Lactose-Free Butter Chicken*

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I know I don’t normally post recipes on here, but when I first twittered that I had finally figured out how to make this I got such a fabulous response that I decided to share. It was one of the best dinners I’ve ever made!

When the Hubster and I were dating I learned that he has a lactose intolerance which basically means that if something tastes good, he can’t eat it. After we got married and I began to explore my abilities in the kitchen it didn’t take me long to realize that there is milk in everything. Seriously. Things you might never, ever expect. Cereals. Breads. Sauces. Unbattered restaurant french fries... it’s everywhere! Other members of his family who also have it have long since learned to just live without the frills.

I don’t accept that. If I can eat something, I want him to be able to too.

Thankfully, in recent years more and more products are becoming available for people who have lactose intolerance. You can now buy bagged (or cartons) of lactose-free milk. There is lactose-free margarine, yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream–slowly but surely these products are making their way into the market which tells me there are probably more than enough people out there who also suffer from this. Over the years I’ve learned how to make substitutes for almost everything, and I just conquered a lactose-free substitute for heavy cream. (*fist pump in the air*)

A few weeks ago I had a serious yen for some Indian food. I love butter chicken, but I assumed that there is no way that the Hubster could eat it. I decided to wander over to our grocery store and see what they had in pre-made sauces, and just as I’d figured, the main ingredient in every one was cream. *sigh*

So, I went online in search of a lactose-free recipe to make it myself. I usually have good luck in this department, it just takes a little more work on my part. However, much to my chagrin, the recipe I sought did not exist. I looked through recipe after recipe after recipe… and each one had more dairy than the one before.

It was time to get creative.

I found two recipes that I sort of liked and put them together, combined with an idea of how to make a substitute for heavy cream. I had two pages of scribbled notes and a determination to make it work. The Hubster and I were both a little skeptical as various aromas filled our apartment, and I secretly waited for him to take the first bite so I could see the reaction that registered on his face. After he dove in for a second and third bite I tried it for myself… and actually went back for seconds. haha!

So, how does one go about making a lactose-free dinner of something which has a dairy-product right in the name of the dish?

Magic. (And a little creativity… and love.)

Here’s what you need:

- 3 tbsp Lactose-Free Margarine
- 1 onion (diced)
- ½ tsp crushed or minced garlic
- 1 15oz (398 mL) can of tomato sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp Clubhouse Indian Masala Spices
- Sunflower or Olive Oil
- Cubed chicken (2 – 4 breasts)
*Basmati Rice

Heavy Cream Substitute*
- 2 ¼ cup 2% Lactose-Free Milk (I don’t use Soy or Rice milk, go for the real thing)
- ¾ cup Lactose-Free Margarine

Melt lactose-free margarine in a saucepan over medium / low heat. Add milk. Bring to a low boil and simmer until it thickens a little, but stir often to prevent burning. (roughly 10 – 15 minutes)

Butter Chicken*
1. Make heavy cream substitute. Preheat over to 375°F.

2. Melt the margarine in a frying pan, add onion and garlic. Cook slowly over medium / low heat until onions are caramelized. (Roughly 10 – 15 minutes)

3. Once heavy-cream substitute is ready, add remaining margarine, tomato sauce, salt, cayenne pepper and masala spices. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Toss cubed chicken with oil, season with 1 – 2 tbsp of masala spices and spread on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, or until cooked through.

5. Add onions and chicken to red sauce for 5 minutes. Serve over Basmati rice.

Depending on how much chicken you decide to use, this will serve 4 – 5 people. The first time I made it I only used two chicken breasts and I found the sauce could have used more. Wanna know the best part? You can have the whole thing done from start to finish in 45 minutes. Voila!

You really don’t have to be an expert in the kitchen to make this–it was my first attempt at making Indian food and it turned out beautifully.

Bon Appetite!

December: A Recap*

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My, my, my… December 29th already? I feel like I’ve been saying that every day this month but I can’t even handle how quickly the days have flown past.

Sooo… December was a little bit of a write off for me. I’m rather ashamed to admit that it’s been more than two weeks since my last post. *sigh* Life passed the busy stage long ago and the past few weeks have been a whirlwind. It’s rather obvious that I haven’t been here, so here’s what I’ve been up to:

Christmas Letters*
Yes, even though I usually have it posted here for you to read by now, I did find time to pump out another edition of The Adventures of The Hubster & Wifester complete with a photo. The photo was actually the hardest part, we ended up having one professionally done and it took forevvvvvvvver to come in. (It didn’t help that I waited 4 months to mail the proofs back… oops!) We had too take a road trip back to Senior’s City to pick them up and I then spent a very busy weekend printing, folding and stuffing letters into envelopes to try and get them out before Christmas!

Volunteering*
Despite my crazy schedule for the month, I really didn’t want to let my commitment to “my” students slide before the holidays. It took up what was left of my “free” time, but we took the class to meet Santa, we went Christmas shopping, made cards and had a wonderful holiday party and dinner before they went on break. I love this class!

