I don't have ADD but potatoes sound good for dinner.

I don't know how long it takes you to write a blog post, but I average 60-90 minutes. What you're reading now is actually version 2.0. Version 1.0 got the old "select all -> delete" since my train of thought has gone in a completely different direction since then.

Per the request of my roommate (aka LP) I was initially blogging about these beauts:

mmm, so good.

...and that's what I was doing. I had a little diddy going about how they are my "limiting factor" when it comes to going grocery shopping; meaning when I'm out of these it requires and immediate visit to HyVee. And since they were on sale this week (50 cents off, what!) I couldn't resist stocking up. Well...I forgot that I already had a few boxes at home. I mean, COMPLETELY forgot. So yeah, long story short I have 6 boxes in my freezer right now.

You're judging me right now and that's ok. Because one day you'll be in the freezer section of the grocery store and you'll notice them out of the corner of your eye and you'll be like, "Hey, that's what Kristy was talking about." And for some reason you'll toss them into your cart. And then you'll know. You'll try them and you'll know.

But back to my inability to focus...

While writing that post I got up to get some water. And while I was taking a drink and looking in the mirror I decided that I didn't want to wear my hair in a ponytail anymore so I did my hair. And then I was like, "well I might as well put some make-up on as well." So now I'm all glamorized (oooooor not so much) and I sit down to finish blogging and I remember I need to email back a friend of mine, so I take care of that. And while I was opening up Gmail I remember that my credit card bill is due soon so I hope onto Chase's site. Then the urge to dust overwhelms me. All the while, mind you, I've not been thinking about veggie-sausages (because that would be weird), but about a million other different things, so that by the time I sit down for the third time I've decided to write about something completely different.

Oh, and I think I took care of a hangnail somewhere in there.

So if I've ever forgotten to email you back, give you a call, burn you a CD, tell you how much you owe me for utilities, finish a scrapbook...but didn't, well now you know why. It wasn't because I didn't care about it, it's because I decided to make potatoes for dinner.

There's a reason my relationship status isn't posted on facebook

I've toyed with the idea of blogging on this topic for awhile but a myriad of things have kept me from it. However, the time has come and I'm doing it for you..."you" being whoever might be reading this right now. Each person needs to hear this from me for their own reasons, but my reason for telling you is the same. In my most soothing and comforting voice I'm telling you one thing: to calm...down...

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that my relationship status would be so concerning to so many people. What I find even more exasperating is that whatever that relationship status is, you're still not any more satisfied. No, I don't cry myself to sleep every night that I am single. And no, I don't start making marriage plans when I date someone. When relationships end you wink and say "sure...for now" as if I'm denying my own feelings. And when relationships start you're hesitant as if I don't know what I'm getting into. I just want you to know that whatever happens in my life, you're going to survive. You. YOU are going to survive.

(Still in calming, soothing voice-mode here)

Somehow you've managed to manifest your own discomfort with my relationship status as MY discomfort with my relationship status, and I want you to realize this.

So to help I've created a Pro/Pro debate below. A list of things that I think are pro's about being single, and a list of things that I think are pro's about being in a relationship. I want you to refer to this when you're feeling a little uneasy.

First, pro-single (because I think you struggle with this more).

1. I can go wherever I want, whenever I want. Example: "Kristy, what service are you going to?" Response: "Whichever one I wake up in time for."
2. I can eat a spicy and elaborate Thai dish for dinner one night and vanilla yogurt the next.
3. "Girls night" is every night, not just once every 6-7 months.
4. I only have one set of families to travel to over the holidays.
5. I can go wherever I want, whenever I want. Example: "So are you planning on staying in Columbia?" Response: "I don't know, I'll move to Colorado eventually, but I'm thinking about living in Chicago for awhile."

Second, pro-relationship (because this is a good thing, too)

1. Built in buddy system.
2. Warm and fuzzies.
3. First getting to know someone.
4. Really getting to know someone.
5. Wanting to worry and care about someone because they worry and care about you.

Like I tell my patients...I'm a glass is half full sort of girl.

Spread the love.

And by that statement, I'm clearly referring to Hummus.

And I will eat it in the rain.

And in the dark. And on a train.

And in a car. And in a tree.

It is so good, so good, you see!

Too much? Maybe. But I'm excited because this weekend was my first endeavor into hummus making territory. Hummus making was the sole purpose for the food processor I asked for this Christmas, and although I broke it in well over a month ago, this was my first opportunity to introduce those silver blades to their intended purpose in my life: puree the living daylights out of a bunch of beans.

I did it from "as scratch" as possible. Everything from soaking and boiling the garbanzo beans myself to lemon juice straight from the lemon. Was the extra 10 hours of work worth it? Hells yes it was! Have YOU ever had still-warm from the pot hummus? It will change your life. I was licking the food processor bowl like a 7 year old with a cookie battered beater.

