Weather Disasters, Sunflowers for Tina.

The meteorologists keep telling us we are going to have severe rain storms which do not materialise. We have had a little rain lately but really not very much. I am not complaining mind you, when you see all the weather problems in the States and even down the road from here. Friends who live in Burlington posted a picture of their back yard awash and various areas around them flooded. They, themselves, were lucky apparently and didn’t get a flooded basement. When you see some of the horror stories from the States lately with people being flooded, their cars being washed away, others with their house burned to the ground and more destroyed by tornadoes. We do get tornadoes in Ontario, but not often I’m glad to say.

Our much beloved blogging friend, Tina Downey of Life is Good, is suffering from health problems and although a few days ago she appeared to be on the road to recovery, she is back in ICU again. A group of us are planning to have a kind of vigil for her at the same time every day where we will either pray for her or send our strongest thoughts of healing to her all at the same time. We believe that enough positive thoughts being aimed in her direction at one time will help considerably. The times we will be doing this are as follows:

3.00pm Eastern Time
2.00pm Central Time
1.00pm Mountain Time
Noon Pacific Time
9am Hawaii Time

However, should you wish to join in, and not be in the above time zones, here is a link which will assist you to figure out the right time in your part of the world. http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html
We do hope you will be able to join in with us.

Here’s a delicious sounding recipe. I used to make Indian curries a lot once upon a time but haven’t in a long while. You can make them as hot and spicy as you like of course.

Quick Thai Chicken and Vegetable Curry

WebMD Recipe from EatingWell.com

Curry quick enough for a weeknight supper - especially if you use precut cauliflower and baby spinach.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1- to 2-inch-long julienne strips
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1-2 teaspoons red curry paste, to taste (see Ingredient note)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup “lite” coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce, or reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets
2 cups baby spinach
1 tablespoon lime juice
Lime wedges

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion; cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and curry paste; stir to mix. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, coconut milk, fish sauce (or soy sauce) and brown sugar; bring to a simmer. Add cauliflower, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach and lime juice; cook just until spinach has wilted. Serve immediately, with lime wedges. Vegetarian variation: Substitute 1 pound extra-firm tofu (drained) for the chicken and vegetable broth for chicken broth. Tip

Ingredient Note: A blend of chile peppers, garlic, lemongrass and galanga (a rhizome with a flavor similar to ginger), commercial Asian curry paste is a convenient way to add heat and complexity to a recipe. Look for it in small jars or cans in the Asian section of the store. Brands differ in spiciness so use sparingly. Once opened, it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.

Have a great day