*Thai Massaman Curry with coconut rice

So anyone who's stopped in on occasion knows that my family doesn't really do take out or dine out in general very often. We're not really people who eat out all the time for a lot of reasons, I'm the from scratch purist but we do also really enjoy a good meal out now and then. Its just becoming less and less frequent. Over the years the reasons for not eating out have actually grown tremendously, the list is growing. I prefer to cook at home because I feel its best for my family in numerous ways, its healthier, I know whats in the food (for the most part) and recently I've just found that its too much of an expense. Feeding a family of four just is not as cheap as it used to be. Eating out on average costs our family $35 at a dine in establishment and usually around $20 at a drive thru. With our grocery bills climbing higher and higher thats an additional amount of money we could be spending on things that are more crucial, eating at home I can make the food exactly how we like it and theres no underlying paranoia that someone spit in it, theres no guessing "I wonder where this came from or what they put in it", in general theres no wondering how bad it will suck if you just make it yourself. 

Plus if we're being honest its really just not "convenient" for us. Stephen works an hour and a half from the house and we live 20 minutes from town which means any time I go anywhere at all I will be in the car for at least 40 minutes. I guess I shouldn't admit this publicly but its the truth, going out just stresses me out. My social anxiety just gets worse with age and I have no desire to migrate out, especially not around the holidays when insanity is at its peak, I don't want to be penetrated by peoples germs, I don't want to wait in a crowded restaurant and listen to some dude scream on his cell phone the entire time, I don't want to see some half naked Barbie doll in snow boots toting her dog around wal-mart like its a museum, and lately I honestly just don't care to acknowledge the world outside my home exists. People seem to genuinely piss me off now days, no one is polite anymore. People are rude and loud and everyone seems to have a god complex of some sort, its just annoying. This is my sanctuary, my little slice of heaven. Its only "clean" on occasion, sometimes I feel like I'm a trainer at the zoo, I'm a janitor, chef and nurse but I'll take it any day over anything else in the world. 

So why leave when I can make anything I want here? Recently we visited the local Thai restaurant and although it was pretty good one thing I really thought was, I might not be Thai but I can do this a lot better. Stephen ordered his favorite Massaman curry and said "Thai spicy", extra extra extra hot. I had phucket seafood and it was wicked uber salty, like saltier than seafood salty. Even after Stephen doctored up his curry with the spice platter it just was not hot enough, so I wanted to try and make a version of his favorite at home. I added my love and it came out phenomenal. I really feel that the flavor was spot on, only better. It was perfectly aromatic, the coconut was apparent but not overwhelming and most of all it was spicier. By making it here I was able to use organic chicken breast, fresh produce and best of all, I could make my own rice. This time instead of straight up white rice I made coconut rice that was sooooo amazing, I mean seriously I LOVED LOVED LOVED this rice. I loved it so much I made it again two days later and ate it again. I know what was in it, I can make it again any time I want and I don't have to drive an hour to get it. Score!