Tonight I tried a new recipe from my Vegetarian magazine. Rusty and I LOVE falafel, so when I saw this recipe for homemade falafel, I had to try it. It didn't quite live up to the pita we shared on the banks of the Seine (pictured above) or even Denver's yummy Garbanzo, but it was pretty good, and we'll definitely be having it again. We stuffed ours in warm wheat pita with rice, lettuce, tomato, hummus, yogurt sauce, and tahini dip. Rusty added olives and a side of fries. Next time I'll skip the yogurt sauce, but otherwise, it was perfect.

Homemade Falafel

Vegetarian Times Issue: September 8, 2008 p.73

If you like the deep-fried chickpea patties in Mediterranean restaurants, you’ll love this lighter version.

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ingredient list

Serves 8

Falafel

• 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3 Tbs. tahini
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbs. grated lemon zest
• 1½ tsp. ground cumin
• 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• ¼ tsp. salt (or to taste)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbs. finely chopped onion
• 2 Tbs. chopped parsley
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• Olive oil, for frying

Yogurt Sauce

• 2 cups plain nonfat yogurt
• 3 Tbs. chopped cilantro
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 2 Tbs. grated lemon zest
• 1 Tbs. ground cumin

Directions

1. To make Falafel: Pulse chickpeas, tahini, egg, lemon zest, cumin, garlic, lemon juice, coriander, chili powder, and salt in blender or food processor until mostly smooth, but still chunky. Transfer to bowl, and stir in flour, onion, parsley, and baking powder.
2. Shape 1/4 cup chickpea mixture into 1-inch-thick patty, and place on platter. Repeat with remaining chickpea mixture. (Falafel patties can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight.)
3. Pour enough olive oil into large skillet to have 1/4 inch in bottom. Heat over medium-high heat. Place patties in pan, making sure patties don’t touch. Cook 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to paper-towel-lined platter to drain. Repeat with remaining patties.
4. To make Yogurt Sauce: Combine all ingredients in serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with warm Falafel.

18 Weeks

It's really hard to believe that I'm 18 weeks pregnant, but nevertheless...Here's what this week's email had to say about Baby Bronco:

At 18 weeks pregnant, your baby is hitting the height chart at five and a half inches long (remember, that's crown to rump) and weighs about five ounces (the weight of that boneless chicken breast you're making for dinner).

And now for the skill of the week (drum roll please…): The art of the yawn has been mastered by your baby (someone's sleepy!). In fact, you might catch a glimpse of that adorable yawn if you're getting an ultrasound this month. You'll also catch a glimpse of all the fetal movement your baby's doing — twists, rolls, kicks, and punches. And would you believe your baby is finally big enough for you to start feeling those movements now (or anytime in the next few weeks). So get ready!

Something you won't see on the ultrasound, but you'll know is in working order, is your baby's nervous system, which is maturing rapidly at this time. Nerves, now covered with a substance called myelin (which speeds messages from nerve cell to nerve cell), are forming more complex connections. And those in the brain are further specializing into the ones that serve the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. Talking about hearing, your baby's is growing more acute, making your little one more conscious of sounds that come from inside your body (which means you could both be listening to each other hiccup — a skill that your baby has by now).

The best parts of my pregnancy right now? The little flutters in my tummy. AND the 8 day countdown until we learn if it's a baby girl or a baby boy in there!

Dreaming

I have been dreaming a lot about our baby this week. Ever since I read that our baby can hear us now, he/she seems so much more real, and I find myself thinking about and talking to him/her throughout the day. This afternoon I was listening to an album that Rusty gave me for Christmas (while reading through my syllabi for this semester's classes). As you know, I LOVE Sara Groves. Between my brother and my husband, I was blessed with her entire collection for Christmas, and among them was Station Wagon: Songs for New Parents. I imagine that most of the songs will mean a lot more to me once Baby Bronco joins us in July, but when "Fast Asleep" came on, I could almost picture our baby sleeping peacefully...

