what i had for dinner last night

two posts in one day???? yes, because i feel compelled to share with you my newest culinary obsession: the chickpea salad. i know, i know. chickpeas again! they are like my favorite food ever.

this is crazy simple and phenomenally delicious.

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3/4 c thinly sliced heart of celery, including some of the leaves

1/2 red onion

3 tbs chopped italian parsley

4 or 5 chopped peppers (peperocini or similar, found in a jar)

1 clove garlic, minced

6 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 tbs white wine vinegar

sea salt

i serve it as a side or over a bed of fresh baby spinach and top with grated parmesan. pour a glass of bourbon and sprite and you have yourself an AMAZING light summer meal.

farmer's market

saturdays when i don't have to be at my shop, matt doesn't have to work, and we have no plans are pretty special. this morning, we left for the fayetteville farmer's market to pick up some tasty goodies. the little market that's here in town is nice and all, but every once in a while it's fun to go to the bigger one. oh man, did we get some yummy things! cucumbers, peppers, spinach, and the most delectable tomatoes i've ever had IN MY LIFE.

and as luck would have it, we parked right by a vintage shop called cheap thrills where i bought a cute little dress.

we finished off the outing with a trip to the natural foods store for steak and gluten free pizza crust (sooooooo excited about this) and a quick stop for some wine. then proceeded to have the best lunch of all time once we got home. i sure do love saturdays in the summer :)

my boys are so sweet.

sometimes i cook

admittedly, i don't enjoy cooking nor am i particularly good at it. i have a few recipes that i think i do well, signature dishes we may call them. and wednesday night i made a chickpea and spinach curry that i dare say is pretty tasty so i thought i'd share it with you!

ingredients:

small onion chopped

2 cloves garlic (i use the cheater version in the jar)

1 tsp fresh ginger

olive oil

2 tbs curry paste (i used red)

14 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 c water

14 oz can of chickpeas

1 lb of fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped

a handful of fresh cilantro

so in a skillet, heat up your oil and cook the onion, garlic, and ginger until golden brown. then add in your curry paste and kinda stir fry it all together for a couple minutes. next, add the diced tomatoes, water, and chickpeas and bring to a boil. after the mixture, comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. put in the chopped spinach a little at a time until it's just wilted, add cilantro and serve!

i served the curry over jasmine rice and added a healthy portion of sriracha sauce because i like my food VERY spicy. i tried my hand at making naan one time and it failed miserably! but if you are an accomplished naan maker or have access to buying it, i'd say that would be the best accompaniment to the curry.

this is a very simple (if it's too complicated, i won't make it) and comforting meal for a cold night. and paired with some vino? delightful :)

the lustre of mid-day

song of the day/poem: 'twas the night before christmas'

what a glorious day this was! we slept late and went thrift store shopping with matt's sister and her husband. and to help sustain us in our endeavors, we stopped at this cute little cuban restaurant for some cafe con leche and a cuban sandwich. oh man, it was tasty. they even played some great music outside that kinda made you wanna dance while you ate.

i plan to do more thrifting next week. there's an amazing number of places around here! we got some cool things today, like a small rattan table, a glass, and a couple bowls made in portugal. i bought a great catholic school sweater that i can't wait to wear! and the sales are incredible. most places have 50 percent off deals right now. yeah, pretty amazing.

we also had a wonderful dinner with family tonight for christmas eve. some beef tenderloin, potatoes, veggie casserole, and bread. and any kind of cookie treat you could imagine for dessert. my stars, i'm eating good.

can't wait for christmas day!

details:

shirt-vintage

skirt-thrifted

socks-walmart

shoes-cole haan