sweet potato chicken curry

As I mentioned in another post, I bought a couple sweet potatoes with no thought as to what I'd actually do with them. The first recipe I made, sweet potato chili, came out great. Here is another recipe I tried this past weekend, which is for the Instant Pot.

I was skeptical about curry. It's not something I typically eat. I made chicken curry once for my husband before we were married, but that was many moons ago and I don't remember if I liked it or not. I don't know if he liked it either. Probably not, since I had no idea at that time that he was so plain-vanilla about food.

I was happy to find a recipe for the Instant Pot, since I don't use it for much other than large batches of seasoned rice and hard boiled eggs. I settled on sweet potato chicken curry--I had a lot of chicken in the freezer and a sweet potato to deal with.  The only thing I had to buy was curry spice (dollar store!) and a can of coconut milk.   I skipped the cashews and cilantro. Cashews have a ton of calories and I can't control myself with them, and I'm not into garnishing my food so I skipped the cilantro.

It was easy to put together, and it was especially nice to just throw in the Instant Pot and cook it on high pressure for 12 minutes.  Unfortunately, I think I cut the sweet potato too small, because it pretty much disintegrated. The taste was there, but no chunks of potato. The onions melted away, too.

I liked the taste of this, and it was filling. I didn't put it over riced cauliflower or anything like that. I just ate it as-is. It was a nice change from the standard stuff I usually eat.

There are two changes I would make if I were to make this again.  I'm someone who likes chunkiness in my stews, so I would chop bigger pieces of onion and sweet potato.  Also, I'd probably pour it over riced cauliflower as suggested in the recipe in order to make it more substantial.

Here's the nutritional info (per cup) I got using My Fitness Pal:  284 calories, 13 g fat, 18 g carbs, 7 g sugar, and a whopping (!!) 23 g of protein. I'm quite surprised at the protein. I know the chicken contributes a lot, but that seems off to me. According to My Fitness Pal, the whole can of coconut milk is 14 grams of protein, so that adds a little more. If you decide to make this recipe, you may want to plug it into whatever food logging app you use and see what you come up with.

This is the recipe I made, which made six one-cup servings:  https://therealfoodrds.com/instant-pot-sweet-potato-chicken-curry/

something different: sweet potato chili

When I went to the grocery store last week I was feeling a wave of motivation and commitment to cooking more. Normally that means I come home with a ton of ingredients, like fresh produce, full of hope and inspiration. I make a meal that night, and then I get back to reality...and promptly forget about the special items I bought. They sit there for most of the week. I look at them every time I go in the kitchen, hoping to feel the motivation I felt on grocery day, but it doesn't happen. (I have to admit, I'm usually hoping that these items somehow cooked themselves and will be ready for me to eat when I open the fridge.  That hasn't happened for some reason. I guess it's not quite the age of the Jetsons yet.) The produce goes bad and then I have to toss it, or I end up having to put meat in the freezer for another time, or non-perishables end up in the back of the cabinet, never to be heard from again.

So, what did I come home with? Two sweet potatoes. That's it. (Shockingly, that equaled 1.5 pounds!) I kept myself under control and didn't buy a bunch of things that might end up in the garbage. I've learned that I need to have either very big goals (weight loss surgery, tummy tuck) or very small goals (wake up everyday, buy only two sweet potatoes). For some reason I can't do anything in between.

I get the potatoes home and...not a clue what to do with them. I've made mashed sweet potatoes and sweet potato hash in the past, but that's just way too much sweet potato for me. I'd rather it be in the background, kind of an accent, not the main attraction. I Googled and came up with a recipe for the Instant Pot, which is a chicken sweet potato curry. I plan to make that later in the week. The other recipe, below, was shared with me by someone on a blog I read. (Here's the link if you want to make it:  Vegetarian Sweet Potato Chili)

I've always wanted to want to try vegetarian chili, but never had the guts. Mainly because I can't fathom chili without meat. But since I had to do something with the sweet potatoes I bought, I figured, why not? The recipe looked interesting--it calls for cocoa powder!--and I had all the ingredients except the peppers, so I gave it a go.

It was very easy to make. Honestly, the hardest part was chopping the damn potato. I had no idea sweet potatoes were so hard to cut in half! Once I got it cut in half, it was much easier. Also, one potato produced a pretty large quantity once chopped--about two cups, maybe a little more. Basically you just throw all the ingredients into the pot and let it simmer. It smelled wonderful! The cocoa powder and other spices hit the heat and the smell just wafted up into the air. Heavenly!

