Lots of exciting things going on around here. Going to be sharing one of them in the next few days. Just have to figure out how to have fun with it!
Welcome back Great Harvest
Hi Matt [sleepy]
Hi granola!!
To those who ordered through OpenSky – we’re JUST now finishing up all 700 bags and will be shipping them to OpenSky tomorrow or Wednesday, so know that they are almost on the way!
I came home a little early to start dinner. Another one of our 20 minute meals!
I call this a Pea Party because it’s not really a Mexican fiesta but that’s the direction I was heading!
I sautéed a can of chickpeas in a skillet with a half cup of Karen’s sun-dried tomato pesto. Have I ever shared that recipe? It’s killer. I’ll have to get her to type it up. I added a little water to help the pesto spread and then it promptly cooked off for a concentrated sun-dried flavor.
While the peas were cooking, I put a bell pepper and a zucchini on the grill after rubbing them in olive oil, salt and pepper. Plus a dash of Liquid Smoke! Always.
I topped the meal off with tomato (raw), grated pepperjack (always freshly grate your cheese – Kelsey taught me that one!) and some real sour cream. I almost always use yogurt, but real sour cream was given to us from Karen’s neighbor and my was it decadently good.
I have a new book club tomorrow night and am only 2/3 of the way through! It’s Tender At The Bone by Ruth Reichl. The book is interesting – a bit like Eat Pray Love meets Julie and Julia but the recipes that are scattered throughout sound really gross to me. There are a few desserts make of real food like eggs, butter, cream that I’m sure taste good, but then there are random ones that remind me of tomato aspic! Guess we’ll see what the others thought at the club tomorrow!
Nite!
Ellie@fitforthesoul says
This is strange! But whenever you guys are “tired” you still look nice and awake! haha. Maybe b/c I can totally tell when I’m looking tired. 😛 Those chickpeas look soooo delicious~
Allie (Live Laugh Eat) says
Yay news!!
My legs made it into the granola photo 🙂
KathEats says
You are always first in my inbox!! 🙂
Mary @ Bites and Bliss says
Must feel good to be back!
kaila @ healthyhelper blog! says
Ahhh such a tease!! I wanna know the exciting news LOL!
Courtney says
Ahhh mmmm granola!
Kate says
those chickpeas look delicious I love the idea of a mexican inspired dish!
Baking N Books says
Tomato aspic? News…to do with the bakery? Blog? I have to say I really admire Matt for being so dedicated to be be able (and want!) to get up 3 a.m every morning!
How did you find out about the new book club? I would love to find something like that around here but all they have is “older” people looking at historic literature or something…
Hillary says
That dinner looks so awesome (and sounds so simple!)
I really need a grill. ASAP.
sarah@spinach and spice says
I’ve been debating the liquid smoke purchase as of late, but I think you have me convinced! Just like the Kodiak Cakes you mention on here sometimes. I tried them this morning and they are great for a quick, yet “nicer” breakfast!
Lynda @ healthy hoboken girl says
I love exciting news…can’t wait to hear. The bakery looks wonderful. Must find a Great Harvest near me!! I craved some good bread today, wahhhhh!!
ashley says
I always grate my cheese thanks to miss kelsey!!
Sweet and Savvy says
Wow! My simple dinners never look That great!:)
Cait's Plate says
I was JUST linking to you in my dinner post because I used Liquid Smoke for the first time inspired by you! 🙂
Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles says
I have a relationship with chickpeas… Love/love relationship!
Lauren @ What Lauren Likes says
Woah! thats alot of orders! Great job 🙂
Lauren says
You are KILLING me with the suspense of whatever is going on with you! I want to knoooooow! 😀 I guess I’m in a nosy mood tonight. And please ask Karen for that recipe-it sounds absolutely delicious! Maybe Karen should start a blog?! You are always talking about her amazing recipes. How fun would that be!
KathEats says
Haha.
I don’t know if she could handle the technology!
Karen says
I couldn’t!!!
Kelsey says
You are such a tease with this upcoming exciting news!
Barb says
My book club read Tender at the Bone…I thoroughly enjoyed it! Hope your book club does too. Welcome home!
