YUM: Chickpea Salsa Lettuce Wraps

Another quick and absurdly easy recipe by yours truly! All you need is: salsa, veggies, chickpeas and lettuce! It takes no time at all.

15 oz chickpeas/garbanzo beans (these are the same thing, right?)
12 oz salsa
veggies of choice
Lettuce leaves for wrapping

Mix chickpeas and salsa into a small/medium saucepan and cook for about 10-12 minutes.  

No clue what the face is for. This stuff is great!

Let cool. Either overnight or a couple hours in the fridge.  Then, chop up any veggies you feel like adding, wash your lettuce and you're done prepping.

Choose whatever veg toppings you lurve. I picked avocado and tomato!

Throw it all on a slicer of lettuce and eat like a regular burrito. YUM.

So delicious!

Caution: little dogs may become depressed when they realize none of the yum is for them.

xoxo

L

BATH DAY FOR REMY!!!

It's like Biggie said: 

"Bath days were the worst days...now we sippin champagne when we're thirstaaaay!"

Remy is currently waiting for his champagne to arrive.

Geezer Envy.

This, is seriously insane:

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20624627,00.html

After reading the above article about Ms Besse Cooper from Georgia turning 116, all I feel like doing is stomping my feet like the girl begging for an oompa loompa in Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory and screaming: I WANT TO LIVE UNTIL I'M 116 TOOO!!!

How cool is Besse?  Answer: So freakin cool. She was born in 1896 for goodness sake!  Before the Model T! She is the oldest person in the world (hello - that's how you get famous) right now, the 8th person to ever reach this age EVER, and the 4th person to do so in America.  So cool.

Making a fun recipe tonight. Stick around!

L

Things that make me laugh...

My sister sent me this and I chuckled...

http://pinterest.com/pin/76139049919731385/

Bathroom update: New sink...finally!

Hallelujiah, praise the Lord! OUR MINISCULE BATHROOM FINALLY HAS MORE SPACE!!!! Hooray!

This job called for a plumber, which is ended up being far more costly than anyone would want to spend on a room as teeny weenie as this (which was formerly a food pantry) but it was so worth it!!!!!

We went from this:

To this:

I can't even express in words how exciting this is.  

Buy one for yourself:

http://www.signaturehardware.com/product15112

Fashion rule #1

ALWAYS match your fingernails to your dog's poop bags. 

~L

Listening to...

Random music this morning...I'm all over the place. Happy Half-way through the work week!

Mika - Love Today

Mika - Big Girl

Queens of The Stone Age - No one Knows

Blue October - Into the Ocean 

Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes

Boston - More Than a Feeling

Love,

L

YUM: Homemade Manicotti

This recipe is a slight variation (skim milk/less salt) of my uber-Italian Grandma's (who pronounces it "munny-gutt") and it is my FAVORITE.  It's also been a Christmas tradition for as long as I've been alive and I even remember the banner year that I managed to scarf down 7 in one sitting.  I was 10 years old and 60 pounds. Yeah, it's that good.

What you need to make 15/16 shells:

3 eggs

1 cup milk (I used skim and found there to be no depressing outcome)

1 cup flour 

What you need to make 15/16 fillings:

1 lb ricotta (I used part-skim)

1 egg

salt 

pepper

Locatelli (similar to Parmesan)

Extras:

Marinara sauce (I use Pomi)

Fresh Mozz (optional topping)

Mix all of the ingredients together for the "shell" (skin? casing?) and grab a small saucepan. Spray it and turn your oven to Low.  Also, if you have a tiny ladle like I do,  one scoop produces the perfect shell amount.  PS. These things cook FAST once the pan is hot, so it's a pretty quick process once you get started.

Makin' the hubs WERK it!

Put your oven to 350 degrees.

Onto the filling: mix the above ingredients together and then throw in some Locatelli, salt and pepper "to taste."  I like a LOT of Locatelli...almost 10 spoonfuls.  Definitely taste your concoction and if it's too thick, add half of an egg.

Once you are set, foil your pan, spread out a thin layer of Marinara Sauce and start filling your Manicotti! FYI: you can fit 18-20 on each cookie sheet.  

Pour some red sauce over top of your pasta and sprinkle Fresh Mozzarella or Locatelli over top.  Then, cover it up with some foil and you're almost done.

Bake for about 25-35 minutes (I did 32 so that the little edges got some crisp...however, I think this dried the filling out a bit.)

After that, you should be golden.  Also this is the perfect meal for a large group! Amazing, delicious and filling!

Pre-baking manicotti

Enjoy your feast!

L