Recipe- Chickpea Salad

I'm going to move the ill-named recipe of the week to a weekly post. This way, when I want the recipe again, I can find it easily. This week, I am posting my new favorite recipe from Jamie Oliver's site. I love Jamie Oliver. And I love this salad. It's so good.

Summer Chickpea Salad

1. small red onion, peeled
2. 1-2 fresh red chillies, seeded
3. 2 handfuls of cherry or grape tomatoes
4. 2 lemons
5. extra virgin olive oil
6. sea salt
7. freshly ground black pepper
8. 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
9. a handful of fresh mint
10. a handful of fresh basil
11. 7 oz feta cheese

Finely slice the onion and chillies. Then give the tomatoes a rough chop. Scrape everything (including juices) into a bowl and then dress with the juice of 1 1/2 lemons and about 3 times as much olive oil. Season to taste. Heat chickpeas in a pan and then add 90% to the bowl. Mash the remainder into a paste and add to bowl. Add feta cheese. Toss and allow to marinate for a while. Just before serving, give the basil and mint a rough chop and add to salad. Serve at room temperature.

I don't use the chillies, but it is delightful without them. Especially with warm, crusty buttered bread.

13.1...done

I finished! It took me over 3 hours, but I finished!

Just more evidence that TLC is evil and out to get me...

I wish I had some good excuses for not posting here for the last million years or so, but I do not. I'm just lazy and easily discouraged, but still vain enough that I don't always want to report my laziness and discouragement. How have you been during this hiatus? Did you also succumb to winter-induced cabin fever?
This Saturday, I am 'running' my first half-marathon, for which I am in no way prepared. Don't get me wrong, I was training for it, but was derailed by many circumstances completely beyond my control. Like, cold air hurts my lungs and makes me gasp painfully for air and cry. So I couldn't run when it was cold, obviously. People assume the worst when they see a woman running down the street hyperventilating and sobbing. Another factor holding me back was my new found obsession- Sunday afternoon 48 Hours: Hard Evidence marathons on TLC, which have convinced me that jogging alone is just asking for trouble. Paranoid people should not be allowed to watch true crime shows. Anyway, I'm sure you can see how my lack of preparedness is completely not my fault. So, think of me, will you, as you enjoy your peaceful, fun Saturday morning. Do you think there's a graceful way to fake an injury and get out of this at this point? Any last minute advice to see me through?

Sorry I've been neglecting you guys. I'm in a bit of a winter funk. I'll try and snap out of it this week and have something positive to report next week. In the meantime, check out this fun site for recipes and cooking tips. Have a great week, everyone!

Geez

Sick kid+gloomy weather+lots of excuses= I only ran 13 miles in a week. Geez.
How did you do?

PS- not weight loss, either. Geez.

Do you want to smell sinful and be satisfied?

I just posted a blog about a sugar scrub I made today. mmmmmmm. I feel and smell like I've been baking all day. It is oddly satisfying, since most of the time I only bake so I can smell the goodness.

Anyway, if you want to check it out head on over to my blog! www.lizjenkins.blogspot.com.

mmmm, Lard

Hey guys! How was your week? Is anyone else sick of the gray and wet? Ugh, I am. How did you do last week? I did pretty well with my running. Eating is another matter. I may have, at a particularly low point, melted down some left over Halloween chocolate with cream cheese and toffee bits and used it as a dip for pretzels. Maybe. My memory is a little hazy on that point. However, I did downsize to a regular hamburger from the double-pattied CholesterolMac that I usually get at the local Hardened Arteries House of Fatty McFat-Fats. So, woo! That's a whole lotta progress.
Weigh-in: 2lbs gained (stupid toffee bits)
Miles run- almost 15
Diabetic Comas- 1