One of the toughest parts of being a freelancer is the interminable wait between when you submit the invoice and when the cheque arrives.  I am currently in one such slough.

But my mother is a woman of extraordinary talent and inventiveness, and she seems to have passed some of her skills on to me.  Because I, my friends, am the queen of stone soup; hell, in a pinch, I can even make it without the stone.  People read my meal status updates and don't realise that I often make those meals from the fourth iteration of last week's leftover rice, a handful of beans, and some spices.

Today's lunch; curried channa spiked with capers and goji berries (I only used a little of both of them as flavour enhancers), seasoned with garlic, cardamom, creamed coconut, homemade pepper sauce, and lavender and bigleaf thyme from my little container kitchen garden.  Served over mung bean coconut rice. I'm eating it as I type this.  It's pretty, delicious, and filling.  Eat my dust, late paycheque.