Long Week

Sigh. A real big SIGH. This week was long, it wasn't a hard week but it wasn't a good week. The holiday stress is already hitting us, I think once we are in the middle of it all it will be better but right now just thinking about it and planning it all is stressful.
Marc has his appointment soon for the heparin. We are curious about how much it will cost. We have no clue how much the take home doses cost. It can't be cheap though because it comes in a needle, but at least the insurance covers a lot of it and he only needs at most a week of heparin so the cost is minimal in the long run.
We tried out our beer this week and although it is not ready it has potential. We can't wait to try it with Indian food. YUM. We are going to make another one next weekend and I will document the making of the beer. It will be one we have already done..maybe. I want to try a new one but Marc wants to do one we know is good. The one he wants to do is ready fast and it does taste good but we have done it a lot. O well we shall see what happens on Saturday.
There is a lan party next weekend at the school across the street from us and Marcs cousin (also roommate) was talking about it and I told Marc that he should go. He isn't to sure but I kinda home he does, it gets him out and he gets to be geeky and I can stay home...alone..have wine, have some take in and just enjoy some alone time, or go out somewhere...we shall see. It is good to just get away from each other a bit, doing something we each enjoying. And since I have exams coming up in a few days it will help with the stress.
We made a different kind of homemade lentil soup this week and well....it didn't turn out good. We forgot how salty boullion cubes are and we put too much so the soup was just salt. It was gross. BUT tonight we are making it again and this time we are adding only 1 cube and it should taste just fine. Marc has homemade break baking so we have some yummy bread for dipping.
Here is the recipe (isn't mine, I am not brave enough to just mix something up myself yet. Link is at the bottom of the post).

Ingredients

• 
  
  • 1 1/2 cups mung beans or 1 1/2 cups red lentils or 1 1/2 cups yellow lentils
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
  • 2 -3 curry leaves or 2 -3 bay leaves (I use fenugreek leaves)
  • 6 cups chicken stock (preferably home-made) or 6 cups vegetable stock ( preferably home-made)
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or 3 tablespoons ghee
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • salt and pepper
  • lemons, sliced
  • I also stick in a little garam masala but you don't have to

Directions

1. Rinse the beans or lentils.
2. Bring to a boil with the stock, turmeric, Cayenne, cumin, cardamom and curry/bay leaves.
3. Let simmer until the beans or lentils are very soft (ca 30 minutes).
4. If using bay leaves, remove them now. Curry leaves can be left in the soup.
5. Mix the soup slightly to a not too smooth consistency (or mash the lentils/beans with a ladle).
6. Sautee the garlic and mustard seeds lightly in the fat and add to the soup.
7. Let simmer for another 5 minutes.

8. Remove all yellow and white peel from the lemon slices and place in a soup tureen or in individual soup plates.
9. Serve hot with pita or paratha bread.

Link