I heart curries...and a few other things

Tonight I made the Chickpea & Spinach Curry from Vegan With A Vengeance. It's so good. We've had it before and the minute the ginger and garlic hit the olive oil and that satisfying sizzle reaches Mister's ears at the same time their aroma wafts to his nose, he's a happy hubby.
This tasty curry served as inspiration for my Savory Spinach dish. Follow the link if you want to see adorable pictures of Angst eating his spinach.

While I was cooking, I remembered a few other "favorite" things. I'll label these as Kitchen Toys I Can't (okay, can, but don't want to) Live Without

1. My Saute Pan. It's too small, generally, and it never lets the tofu spread out enough to get the full effect of Black-Bottom tofu, but I love it anyway. It's not as cumbersome as my big pot that is usually reserved for soup and pasta, but it gives the same surface area, and the straight sides contain food better than the sloped sides of my same-sized skillet.

2. My Martha Stewart Mixing Bowls. I just got them not too long ago, but honestly, I knew I needed them and now that I have them, I can't figure out how I got by before. I seem to recall struggling with a heavy glass bowl to sloppily fill my muffin cups or cake pans while hoping I didn't drop it. Besides making cupcake dividing more easy, they provide a more adequately sized Collector of Chopped Veggies, and when I line one with a plastic bag from a vegetable I'm using, they make great "waste bins" for pepper cores and tomato seeds and carrot tops, etc.

3. My Food Processor. Does this really require an explanation? Okay....sauces, spreads, "ricotta," dough, batter, soups - shall I continue?

4. My CoffeeMaker. Another appliance I feel defies explanation, but here it goes: there are few smells that make me happier than freshly brewed coffee (those smells are usually related to freshly baked bread or goodies). Also, I am a zombie in the morning. Ask my mother - it's a miracle I can make it to the kitchen without hurting myself (I do usually smash into the hallway walls on my way, though). So, there is something absolutely magical about surviving the short walk to the kitchen to find that my happy little coffeemaker has taken the initiative to have my coffee brewed and waiting for me. Again - I do not know how I lived before a programmable coffeemaker.