I made this today, and it was seriously yummy. It’a totally vegan too, so it’s a useful recipe  for entertaining vegan or veggie friends. Mine wasn’t presented anywhere near and beautifully as the photo above, which I’ve borrowed from the recipe on the great food blog, Pinch of Yum. I had everything already apart from the sweet potato, which I substituted for a normal potato.

Spicy African Peanut Stew, original recipe from Peas and Thank You

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 sweet potato, cubed
• 1 1/2 t. cumin
• 1 1/2 t. curry powder
• 1/2-3/4 t. garam masala
• 1 t. cumin
• 1 T. minced ginger
• 2 t. minced garlic
• stevia/sugar to taste
• dash of cinnamon
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes, in juice
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 2 c. vegetable stock
• 2 T. natural peanut butter
• 1/2 c. red lentils, rinsed

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot.  Cook on high for 1 hour and switch to low for the next few hours.

Isn’t this amazing?

[Source]

Before beginning research for an essay this morning I hunted down a quote that I’d read recently, and I thought I’d share it with you. It’s an interesting way of thinking about studying, and it in some ways seems to combine the more human, intuitive aspects of thought with those of scientific rationality. Of course we’re not all engaged in academic work, but I think that this insight can be applied in a much broader sense. I suppose Hodgson is saying that we must not forget to feel whatever it is that we are doing.

“The scholarly observer must render the mental and practical behaviour of a group into terms available in his own mental resources, which should remain personally felt, even while informed with a breadth of reference which will allow other educated persons to make sense of them. But this must not be to substitute his own and his readers’ conventions for the original, but to broaden his own perspective so that it can make a place for the other. Concretely, he must never be satisfied to cease asking ‘but why?’ until he has driven his understanding to the point where he has an immediate, human grasp of what a given position meant, such that every nuance in the data is accounted for and withal, given the total of presuppositions and circumstance, he could feel himself doing the same.” – Marshall G. S. Hodgson.

The amazing bookshelves above belong to Neil Gaiman, the author of such brilliant books as Neverwhere and American Gods. If you’re not already familiar with his stuff, I’d definitely recommend you to look him up. I find myself wondering where and how he writes, as writing a novel must be in some sense not too far removed from writing an essay or a dissertation. I tend to study in solid blocks of time, like an afternoon or a few hours in the morning, and when I’m absorbed the time passes without my notice. Of course studying isn’t always as delightful as that, and when I’m struggling I’ll have to make a strict timetable for myself, which includes plenty of breaks. Sometimes I’ll bribe myself with a malteser or three at the end of every paragraph read or written! I’d be interested to know how everyone studies or writes or whatever it is that they do. Silence or background music? In the library or at home? Alone or with company? Or perhaps you simply hate studying and are glad to have left it behind with school!

I hope you’re all enjoying 2011 so far. 2011 sounds so very futuristic, don’t you think? Our New Year’s Eve party was fantastic, and I’ve spent the days since relaxing and doing nothing much with some of my favourite people. I couldn’t ask for more! The New Year has always seemed to me a rather false “fresh start,” but this time I really do feel as though I’ve shaken off some of the cobwebs and that I’m ready to face what will I think be quite an exciting 2011.

I’ll be continuing with my degree (getting a first this year is one of my resolutions! Fingers crossed…) and I’m starting a new part-time job next week. With this extra income I’m going to pick up the violin again, which is very exciting. And of course I’m still looking for a new flat: moving out and moving on! Going backwards in life is rarely a good idea, and I feel like I’m finally on the way to moving forwards once more. I think this is going to be a good year.

The internet/wordpress seems to be working again, hurrah! Now that the snow has thawed, the world has turned foggy. I drove for about four hours through it the other day, and began to forget that this wasn’t just how the world was supposed to look. Odd but pretty. I’ve been feeling pretty blue this past week, but tomorrow is New Year’s Eve and we’re having a big shiny party with lots of lovely friends, so I hope that’ll shift this feeling. I’ve been thinking of some resolutions for the new year, and actually it’s quite exciting. There’s going to be lots of new things in my life, and I kind of like the idea of ‘beginning again’ with the new year. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

My cousin just sent me this photo of my hair freezing while we were out walking a couple of days ago, and I’ve realised that was the last time I left the house or even got dressed.  So I’m going to wrap up warm and force myself to go outside for a while, and try to shake off this lethargy. I’ll get a few photos, but the trouble with snow photos is that after a week or so they all begin to look the same!

This hungry little bird appeared firstly at my bedroom window, and then at the kitchen. I guess the snow means he can’t get much food, so I put some bird seed out for him.

Actually that’s not my girl coming down the road, but my cousin. I’m listening to that song and the title seemed appropriate. (Yes, i’m STILL listening to nothing but Tom Petty…) I’ve had a lovely day visiting friends and family today – but only the ones within walking distance! The roads are terrible, but it’s so very pretty. Now I’m settling down in front of the fire to get myself organised with revision, which of course involves copious use of big sheets of paper and coloured pens. It’s kind of fun!