Fruity Pork Curry (at last)

I'm back from the road show...and here at last, is my favourite curry - elegant and rich, tasty in the extreme.

I'll put the measurings in "old fashioned" so that hopefully it will make it easier to follow!

1 tbspn sunflower oil
1 oz unsalted butter
2 and 1/4 diced, lean pork
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 large ripe tomatoes
8 fl oz chicken stock
1 stick cinnamon (quill)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tspn ground coriander ( I grind mine fresh from the seeds but you can buy it already ground)
2 tspn curry powder
1 oz soaked dried apricots, sliced
1 oz figs, soaked and sliced (I use more because I love the taste and feel of the figs in this dish)
3 bananas, sliced ( I use green ones)
1 tbspn mango chutney
4 tbspn single cream
a squeeze of lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil and half the butter in a heavy saucepan and brown the meat in batches. Remove the browned meat from the pan. Add the remaining butter to the pan, add onion and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic, return the meat to the pan. Halve the tomatoes and grate each half directly into the pan, discarding the skins. Add the stock and spices and bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 40 minutes or until very tender. Stir occasionally and about half way thru add the figs, apricots and mango chutney. Once the meat is tender, stir in the cream and lemon juice.
Season to taste and garnish with coriander leaves.

This is wonderful served with coconut rice.

I'd be pleased to know how any of you found this dish, I'm sure you won't regret it.

On the road again...

Am away to Timaru later today. Yawn. I am sooo over this travelling and it has started to rain so that will make the trip even more odious! Timaru is only about a 2 hour drive south from here, and we have our training session at 8.30 in the morning hence travelling today - no way was I getting outta the scratcher at 5am!!

Took the kids to the Armageddon Expo earlier today - they were thrilled; comics, games, famous people...and I stayed up too late last night yapping and drinking with my older brother who I hadn't seen for a couple of months. It was cool.

Have you ever read a book...

Have you ever read a book that really gives you shivers, that you wish you had written yourself, that is soo good you hesitate to turn that last page?

For one more day is such a book for me today. "I saw in her expression that old, unshakeable mountain of concern. And I realised when you look at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know" - wonderful. But then again, I'm lucky to have a mother who I know this is true of. Fantastic sad but hopeful book, and I'm not sure if it means more to me because I am a mother myself or because I am a half-orphan and my mother is so very precious to me and my daughters.

I had to get up very early today (well, early for me that is) and drive in the pouring rain to Ashburton to conduct some Drug and Alcohol training for our delegates. Before I leave on any trip that takes me out of the city I leave a wee note in the kids lunchboxes, and also draw love hearts and a message on the family whiteboard. The mother in "For one more day" also did that for her children - I found it hard to keep back tears during some of this book. I love it when a book can move me so. It is grounding and inspirational, it was a snuggle under the blankets on a cold day. I didn't want it to end.

Two words to strike fear into your hearts...

School holidays. And the kids aren't happy to be going to a holiday programme - hey but its with drama, craft and dance I say weakly. I remember as a child that school holidays went on forever - making stuff and baking, endless supply of "butchers paper" for art work...my poor mother!! The Stud and I usually take a few days off each to give the kids an idea of what holidays are like for those kids with a stay-at-home parent but can you believe it, I actually FORGOT to do that this time. I have been on autopilot with work for obviously far too long. And the wee 'uns suffer. They'll have fun tho....won't they??

Had a great sunny day here, got some gardening done. The decimated lavender better look good when it grows back. The scone-grabbers have been calling me Mrs Scissorhands after my valiant efforts to tame the stuff.

OK, am off to the couch for the weekly dose of the Seven Ages of Rock. This week its heavy metal - I'm still not convinved that's really "music".

Much better thanks!

Oh what a difference a day makes!! From the above (and no, that's not my eye but you get the drift!!).....
To this. I can see clearly now, the pain has gone....

Crikey, so much for older and wiser. Frankly I think the older one gets, the older one gets. That's it. No mystery. No magic wand of wisdom.

Oddly, work got in the way of an otherwise idyllic day. A group of workers got gassed by chlorine vapours - members of our Union. Luckily no-one was killed but they are rather unwell. Am hoping for a full if not speedy recovery for all involved.

8 Facts on the morning after the night before

Fact 1: I had a great weekend.

Fact 2: I had too much wine.

Fact 3: People who know me won't be surprised at Fact 2.

Fact 4: I am old enough to know that if you go bed at 4am the rest of the day is like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube.

Fact 5: The kids don't have any consideration for Fact 4.

Fact 6: I can't have drunk enough last night if I am still thirsty today.

Fact 7: I had forgotten that Pixie also doesn't know how to say "No, no more for me thanks".

Fact 8: I am old enough to know better, young enough to have done it anyway.

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it...

Yes indeed, I'm about to loose control and I think I'll like it! My dear ol' school friend, Pixie, is coming to stay for the weekend. I'm going to dig out our old photos from school and the intervening years where our paths have criss-crossed, there will be corks popping and jaws dropping. It will be grand.
So, crowds of Christchurch - you better watch out! The Sag and The Pixie are on the loose.