Month: November 2012

Curry Chicken Salad

Standard

Curry Chicken Salad

This is my own recipe based on The Fresh Market’s list of ingredients:

Ingredients:

1 cup Mayo,

1 TB + 1 tsp. Sweet Curry Powder,

Scallions, 1-2 stalks,

1 small box Golden Raisins, about 1/4cup,

2 TB Mango Chutney,

2 1/2tsp. Chopped Pecans,

Fresh ground pepper (I did five turns with a pepper mill),

Chicken, cooked, cut into cubes (in the picture that goes with this, the chicken is cut much smaller than I would have liked) – about 2 cups is what I used; with cubed it may come out to more if you’re actually measuring it,

Water chestnuts, drained – about 1/8-1/4cup (I just grabbed a handful and diced them).

Mix 1 cup of Mayonnaise and 1 TB + 1 tsp. Sweet Curry Powder and set aside.

Most of the rest is to taste.

Cut up chicken and put into a separate bowl.

Add diced scallions, chopped water chestnuts, a handful of golden raisins, 2 TB of mango chutney, about 1 tsp. of pepper (put in however much you like for your own tastes), 2 1/2tsp. pecans.

Mix with a fork.

Add in the mayo mixture and mix again, then add more until you have the desired consistency. If it’s too wet, add more chicken or solids like the scallions and water chestnuts, etc. If it’s too dry, add more of the mayo mixture (you should have a little left over.)

Election Diary and Recovery, Part 1

Standard

I’ve been quiet overnight and since the Election Results.

Obviously, if quietly, I am ecstatic that the President was re-elected. I truly believe that of all the candidates who stepped into the field this season that he was the best person to do this important job.

It is more than a job. Just like my position as a parent, there are things that the President must do for all of his citizens, whether he likes it or not, whether fair to everyone or what’s best to some at the moment, and this President has shown over and over again that he is willing to compromise and have people in his own party be against him to do what is right, and I hope the Republican politicians learn something from this.

It’s hard to say. I will say that Democrats tend to be more diverse, and less divisive, and that is one of the reasons that we discuss things more and argue and don’t always agree, but still remain together and open-minded. And that is probably the best thing about being a Democrat.

I can talk about my views on reproduction and mental health and marriage equality, and I can listen to your views on those issues whether you agree with me or not, and at the end of the day, we can logically discuss and even debate issues and still remain respectful and friends.

I’m not going to get into any issue here. I may write a longer piece about my specific views, but that is for my family (read: siblings), and if I post it here, I will just let you know so you can read or avoid.

 

In the middle of Mass I was hit in the head with ideas that I’ve been looking for for weeks for a new online thingy. I’m going to get that worked up today.

As for Nano, I’m not doing exactly 50,000 words for the month. For one thing, I started late. For another, it’s daunting and I’m ready for motivating and inspiring, but not daunting. I’m going to set a goal of at least 1000 words per day and to take the pressure off, I’m going to write them as scene vignettes of what needs to be in the story and then weave them together into a semblance of a continuing story.

Today, I do need to do my workshop submission for their journal first and start the cutting/pasting for the Cookbook.

 

Something I will leave you with that kind of illustrates some kind of electoral gap. While the returns were coming in, I was on the phone with Andy, and MSNBC had projected the President as being re-elected. As with the last election, I gave Andy the good news. The President had 274 electoral votes and Governor Romney had 203. It was over. My husband was dancing around the living room (and actually, not that dissimilar to four years ago), and in my ear, Andy was saying that it’s not over, there’s nothing official, the President’s Twitter, his Tumblr have nothing, don’t get too excited, it’s not over. What is your husband doing? Stop that. My son is yelling from his bedroom the exact same thing – it’s not over yet, stop cheering, it’s not over yet. There is no confirmation.

Andy observed that the two people ‘in the room’ who were under 30 were not convinced that the President was re-elected until the social media weighed in, insisting that we wait for confirmation.

I didn’t need confirmation – it was right there on my news channel in big, bold, red, white and blue. FOUR MORE YEARS.

After about a minute more of this discussion, Andy ‘confirmed’, as did my son that Twitter had finally made it ‘official’ and the President would have another term. And then Tumblr exploded.

Confirmed.

I think my response was that it was nice that the youngsters caught up with the old folks with our old fashioned news outlets and teletypes, but we had our President almost eight minutes earlier.

My plea to the masses, my begging of friends, please, please, friends, please, do not let social media drive and drag us apart. Use social media to bring our two sides together. It can be done with a little faith. 😉

*tongue in cheek* And now, I go have a chicken salad sandwich and begin to write.

Fire

Standard

Fire is all powerful, building up and destroying at the same time. Fire rises, sweeps through. Unlike water which washes everything away in an instant, fire stays awhile. It spreads, sometimes slowly, sometimes fast, but out and up, higher and higher and even when it has no place to go it still reaches out and grows, larger, looming, consuming.

Staring at fire is much like clouds in a blue sky.

There’s a bunny. And a soccer ball. But fire is not fluffy. You can’t help but to jump at each spark, wondering why there are no bunnies in the charred remains.

Fire is powerful and… weak is the wrong word. Fire can be subdued. Water, salt, even certain chemicals. I think it’s why we feel so much for fire fighters. They are like magicians in the night, taking the fire away, bringing back the calm.

Eclipse

Standard

Standing on the porch, it’s freezing. I mean really, really cold. I had to put on a jacket and everything. It’s not even snowing out. Last eclipse until blah, blah, blah. Everything is the last. It’s never the last. It’s probably not even my last. But I’m out there. The moon doesn’t look any different. After about five minutes of shivering I go back inside.

“Is it done yet?”

“Nope.”

I trot around the living room. Now, I am hot.

I go back outside.­

Is the moon darker? That tree is in the way, but yes, a tiny piece is missing from the moon.

Did I forget my gloves inside?

It’s not that cold.

Dot. Dot. Dot. Dot.

Yes it is.

Screen door slams.

“Is it over?”

“No.”

I pull on my gloves and zip up my jacket. I wait about ten minutes, but in the heat of the house I am practically sweating. I go back, out, holding the door, closing it carefully, quietly. I know that this is not the action of politeness; it’s procrastination.

It’s freezing out here.

I look at the fullness of the moo, bright white light reaching down, showing the world differently, though not as full as before.

I watch until it’s about half gone. I love the moonlight. I want to be part of it. Even now, when I sleep, if the moon gets in my window, I lie in it bathing in the forever of the moonlight.

The sun is nice enough, and it has its place in the world, but the moon is really the other world. No one wants to live on the sun. The sun doesn’t let you look into her face. Her brightness hurts. And eventually fades. Or will.

The moon is gentle, controls the waters, lights the night and will always be.