![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Sunspots and cold weather
End of the week, thank goodness. Spaceweather anounced that a huge new sunspot has appeared over the sun's horizon. The solar flux is rising. We may be heading out of the sunspot doldrums at last. The sun has been pimple-free all summer, with attendant results of poor radio propagation. We are due for an increase in activity.
Going down into single digit temperatures again tonight, so we'll have the woodstove going all night to save electricity. The trouble with that is that you save electricity at the cost of air pollution. Either way there's a carbon penalty so I don't have an answer really.
Gary made a Moroccan tagine in the crock pot today and it was excellent. It's a slow-cooked stew with chicken, vegetables, fruit (yes, fruit), and spices (cinnamon and curry in this one) that you serve with couscous. It was very good, but I want to try a vegetarian version using eggplant or gigantes (Greek giant lima beans) instead of the chicken, and seasoned with cardamom and orange.
Gary also migrated fish around among our three aquariums today while he was cleaning. I've been wanting to get the remaining platies out of the 30 gallon tank and into the newer 20 gallon, but they proved very difficult to catch. While he had the water level lowered because he was replacing water, he managed to catch all three. We also got some new plastic plants that are very dense and serve as shelter for baby fish, so I'm hoping for another platyfish explosion. I plan to encourage things by adding some new blood to the tank in case ours have grown inbred. (They are about three generations down from the original four platies I had.) Currently the tank has 3 adults and one juvenile platy, and two zebra danios. I figure it could easily accommodate another 8 or 10 adult fish, but I'll probably go for half that. The 30 gallon tank now has only pearl danios, six of them. I'm probably going to add some tiger barbs to that next time I see them on sale for a good price.
OK, time to go fire up the stove. I need to think of a potluck dish to take to the spinning guild meeting tomorrow, too.
Going down into single digit temperatures again tonight, so we'll have the woodstove going all night to save electricity. The trouble with that is that you save electricity at the cost of air pollution. Either way there's a carbon penalty so I don't have an answer really.
Gary made a Moroccan tagine in the crock pot today and it was excellent. It's a slow-cooked stew with chicken, vegetables, fruit (yes, fruit), and spices (cinnamon and curry in this one) that you serve with couscous. It was very good, but I want to try a vegetarian version using eggplant or gigantes (Greek giant lima beans) instead of the chicken, and seasoned with cardamom and orange.
Gary also migrated fish around among our three aquariums today while he was cleaning. I've been wanting to get the remaining platies out of the 30 gallon tank and into the newer 20 gallon, but they proved very difficult to catch. While he had the water level lowered because he was replacing water, he managed to catch all three. We also got some new plastic plants that are very dense and serve as shelter for baby fish, so I'm hoping for another platyfish explosion. I plan to encourage things by adding some new blood to the tank in case ours have grown inbred. (They are about three generations down from the original four platies I had.) Currently the tank has 3 adults and one juvenile platy, and two zebra danios. I figure it could easily accommodate another 8 or 10 adult fish, but I'll probably go for half that. The 30 gallon tank now has only pearl danios, six of them. I'm probably going to add some tiger barbs to that next time I see them on sale for a good price.
OK, time to go fire up the stove. I need to think of a potluck dish to take to the spinning guild meeting tomorrow, too.
no subject
Our favorite potluck dish is Pot Perfect Salad, but it may not be good for all gatherings because it does have a bit of bacon and cheese in it. Basically it's broccoli and cauliflower, with a bit of bacon, mozzarella, mayo, vinegar and a touch of sugar for the dressing. We never get to take any of it home after a potluck, that's for sure!
no subject
I make a salad similar to what you describe, and yes, it is popular. But I'd have to run out to the grocery to get the broccoli and cauliflower and I'm trying to avoid the extra trip. ;p I'll come up with something.
Moroccan Chicken Recipe
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (or 1-2 medium eggplant), cubed
2 Tbsp honey
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
2 cinnamon sticks
1 (14-oz) can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions, thawed & drained
1/2 cup sliced dried apricots and/or prunes
1/3 cup sliced whole pitted dates
1 lemon, peeled, sectioned, and chopped OR 1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
1 (10-oz) package couscous, cooked
chopped fresh cilantro
Heat oil in skillet on medium-high heat; add chicken (or eggplant, dipped in flour) and cook 5-10 minutes or until browned. Place in 3- or 4-quart slow cooker. Mix next seven ingredients and stir in with chicken. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours.
Add onions, apricots, dates, and lemon. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 more hour.
Serve over couscous with chopped fresh cilantro. Yummy with hummus, Pita or Moroccan ksra bread, and Moroccan tomato-onion salad or Moroccan carrot salad. This slow-cooked stew is also known as a tagine for the traditional clay pot in which it is cooked.
Re: Moroccan Chicken Recipe