When the night comes
polar bear cubs sleep in their caves
calves on the farm sleep in the barn
warm in the hay
nothing in this world is quite as sweet
as a tiny baby fast asleep
I could watch you to the end of time
especially when that baby is mine
kittens and pups eyes all closed up
snuggle near mom
robin's and wren's chicks have been fed
sleep until dawn
nothing in this world is quite as sweet
as a tiny baby fast asleep
I could watch you to the end of time
especially when that baby is mine

SO sweet. I love you, Baby, and I can't wait to meet you!

YUM

It's cold and snowy in Bville, so tonight we warmed up with this yummy Tomato Tortellini Soup! It's super easy, really delicious, and bonus...vegetarian. Try it out!

• 10 Servings
• Prep/Total Time: 25 min.

Ingredients

• 1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) reduced-sodium condensed tomato soup, undiluted
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• Additional shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

• Cook tortellini according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine the soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently. Drain tortellini; carefully add to soup. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle each serving with additional cheese if desired. Yield: 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts).

14 Weeks and Counting

Today I am fourteen weeks pregnant. That means 1 trimester down and two to go!

I must admit that it hasn't been easy to wrap my head around my growing body, especially since people and media seem very free to discuss and offer advice on topics like my weight and shape.

Nevertheless, as my belly starts to look more like baby instead of too much holiday food and the clothes that don't quite fit begin to pile up, I find myself more and more welcoming of it, because it means that our fist-sized, hair-covered, movin' and groovin' chicklet is growing into the baby that we can't wait to welcome.

So, here it is...

The Perfect Post

After the kind of blogging hiatus I've taken, I've been waiting for time to write that perfect post. The one explaining how amidst the stress and busyness of teaching, pastor's wifing and taking classes that seem to take up ALL of my free time, Rusty and I have found ourselves in a time of joy and celebration unlike any during our married life.

First, Rusty FINISHED his PhD. I have to read that again. It's still hard to process the fact that he's done. I truly cannot express my pride and joy at this accomplishment. Wowsa. Part of the reason I've been waiting to post about this is that I don't have a picture of his super snazzy outfit on my computer. Suffice it to say that he looked super handsome.

Even better (if that's possible!), on October 25, we found out that we're going to be parents! Again, I've been waiting to write that perfect post about this monumentous, life changing news. But that all changed today when we saw Baby Bronco (that's our nickname for him or her) onscreen. It was amazing. Our little baby, who is already distinctly baby shaped has a strong heartbeat and was moving around like crazy. So, this may not be the perfect post. But it IS followed by the perfect picture. :)

Yes, I know, I know, I haven't posted in FOREVER! The only reason, really, is that I've been crazy busy, and haven't really done or thought of anything that exciting to share.

Some of you may know that Rusty and I are facing some unsettling unknowns right now. Some days I feel pretty good about them, and some days I'm a wreck, but my old friend Sara Groves came on Pandora with this song this morning and it really spoke to me, so I thought I'd share...

What I Thought I Wanted

By Sara Groves
Tuxedo in the closet, gold band in a box Two days from the altar she went and called the whole thing off What he thought he wanted, what he got instead Leaves him broken and grateful I passed understanding a long, long time ago And the simple home of systems and answers we all know What I thought I wanted, what I got instead Leaves me broken and somehow peaceful I keep wanting you to be fair But that’s not what you said I want certain answers to these prayers But that’s not what you said When I get to heaven I’m gonna go find Job I want to ask a few hard questions, I want to know what he knows About what it is he wanted and what he got instead How to be broken and faithful What I thought I wanted What I thought I wanted What I thought I wanted What I thought I wanted Staring in the water like Esops foolish dog I can’t help but reflect on what it was I almost lost What it was I wanted, what I got instead Leaves me broken and grateful I’m broken and grateful I want to be broken and grateful I want to be broken, peaceful, faithful, grateful, grateful I want to be broken, peaceful, faithful, grateful, grateful

So...unknown and unsettled is where we find ourselves, but I do recognize that my HOPE (not optimism, as I heard from my husband's sermon a few weeks ago, but HOPE) rests in a faithful God who works all things for our good, so this song is my prayer right now. We are broken in some ways, but STILL grateful and hopefully peaceful and faithful too.