Cleaning hits The Llama

On my big trip to Ecuador in 2005, I did some shopping in the big native market in Otavalo.  This is one of, maybe the, largest native market in South America; Americans go to Ecuador just to go there.  Of course I was going to spend a week in the jungle, but since Otavalo was on the way, we visited the market.  One of the things I bought there was a rug made of a patchwork of different colors of llama pelts.  It's a cool thing that I enjoy showing off with my other souvenirs from the trip, but it's never been convenient at home.  When I had a dog, I had to keep it packed up lest it become a chew toy, and it's lived in a duffel bag (that I also bought in Otavalo and took the souvenirs home in) sitting on the couch.

( picture of The Llama in here )

My ongoing housecleaning project continues to progress, and it's now reached that couch. I have to do something with The Llama.  I don't want to just stuff it in a closet and forget it.  I'd like to actually display it but it's too doggone big.  But it can't stay in its duffel on the couch any longer; the key to success in taming clutter is not leaving things just lying around in reclaimed areas.

What to do, what to do.

Cupboard cleaning curry

I've had this can of chickpeas in my cupboard for ages.  I also have more big cans of tomatoes than fit in their space, because they've been 88 cents at Schnuck's for the last couple of weeks.  And I have a cannister of barley that's been sitting there for quite a while.  Taking inspiration from these, and the fact that I just bought a package of low-fat low-salt smoked sausage, I put together a pot of food inspired by the "curried shrimp with chickpeas" recipe that's been tacked to my fridge for approximately forever.

It actually tastes pretty good.

( recipe )