Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Enjoy everyone!!!

Chicken Stew with Garbanzo Beans and Squash Stews By: Kitty Morse

Garbanzos (chickpeas) are among the world’s most ancient beans. Traces of garbanzos dating back 9,000 years were unearthed in Turkey. It isn’t surprising that they figure prominently in a number of Mediterranean dishes.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4 chicken thighs, skin removed
4 chicken legs, skin removed
1/4 cup pearl barley
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 (1-lb.) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 (15-oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Heat oil in large heavy ovenproof pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add onion, bell pepper and cinnamon; cook 6 to 7 minutes or until onion is very soft, stirring occasionally.

2. Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken thighs and chicken legs; cook until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes, turning once.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Distribute barley around chicken; add broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Cover with foil, then with lid. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken is
partially cooked.

4. Remove from oven; add squash and garbanzo beans around chicken. Cover and bake an additional 30 to 35 minutes or until squash is tender and chicken juices run clear.

8 servings

PER SERVING: 265 calories, 10.5 g total fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 19.5 g protein, 24.5 g carbohydrate, 45 mg cholesterol, 415 mg sodium, 5 g fiber

Tuna Sandwich

Just have some tuna sandwich for lunch today. I'm telling you, it tasted good. you might feel like eating one. I guess its easy to make too. Just have some tuna, bread and toast it, lettuce, mayonnaise, pour some pepper, and a little bit of salt to give some bite, and you are good to go. As a matter of fact, I think i can still eat more. My tummy wants more. Such a pig. I think I am gaining some weight too. Since I got here, but I am still thankful that I am not that big yet, I need to observe with what I eat now. I maybe an animal from the zoo but I don't want to be a pig. I can be Giraffe, lion, tiger but never a pig. hahahaha!!! I can pig out with all the food that my glutton tummy wish to savor but then again I wish not to be a pig. I stand firm on that? How about you? Are you a pig??? hehe!

Chicken Bar-b-que

Have you tried Famous Dave's Bar-b-que? It was insane, Famous Dave is famous for its barbeques, but, what I ordered was a salmon, a barbque salmon. A barbeque salmon kinda weird. It didn't really taste as good as I expected it to be otherwise , I wished I just I ordered chicken barbeque instead, that would have been a better choice. But, Famous Dave's restaurant at Rochester Minnesota is pretty neat. Has a cool concept in and out that attracts costumers. Its really really neat. This bar and resto received lots of credits for their great menus and services. I love their onion rings very much.

Well, chicken barbeque is easy to make. I love the home made sauce rather than the expensive one. In fact I know how to do it perfectly with my pa-cham ingredients. Speaking of chicken barbeque, as I am typing about this, my tummy is making some noises, a noise of saying " I want chicken barbeque please???" Oh! O wish I could make one...

Playstation 3 is the greatest

Are you one of the people, who loves to play virtual games? I am. it is very addicting too. Its really hard to resist, but I find it so relaxing and I felt like whenever I am playing my brain cells is exercising. Which I think is awesome. having a playstation 3 just gives virtual games so much excitement, and gives a players so much fun as well. It kills time and boredom. An incomparable fun. Just being content is a great thing that Playstation 3 offers to everyone. You gotta try it, if ever you haven't yet, because, take it from a person, who initially hated virtual games, but now I just simply LOVE it. Absolutely FUN.

Comfy Mattress

Traveling is fun. No doubt about that. Being able to see the world, and meeting new friends, just one of the few things that people benefits from traveling. As a matter of fact I just got back from spending weekend in Minnesota. It was awesome. Minnesota is kinda windy. They got lot of windmills too. Fun to look at and, they said the state of Minnesota alone has more than ten thousands lakes, that's why people loves to camp there. They got numbers of camp grounds too. Amazing. Minnesota is a one great state, being able to visit there is just one of the wondrous things, but would you agree if I say, there's nothing better than being back home and being able to lay in your own bed with your own comfortable mattress? Your own mattress that made you feel so relax and simply cuddly. Isn't it?

