Hey y’all! Hope your Tuesday has gone well!
Mine was good…we did one of my favorite class activities in class today that involves playing lots of music (analyzing audience and purpose), so my classes flew by! Around 4, I had a delicious snack: pink lady + half a chocolate chip Clif bar. Yum!
When I got home, I was greeted by four BIG packages! Seriously, it looked like we were moving or something! One of the boxes was Ryan’s new chair from Relax the Back. One was a painting that my parents gave us a while back (we were going to drive it up with us at the end of Christmas, but the car was too full!). One was a BIRTHDAY package for yours truly from my mama! And one was ALL of the rest of our wedding registry gifts!!! I’m so excited—we finally have our china and crystal! It is really beautiful—one of these nights, we’ll have to have a really nice dinner and use all of our new fancy schmancy stuff!
As Ryan unwrapped the china, I got started on dinner. It was another spur-of-the-moment meal (notice how often we have those around here?), but it turned out great!
Butternut Squash and Eggplant Spice Stew
Ingredients:
1/2 onion
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 eggplant, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
salt and pepper
5 dates, pitted and chopped
1 15. oz. can diced tomatoes
3 cups vegetable broth
2/3 cup chickpeas
Directions:
In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat olive oil. Add onion, butternut squash, dates, and eggplant, and cook for 10-15 minutes, until vegetables have browned and softened slightly. Add spices and cook for another 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, vegetable broth, and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Allow to boil, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes, until vegetables have completely softened and stew has thickened.
Serve over quinoa, couscous, or brown rice.
Mmmm…plated up:
Delicious, truly!
Followed by dark chocolate and a Tina-inspired 3 minute oatmeal cookie (sans egg whites) with oatmeal, flour, baking soda, brown sugar, hemp milk, coconut and chia seeds. Yum!
My one complaint? The bottom of this puppy was glued to the bowl! I guess I should have sprayed a little cooking spray on the bowl! Oh well…the 95% of it that I DID eat was delish!
Not sure what our plans are for tomorrow…truth be told, I’ve never been a huge birthday person. I don’t think it’s the whole “getting older” thing, although that becomes more and more a part of it the older I get. Rather, I think it’s kind of what I call “prom syndrome”—when the expectation that a single day needs to be so fun that said expectation ultimately causes the day to feel like a failure when it’s not the MOST fun you’ve ever had. I kind of treat birthdays now the same way I treat New Year’s Eve—just another day!
What a birthday loser, right?!?
But…that being said…I do LOVE presents!! 
Goodnight, all! See you tomorrow!
Bonnie said,
January 20, 2010 @ 2:30 am
Happy Birthday tomorrow fellow Capricorn! I LOVE celebrating my birthday and do it for the entire month of January (it’s the 12th). My three best friends are also Capricorns so we have celebrated together for decades and really “do it up”. It’s my turn to be the hostess. We’ll all gather for lunch and festivities on Friday. By the way, I love your dishes. One can never have too many!
Emily said,
January 20, 2010 @ 2:39 am
I can’t wait to see your china! (I secretly really wanted to register for china but I refrained because we don’t have anywhere to store it.)
Another yummy looking dinner!
Anna said,
January 20, 2010 @ 2:47 am
Um, I guarantee we will not use ours for like, ten years. It feels like kind of a waste right now, because I know it will just sit in our cabinet…but my mom kind of pushed me toward it, and reminded me that even if we don’t use it right now, one day, we’ll be happy to have it.
Hey, the enchiladas we had last night made me think of y’all…well, specifically Jon– CHEESELESS!
kbwood said,
January 20, 2010 @ 2:42 am
whoo happy early birthday!!!
im like you, i dont see the big deal in birthdays..but they are fun nevertheless!
ANOTHER drool worthy dinner!
glidingcalm said,
January 20, 2010 @ 3:07 am
that stew looks fantasticccccccc!
happy birthday!!
Katie O. @ Fit to Wed said,
January 20, 2010 @ 3:32 am
I have the same thoughts regarding my birthday. Yay, I’m getting older- but I hate to hype it up. Happy early birthday!
Karla said,
January 20, 2010 @ 4:14 am
Happy Birthday Almost!
Your stew looks great! I really want to see the china!
Christine said,
January 20, 2010 @ 4:40 am
Happy Birthday Eve! Mmmm, that stew looks phenomenal, think I need to try for a non-raw night and perfect for our horridly cold and wet weather this week.
Lynn at The Actors Diet said,
January 20, 2010 @ 4:59 am
happy almost bday! i like what you said about “prom syndrome.”
Joanna Sutter (Fitness & Spice) said,
January 20, 2010 @ 12:23 pm
I love the look and the sound of this recipe as butternut squash and eggplant are two of my favorite things! Thanks for the recipe!
The Voracious Vegan said,
January 20, 2010 @ 1:06 pm
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
That stew looks amazing. I really, really love soup and stew but I don’t think I’ve ever had one quite like this. Gotta change that! Thanks for this beautiful idea.
Heather (Where's the Beach) said,
January 20, 2010 @ 2:56 pm
Yum, sounds delish. I love both eggplant and butternut squash!
Ginger said,
January 20, 2010 @ 3:36 pm
So glad everything got there! Did it all arrive safely and unbroken?
Heather said,
January 20, 2010 @ 4:05 pm
Mmm you always have the best sounding meals!!
The Candid RD said,
January 20, 2010 @ 4:40 pm
This stew looks great. I’m so sad because I can’t really eat eggplant often anymore. I bought one the other day and took off the skin, hoping it would allow my body to handle it better, but no such luck.
As for your birthday, Happy Birthday tomorrow!! Mine is the 30th, and like you, I am not super excited. I do use it as an excuse to make Nick take the day off, and treat me like royalty
I also treat myself to cake and ice cream every year, no matter what. This year I think we are going to do some indoor rock climbing!!
I hope you have a great day.