Work*
Holy mother of pearl. I’m not quite sure how my little part-time job managed to completely take over my life in December, but somehow I went from 15 hour weeks to 30+. Don’t get me wrong, a little extra money is never a bad thing over the holidays, but basically, if I was awake, I was working. Today was my first day off (that I didn’t have to officially book off) in, well, I can’t even remember how long. I’m tired.

School*
As any past or present post-secondary student knows, December is known for two things: Christmas and exams. My little no-stress French course that I’ve been taking these past few months suddenly began eating up more of my time as I prepared for a written exam and an oral presentation which determined whether or not I’d pass the course. I’ve written more exams than I can count over the years, but for some reason the whole idea what I needed to do for this course was reeeeally stressful… thankfully it’s over now and I did fine. :)

Rehearsals*
Another contributor to my MIA-ness were my weekly rehearsals for the Christmas Cantata I participated in this year. Though it wasn’t perfect, I was quite proud of my little choir and was absolutely overwhelmed by the many, many people who came to see our performance. The Hubs and I guesstimate that there were 300 – 400 people in attendance, with even the standing areas completely filled. Mom, Big Dad, Peeah and Princess Pea all came down to see it with the Hubster, and I am so, so grateful for your love and support. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Traveling*
So, after all of THAT, I needed a break. I was excited to spend a lazy four days at home over the holidays…

…and then we decided to travel to the Great White North to visit my very cute 94-year-old Grammy instead. Christmas Eve was a whirlwind of family visits, opening gifts and way too much food, and most of Christmas Day was spent in the car as we drove north. It was an absolutely lovely visit “home” though, it just went by much too quickly and there was no time to see everyone I had hoped to. I did manage to reconnect with some close friends from my high school years and that in itself made 7 hour drive worth it. :) It was a fabulous 2 days of visiting with family and friends AND I managed to avoid over-eating. Who even knew that was possible!??!

And that brings me to now… we traveled home on Sunday, the Hubster and I both worked all day yesterday, and I spent the majority of today in the City visiting with Bo Bandy, Star and her man over a very long lunch. It was marvelous, and a much needed respite from the busy-ness of this past month.

I always feel terrible when I neglect my blog because I really do love it… and I’m really, really hoping that January will bring in days with more hours in them so that I can write lovely, inspirational, hilariously funny, witty posts that may in some way match up to the gloriousness of your blogs (which I have been trying to silently keep up with–comments are coming! I promise!).

So, in short, I’M BACK. I have to much to tell you–how Christmas has changed, our Christmas letter, AND it’s time to look back on 2008 and see how I did with my goals… eeek. haha

Sorry I disappeared…. I’ve missed you!

…but I blogged yesterday, right?!

As I was folding Christmas letters and stuffing them into envelopes this afternoon I thought to myself, “Gee, it feels like I haven’t blogged in forever.” Then I thought, “But I’m suuuuch a good blogger. That can’t possibly be true.“

(It’s true. *sigh*)

Oh my lovelies, can you ever forgive me for my neglect? I’ve sort of fallen into this place where I think about something I want to write about, but by the time I get home from wherever I was where I thought of it I’m usually too tired and just want to feed my current Criminal Minds obsession or get caught up on things I’ve neglected around my house. (oh vacuum, we shall dance tomorrow!)

Anyway. Enough of that.

Christmas is coming!!!!!! Tomorrow is December 14th, which means that it’s only TEN DAYS to Christmas Eve. How exciting is THAT?! Words cannot express how excited I am for singing carols, good company, great food AND it’s Princess Pea’s first Christmas. My little niece is now three months old and cuter than EVER.

(Peeah, Princess Pea & Fireman–taken last weekend by moi*)

Seriously, being an aunt is the greatest. thing. ever.

Want to know what else is great? Your Christmas music suggestions. I’ve been listening to them all and I am so impressed with your taste! I’m definitely still looking for this years’ song, so please keep sending me what you’re loving right now! I’m pretty sure that dearjennymac somehow cheated and found out that Silent Night is a song that has a lot of meaning for me and recommended Sinead O’Connors beautiful rendition of it which I was not familiar with until now. *sigh* You are all the best ever. More please! :)

Now, there is a contender for this year’s song, and it’s actually one that I heard on the radio and instantly loved. The Hubster doesn’t *quite* love it like I do, but he tolerates my serenading him whenever I hear it with patience–now that’s love. It’s cute, catchy and I can’t stop listening.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Lastly, I’m not sure if I told you or not, but I decided to join a choir and am performing in a Christmas Cantata next Sunday evening! I’m always leery about “unprofessional” choirs because I may or may not be a tiny bit judgmental and have very high standards when it comes to choirs and harmonies. I like to be in choirs that challenge me and make me want to become a stronger vocalist, not ones that struggle with even the most basic arrangements.

I decided to take a leap and try out this choir and am so glad I did. We are tackling several very challenging, wonderful arrangements to Christmas carols throughout the centuries–dating back as far as 1392. It’s a very cool concept for a concert, and the choir members are strong, confident and talented! I can’t wait to perform next week!

