Ugh. Just came back in from John’s shop from cleaning (barf) the old (and I mean old) refrigerator that he hauled down here from the Des Moines house garage. It had been sitting in that garage for several years. He’d originally had it in the kitchen there and I even used it for a few years until he expanded the space to accommodate MY (bigger/newer) refrigerator that I’d had at my condo. When we talked about having “the spare fridge” in the shop, I was thinking MY fridge and he was thinking the old smaller one. After he’d installed his workbench and side cabinets and he’d installed the small standup freezer, I said, “That space doesn’t look big enough for my fridge.” Well, it wasn’t intended to be and it’s not. Such a bummer. So…the smaller icky fridge will have to do. There’s a possibility we can put mine in the pantry, but for all the space that would take up, I don’t think it’ll be worthwhile. Sigh.
At any rate, it WILL be nice to have the extra fridge for company and overspill. And the shop is easy access from the house (just through the mudroom). Cleaning it was sure gross, though.
Speaking of appliances, we had an oven repairman come out from Frigidaire (we had to wait WEEKS for him) and he replaced a part. (The oven wasn’t maintaining temperature). Well, guess what? It’s STILL not maintaining temperature. The part was apparently faulty! And now we have to wait AGAIN for the stupid repairman to come out and fix it. Yeah, I’m grumpy.
John has been busy working on my vanity area in the walk-in closet! Really, all that needs to be done now is tiling the countertop and installing drawer/cupboard handles. Honestly, it’s lovely and I don’t think these pictures capture how awesome it is!
The lighting fixtures match the ones in the master bathroom, and again they look like glowy blobs in a photo when they’re turned on. They really don’t look like that!
I can hardly wait until I can use it!
The night that Nate and Sandra got married, John and I were invited to our friends’ house for dinner. I’ve known Diane for as long as I’ve known Helen—since the 2nd grade! And I was in Diane and Tim’s wedding 38 years ago! (Wow!) Then…Diane cared for Nate for the first two years of his life. I had to go back to work when he was just eight weeks old, and Di-Di was his “other” mama! She saw him take his first steps, and also noticed his first chicken pox pustule (which, of course, meant that their two young daughters caught it…) They recently moved into a lovely, sprawling home on an acre of woodsy park-like paradise. It’s absolutely beautiful.
Diane made a wonderful dinner—African Gold Coast Stew. And she gave me the recipe! It’s a perfect dish for a group of people, and I’m considering it for our neighborhood potluck that is coming up in September (and we’re hosting). I can make it in advance and freeze it! It’s absolutely delicious, easy to make, and it reminds me somewhat of Pad Thai (but with rice). Here is the recipe! (I don’t think she’ll mind if I share!)
African Gold Coast Stew
2 green peppers, diced (can use red, yellow, or orange or combo)
1 med onion diced
2 Tbs olive oil
1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)
3/4 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 cups cooked chicken, cut up (chicken breasts or thighs)
6 cups rice (Jasmine, but can mix in brown rice if desired)
Toppings
Shredded coconut
Coarsely chopped peanuts
Broiled banana slices (with butter spray)
Pineapple tidbits
Golden raisins
Diced green/red peppers
Major Grey’s chutney
Fresh lime wedges (“fresh spritz of lime really finishes the dish!”)
Directions
- In a large skillet, cook and stir peppers and onion in olive oil until onion is tender. Drain off fat.
- In a medium bowl, blend tomato paste and peanut butter then stir in broth and seasonings.
- Add broth mixture to skillet with onion and peppers – add cooked chicken and cook and stir over low heat until heated through. (“Mixture can scorch so I often use my microwave or crock pot to heat.”)
- If the stew is too thick, stir in additional chicken broth.
- Serve over rice (like gravy).
This can be made ahead and freezes well. If the chicken is cooked up ahead (I cook it and freeze it in 4 C bags), this dish can be completed in 30 min. Just steam the rice while you are putting the stew together.
For a large group, I use 2 crock pots for serving – one for rice and one for the stew, then use a Lazy Susan with all the toppings in separate serving bowls. Serve with a nice green salad and it’s plenty.
This dish is gluten free (if there has been no cross contamination)
Basic recipe serves 8
I’ll leave you with a gorgeous sunset from Wednesday night. They have been stunning lately!