It was a very basic batch of the spread, and I had to run it over to a SB party ASAP, but I spent my drive thinking of all the different things I could add to it in the future. Here are the flavor profile ideas I have so far:

• Chili-rustica Hummus
• Pomegranate Hummus (for the LP)
• Pesto Hummus
• Lemon-zing Hummus
• Midnight walnut Hummus
• Peanut butter surprise Hummus

This could become my weekend ritual.

And that's the way it is. Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm good!

Speak up. It makes a difference.

2010 marks the 10th anniversary of what is probably the biggest annual event the hospital I work at hosts. When you step back and take a look at it, this heart fair is a great community service. Anyone, young or old, can stop by the health fair and receive a cholesterol screening, blood pressure check, a multitude of other resources and consult with a real live health educator (RN, RD, CEP, etc) absolutely free. Shoot, we'll even have chair massages there!

Of course, this event also has food and drink, and in the past the hospital has taken to ordering about 500 bottles of water for the participants and worker bees alike to stay hydrated. Being a part of the team that organizes the event I had a random thought: Why not ask the Culligan guys to come to the heart fair and eliminate the need to throw 500 plastic bottles in the trash?

Long story short, not only did Culligan agree to come but they're donating all their water. We saved money for the hospital and saved the poor Earth from being smothered with that much more plastic! And instead of 100s of tiny paper cups we're doing reusable plastic cups as part of our giveaway item instead of chip clips. Now, I know that plastic cups aren't the greatest, but at least they aren't taking a nonstop flight to the landfills. And the dietitian in me is happy that we're promoting good hydration with cups vs. keeping your processed foods crisp and "fresh" with chip clips. Double plus.

All because I saw a different option and opened my sometimes overly opinionated mouth. That's it. What will you speak up about?

01/03/10 - 9:47pm CST

Things on my mind right now:

I wish I wouldn't of taken a nap this afternoon because now I won't be able to fall asleep, which I need to do since I'll be getting up around 5 tomorrow.

My hair is getting long. I hate that I'm forced to blow dry it in the mornings because it's about 5 degrees outside and I don't want to get my self sick(er).

I would probably do little in the hair and make-up department each morning if it weren't for the fact that I see patients/clients on a daily basis. Even though I don't want to be older the effort makes me look older, which I think gives them peace of mind. I would still dress the same. I'm a clothes horse for a reason.

I need to pay rent.

If it weren't for the half filled boxes of Christmas decorations in my living room right now, I wouldn't believe Christmas came and went yet.

How much better do you need to be before resuming workouts? I want to start training for my next half, but I don't want to make myself sicker...which will only impede my training later. But I miss running and lifting and breaking a sweat for an hour or two a day in general.

When I get to see old friends and they ask, "Do you still love your job?" it reminds me how fortunate I am. However, if I never went to another health fair ever again, even if I was merely a participant, I'd be A-O.K. with that. A-O.K. The sheer boredom is torture.

10:02pm...let's see how sleepy a shower will make me.

Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

This happens to me every year I think. It's just that every year I forget. It's Christmas time again. I am happy for that. My tree and the accoutrements are up around the house. Gifts have been purchased (some have been wrapped). I've watched White Christmas and have my Christmas mix playing whenever I log into Pandora - but it just doesn't feel like Christmas to me yet.

It's such a sad feeling for me every year. I wait for that Christmas spirit to smack me upside the head. The kind where you walk outside and the cold air and snow smell like the holidays and even though it stays bitterly cold inside your car until the heater really kicks in you're happy. Or when you go to a Christmas party and the house/apt is so warm from all the body heat, food and hot drinks it feels as if you're always standing at the hearth of the fireplace. The smell of sugar cookies.

Nowadays, I don't get into the full blown Christmas spirit until right around Christmas Eve-eve. And at that point it all flies by so fast I can't absorb everything I want to savor fast enough.

I think it's work that does it. Even with holiday parties and Secret Santas, work still has its steady routine that really doesn't vary. I think it's not having the winter break to jump start everything. Your whole semester builds up to the onslaught that is finals week and then there is this huge, overwhelming relief - Christmas. You go home. There's a change of pace. Everything is different, everyone is happy and everything rings of Christmas spirit.

I'm not sad, really. I'm actually really relaxed and content with life...just wanting to feel that high.

I'll get there. I just wish it would come faster.

Tempeh Curry, a love story. Chapter 1

My oh my it has been a long time! Nearly 3 weeks. Blog, you don't get the attention you deserve.

Anyway, lots of things have been going on lately - but it's this beauty of a dish that has caused me to blog again.

It was my first attempt at curry, and I'm more than positive it won't be my last. I'd go as far to say that the vast flavor profile of curry dishes matched with the fact that their main ingredients can be improvised so easily leads me to believe that my budding love for making curry may rival my long standing passion for making chili.

