when life gives you lemons, use a can opener

my roommate is moving out right now. she is taking everything. I don't think I realized how shoddy my kitchen collection was until she boxed her stuff up. I'm choosing to see this more as an opportunity to get the things I want rather than a problem. but this positive attitude can sometimes be challenging.

for instance, tonight I set about making dinner. the first thing I did was pull out a pot for the rice and check the refrigerator for vegetables. the second thing I did was get a cutting board for the red pepper and onion I had found. the third thing I did was realize that I don't own any cutting knives, so back into the fridge went the red pepper and onion. rice was still okay. I checked my cabinets. I had a can of beans, a can of coconut milk, and - perhaps most importantly - a can opener.


put the coconut milk (first pressing) into a large sauce pan. add 1.5 tablespoons of brown sugar and 2 teaspoons of red curry paste. stir the mixture over medium heat until the paste and brown sugar have dissolved and the coconut milk has become more liquid. this is a surefire sauce that is so quick, so easy, and so yummy that you won't really mind that you're just eating beans and rice for dinner.