Go IZZY!

"OH- MY- Gosh, OH My Gosh" was the scream I heard from the living room. It was almost midnight and I just tucked myself in bed and about to enjoy the warm comfy sheets, when I suddenly heard my daughter scream. Instinctively, I ran out to check what was going on. I saw my daughter gasping for breath.

"I got an A in Calculus II mom!" she excitedly informed me.   "I was trembling as I was typing my password" she said anxiously. "I'm sorry did I wake you up?" she quickly added apologetically, as she saw me wipe my eyes. "But you know this means so much to me" she explained further.

My daughter Izzy is very reserved but her scream was an indication of profound joy. I hugged her tight and I could feel her heartbeat beating so hard and fast... I hugged her even more.  I didn't utter a word we stood there hugging each other in the middle of the night  Just the two of us standing in complete silence.  Of course I know what getting an A in Calc II means to her.  As a senior she's all focused on her college apps,  And I've seen her work hard.   I want her to realize that hard work pays off... and I'm glad it did. I hugged her tighter because I want her to know that I share her joy and excitement!  Silently praising God. Grateful to have such wonderful kids such as Izzy.

A few weeks later, one early morning as I was packing lunch for my kids, I heard her exclaim  "No way... No way!".  I saw her face glow when she muttered in disbelief:  "I got in mom."   I ran towards her, with water dripping down my hands, and found out that she was included in the first batch of accepted students for a nearby university. I jumped for joy with her... Even if this is a reminder that she will be leaving us for college soon, I guess I have to be ready to set her free... and even if she's the second daughter for me to send off to college, it will never be the same without Izzy around the house.

But yeah we have to let them go... we have to let them discover their own future... but hopefully, they bring with them the love, the values and the faith that we parents have instilled in them.

In order to celebrate Izzy's good news, I want to share with you the recipe for CHICKEN CURRY Trilogy. Why the "trilogy"?  You'll find out below.  Enjoy!

Let's begin:

8-10 pcs. Chicken thighs deboned and sliced
2 tbsps. cooking oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 small onions, chopped
3 medium size potatoes, sliced
2 medium size carrots, sliced
1 medium size green bell pepper
1 cup chicken stock
2-3 tbsps curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans of coconut milk


In a wok, saute garlic and onions in cooking oil.  Add chicken and cook it for about 5 minutes or until slightly brown.  Add a dash of pepper.  Pour the first can of coconut milk together with the chicken stock.  Let it simmer until the chicken is tender. Spice up using the curry powder.  I like to make my curry rich and flavorful so I used around 3 round table spoons.  You may want to add 2 tbsps first and adjust it according to your taste.  Add the potatoes and the carrots.  Pour the other can of coconut milk and stir frequently.
Add the green bell pepper.  Season with salt.  But for my curry, I used patis (fish sauce) to season it. The sauce should be thick and creamy.


Preparing chicken curry does not end here. You have to serve condiments that go with it. My hubby is always requesting for chutney, although I still have to come up with a good recipe for it (please let me know if you have one). For him, curry isn't complete without it.  He wants the whole ensemble, which consist of: raisins, chopped onions, chopped boiled eggs, mango chutney and chopped tomatoes.

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Now I named my curry recipe a trilogy because I served it in three different choices... and I have three different carb beds:

1. on a bed of steamy linguine . 2, on a toasted pita pocket. 3, on steamy white rice.

So the results:
The curry on linguine was my pick.  I enjoyed twirling the curry dish with my pasta.  The condiments added more hints of flavors.  The crunchy-ness of tomatoes goes well with the slimmery hot steamy pasta:  Ooh lala heaven:

The second choice:
The pita pocket which Izzy picked was delectable. She enjoyed the crusty-ness of the pita pocket bread and the gooey sauce oozing out of the bread. It was finger licking good for her.

And lastly the bed of rice. My husband and son, enjoyed it tremendously! "I guess it's a guy thing" my son commented when they noticed that both men had the rice bed...

  

So take your pick... Choose the carb bed you want to put your chicken curry on... Or you can share all three dishes with your family for an even more meaningful meal.  I'm pretty sure you'll savor the moment... just as we did when the moment called for a celebration!