Anyway, as I know the majority of you won’t be able to be there as you kinda sorta live all over the planet, I thought I’d share one of the pieces we’re performing with you! This is my second favourite piece–I’ve yet to find a video of my favourite, but I won’t give up! It’s performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and although we aren’t quite as, well, FABULOUS as they are, we do a dang fine job with our 80 voices. Enjoy!

Shop Girl Doesn’t Share*

Today I faced a very difficult decision before I left for work: write a Shop Girl Shares post or clean my bathroom.

The bathroom won. As did the three loads of laundry and groceries I hurried to finish before being called into work early today. *sigh*

I’ve been a complete failure at getting these done the past few weeks, and I think I need a wee break. Work has been a bit nuts, and I’ve still got school, volunteering and now rehearsals jammed into the mix. I got a couple of great suggestions from last week’s post, and once I’ve read them a bit I’ll post my thoughts. Thank you to those who did comment, I love to know what you’re reading! :)

So my loves, I think I’ll pause the sharing for now and resume in the new year, okay? Okay. :)

Shop Girl Shares – The Wednesday Edition*

It can’t possibly be Wednesday.

Last I checked it was Sunday evening and I was collapsing into bed after a very, very long week and weekend. Last week was just… ugh. I worked every day, squeezed in a little volunteering, still made made the trek to my class and even managed to squeeze in an hour or two of sleep here and there.

The weekend was just as busy–Saturday was my first day off in a while and it was full of catch-up and errands. As well, the Hubster had a friend up visiting for the weekend to go to a Rob Zombie concert on Saturday night. (Yes, I actually went to a Rob Zombie concert. It was… interesting. More on this later.)

It ended up being a very late night, and due to some mix-ups at work I worked on Sunday for the first time in seven years. I know that many people can’t avoid it, but I really don’t like working on Sundays. It’s my day for church, rest, being with family and recharging my batteries for the week ahead. This obviously didn’t happen during my eight hour shift, which is maybe why I’m in disbelief that it’s already Wednesday. (…really?! Wednesday?!)

*sigh*

Anyway. The past several days have been an absolute blur, and my computer clock tells me that it is now December. DECEMBER. Holy toot.

Well, I obviously missed my Shop Girl Share day this week, but I was here in spirit! haha! For the month of December I want to try something a little different and make this less about me and more about you. I’ve been sharing my favourite blogs and websites with you since July, but I would love to know what you are reading and writing, so I started thinking… what are your favourite blogs and / or websites? What can’t you live without during your day?

…but then I kept thinking about all the amazing blogs I read and how sometimes these fabulous bloggers write something that just completely resonates with me and I mentally tuck the post away into the “that-was-one-of-the-best-posts-I’ve-ever-read” category. Sometimes they are by those well-known bloggers that everyone reads, and sometimes they are by smaller, lesser-known bloggers with a talent for tugging at my heart-strings (or making me want to pee my pants from laughter. You know.). So, tell me the best post(s) you’ve ever read so that I can tell MORE people about them and we can share the love!

…but then I kept thinking about all the amazing bloggers I “know” through their blogs, 20SB and Twitter and about how awesome you all are, and how you are the writers of these fabulous blogs we love and those amazing posts that stay with us even after we’ve finished reading them. And I kept thinking about how none of us want to go crazy promoting our own work because we don’t want to be “that” person, and humility is in, no? But sometimes I write something that I can’t help but be proud of. I can’t help but want to share it because it means something to me, even if it doesn’t mean anything to anyone else. So, tell me about the post that you’re written that means something to you. The post that makes you proud, whether it was because it was so hard for you to write, or because it makes you laugh, or just because it works.

I’m really excited to hear about what YOU love, and as I explore I’ll share your loves so that everyone can love them too. (woooo….. that’s a whole lotta love there.)

Now then, I don’t want to leave you without anything this week, so here are two very small shares! First things first–I know that a great many of you out there are Twilight fans. While I may not be quite as enthusiastic as some, the book version of Edward makes me swoon and I may or may not wish that the Hubster was secretly a vampire. Sometimes. (Except for the sparkly skin bit. That weirds me right out.)

Anyway.

The Hubster assures me that he is not a vampire (with a “my-wife-is-crazy” look in his eye), but I thought, what if I was the vampire?! So obviously I did what any self-respecting 24-year-old would do: I found a Vampire Name Generator.

You may hereafter refer to me as “Faith Maundrell“, the Haunt of Slovenia. (Come be a vampire with me!!!!)

Also, if you follow me on Twitter you’ll see that I am kind of sort of obsessed with Rob Zombie’s new single, “What?”. It’s my new gym song. If it doesn’t make you want to run then I don’t know what will! haha

What? – Rob Zombie

Ahhh… I LOVE the bass! I have no idea what he’s saying, but it’s a good song. haha

Anyway, that’s it for me lovelies–I really hope you take a minute to share some of your blog faves with me, I can’t wait to see what you’re reading!