Why Do I Bother?

Just a quick follow-up to my previous post on mentoring. It’s official, the young man I was talking about was accepted into his alternative school and I was selected as his mentor. Apparently he was required to have 2 mentors apply for the program, but I was chosen.

So my new adventure begins in January. I spoke to him this morning and he seems excited about it. Well … as excited as 16 year olds ever sound about anything.

I’ll keep you posted.

Posted in Friends, Mentoring | | 3 Comments »

Luka tagged me early this morning. She probably should have been in bed, but instead she decided to victimize me. So the rules are that I have to confess. There just isn’t room on this blog to confess to everything, so I will choose a few choice items. Then I will tag some other unsuspecting bloggers and watch them squirm.

I confess … that I enjoy sitting hunched over my keyboard with a good cup of coffee as I read my daily blogs and news.

I confess … that I believe sick days from work should not be wasted on days when you feel sick. Call in well.

I confess … that my brother’s new blog is likely to be better than mine and I will feel jealous and inferior. These feelings will evolve into bitterness and I will grow old before my time because of my deeply concealed pain.

I confess … that the last confession may have been a bit exaggerated.

I confess … that my wife Mel is the only person who really knows where my keys are half the time.

Now … the following people have been tagged; Chris, Tarragon, Ivory Frog, and Beau. Visit their sites to see if they confess, and be thankful I didn’t pick you.

Posted in Just For Fun | | 5 Comments »

If you know me at all, you know I love to cook. If you don’t know me, any of my friends will tell you that I’m pretty good at it. Last night was no exception, if I must say so myself.

It’s called Tagine. A Tagine is a portable oven used in moroccan cooking. It’s also the name of a dish made from vegetables and meat. I cooked the meat separately this time, but I’m sure it would be terrific in the pot. It’s funny, I’m not really a big vegetable eater and some of the vegetables in this dish are not very appealing to me, but the combination of the vegetables and the spices makes this something special. You have to try it.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into chunks
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped (I cubed mine into about 1/2 inch cubes)
1 can garbonzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 can vegetable broth (I used chicken broth this time because that’s what I had)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 dash cayenne pepper

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken, onion, and garlic about 15 minutes unil browned.

Mix the squash, garbonzo beans, carrot, tomatoes with juice, broth, sugar, and lemon juice in the skillet. Season with salt, coriander, and cayenne pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue cooking 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.

This really should be served over cous cous, but I used some home made moroccan bread instead. If you try this recipe, tell me how you like it.

Posted in Cooking & Recipes, Home | | 4 Comments »