Jenny @ Fitness Health and Food says
you are teasing my curiosity as well! 🙂
Love the look of that chick pea tomato pesto paste combo mm mmm! 🙂
Ali @ Peaches and Football says
700 bags of granola!! Wow, I think I’d be done with granola for a long, long time after that much granola-making! 🙂 Love the book club deal, wish we had a good one here and not all retired grandmas 😉
Ashley@MyFoodNFitnessDiaries says
I love your creativity with your dinner tonight! Looks unique yet very delicious!
Bee Goes Bananas says
Your dinner looks incredible! And your photography is beautiful!
jk says
So glad I was able to get some of the granola that will be on the way.
Now, I just need more oatmeal. Any chance that might be available again sometime?
I know all of this must be hard for you all to do..make it, bag and weight it, and then ship
it all out. Mnay thanks for doing all the hard work. It’s all good stuff!!!
KathEats says
I’m not sure – it has been quite a handful to manage! Probably though 🙂
Lindsay @ Lindsay's List says
Yum!! Chickpeas are my go-to when we want a meat-free dish! This one looks great!
Kathleen @ KatsHealthCorner says
Oh my gosh I love Great Harvest!
Katie @ Peace Love and Oats says
That fiesta looks good! I’ll have to try it out on my older brother. He loves mexican and I think that would be a great way to convince him to try chickpeas!
Gina @ running to the kitchen says
Eww aspic! Every time I read that word in Julia child’s book My Life in France I cringed. I can’t believe people liked that stuff!
The Healthy Apple says
Seriously. Loving this dish. Ready to come over right about now for a bit of that. So yummy, Kath.
xo
Sana says
I need a join a book club!
Mama Pea says
Yay news and yay peas! I love this post. And welcome home!!!
lynn @ the actor's diet says
someone recently offered to send me some liquid smoke! i’ll have to say “yes!”
Ash @ Good Taste Healthy Me says
Can’t wait to hear about your news!
Hannah says
PLEASE PLEASE share the recipe! I’ve never liked normal pesto, but just recently bought a gourmet sun dried tomato pesto and I’m in love (it has cashews, not pine nuts, which are what I don’t like). Would love your recipe!
Candy says
So I’m not the only one who thinks pre-shredded cheese is a bag of regret? I’ll take cleaning a grater over that stuff any day.
Cathy says
what’s the difference?
KathEats says
Fresh and gooey (hand-shreded) verses dry, dry, dry (pre-shredded). a lot of the companies put cornstarch or a similar non-sticking agent on their pre-shredded
Cathy says
Thanks Kath. Guess I will be using the box shredder now for sure. Shredded cheese last 4ever in fridge now I know why. I am having a divine salad for lunch with watermelon and feta on a bed of organic greens with tomatoes and peppesr and kidney beans. You inspired me. 🙂
Candy says
also some of the brands non-sticking component contains flour, which makes a naturally gluten-free food NOT gluten-free. Sneaky….and not fresh and gooey!
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says
LOL regarding your assessment of the recipes in that book. Ha! I often think most recipes I read are super random too…like are you kidding me? Someone would eat that and thinks it tastes good?! To each her own of course 🙂 Who knows what people say about my stuff..haha!
And those chickpeas look killer! I make roasted chickpeas with cinnamon, sugar, brown sugar, roast them…they are like little sugared “peanuts”.
Please type up the Karen recipe if you get a chance!
Laura @ Backstage Balance says
I just finished reading Tender At The Bone last week! I loved the book but agree that some of the recipes sound quite gross. I’m excited to read some of Ruth Reichl’s other books, she has a few out there!
Real sour cream = Heaven. Delicious!
Colleen says
I read Tender at the Bone a few weeks ago at the beach and loved it! I go to U of M in Ann Arbor so it was fun to read about her favorite restaurants and spots here when she was a student. 🙂 I agree though that a lot of the recipes didn’t sound very appealing.
Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife says
mmmm your chickpea dinner looks awesome!!
Mel says
Those chickpeas look amazing! Please, please post this sun dried tomato pesto sauce! It looks a little like Channa Masala which I love. I’ve never thought of just combining the beans and tomato based sauce though. I’m definitely a ‘saute a bunch of veggies, add quinoa, beans, and seasoning’ kind of girl for a quick lunch. I am definitely going to try this!
Jackie @ That Deep Breath says
I love Matt’s shirt! Those chickpeas look yummy, I’m dying to try Karen’s recipe!
