Progress

I realized today that we've been two weeks without losing our power for more than five minutes or so. We even went through a big thunderstorm with our power intact--no blinking clocks making us late this morning. This represents huge progress for us--we were losing power 3 times a week. Just three weeks ago, I had to throw out everything I had re-accumulated in the fridge because we lost power for 18 hours. The grid is seeming more stable.

That's also a good metaphor for me right now. I feel more stable. The election being over helps (man, that was stressful), as does finishing up a brutal fall sports schedule. We've got issues to handle and deal with, but they're no worse than normal (except for that finding a middle school thing). I am starting to feel confident again, less nervous and overwhelmed.

Of course, that confidence doesn't extend to the economy. Watching so much of our carefully saved money go "poof" in the market downturn has made me feel more cautious about spending. So, one small thing I am doing is trying to make sure I cook more and buy less convenience and prepared food and take-out. This last 10 days I've been in a fall mood, as we had a slight nip for a few days (seems to be gone now). So I've been using the slow cooker a lot. In addition to getting to use cheaper cuts of meat in the cooker, flavorful stews and soups are a big hit with almost everyone in the family.

Here's what's in the cooker now--a Moroccan-inspired Tagine. I'll cook some couscous at dinner time to serve the tagine over. I didn't have tomato paste, so I used crushed tomatoes and a bit less chicken broth. And I threw in a chopped red pepper for an extra hit of antioxidants. Everyone likes this dinner. We have a busy day with Odyssey of the Mind practice after school (I'm coaching the younger's team), indoor soccer practice and a middle school tour sandwiched in there. I have more energy in the morning, so it's nice to know that dinner's in the pot already.

Chicken Tagine

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 3/4 pounds total), cut into 1-inch pieces

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

4 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped

2 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons garlic salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. In a 6 quart slow cooker, layer chicken, onions, carrots, raisins and apricots.

2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk chicken broth, tomato paste, lemon juice, flour, garlic salt, cumin, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper. Pour over chicken and vegetables.

3. Cook 5 hours on high heat or 8 hours on low.