of the summer when the animals just lay there and sleep.

So much really.  Even in the midst of uncertainty and stress there is so much to be thankful for.  It's easy to forget though and I'm sorry to say that most of the week I was in forgetful mode.  I was reminded though,
     "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with THANKSGIVING, let your         requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard         your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
I pretty much just need to plaster the walls with this one!

{I Am Thinking About}  Sleeping habits.  When Callie was little and I would read well meaning advice about getting up before your children so there would be time for reading and praying I would just laugh.  Callie was a very early riser and there was no way that was going to happen!  Now that everyone wakes at a decent hour and our days are actually more intense, (not bad, just....intense.  Seven and 14 and 42 year old females are sometimes intense) I'm actually feeling the need to get up before they do.  Sleep is wonderful, and I certainly don't hop out of bed early, but I'm finding if I force myself to get up and have a little peace and quiet first, even if it is just a little, all the noise later is much easier to deal with.  I'm a little more ready for it.  It's tricky though.  I can't get up early if I stay up late.  I say I will, but I never do.  I can't hang out with Cameron if I don't stay up a bit.  And I really like hanging out with Cameron!

{In the School Room)  We are reading about Early American History.  Kate hates the name Pocahontas.  Hates it!  It cracks Callie and me up to hear Kate go on and on about how weird of a name that is.  She doesn't think Cheng Huai (middle name) is strange at all. LOL

I'm working on a plan to have our own little First Thanksgiving re-enactment of sorts.  This is when more kids would come in handy! LOL  It won't be too involved, just enough to be fun and make some connections with all that we've been reading.

{In the Kitchen}  I tried a gluten free bread recipe that called for bean flour, ground flax seed and almond flour.  Only a quarter cup of bean flour.  Blech!  Even Cameron didn't like it.  You know it had to be bad.  We, Cameron and I, forced ourselves to eat a couple of slices.  Who wants to waste all those ingredients?!  But a couple was all we could do.  The texture was great and it was easy, so I will try it again and leave out the bean flour.  The only thing I have found that stuff to be good for is brownies.  Enough cocoa and chocolate chips makes anything yummy!

One of our favorite foods to eat out is Indian.  There isn't a place close so I really need to learn to cook it here at home more, never mind the fact that it would be better for the pocket book!  I picked up Meatless, from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living at the library and there was a potato curry recipe in there.  Of course it called for whole curry leaves, whole this and whole that to be toasted and ground.  Ten years ago that might have happened, but not now. :)

Here's what I did...

1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, cut up into chunks
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 T. garam masala
1/2 T. curry powder
2  T. olive oil
2 c. water
salt to taste
1/4 c. yogurt

Heat olive oil in dutch oven or large skillet.  Cook onions, garlic, and spices,  stirring occasionally, until onions are soft.  Add tomatoes, potatoes and water.  Simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender. {It took about 45 minutes, I think next time I'll chop them up smaller or turn it up higher} Add peas, cook another few minutes.  Turn off heat, add yogurt, stir well and serve.  We had it with rice as a meal.  We were short on time or I would have had chicken or something else with it.  Kate had grilled cheese. :)  It was rather spicy!

It was pretty good.  Callie said it was missing something and she's right, but we weren't really sure what.  I think maybe more yogurt or I thought about using coconut milk next time.  And fresh ginger if I have it, but I didn't have it.  The original recipe called for 1 T. minced.

{I Am Reading} Not much until Cameron brought a couple of books from the library.  This one looked interesting so I started Almost Amish: One Woman's Quest for a Slower, Simpler, More Sustainable Life last night.  So far, so good.

{Around the House} Oh my!  Don't ask. :)  School and ballet are in session.  Let's just leave it at that.

{A Few Plans for the Week} Since the week is pretty much over, there is nothing to speak of.  Errands tomorrow, church Sunday.  Kate has had three days of "fall break" since the little boy that I sometimes babysit was here.  They had a ball!  Not one time did I hear any disagreement about anything.  It should be fun getting her back on schedule Monday.  Ahem.  I'll have to plan a craft of some sort.  She'll go for that and then I'll sneak in the other stuff!  I'm not above a little chocolate bribery either.