So, for a while now I’ve wanted to try spinning class. I would check studios close by my home and work, scroll through schedules. I’ve Googled everything about what to expect, even made some phone calls to owners and instructors with questions. No matter how ‘ready’ I thought I was for the class I’d speak to someone who would inevitably talk me out of it (it didn’t take much). The other day I called and booked for an intro class at a studio not far from me. However,the morning of class I got a call saying I was on a waiting list for the spot and they would let me know when a something was available. As I sat on the subway heading to work, I felt deflated. I knew if I didn’t go that day, I wouldn’t go. The process would start from square one and in a month or so I’d be back to looking at schedules and being talked out of going. As I stepped out of the station, my phone rang..It was the receptionist from the studio “We have an open spot, are you still interested?”, “YES!” I squeaked.  I talked about it all day to anyone that would listen .  I never, ever thought I’d be excited for something I knew was going to be complete and total physical torture. After work I rushed home….by then my nerves were starting to build…The class started at 7:30, by 6:00 I had made a zillion excuses and had pretty much to talked myself out of it. Chris reassured me that this was something I had said I wanted to do and it was only one class. If I didn’t like it, I didn’t have to keep going. He even offered to drive me there and back. So I went.

Class was exactly what I had expected, difficult, painful, intense, crazy….and my legs could barely hold me up as I left. I stumbled to leave . When we got home I actually crawled up to our second floor apartment on my butt. For real.  When I reached the top of the stairs…The house was filled with the warmest most wonderful smell of warm Thai curry. Chris had made me dinner!! ( I LOVE HIM!). It was AMAZING, he’s amazing! I scurried and struggled painfully to get seated at our table and eagerly awaited the colorful dinner. I ate at least 2 very large helpings poured it right onto a heaping pile of rice. It was perfect. I insisted he give me the recipe to share.

So this is what I live with (gratefully). Chris just randomly decides to whip something up using the curry paste he got last week. A little of this, a little of that and it always works…it’s incredible.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1 can yellow Thai curry paste
• 1/2 cup baby corn
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1 cup diced potato
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• dozen snow peas
• 2 small chunks of ginger (large enough so you can find them and remove them before serving)
• 10 little Thai basil leaves
• 1 tbsp Sriracha
• 2 cups water
• 2 tpsp cornstarch
• 1/2 milk (your supposed to use cream)
• 2 cloves of garlic

DIRECTIONS:

1. Parboil potato and carrots in a pot, drain and set aside.
2. In another pot mix in 1/2 can of coconut milk and can of curry paste,
3. Add chicken to coconut/curry mixture to cook
4. When chicken is  fully cooked, add parboiled potato, carrots, ginger and all remaining vegetables
5. add water cornstarch, cream and water
6. reduce heat and cook on low for 2 hours, stir occasionally adding garlic and  Sriracha to taste
7. remove ginger before serving

For those of you that are wondering…I haven’t decided if I will go back to spinning class. I liked it and absolutely hated it at the same time. My legs still ache 2 days later and not just “a little after work-out ache” like excruciatingly painful ache. Every time I stare helplessly up a flight of stairs… I think “at least I tried”. So I guess for now that’s the best I can say about spinning class.