This Could Be Fun...

It's time for me to experiment with photo editing, namely because I have the honor of taking a dear friend's engagement photos in the near future. At my cousin's suggestion, I've downloaded a free trial of Lightroom 3, and I've had fun playing this weekend! My mom was sweet to be my "subject" at a park near her house, so you'll recognize her in the pictures below. :)

Chickpea Goodness

Okay, so I've never posted a recipe before, but this one is too good not to share. It's from Every Day Food, and it was easy to make...and so flavorful! Enjoy! :)

Chickpea Curry

Cherry tomatoes (whole package)
Head of cauliflower (cut into small pieces)

Toss in olive oil and roast these first for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

1 cup long-grain white rice (I made brown)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced medium
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
4 teaspoons curry powder
2 cans (15.5 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2.5 cups baby spinach (I used a LOT more - I love spinach)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
coarse salt

Cook rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a medium pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add chickpeas, tomatoes, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and gently simmer 8 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook until cauliflower is warmed through and chickpeas are tender, 8 minutes. Stir in spinach and cilantro and season with salt. To serve, divide rice among four bowls and top with curry.

My Pinterest Problem

I was introduced to Pinterest by a dear friend of mine. It's a great tool for the crafty person (crafty in the "I like to make things" kind of way), and it's a super fun website to browse! However, I'm realizing that any project I find on this site - no matter how great an idea it might be - takes way longer than I anticipate to actually complete. I keep thinking, "Once I get the hang of it, I can whip this out in no time".

That time has yet to come.

Working on Christmas gifts today, thanks to Pinterest. I can't give away too much, since there are people who read my blog who might be the recipient of such a gift. But here are some pics for now. :)

Thanks, Mom!

My mom had my Christmas present delivered early, and it arrived on my doorstep today. This is a camera bag I've had my eye on for awhile, and she remembered a conversation we had about it months ago! I LOVE it.

Look how everything fits so snuggly! :) Thanks, Mom!

Quelf

This is most certainly a new favorite game of mine! We had our home group over tonight, and we decided to try a game one of the girls brought over. I love it for several reasons:

1. It's called Quelf.

2. The description on the box says it's "the game that gives random a new name".

3. Take a look at the picture below. The people you play with set the tone for the whole game. How could I not love it?

4. Each of the pieces has a name. This one is called "Mrs. Picklefeather".

5. During the game, I got to serenade my roommate, opera-style.

6. Kim had to make a mask out of household items and wear it until she landed on a green space.

7. She never landed on green.

8. Rebekah had to lay under the table until her next turn.

9. For awhile, anytime someone passed Rachel on the board, she had to scream, fall over, and shout "You thwarted us again, you vile beast"!

10. It was a great time with great girls.

Too Early?

Family plans fell through this weekend, so I was left with some extra time. I really was going to wait until after Thanksgiving to put this up. But with an entire evening staring me in the face, what was I supposed to do??? To me, the choice was clear.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Love this...pine cones, cinnamon sticks, and cranberries. This would be fun to make!

The tree topper...my favorite!

Mom relaxing with a cup of apple mint tea - after working hard! :)

A Turkey's Perspective

The assignment: Write about Thanksgiving from a turkey's perspective.

The result: Brilliance.

These are my two favorites:

Fried Turkey

Hi! My name is Wings. I am here to tell my perspective of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a very sad holiday. Mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce. Those are the words that make me shiver. Humans are so lucky. They don't have the risk of being on the dinner table! One Thanksgiving I almost got fried! Who fries a turkey? There are other ways to cook a turkey! Anyway, I was about to get fried when the human turned around. I climbed out an open window and flew out. Yes, I really flew! Thank you for coming to hear this lecture. Now I better go hide. It's almost Thanksgiving!

Turkey Interview

Before we start, let me get one thing straight: I'm not a turkey. I am interviewing Bob the turkey, so he is the turkey, not me! Okay - as most turkeys are, Bob is very nervous about Thanksgiving. It appears that the turkeys are teaming up with the cows. They want people to eat more chicken. (Poor chicken.) For Bob's safety I'm not going to say where Bob lives, but he feels it is a safe place, and even though he is hiding, he wants to enjoy himself. I can understand that. Thanks for tuning in to Journal News, I'm J.W. and this is Bob. So good day and Happy Thanksgiving!