In My Hands Today…

Mrs Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death – Mark Reutlinger

22747261Everyone knows that Rose Kaplan makes the best matzoh ball soup around—she’s a regular matzoh ball maven—so it’s no surprise at the Julius and Rebecca Cohen Home for Jewish Seniors when, once again, Mrs K wins the honor of preparing the beloved dish for the Home’s seder on the first night of Passover.

But when Bertha Finkelstein is discovered facedown in her bowl of soup, her death puts a bit of a pall on the rest of the seder. And things go really meshugge when it comes out that Bertha choked on a diamond earring earlier stolen from resident Daisy Goldfarb. Suddenly Mrs K is the prime suspect in the police investigation of both theft and murder. Oy vey—it’s a recipe for disaster unless Rose and her dear friend Ida can summon up the chutzpah to face down the police and solve the mystery themselves.

Recipes: Sweet Corn and Capsicum Curry

Over the weekend, I brought some frozen sweet corn without realising that I already had some at home. So earlier this week, I decided to try a dry sweet corn curry. This was really simple and took me less than 15 minutes to make, start to finish.

Sweet Corn and Capsicum Curry

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup frozen sweet corn
  • 1 large green capsicum
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp dried fenugreek powder (optional)
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • Salt to taste
  • Chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Cook the sweet corn in the microwave until it becomes soft. Then drain the water and keep aside.
  • Chop the capsicum into small pieces and keep aside.
  • Heat oil and when it warms up, add the cumin and fennel seeds one at a time and give it a good stir.
  • Then add the chopped capsicum and stir for a few minutes till it starts to soften.
  • Then add the defrosted corn and stir for a while. Add in the spices – salt, red chilli powder and cumin powder and let the capsicum and corn, cook. When it is almost cooked, add in 1/4 tsp garam masala and let the spices mix well.
  • Crush the fenugreek leaves in the palm of your hand and sprinkle it over the corn and capsicum. Switch off the gas, add a dash of lemon juice and some coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or a flatbread.

Notes:

  • I made this version a no onion, no garlic one since Navratri is almost here.
  • You can make this with onions and ginger and garlic by adding grated or minced ginger and garlic in the initial stage when you add the cumin seeds and onions after that but before the capsicum.
  • You can also use dried mango powder or amchoor powder instead of lemon juice. If using amchoor powder, add it when you add the spices. You can also use a combination of both, but adjust depending on how sour you need the dish to be.

 

In My Hands Today…

Wild Wood – Posie Graeme-Evans

22608222Jesse Marley calls herself a realist; she’s all about the here and now. But in the month before Charles and Diana’s wedding in 1981, all her certainties are blown aside by events she cannot control. First, she finds out she’s adopted. Then she’s run down by a motorbike. In a London hospital, unable to speak, she must use her left hand to write. But Jesse’s right-handed. And as if her fingers have a will of their own, she begins to draw places she’s never been, people from another time—a castle, a man in armour. And a woman’s face.

Rory Brandon, Jesse’s neurologist, is intrigued. Maybe his patient’s head trauma has brought out latent abilities. But wait. He knows the castle. He’s been there.

So begins an extraordinary journey across borders and beyond time, a chase that takes Jesse to Hundredfield, a Scottish stronghold built a thousand years ago by a brutal Norman warlord. What’s more, Jesse Marley holds the key to the castle’s secret and its sacred history. And Hundredfield, with its grim Keep, will help Jesse find her true lineage. But what does the legend of the Lady of the Forest have to do with her? That’s the question at the heart of Wild Wood. There are no accidents. There is only fate.

2018 Week 40 Update

This was quite an interesting week for me. I finished up the back-to-work programme I mentioned earlier, and we ended the programme with a networking drinks event. I also made friends with the other ladies in the programme and we’ve decided to keep in touch even afterwards to give support to each other and also coach and help the others. We’ve planned to meet for lunch or coffee perhaps at least once a month and the person who gets a job will have to treat the others!

During the networking event, I was asked for an introduction by a couple of people from companies that sound interesting. I’ve also asked to be introduced to organisations I was interested in and have sent my resumes to those who have asked for it. After a very long time, I feel optimistically cautious!

On another note, given the programme I was on, I feel I owe it to myself to give myself time till the end of this year to focus on getting a new position. I want something bigger than what I am doing and will focus on this for the next three months, after which, if nothing comes up, I will switch to an entrepreneurial mindset and start working on growing my business.

Please send a small prayer my way (or if you are an atheist, send me some good luck) for the next few months to be great!

2018 Secondary 3 Week 40 Update

Exams week! Both the children were neck deep in exams. Actually, BB’s exams ended on Friday, with just English listening comprehension left. GG still has major exams and hers will only end of next week.

BB has Tuesday off for marking and then his papers will start to be distributed back to the students. That’s when I will know how well he has done this year. GG’s exams end by the end of the week and she has Friday off for marking. Then next week, her papers will start coming in.

Then it will be a couple of weeks more with non-instructional days in school before they break for the year. They both have to go back to school for the first week of their holidays for a heads-up on their Sec 4 year and then the holidays with a tonne of homework.

Have a fun Sunday people!