To think this all started with a restaurant as unassuming as Thai Kitchen.

Before I get into my first attempt, I owe photo credits and the foundation of my recipe to 101 cookbooks, a blog I've mentioned before. In case you feel like spicing up your own dinner menu sometime soon, I've included her recipe, in it's entirety below. However, even though this was my first attempt, I didn't follow her recipe to a T and so I also included my notes later.

This curry has a bit of kick to it - so if you're cooking for a spice-sensitive crowd, scale back a bit - and season to taste at the end. Also, the recipe has you steam the potatoes. I couldn't find my big metal steamer, so I rigged one using a metal strainer suspended over a large pasta pot with a lid on. There was a bit of a gap, and it probably took longer than it would have otherwise, but it worked. A pasta pot insert would work too. In the end, the potatoes just need to be cooked, so you could boil them or even roast them (oven at 375F) - both slightly different approaches, but fine workarounds. As far as the cooking fats go, if you like to cook with ghee or clarified butter, you can substitute that, or even coconut oil.

1 1/2 pounds small waxy potatoes no bigger than a small lime, halved
2 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
scant 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
3/4 cup water
splash of cream or a dollop of creme fraiche

8 ounces tempeh, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
a small handful of cilantro, loosely chopped

Bring a few inches of water to boil in a large pot. Place the potatoes in a steamer (see head notes), sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt and cook until tender throughout - about 20 - 30 minutes, depending on how large your potato pieces are.

In the meantime, in a large skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil, add the onion and cook over LOW heat until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin seeds, curry powder, turmeric, and cayenne pepper, wait about thirty seconds, then stir in the tomatoes, water, and the other teaspoon of salt. Remove from heat, stir in the cream and blend with a hand blender - (or leave it unpureed if you like!). Note: you might need to transfer it to a bowl to puree, then return it to the skillet.

Once the curry is back in the pan, add the tempeh and bring barely to a simmer. Let the tempeh cook for 5 minutes or so, then add the potatoes when they are finished steaming. Transfer to a large family-style bowl, and sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

Serves 4 - 6.

This recipe was inspired by the Potato with Tomato Curry recipe in Lora Zarubin's I Am Almost Always Hungry. Published by Stewart, Tabori and Chang in 2003.

And if you're interested in what I did...

First, I hate boiling water. Boiling water to me is just that... "like watching water boil." I'm far to impatient. So if you're like me you'll find that tossing all the cut up potatoes in a covered glass dish and microwaving for 10 minutes gets the job done in a fourth of the time.

Second, I couldn't find tempeh in the grocery store the two different times I looked. I've found out where it is since then (of course) and plan to use it in a later dish, but I substituted tofu and thought it worked well. Another substitution I made was coconut milk for cream. Coconut milk is pretty common in thai dishes and it adds the creaminess the dish is needing. It worked beautifully. I also omitted the butter and used only olive oil.

Third, I would contend that you NEED to puree the sauce. The sauce is the soul of curry dishes and if I would have left it chunky I know it wouldn't have been nearly as good. Immersion blenders are awesome, but if you forgot to put that one on your wedding registry my blender got the job done with no problem.

Things that I'll do next time...

One is that I won't be as afraid of the salt shaker. To hop on my RD soapbox for just one minute, two teaspoons of salt is a bit of overkill. Hello! That's two days worth of sodium! I know you're not eating the whole dish...but come on! Anyway, I literally stood over the pot, salt in hand, and just couldn't bring myself to salt a dish that much. I omitted the salt on the potatoes completely and only added 1/2 teaspoon to the sauce. Salt does add "umph" to a dish, and after eating my first attempt I probably will add 3/4...or maybe...just maybe 1 whole teaspoon next time. But I'll also be a little more heavy handed with the curry powder which will help compensate. Two teaspoons though! My heart couldn't take it.

Next time around I'll also only par-cook the potatoes until they're about 3/4 of the way done and add them into the dish before the tempeh/tofu and let them finish cooking thru on low for another 5 minutes...then add the protein...then let simmer for another 10 minutes. The reason for this is that I think the potatoes need to absorb some of the flavors of the curry sauce. Just like chili tastes better on day two, this curry dish would really POP in your mouth if the potatoes melded more with the sauce. As it stands, the potatoes are kind of a bland "ying" to the spicy curry's "yang" which you need otherwise the flavors would fight with each other. But I think if you let the potatoes be kind of a...canvas...or carrier for the sauce the whole dish would be more complete in each bite.

All in all, I can't wait to give these spices a whirl again! If you give the dish a try yourself, or if you have your own curry dish recipe, please share! Like I said, a dish as interpretive as curry can be taken in so many different directions I'd love to hear what others have done.