Sweet Garbanzo Beans

Although Garbanzo Beans or Chickpeas can be a challenge to grow in the garden, they are readily available in the grocery store either canned or dried.   I think the main problem I had with my success in growing the beans last summer was the location I picked to grow them.   It wasn’t a good choice – very heat intensive and it was a HOT one down south!   I did manage to produce about a handful for harvest so at this point I won’t be growing them again any time soon.   They sent up a long stem and only one or two pods (with one bean each) grew on each stem.   Regardless of my not so successful harvest … I absolutely love Garbanzo Beans!

I could eat them right out of the can in a salad or toasted in the oven nice and crispy crunchy!   I thought for a nice snack I would add a little sweetness and they came out pretty good!

Sweet Garbanzo Beans

• 1 can 15.5 oz. Garbanzo Beans
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered chai mix

Rinse and drain the beans – toss them with the olive oil and sugar and then spread out on a cookie sheet.   Toast them in the oven at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes stirring a few times so they will not burn.

Once roasted, remove from the oven and toss with the other dry ingredients.   If you don’t have chai mixture or there is some other combination you would like to try … nutmeg, allspice – give it a try!

Enjoy a Healthy Snack!!

Head on over to Munchie Monday and share a recipe and browse through recipes added by others.    Stay healthy!

Wordless Wednesday

If you are participating in Wordless Wednesday, please feel free to add your link here also.   Thank you!  

Make sure to have your recipes ready for Munchie Monday  … I have set up a separate blog for this feature!   Fun and Yum!

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Welcome to #Munchie Monday

Thank you for stopping by today on this Munchie Monday! If you have a recipe to share, please add your link to the linkup and Thanks!  You may prefer to just browse … whichever you do, I hope you enjoy your time here!

I am sharing the recipe for Apple Rolls which I made for the first time yesterday.  I will include the drizzle or topping but I have excluded it from my own rolls simply because of all the added calories.

Here is where you Click and add your link or check out others.

—- Apple Rolls —-

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 2 tsps sugar
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup shortening or margarine
• 2/3 cup milk
• 3 Golden Delicious or Rome apples

Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar & cream of tartar; cut in shortening/margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk, stir until dough forms ball. Set aside while you grate apples.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out on floured surface to 1/4″ thick rectangle. Spread apples over dough; sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Roll up and slice into 1″ slices.

Place slices cut side down on cookie sheet. Pour syrup over at this point if you are using. Bake 55 minutes.

Syrup – Combine 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, 3/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp ground cloves. Boil 5 minutes; remove from heat and add 2 TB butter.

I spent a good part of the day working on my Chocolate creations.  Do you like Chocolate?   Which type do your prefer?   Vote for your favorite here!

Update – Working on a separate blog to host Munchie Monday … should be easier to participate.   Any comments, please let me know!  Thanks!!

Spring

If you are participating in Wordless Wednesday, feel free to add your link to the collection.   Thank you and have a Wonderful Day!

Make sure to stop back every Monday to share your favorite recipes on Munchie Monday!

Join us for Recipe Sharing Every Monday!

Munchie Monday is the Winner!

Thank you Thank you!

What a Wonderful response to the recent poll I created to help choose the name for the Recipe Sharing feature I am starting every Monday.   Thirty-one readers voted and the results were pretty close so although “Munchie Monday” is the official winner, I will be using the Menu idea on my website.   I still have some fine-tuning to do over there, but this will also be for sharing recipes which are more specific.   Fun in both places and Thank you for voting!

Staying in line with the theme of the day which is Valentine’s Day, I extend a Happy Valentine’s Day to you all and posted a repeat recipe for the cookies I recently made.   You can see how clicking on the link brings you to my blog again to view the recipe post.   When you enter your information, the reader will be directed to your own blog and able to see your recipe and your blog.   Munchies is the generic name for  this Monday Feature and really any recipe you wish to share will work.   So have fun and everyone is welcome to use this idea on their own blog.  If you do … make sure to include the words *linkup* after your name so others will click on over and add their recipe to your blog.

Looking forward to some tasty, yummy ideas!   I will also be sending out a tweet each time someone adds a recipe so watch for the hashtag #Munchie Monday and by all means feel free to share the tweet!   I am getting hungry just typing this post

There was a request from a reader for a good Marinara Sauce … so if anyone has one, please post.    Any other requests out there?

