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Made huge pot of pork & beef chili (cooked dried beans in crock pot) plus vegan version… All to share w friends & family who don’t have power. We luckily never really lost it (flickered many times, most for 2 … Continue reading
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This is what I’ve been doing in my precious spare time this past week. Making props and costumes for tonight’s “Trick or Treat Street” at our elementary school. TorTSt transforms the hallways/doorways of the school into a street and at the doorways … Continue reading
The past couple of weeks have been so crazy with the freak snowstorm that knocked out power to 100% of our town, kids home from school for a week, Halloween postponed twice in town (yes, they actually postponed town wide Trick or Treating first to the Saturday following then Monday, a week after the actual holiday), school celebrations postponed several times then canceled, and now just trying to get back into a routine after it all. I have been unsuccessful in getting most of my work done. One reason is because I couldn’t get online for a week. But I’m back and must get it done!!
On the day we went to the week-delayed Trick or Treat Street at our elementary school I had made a Moroccan Chicken with Prunes in the slow cooker. It was the first time I’d used the recipe and will definitely make it again. I was curious to see how the boys would react to it, but they’ve all had prunes/dried plums before and actually used to eat them because I called them “plum fruit snacks”. The two youngest weren’t interested in eating the fruit in the dish but amazingly didn’t complain about any of it. 
So happy to give them something different that doesn’t have whines accompanying it. AND my eldest actually loved it so much he raided his brothers’ dishes when they’d had enough. He sought out prunes and all. 
Moroccan Chicken with Prunes adapted from recipe by Lora Brody
1 ½ pounds chicken pieces (I used breasts but next time think I’ll just use thighs)
2 tsp olive oil
½ cup prunes
1 large onion diced
1 tsp cumin seed
¾ cup chicken broth
2 cloves garlic — minced
2 inch piece of fresh ginger — peeled & grated
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp cinnamon
salt & pepper to taste
I sautéed the onion and then garlic until they were done (not browned). Added the ginger and cumin seeds for a minute then other spices, for another minute, stirring often. I then added the chicken broth and brought it to a quick boil then tossed it all into the crock pot. I added the chicken breasts and prunes. Set it for 4 ½ hours on low. I checked seasoning before serving over brown rice. Original recipe calls for couscous but we’d had so much pasta surrounding that meal that I went with the rice. Adding cilantro or mint would definitely add a great dimension to the meal. Next time I may also add chickpeas and a vegetable.
Two days after that was the official Trick or Treating and I made lasagna for that! Once they were done we went out to gather all the candy and junk associated with Halloween. It was fun and I’m glad they actually got to do it. I remember it being my favorite holiday when I was little.
Now back to reality and November. Halloween will be finally over after today (10 days later) and the zombie holiday (it would not die) can make way for my favorite holiday as an adult: Thanksgiving!
I did something stupid on Saturday— went out to the store with my youngest son when it started snowing because we were low on many food items and I didn’t want to get caught in without them. Unfortunately I had heard that the freak snowstorm wasn’t meant to hit us until that night, but hadn’t checked for a weather update myself before venturing out. Then I let my son get his own mini shopping cart and take too long going round the store. When we got to the car there must have been over 2 inches (~5 cms) of snow on it on top of the first couple of inches, and it was much colder (10 degrees colder). Well, getting home was tricky. Actually it was treacherous and I couldn’t complete the journey. I’d passed several cars that had gotten stuck but I believed I could keep going, until I couldn’t… except sideways. So after being stuck myself and having some nice couple help me get on the road going the right way again, a tree fell down 50 feet in front of my car. I grew up driving in snow; this was unlike anything I’d experienced.
After a truck pulled the tree so people could drive on one lane around it, I realized I was not going to make it home. There were too many twists, turns and hills without a snow plow in sight. So I pulled into my closest friends’ driveway to wait it out. I thought I was going home later that day (it was early afternoon) but it just got worse out there. Trees were crashing everywhere. My other two boys were miles away over another friends’ house and my husband was at work (30 minutes drive on a good day). I thought I was just waiting out the worst and waiting for the plows but I was stuck for the day… and night. It was such an awful experience being separated from my sons. I knew they were in good hands, but the power went out and trees were coming down everywhere. My 9 year old and 7 year old ended up at my neighbor across the street from us. They also took in our puppy. It took my husband 3 1/2 hours to get home. He ended up abandoning his car just a couple of miles from home and walked for over 30 minutes with the sound of trees cracking and crashing.
I waited out the storm by making myself busy. We had power until 8 pm so I made my friends some butternut squash soup which was so delicious! She’d roasted cut up squash with brown sugar (not much) and I pureed it with chicken stock, cumin, cinnamon, paprika then heated it up until it came to a boil. Added milk (no cream there) and adjusted seasoning (salt and pepper). It was so good! My youngest wouldn’t eat it nor would hers but her eldest son loved it.
I also ended up making my whole chicken that I’d intended to use for chicken stew with dumplings into a roast chicken with root vegetables. Thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper all over chicken in a roasting pan with sliced onions. Filled the cavity with carrots and onion. Cut up carrots, parsnips and potatoes and added to pan after 40 minutes. Unfortunately minutes into adding vegetables the power went out (one week on it is still off!!!) so we finished it in her grill. I didn’t manage to cook the veggies properly as the grill was only direct heat and they burnt, but it was still delicious and a nice way to get me to forget my predicament.
In the morning my friend’s husband drove me and my 4 year old home among downed trees, power lines and over 15 inches of snow! I was reunited with my husband and then my other two boys. Even though we had no electricity, running water or heat, it was so good to be home!
We went to my friend’s house in another town for 3 days while we waited for the power to come back on. Halloween was actually postponed a week! But we managed to have a little celebration anyway— we all dressed up and manned a door (front, back, side & garage) and kids went round the house several times trick or treating while we handed out the candies.
We are lucky— there are a majority in town still without power 7 days on. One person had a chimney fire, another friend’s basement keeps flooding, plus it could always be worse. Last night internet, cable and phone were finally restored. So nice to be able to get back to 21st century living. School will hopefully resume next week (yes a whole week off now and their first week delayed because of Hurricane Irene). For now, my home is open to friends and I’ll be cooking! AND Next time, snow will keep me home with my boys; no venturing out until I know roads are safe.