Mission possible?

scrap it. it aint gonna happen

Curry and Knitts

So, it's been a while since I blogged....

Lots has happened, and I have been quite busy. Firstly, I was accepted and have now enrolled in Uni, and am currently selling everything of mine that has value to pay for my texts. I need $689. So if you see something of mine for sale, PLEASE BUY IT! I admit, I'm a little desperate.

I am really excited about uni. I can't wait to get my texts and start reading :) I feel my life moving forward now. I WILL make something of myself. I will make my family proud of me. I have been such a disappointment to myself and my family. I want them to have a reason to think of me in a positive way, and I want to set a good example for Jordis.

I donated some of my wool to the flood relief Auction at Kiss my serendipity, trying to do what I can to help. Me being poor, there is not much else I can do, so it is nice to know that other people will be donating on my behalf.

I was diagnosed with gall stones a few weeks ago, and have changed my diet to a vegan one in an attempt to avoid surgery and reverse some of the damage. I have been trying hard to find vegan dishes that i and my family like, and it has been fun. It is lucky that neither Jordis or Ryan are particularly fussy when it comes to veggies, so it gives me a lot of room to experiment. tonight was a wonderful red lentil curry, the recipe for which is thus...

1 cup red lentils (I soak mine overnight to make them softer... I like them that way, but if you like a firmer lentil, then just rinse them before hand)

1 400g can of red kidney beans, rinsed

4 cups of sweet potato cut into inch cubes

1 cup of sweet corn kernels.

1 sachet of Thai red curry paste

1 litre of vegetable stock

1 small can of coconut cream

half a red capsicum, diced

half a yellow capsicum, diced

1/2 tsp of masala spice.

The method is very simple. add the lentils, potato, corn, stock, curry paste and masala to a large pot and cook on medium/low heat for about 40 minutes, then increase the heat to medium/high for about 15 minutes, allowing much of the water to boil off. then, add the diced capsicum and coconut cream and simmer for a further 15 minutes, or until it is the consistency you want. It is quite a thin curry, but you could make it thicker by adding a cup less stock in the beginning. We had ours served in bowls with biryani rice. It was amazingly good.

lastly, I have been looking for Jean Greenhowe knitting patterns for ages, and i finally found some. they arrived today :)

I am particularly excited about the clowns. :) My grandmother knits them, and they are full of memories for me. My eldest sister owned one, and now, so does my daughter. I desperately want to make one, and i will be starting with this one.

A new Year

So, it is 2011....

My ATAR was 87.95. Not too bad really. Makes me wonder how well I could have done if I hand't spent all that time spinning and on book face playing poker :)

I applied for UNI, and am just waiting to have my application approved. My ATAR is high enough to get me into Psychology with Honours so hoorah!

My new years resolution is:

(a) to get all distinctions and higher for every assignment.

and

(b) to be a size 12 by the end of the year.

if I can achieve these two things, I will be a very happy me.

My Christmas was amazing, and remarkably, chocolate free. I have been looking for Natural alternatives to sugar as well, in the hopes that I can still enjoy sweetness, without the risk of harming myself or my goal to lose weight. I feel unenthusiastic about the idea of artificial sweeteners, as they taste horrible and are bad for you, so natural it is. Agave Nectar seems to be a good alternative. There is also Stevia, which isn't too bad. they are both plant based and low GI, so I am hoping they will help me. I particularly have high hopes for the Agave Nectar. I hear it is lovely. so here is wishing me luck on my journey into a sugar free diet.

I am reluctant to make the jump to skim milk... I don't like it. Perhaps it would be best to just cut milk out all together. I am open to suggestions though, if anyone knows how I can have low fat, but still creamy coffee...