sunburn in March

I know my last post made it seem like I was having wild revelations, and while I maintain that that is totally true and there will be more posts on that subject, the truth is I already quit being the unproductive angst-bucket of recent months that had been a large factor in my decreased posting.

Because the SUN CAME OUT! Horrific sign of irreversible damage we have inflicted on our planet though it is, I am so so happy the sun came out. 80 degree March meant relaxing evening walks listening to crickets; gabbing at the work picnic table enjoying sun al fresco.

It also meant my usual craving for cold, refreshing food which had lately been exemplified by this rendition of hummus:

 

The deets:

Cilantro Hummus

1 small clove garlic
1 1/2 green onions (the whole thing)
a few handfuls of cilantro (perhaps 1/4 cup tightly packed?)
1 can of chickpeas (I used Goya low-sodium and thus only semi-drained it since the water was low in sodium and high in chickpea flavor and thinned the hummus quite nicely)
juice of 1.5 lemons
olive oil as desired

Whirr up garlic, onions and cilantro in the food processor til in little bitty dice. Add chickpeas and lemon juice and whirr until near your desired consistency. Stream in olive oil from the top as desired (I used perhaps 2 tsp? It’s all personal preference).

SO refreshing.

A great wrap: Flatout (or fake Costco flatout!)

 

Cucumbers (this was leftovers from a Mark Bittman cucumber salad with yogurt)

 

Greens, ideally of the peppery and exciting farmer’s market variety

Fact: if you freeze your wraps and then thaw them by toasting them in the toaster oven, you may turn them into… kind of… large crackers.

It was still an enjoyable wrap to eat.

Particularly on the deck. SO nice eating lunch at home on Thursdays, my day with a random gap between work and class.

Get to watch Sheila romp around in the growing foliage.

Lunch also involved a combination that is DELICIOUS: cottage cheese and strawberries. That’s it. It’s a flavor thing but it’s also a texture thing.

 

Crackly-licious wrap. In the sunlight :D When there’s great light I get so enthusiastic about blogging!

  

A complete lunch: cause you gotta hydrate, too. So much sun!

 

The next stuff isn’t all that cool or fresh or healthy, but is at least photographed in natural light :D

These charming square plates hail from, as perhaps regular readers can predict, my all-time-favorite all-things-delicious-from-Latin-America, Cafe Sazon!

Met up with Patricia for a long-overdue megachat. We were meant to just get coffee and go for a walk but I was running late but by the time I got there Patricia had gotten a pastry. Since I hadn’t had but a half banana for breakfast (had an upset stomach that day and have actually, on and off, for the following week, and continue to as I write this now, eesh!), and suddenly gained an appetite second wind, I ordered an empanada. And my beloved api morado. And then, since then have a $5 minimum, one of their alfajores. Let’s call it brunch.

Empanada de queso, fresh hot out of the oven. *Swoon*

  

Has anyone had an alfajor? It’s a super crumbly and sweet and delicious cookie filled with dulce de leche, rolled around in coconut just for good measure. I split it with Patricia- thoroughly great!

 

And then it was time to talk for a lonnnnnnnnng time (a 5.5 mile walk’s work of conversation) and stop to admire the pond.

 

SUNBATHING. TURTLES. I LOVE SPRING SO MUCH!