Ashley @ Coffee Cake and Cardio says
What a yummy dinner. I just love the flavors in mexican food… so its fun to see ways to make those flavors healthier, if that makes any sense.
Kait @ One Love Run says
Yum those chickpeas look so delicious!
Rosa - Fitness, Food, Fulfilled says
Those chickpeas looks so delicious. I so want the sun dried sauce recipe. Sounds like it’d even be tasty on sandwiches. Yum!
Kate (What Kate is Cooking) says
I used to grate my cheese until my hand had a run-in with my cheese grater- ouch! I pretty much only eat feta and goat cheese, so I just crumble them by hand now 🙂
Sara says
Must feel great to be back home and at the bakery again. The granola looks great – should have ordered some!
Kelsey says
mmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Freshly grated cheese!!!!!!!!! It’s the best!
Khushboo says
I LOVE Matt’s t-shirt….so perfect for him!
Namaste Gurl says
Looks like a delicious mex- Mediterranean meal. Roasting and grilling both give the best flavors: good call with cooking everything! 🙂
Sarah says
ruth reichl’s books are awesome! i hope you continue reading them…they get better and better!
Aine @ Something to Chew Over says
Yum that’s a great way to cook chickpeas!
I hope Karen shares with us 🙂
Jumanah @ Healthy Living in the Middle East says
Will definately have to try cooking chickpeas like this! I am very anxious to hear about your good news!
Simply Life says
Have fun at your book club – I’m so excited to find out the news!
Sarah@The Flying ONION says
What a lovely way to use chickpeas! Sounds fabulous. I wonder if it would be weird or good with basil pesto? I have a ton in my fridge and I’d love to use some up, but I’m not sure if the flavors would meld as well as your sundried tomato pesto is..hmmm…
That book sounds interesting, but it’s a shame the recipes weren’t that great! I’ve read a couple like that recently, and I feel like it just sort of ruins the overall feeling of the book for me!
Elizabeth says
If you like the stories told through recipes style, Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard is really good. I enjoyed it a lot.
Barbara says
I read Lunch in Paris and loved it!
Laura@CookKnitRun says
I can’t wait for you to post the sun-dried tomato pesto recipe! Those chickpeas look tasty.
Molly @ RDexposed says
I love seeing your throw-together meals! I am a yogurt over sour cream girl, too! If I buy sour cream I use it once and then throw it away 3 months later.
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
I love books about cooking! I’ll have to look into that one!
Allison says
Looks delicious! I’ve never cooked with liquid smoke- silly question, is it a seasoning or a spray?! Are there different flavors?!
twobrokenarms says
It comes in a bottle here in Toronto. Just use a little bit – it’s pretty potent.
KathEats says
It’s like Worcestershire sauce – a liquid that is potent. There are different kinds (like hickory) but I haven’t tried them
Allison says
Cool- I’ll have to look for some to try!
twobrokenarms says
I know what I’m having for dinner! You’ve got everyone here at work hungry (and it’s only 9 am)!
sara @ real fun food says
I’ve never used liquid smoke, but you seem to use it a lot and it sounds good. Do you get it at Whole Foods?
KathEats says
Yep!
Pippa @ Sunday Suppers with Pippa says
I love Ruth Reichl, but have only read “Garlic and Sapphires”, which is about her life as the New York Times Dining Critic. Your dinner looks healthy and delicious!
Clare @ Fitting It All In says
So wonderful to meet you and run with you this weekend Kath! I can’t wait for you to share your news publicly:)
KathEats says
Karen’s “recipe”
“No recipe. Just a jar of sundried tomatoes in oil, walnuts, grated parmesan cheese, small handful of basil. All blended in food processor.”
mel says
My guess…you are getting your own tv show!!
KathEats says
Nope!! I wish!
Angel7 says
I love chickpeas! That is a great idea to sautee them with pesto! I would have never thought of that.
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
Beth @ Boston2Berkeley says
I love Ruth Reichl, but “Garlic and Sapphires” is by far my favorite of her books. It’s about her time as the restaurant critic of the NY times, and she writes about all her disguises and the different meals she ate at amazing restaurants, and it includes a selection of her reviews. The food writing and the way she weaves the stories are wonderful. You guys should read that for book club! 🙂
Molly says
i wish there was a GH where I live!!