YUM CURRY

DH and I love curry -- especially spicy curry dishes -- and we have it quite often. We are trying to clean out our freezer before moving, so tonight we had a curry with the last of our frozen shrimp (probably won't be buying more anytime soon -- sigh). This recipe was very fast and easy to put together, and healthy too, so I thought I would share! I used serrano and jalapenos with seeds, so our curry was fairly spicy; if you use bell pepper, however, the curry won't be hot at all.

Don't be put off by the long ingredient list. If you use frozen shrimp, take them out to defrost. Start cooking the rice, then chop your vegetables and group them. As your pan heats, measure out your spices into a little bowl together, so you can add them all together -- the recipe will come together quickly, I promise!

The original recipe I found on some link from a BBC article, long lost. I have Americanized the ingredients and changed a few things to suit our taste, so I'm not going to feel bad about losing the source :) Let me know if you try it -- hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

SHRIMP & TOMATO CURRY (4 helpings)
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 - 1 cup chopped pepper -- use bell or hot pepper(s) to your taste
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
SPICES: 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 tablespoon garam masala (Indian spice mix -- I use a mix of cinnamon, coriander, cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, cardamom and a bit of fennel -- you can also buy it pre-mixed in the store)
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes -- chop tomatoes into chunks, but save the liquid!
Shrimp enough for 4 people -- about 3/4 lb (I use the frozen kind, thawed)
Thin slice butter

Heat oil in a large skillet or pan and add the onion and peppers. Sprinkle with salt to taste and cook 8 minutes or so, till the vegetables are soft and the onions begin to color. Stir in the ginger and garlic; cook another minute, till fragrant. Stir in the sugar and spices to mix evenly. Add the vinegar, tomatoes, and some of the liquid from the tomato can. Simmer 4 or 5 minutes to thicken the sauce. Stir in the shrimp; reduce heat to a lowish simmer and cook till the shrimp is hot; add water if it gets too thick. Stir in a thin slice of butter.

Serve over rice; if desired, garnish with chopped cilantro, yoghurt, or chutney.

We often make a similar curry with canned butter beans (sounds weird, tastes great, and is super cheap) -- check out the other recipes on the site as well!

IT'S ALIVE.

IT LIVES

... the blog, that is, thanks to y'all (you know who you are). We'll see how it goes! I could treat you all to an in-depth and inconclusive analysis about What I Think About That and Why I Decided To Write Anyway, but I'll spare you that and just try to update instead :) In that spirit, I give you -- The News.


IT MOVES

... the Pritzel family, that is. On June 7th, to be precise! (Address details will be sent to friends and family after the move, of course!) We are super excited to be moving into a new apartment complex that is right across the street from Dennis's university. No more scraping and shoveling in the black, bleak winter mornings! Even better for me (since DH is the one who did most of the scraping and shoveling, good man that he is), we will be much closer to some friends from school, AND the apartment complex is within walking distance from my new job, about which I am pleased to say

IT ROCKS!

OK, that's pretty immature. But I do really enjoy my work for a coffee shop about a block from DMU. I am so grateful to have found another job, and one that suits me so well. I enjoy the customer service part of the job, and I especially love driving the espresso machine. On my barista shifts, I feel like a daring space pilot -- we actually have a gleaming stainless-steel bank of four automatic espresso machines lined up, and they look and sound very sci-fi. Very impressive. I am pleased to say that I know the difference between a cappuccino and a macchiato, and can make a mean cafe mocha -- the recipe, of course, is a company secret ;)

IT'S WARM!!!

We are blessed (at the end of May, seriously!) with warm temperatures and high humidity! It truly feels like summer is on the way, and I am finally comfortable. YAY!!! I am also super-excited that Dennis has completed his first year of med school. He has worked so hard this year -- I am really proud of what he has accomplished, and can't wait to see what he will do in the next few years together. In the meantime, he has a few weeks of absolutely NOTHING to do. Except, of course, participate in a Grand Adventure In A Canoe, and haul about 1600 boxes of books to our new place :)

We love y'all! See you soon!

Why Blog??

By now you have noticed the Deadness of the Blog. You may have written me an email. You may be about to give up and delete your bookmark.

I have a question for you.

To what end the blog?

I began it as a way to keep faraway friends and family updated. After a year or so, though, I've noticed how much my blog is simply a forum for me to indulge my melancholy self-absorption. And I'm not even funny! I don't have a lot of wisdom or grace to share (for that, visit my mom -- she will make you laugh AND make you think!).

Not Cool. Not helpful to other people, not helpful to me, certainly not to the glory of God!

If I do continue writing regularly, I think I need a Goal or a Purpose that is bigger than How I'm Feeeeeeeeeeling. Or, maybe, a narrower focus (this would be easier if I could take gorgeous photos or had some obvious skill besides navelgazing and regret).

I would welcome your thoughts and suggestions.