Town and Back

The wind may be snapping the the thin white piece of kitchen garbage-bag that I duct-taped over the open window of the Blue Goose, but at least I'm dry. Heavy gray skies are spitting popcorn snow at my windshield which is dripping slightly. But, hey--the heater works fine! It's on full blast as I cruise to town and back. Again, the dogs are impressed that I fired up the truck and they are tucked up into dog-balls, Bobo on the passenger seat, Grendel in the back.

Bought a new mouse, cute as can be. It's to replace the one destroyed by the dogs last weekend. Little birds twitter on holly branches amid swirls of sky blue. Groceries restocked, Penzy spices ordered, food donated to the food shelf, mid-month bills paid and butter chicken left-overs for dinner. Fire is roaring, wind is blowing but the writing life is delightful...off to another round of NaNoWriMo!

Butter Chicken Recipe
2 pounds boneless chicken breast, chunked
1/2 sweet onion, chopped (red if no sweet)
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of chopped ginger (from a jar)
3 teaspoons sweet curry powder
2 teaspoons Thai Red Curry Paste (from a jar)
1 tablespoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounce can tomato paste
14 ounce can coconut milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup half and half
2-4 tablespoons butter
cooked jasmine rice


I make this when I have left-over plain yogurt in a a large tub, and if you have that, use your tub to mix the sauce. Otherwise, just use a small mixing bowl. Combine: coconut milk, yogurt, half and half, tomato paste, garlic, ginger and all the spices. Mix well. Grease the inside of your crock-pot with cooking oil. Sprinkle garlic and onion over the bottom. Add the chicken and then pour the coconut milk mixture over the chicken completely covering the chunks. Slice the butter and dot the sauce with it. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours, depending upon how hot your crock-pot cooks. Mine tends to be hotter. Serve over rice. It would be splendid with fresh Naan bread, but I live in northern Idaho. If you have access to it or are gifted to make it, Naan would be excellent as this is very "saucy."

Reheats well, which is why it is dinner again.