I really like how it came out. I was worried that the sweet potato would take over, but it really didn't. It added a sweetness and a hint of sweet potato. I couldn't taste the cocoa powder, but that's the point--it's supposed to enhance the flavor of the chili. The two modifications I made to the recipe were to reduce the cayenne to about 1/2 tsp., rather than the full teaspoon, and it was still plenty spicy; and to use chicken broth rather than vegetable broth. That was simply because that's what I had on-hand.

I'm thinking I'd like to add ground turkey to this next time, since I really like meat in my chili. I mashed up some of the sweet potato in order to get it to the consistency above. If you don't mash them up, it seems a little more like soup. Although, it thickened a bit after I let it sit for about a half hour. I added a few crackers for dipping when it was time to eat.

I plugged this into My Fitness Pal and here's the nutritional info it came up with and assumes nine one-cup servings (this made a lot!):  165 calories, 2 g fat, 31 g carbs, 10 g fiber, 6 g sugar, and 8 g protein. So this is a pretty good meal for a post-op, in my opinion. It definitely won't break the calorie bank and should be OK for those who are a little sensitive to sugar.

Cake Bites

I've recently discovered a couple new flavors of Cake Bites:  Berry Cheesecake and Chocolate Mint.

Cake Bites are protein snacks with a whipped consistency. I've tried other flavors and found them to be quite good. The thing I really like about Cake Bites is that you get three in a package, which means you can take one out and put the package away. (Obviously that doesn't happen in my house, but I'll pretend for the sake of this post.) I also like the soft texture. They're not hard/chewy like a regular protein bar, so they're easy on the teeth.

I was very excited to see Chocolate Mint flavor in the supermarket.  I love chocolate and I love mint, and I especially love chocolate and mint together. Mint chocolate chip ice cream was my favorite, and Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies are something I really can't have in the house because I'll destroy them pretty quickly. (Even though I can only have a few at a time because of the sugar content, I pace myself so that I can easily eat the whole box in a day. Not that I've done that...)

I apologize if the pictures looks a little fuzzy. I'm experimenting with making a collage in Photoshop.

I really like these; however, the color on the inside is not quite like it shows on the package. The picture I took doesn't really capture the strange color, but it's close. I took a bite and was like, "Hmm. That's...weird." But yeah, they still taste great.  There are 230 calories in a serving size, which is the whole package, 6g of fat, 20g of protein and 4g sugar.  I find they're really filling, so I try (TRY) not to eat the whole package at once. I can, but then I'm pretty full and wanting to take a nap.

I also tried the Berry Cheesecake flavor. As you can see they have a white coating. These smelled so good when I opened the package! They tasted good, too. I'd say they taste like they're supposed to. I didn't notice any weird aftertaste. The color isn't quite as off as the Mint Chocolate ones are, but it's not quite as lovely as what's on the package. The nutritional content is pretty similar to the others, but there are 240 calories--just slightly more.

Overall, I'd definitely buy these again. Not only because they taste good, but I really like having three pieces. It makes me feel like there's more, even though it's just a mind trick. But having had weight loss surgery, I sometimes have to play mind tricks.-

our "new" chandelier

I posted last month about our trip to Sturbridge, MA, and some of the items we picked up at a couple antique shops.  I mentioned that one of the items my husband bought was an old candle chandelier that someone had once electrified, and then removed the wiring and used regular candles. His plan was to rewire it and hang it in the dining room. Although we like the light that was in there, it had some loose sockets, which made changing the bulbs a little scary, and it just seemed a little too "new" for the house.

Well, here's the finished product, hanging in the dining room. Even with having to buy the candle sockets, the wiring and the chain link, it still cost much less than buying something like this in the store. I love how it came out! (And I love that my husband is so handy!)

I think I like these bulbs best. It was a choice between these, the clear candelabra bulbs, or the Edison bulbs. I really like these because of the softer glow they give off. The other two give off a ton of light and are a bit harsh. I also thought about the flickering candelabra bulbs, but they don't seem as though they'd be bright enough. Although, back when this house was built they would have had regular candles. I guess if candlelight was bright enough for them to see what they're eating, they should be bright enough for me!

update #6: the war on back pain

Me again. Yes, I'm still having back pain. I'm back to tossing and turning in bed, having pain about 10 minutes after I sit down or stand in one place, and having to limit my workouts. I'm back to not wanting to sit and watch TV, read, or even sit here at the computer writing a blog post, which is why my posts are few and far between these days. I feel best when I'm moving or working out, but I can't do that 24/7; I need to work and sleep.

I went for the follow-up last week with the pain doctor's assistant. She looked pretty disappointed when I told her my pain is back to the level it was at before I had the first cortisone shot in December. I asked her if I should have the third and final round, or if I should opt for the disc decompression procedure. She said it's up to me.

