I am so annoyed with all of the honking and beeping and firetruck sirens going past my little apartment building that I want to scream! Yes, I know that I have been guilty of using the horn on a frequent basis... but I never lay into it for more than a nanosecond. Just a little reminder beeper. A little tap on the back. For some reason, the drivers at this particular corner where I reside seem to get a little more steamed than usual. There is no left turn arrow like most civilized cities install. Nope... L.A. is survival of the fittest if you are going to pull out into that intersection to make a left turn. I have heard of people going far out of their way to avoid making a left at all costs... (and there are some that have the mysterious power of getting around all of this sprawling mess of Smogville without EVER MAKING A LEFT!) Also, this intersection is devoid of all human life except for the KFC and a Jack in the Box that throw-up their steady flow of fat drivers coming through the drive thru. So maybe when these ticked off people lay into their horns, they don't feel like they are disturbing anyone except for dead chickens and a few ugly weeds.

Speaking of dead chickens, I was thinking the other day as I pressed garlic and chopped onion, looking out my window at the KFC, that people my age really don't cook all that often. I think that one month I spent almost $450 on going out to eat. I actually had someone tell me that going to Chipotle was cheaper than going grocery shopping because you only have to eat one burrito a day which only costs $4.95. Hmmm, not "mmmmm". I am not saying that people in their late 20's NEVER cook or don't know HOW to cook. But it is clear that we are lazy.

And I guess if we are not taking out or dining in, we clearly prefer Easy Mac or frozen pizza. Pull the plastic off, remove from cardboard, and throw it in the oven; or poke holes in the plastic, lift the flap, and throw it in the microwave. I used to live with a guy that ate pizza every night. Well, maybe he went to McDonald's a few days out of the week.

Actually, I figured out that I can cook a really mean meal in about 25 minutes (a FIRM rule) for about $5-7 for about 4 people. Of course it takes a bit of investing in stuff like garlic, olive oil, and other kitchen staples. And you have to plan in advance... so here is a really really good recipe if you like Indian food. It's called Chana Saag Aloo and it is creamy heaven (serve it with rice):
2 tbsp olive oil
2 potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
*Sautee the above for about 10 minutes or so then add:
2 tbsp curry powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (more for spicy)
1 tsp salt and pepper
*Stir and let the spices cook for about 2 minutes then add:
1 can of coconut milk
1 can of garbonzo beans
1 tomato chopped
*Simmer for about 10 minutes on med. high (cover to make it cook faster), then add:
Half a bag of frozen chopped spinach
More salt if desired
*Cook for about 2 minutes

When I eat this I make love to it. It's better than chemical laced food or take out.