Colors to Create – Wordless Wednesday

A Linky for all those participating in Wordless Wednesday… Thanks for stopping by!

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Wordless Wednesday

 

I have decided to participate in Wordless Wednesday which works well with my theme “Pictures” for Wednesday.   I have also chosen to include a Linky for others participating.

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Participating in the WordPress Post a Day 2011 Challenge!

HomeGrown Holidays and Giveaway

As each year passes I find myself growing, preserving and giving more Homegrown presents to family and friends and they Love them!  

The garlic harvest this year was excellent and gifts already have been given – fresh garlic, pickled scapes and garlic cloves … more garlic gifts will be given for Christmas.   I have only one more jar of the pickled garlic scapes left and those are mine … I really have enjoyed them and posted the recipe back when I discovered it.   In the Garden Online is the place I first learned about these wonderful garlic scapes and the blog writer, Colleen, also has a book out “Edible Gardening for the Midwest” which will be added to my Christmas wish list this year.

Since we are on the subject of Canning and books, I want to also mention “Canning & Preserving for Dummies”.   The author of this book, Amy, was actually the winner of the Garlic Giveaway I held not to long ago.   She hosts a blog over at The Farming Wife - check her out too!   I highly recommend both of these sources for your cooking and gardening interests!   Great gifts for others on your list too!

I made up labels to add to my canned goods this year in hopes of receiving the empty jars back.   Most people will forget (except my parents, they always return the jars) and if they see this little reminder on the bottom of the jar when the goods are all finished up, odds are they will return the jar to you!

It’s has been a while since the Garlic Giveaway and since this is the week of giving thanks……. time to show appreciation to my friendly readers, I worked on some gift tags as a new giveaway this weekend.

These are actually stickers which were hand stamped – so you can peel off the back and place on your gift!

It is rather difficult to see the detail on the tags …. the stamped images are heat embossed which gives them a raised glossy look – pretty neat!   So leave a comment and the winner will be announced next Tuesday after the holiday and in time for adding to your holiday gifts.   Also the newest Linky starts today!!   The theme is Stocking Stuffers so make sure to head on over and add your listing – also on the same page I added a Linky to add your facebook fanpage.

Wishing Everyone a Safe, Fun and Enjoyable Thanksgiving!   Thanks All!

Fall Colors in Full Swing and New Linky!

The yellow, orange and red leaves are definitely making a statement this fall and it seemed like it happened overnight!  

Now with these high winds we have been experiencing the last 2 days the leaves are flying all over … we will have quite a lot of leaves to mulch up and add to the compost and layer over the gardens.   All of the garlic has been planted for the 2011 harvest – 5 different varieties this year.   Two softnecks Chet’s Italian and Inchelium Red and three hardneck Chrysalis Purple, Chesnok Red and Persian Star.   The hardneck have a larger clove and are easier to work with but the storing time is not as long as the softnecks.

Here is a picture of the famous Garlic Cake I had posted about previously.   It was quite involved to make and has a rather unique taste – you can definitely taste the garlic!   I will share the recipe once I add it to a recipe site since the format for recipes is all laid out and posting on the blog doesn’t flow as well.   I may join another recipe site I spotted “Just a Pinch” and see how user friendly they are.   If anyone has experience and a preference in regard to recipe sites, please do share!   I did take some awesome pictures of the roasted garlic and that is the flavor of the cake … a deep smokey flavor.

I also planted some Ginseng seed I received from Seed Savers Exchange.   I had ordered them last year and recently received them since they ship for fall planting.   I did order a book on ginseng planting and will be reading up on it – since we have quite a few acres of forest I figured it would be an ideal plant to grow.   I  have heard that ginseng farming is popular down south in our area – wild ginseng grows and the market price is quite hefty.   It will be interesting to see how successful I am with this – it takes several years and the root is what gets harvested.

I decided to use Sarge as my mascot or avatar for promoting the Linkys I create on my website.   He looks so content and cute!   A linky is a tool that enables many people to share something from different sites all in one area.   This newest linky I set up allows readers to click on different pictures and go to various shops on the internet.   If you create something handmade and it fits the theme I create (Party Items this month), by all means feel free to add your listing.   The holiday season is upon us and the fun has just begun!!!