My health insurance plan year runs out at the end of April, and since I've hit my deductible, it would be wise to do whatever I decide to do before April 30. Otherwise I'll have to pay much more out of pocket (I'm on an HSA).

Originally I had planned on another round of shots, but they didn't give me complete relief, and what little relief I got the second time around lasted about three weeks, which isn't all that much. And the limit for cortisone shots is three within nine months. If I have that third round now, then I won't be able to have them again until September; that's a long time.

So, my plan is to have a consultation with my orthopedic doctor on March 20 to talk about the decompression procedure. Once I find out about it, decide if I want to do it, and get a procedure date, I may go back for the third cortisone shot to get me through until the day of the procedure. Obviously, it depends on how long the gap is between the consultation and the procedure (assuming I opt for it). If it's a week or two, it doesn't make sense to get the shots, but if I have to wait longer then that then I'll get them.

life lately

Riley is no longer with us, but I thought I'd post his picture today since it was five years ago
this week that we adopted him. He passed away in late 2014, unfortunately.

I just realized it's been about three weeks since I posted last, so I'm posting now just to get something out there. It's just a bunch of random stuff, but it's something!

Naked Windows

I’m very happy to report that two windows in my house (out of 21) now have curtains! It’s only been more than three years since we moved in.

I struggle with curtains for some reason, and I guess interior decor in general. What complicates it is that I have an 18th century house and I’m trying to find things that would fit that time period; I don’t want modern. Also, I’ve had cats in the past that have ruined my curtains, so I eventually switched over to all blinds. That was fine in the other house, which was built in the 1920s, but I want something a little nicer now.

I decided on double rods in warm gold for every window, with decorative finials and curtain hold backs (left). For the curtains I will use a white sheer on the back rod and a shimmery solid royal blue panel on the front rod. Or another color depending on the color of the room. I’ll use one curtain hold back for each window so that the curtain will be held to one side. Even with using cheap curtains, it will still be about $120+ per window, so I’m going slow. The most expensive item is the double curtain rod, followed by the finials and then the hold back. Two down, 19 to go….



Eating

Eating has been...let's not go there. Well, I shouldn't say that. I can honestly say I've been eating only what I planned on eating for the past three days. I didn't dip into the pretzel bag at work, which is saying something. I'm always looking for a distraction at work because my back is almost always in pain while I'm there. Sitting at my desk is the worst. I have one of those Varidesks so I can stand occasionally, but standing bothers me, too. I can't escape it since I have to do my job. And I'm not rich yet, so I need to work. So that leaves me quite distracted from always being in pain, which makes me want to eat. *sigh*

Speaking of Back Pain...

Chiropractic isn't helping unfortunately, and the cortisone shots I had about five weeks ago have completely worn off. Not that I got much relief anyway, but now all the pain is back and it sucks. I go for a follow-up with the orthopedic doctor next week and I'm sure they will have me get one more round of shots. After that it's percutaneous disc decompression. At this point I would welcome that, because it seems as though it's my best shot at pain relief.

Working Out

Working out is going OK. I still work out four days a week on my own and one day with the trainer. I can't do quite as much as I was doing before the back pain set in last summer, but I'm working on it. It's hard to keep up the routine and motivate muyself, but I know I'll feel so much worse (my back) if I don't do it. I have to do it. Not only to keep myself moving and lessen the back pain, but to maintain my weight.

Other Stuff

We had to have some trees removed and others severely trimmed back, which was a nice hit to the bank account this week.

The weather has been very rainy and windy the last couple days. Our front yard flooded again, as usual. Luckily it doesn't come anywhere near the house, though.

I had to go to the dentist this morning to get a crown. Apparently I have a gap between my back teeth, which is creating a food trap that will eventually lead to decay. Fun stuff. Half my tongue and lips were numb for hours, as well as half my chin. That made eating lunch fun. Now my mouth and gums are irritated from all the work, and I have a headache.

In April I'll be going to the Catsbury Park Cat Convention.  I bought tickets for a VIP meet & greet with Teddy and Dexter. Don't judge...

I'm thinking of going to Cat Camp in May since Jackson Galaxy is hosting, but I'm not sure I'll make it. From the website:  "Jackson Galaxy’s Cat Camp is a celebration of cats that is rooted in advocacy. This feline-focused festival, which first took place in 2017, was created to bring cat lovers of all kinds together under one roof to meet their idols of the cat world, shop for every kind of cat merchandise imaginable, discuss how we can collectively do more to help our feline friends, and - most importantly - to have fun mingling with fellow cat aficionados!" Sounds like fun to me!

In May I'm headed out to Cleveland to see my favorite band, Def Leppard. My sister and I plan to visit a friend and also see the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

That's it for now. Have a great weekend!