Week in Murphy

After a week visit in Murphy the Girls learned a thing or two about fashion from their Gandfather and took it back to Raleigh to share with their Dad.

Spicy Chickpea Recipe

 We used Grandma's masher again tonight, this time in a spicy dish made with chick peas.  It worked like a dream. 

Here is the recipe:

Spiced Chickpeas on Nan With Cucumber Yogurt

The Washington Post, April 13, 2011

You could roll up this pantry-quick filling in a burrito, but we like it plopped in the center of warm nan or flatbread, topped with the cool yogurt sauce and a drizzle of olive oil.

If you're not a bell pepper fan, substitute thinly sliced carrot sticks or shreds from the grocery store salad bar.

Serve with a crunchy carrot-daikon or jicama slaw.  4 servings

Ingredients:

    * • 2 medium cloves garlic

    * • Kosher salt

    * • 1 medium red onion

    * • 1 small red, yellow or orange bell pepper (may substitute 1 cup thinly sliced or shredded carrot sticks from a grocery store salad bar)

    * • Leaves from 8 stems cilantro

    * • Two 15-ounce cans no-salt-added chickpeas

    * • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

    * • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

    * • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

    * • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

    * • 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

    * • Water

    * • 4 store-bought nan or flatbread (may substitute your favorite burrito wraps)

    * • Freshly ground black pepper

    * • 1/2 seedless (English) cucumber

    * • 7 ounces plain low-fat or nonfat Greek-style yogurt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Have a large baking sheet at hand.

Mince the garlic with a pinch of salt; use the flat blade of a chef’s knife to work the garlic so it softens and breaks down. Cut the onion in half, then into very thin half-moons. Stem and de-rib the bell pepper, then cut the flesh into very thin slices. Finely chop the cilantro. Drain the chickpeas to yield about 4 cups.  Heat the oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron, over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Add the garlic, coriander and cumin; cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant. Stir in the chickpeas, crushed red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon of the paprika; cook for 8 minutes, stirring, until the chickpeas are coated and heated through. Drizzle lightly with oil (up to 1 tablespoon), then use a potato masher  (Thanks Grandma!) to mash about half of the spiced chickpeas so the mixture is nubbly and thickened. Stir in up to 1/4 cup water to make the mixture creamy.  Meanwhile, place the nan on the baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with the oil.

Warm them in the oven while the remaining vegetables cook; they will turn lightly golden.  Use a spatula to shove the chickpea mixture to the edges of the skillet. Add the onion and bell pepper; cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until the onion has softened and the bell pepper is crisp-tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in most of the cilantro and remove from the heat.  Peel the cucumber half, if desired, then grate it on the large holes of a box grater to yield a scant 1 cup; place in a medium bowl, along with the yogurt and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of paprika. Stir to form a thick sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Place a warm nan on each plate. Spoon equal amounts of the chickpea mixture on each one, then top with some of the cucumber yogurt. If desired, drizzle each portion with a little oil. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro. Serve warm

Hope you try it and enjoy!  Love, Anna

Napa

Rex and flew to CA last week for a mini-vacation.  We stayed in San Fran with one of his friends from college then we drove out to Napa for 2 days.  We had wonderful meals, tasted some great wines and just enjoyed the scenery!  Great way to start the summer.  Love to you, Anna

Mom/Grandma's Shamrock plant

I brought both of Mom's shamrock plants home & combined them into 1 pot (the red was from the other pot). For a while it was touch & go - they weren't doing too well here. But then, recently - (with some fertilizer!), they have begun to flourish!

Our dining room, with Mom & Dad's dining table, chairs, china cabinet and chest.

Mom & Dad's Table, Mirror, Books & candle in our foyer

NYC 5 Boro Ride

NYC 5 boro ride.

I left Murphy on Tuesday 4-26 and drove to Raleigh to spend a day with the Fields. I get to walk the girls to and from school and drive Kate to her class. She called me to say I did not stay long enough to wave to her as she went up the stairs. I thought I had but maybe I just waved to the wrong kid.

On Thursday I took the bus to NYC  leaving at 11am and getting in to NYC at 9:15 with about a half hour layover in Richmond and an hour in DC. The ride was easier and cheaper than driving. At $22.50 round trip it was cheaper than most things these days. One down side to the bus is the Terminals. The terminals are parking lots or curbs. It was not a problem for me this trip but to wait in the elements could be if it were hot, cold, or wet. When you have more time than money it is a great way to go & I would not mind doing it again.

DC Terminal

After quick subway ride to Queens where I met Joe I had a taco from one of his favorite street vendors.

Friday I went to the City to see Evelyn get John’s bike and we all went out to dinner.

Sat Joe took me on an 18 mile bike ride tour of Queens which was fun. My first stop my leg got hung up on the seat and I ended up in the gutter with a knee scratch that was a good match for the one on Kate’s knee. I am not sure which hurt more, my pride or my knee.

The 5 Boro ride was a lot of fun, great weather, well organized, and the flattest 42 mile I ever rode.

Joe who had started training on Sat, had no trouble, his only complaint was a little sun burn.

32,000 riders is huge, we never saw the beginning or the end of the riders. I think at times we could look at least a mile ahead and a mile back and see nothing but riders. In all over 1,300,000 riles were ridden! I think we were in the first or second group of 5,000.

There was a guy in Central park who must have been 40 who was on a skate board going as fast as we were. He would get a tow up inclines from his friends and then zoom past us on the down hills. At one point he jumped off at full speed and did not fall or crash into any riders. That was pretty amazing.

Monday before I returned the bike, I rode around Central Park and then I went back and hung out with Evelyn. We listened to some jazz and got the recipe for big bubbles

Tuesday was the bus trip back to Raleigh where I met up with Mary and stayed until Saturday. I came home to get the grass cut and Mary followed on Monday.