Dreaming Durian and, Sticky Rice

Oh! Holy crap...Know what? I was dreaming of eating durian. of all the fruits, why Durian? Amazing, and, in my dream, I was pigging out for durian. I ate the whole Durian including its seeds. Whew!!! I almost like choking, I wanted to wake up but at the same time my sanity refused too. I wanted to finish eating the whole Durian including its and formidable thorn-covered husk. I was a pig, at least in my dream. I still felt that I have the need of waking up, but then, again, I just can't, my tummy saying no! not till I am done eating the whole durian. I ended up eating it all.

Then, after eating the durian, my dream continued. This time, I was pigging out for sticky rice. Oh! Man!!! That was a horrible dream. I felt, I was awake, I felt I was really eating the sticky rice. I am chewing and chewing, and murmuring the word "hmmmm...yum! yum!" I could even hear myself saying those words. I thought it was real, I again refused to wake up, I refused to open my eyes, for I don't want my sticky rice and durian to be gone. Till like i was breathing hard for all the food I consumed, and would no longer accept my both large and small intestines, and seemed like all my organs are fed up with all the durian and sticky rice I was consuming. That was a horrible dream. It reach to the point that I decided to open up my eyes and ended my insanity for durian and sticky rice. Just a crazy dream. Whew!!! Breathless enough that I needed to wash my face to wake myself up fully.

Then, I was left with wanting to eat.

Snow Tube

This coming winter, I have things in my mind that I would like to do, such as, snow tubing and snowmobiling . Whew!!! Just the thought of it made me jump up with so much excitement. But, I guess I have to start to research in what state where snow tubing and snowmobiling allows. I bet spending my holiday season to do the sledding in the snow and snow tubes are fun things to do, I can't help but imagine. Yes! Imagining how cold will it be? Hmmm, I guess aside from researching what state that allows this kinds of sport, I should have also research what necessary gears that I need for this. That means, I need some budget for this. Hopefully, I could be able to do this. This would be so much fun. Different things to do during winter excites me pretty much. How about you? Do you have any plans for this coming winter season?

Holiday cards

Is it still Summer??? When will it be over? In a few more weeks, 2 or 3 weeks, isn't it? I would definitely miss the Summer season, Won't you? Sure, you would. But, the fall season is as beautiful as Summer, right? Well, at least to me. Then, the Holiday season. Yeeee-haw!!! I love holidays. I guess I keep telling my friends that this is the season that I love the most. I love the white snow that glitters whenever sunlight touches it. And, more importantly, this is the month of forgetting and forgiving our foes. Wholeheartedly. One more reason why I love this season very much simply because I like to buy a very unique and a specialize holiday cards for my friends and families both near and even across millions of miles. This is the moment where I get to send them the cards expressing of my longings and love for all of them, a holiday cards to express my feelings that I am always thinking of them, and love them though I am in a far away land, but because of holiday cards it makes them feel I am closer to them as they are to me. Oh!!! This brought me a melancholy feelings...

Primavera Potato Salad Salads By: Marie Simmons

A tangy, light vinaigrette gives this potato salad a decidedly spring-like character. It’s best served at room temperature.

SALAD
1 1/2 lb. small new potatoes, unpeeled
5 oz. green beans, sliced (1 inch)(about 1 cup)
1/2 cup diagonally thinly sliced carrots
2 cups lightly packed baby spinach
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
1/2 cup diagonally thinly sliced green onions

VINAIGRETTE
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

1. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes. Add green beans and carrots; cook 5 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with fork. Drain; cool under cold running water.

2. Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients in small bowl until well-blended.

3. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, quarter larger ones and halve small ones. Place in large bowl, along with beans, carrots, spinach, radishes and green onions. Toss with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat. Serve at room temperature.

10 (about 3/4-cup) servings

PER SERVING: 125 calories, 7.5 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 1.5 .5 g protein, 14.5 g carbohydrate, 0 mg cholesterol, 400 mg sodium, 2.5 g fiber