Taking it easy.

I had 2 cysts taken off my back yesterday. Thought it was going to be a breeze, but something about them being embedded in some muscle resulted in me being very sore afterward. I canceled all evening plans and made Dan do all the evening chores. What a wimp!! Me not Dan. I feel somewhat better today.
Probably the worst part of the procedure was the fact that the surgeon was training an intern and he was doing a running commentary of everything he was doing. I had a local so I couldn't feel anything, but his detailed dialogue of everything he was doing and what he had to be careful of was rather unnerving. Ignorance is bliss! He had the intern do the second cyst. The intern had a voice very much like Brendan, so with my eyes closed and head covered with green towels, it was as if Brendan was doing the procedure. And oddly enough I somehow found that comforting. Anyway, as I said I felt no pain, but by the time they were done my nerves were frayed and I was shaking like a leaf. I gave myself a half hour with a cup of tea to calm down before I drove home.
So today I am taking it easy. A good time to do some of those sit down things I keep putting off because there are other things need doing.
I want to share with you guys a soup recipe I made the other day, which is awesome.
Mulligatawny Soup
Ingredients:
4 tbsp oil
2 large chicken joints (about 12 oz each)
1 onion
1 carrot
1 small turnip (I didn't have this so I substituted a small winter squash)
1 tbsp curry powder, to taste
4 cloves
6 peppercorns, lightly crushed
1/3 cup lentils
3 3/4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup sultanas (I used raisins)
salt and ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then brown the chicken over a brisk heat. Transfer the chicken to a plate.  Chop the onion, carrot and turnip with a sharp knife.
2. Add the chopped vegetables to the saucepan and then cook until lightly coloured.  Sir in the curry powder, clovers and peppercorns and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the lentils to the pan and pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, then add the sultanas and chicken and any juices from the plate. Cover the pan and simmer the soup gently for about 1 1/4 hours.
4.Take the chicken from the pan and discard the skin and bones. Chop the flesh, return to the soup and reheat. Check the seasoning before serving the soup.
Serves 4.
Calories per serving 378 (if made with squash 402.5)
Carbs 24.75
fat 20.25
protein 25.25

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Chris