Crushing on Roasted Garbanzos!

Hey Folks - Anyone still out there remember me? It's been SEVEN MONTHS since I've posted here.  So let's get right to it.  Lately I've been obsessed with Roasted Garbanzos.  Here's how I make them (photos first then explanation).

Set oven to 400 degrees F.

Rinse and drain beans (I used two cans for this batch).

Drizzle with oil of your choice (I used Olive Oil).  I didn't measure...all the beans should be lightly coated but not swimming in oil.

Add spices of your choice.  My favorite combo is Sea Salt, Granulated Garlic and Cayenne.  (I've tried tons of other options including curry and Italian herb, etc).  I sprinkle on the spices, taste, sprinkle some more, taste... that's my measuring method.

Toss beans in the oil and spices to coat.

Dump onto a baking pan.  I like to cover mine with parchment paper. Spread out into one layer.

Set oven for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, pull the pan out and giggle it around or toss them with a utensil so that they roll around a bit.  You will see they have lost some of their oily shine and perhaps shrunk a bit which is what you want.

Add another 15 minutes to the timer.  Pull out and check again.  They will look smaller, darker and they will feel harder.  I don't mind having some really crunchy and others cruchy-ish but if you want them all crunchy, you might need another 5 or ten mins.  Try not to let them burn.

Remove from the oven.  Try one... if the flavor is the way you like it, you are done.  Often times, I find they need a light dose of one or more spices while they are still warm from the oven.  I sprinkle a bit more of whatever is lacking, toss them on the pan and let them cool a bit.

I pickup the sides of the parchment and form a bit of a funnel shape to pour the beans off into a bowl.

Now - enjoy their gorgeous roasty color and see if you can keep your hands out of the bowl!

NOTE: they are beans... and they taste like a snack but they will still do all the things beans do (you know what I'm talking about), so keep that in mind.  Delish! Pair with a beverage or a tall glass of water, you'll need it!

Enjoy - Cheers! Sher

Square Sizes and Simple Snacks

Since the new year (that being 2014), I challenged myself to make one 6-inch crochet square each week by following the book: 200 Crochet Squares by Jan Eaton.  I am not up to date but I'm not that far behind either.  I haven't posted about the squares recently but doing so is on my to do list.

You can read about my squares here in THIS POST and also THIS POST and even THIS POST.

This past weekend, we had such lovely weather and I finally had a day that wasn't packed with things that had to be done ALL DAY LONG at certain times, so I sat myself down on the breezy back screened porch and got about making a few more squares.

Top two squares are done in the round and fit pretty well atop one another, bottom square is NOT at all the same size.

Up to this point, all of the squares I've chosen have been "in the round."  I decided to add a few "done in rows" squares to the mix.  The way the book works is that as long as you are using the same yarn or yarn weight and the same hook size thorughout, all the examples in the book will be perfect squares and they will all be the same size.  Now, I have a complaint.  I haven't found this to be the case.  The squares vary in size tho. I can always add a row around the outside and help to make the sizes closer.  BUT... when I finished the square in rows TWICE (because I pulled it out and did it all again), I was annoyed that the sizes were nowhere close.  I pulled out my final product and decided to stick to squares in rounds for now.

After pulling out the granny stripe square TWICE, I decided to get a quick snack to encourage me to keep going with the squares so I made this yummy little eat:

Fresh, multi-grain loaf from the farmer's market and a schmear of cream cheese topped with thinly sliced radish circles and fresh, crispy pea shoots... YUM.. refreshing, satisfying, delish.

I'll have more square adventures to share with you soon.  TA TA Sher