Happy April Fools!
Did you play any practical jokes on anyone yet? Please do tell. :)
I must say I did something pretty cruel to Eric!
I’m not the practical joke kind of person, but this year I was feeling extra devious. I whipped up a couple of super salty cookies last night (I literally dumped the salt in and made sure they were gag worthy!), and over-baked the cookies in the microwave (so they were tough as bricks). And then I left the cookies by the car keys, but I didn’t say anything to him about the cookies so he wouldn’t get suspicious. I also left him an oat square when guilt started to set in (I’m a softy!).
He spotted them this morning and took both the cookies and the oat square to work, naturally. Oh man, he is going to gag when he tastes the cookies! I tried a tiny bit of the dough last night and it was so so so salty. I’m so evil.
At least he has a delicious oat square to wash it down?
Before I turned into an evil wife at the strike of midnight, I was a good wife helping Eric measure in our backyard…
What were we measuring for?
We are putting in a SWIMMING POOL this spring!
This is the model that we selected below after months of debate and number crunching. It is going to be quite exotic looking when it is all said and done and I think it will go really well with the green backdrop of the forest. It has a spa-feel that we just love.
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We are trying to decide what kind of rock display we want for the waterfall and if we want a big slide too.
What do you think? Is this rock display too much?
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Ok, ok we aren’t really putting in a pool, but did I fool you? :)
If we do put a pool in our backyard, I think it will have to be this kind…!!!
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Bahahaa. Could that dog look any less amused?
We were actually measuring for two things.
1) We are rebuilding our deck this Spring. This is our next big reno project. We’re very excited about replacing the deck because some of the boards have rotted so much you could actually fall through them! If you don’t see me for a few days, you know where I am…stuck in the deck!
We are hoping that the base will be in good enough condition so we can keep it intact. Eric has to wait for the ground to thaw a bit more before he can take a good look. Hopefully there is no rotting on the base and we can simply rebuild the top layer! That will save a ton of time and money. We are hoping to have it ready for my birthday on May 16th. We’re planning a big outdoor event with friends, so we have a tight deadline to work with.
The second thing we were measuring for is a surprise, but I can tell you it doesn’t involve water!
After measuring and a walk around the neighbourhood, we had a lovely dinner.
This was my first time ever making Tabbouleh. I couldn’t get over how easy it was to make and how delicious it turned out! I also never knew I liked Parsley so much. I thought using Buckwheat in this recipe was a fun idea, but you could really use any kind of grain that you prefer in this dish.
The recipe called for sun-dried tomatoes and I actually had some that I had been meaning to use for a while now. Unfortunately when I read the package I realized the kind I bought has sulphites in them. Sulphites give me really bad headaches, so I opted not to include them in this dish and used fresh tomatoes instead.
This recipe is FOOL proof- cook the buckwheat (or grain), chop veggies, pour on the dressing ingredients, and mix!
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Buckwheat Tabbouleh
Fresh, light, and energizing, this Buckwheat Tabbouleh is the perfect compliment for any lunch or dinner. Serve with warm tortilla shells, salsa, and hummus to round out the meal. You can experiment with the type of grain and vegetables you use too!
Adapted from Food.com
Yield: 5-6 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw buckwheat groats (or grain of your choice)
- 4 cups vegetable broth (or 4 cups water and 1 bouillon cube)*
- 2-3 cups fresh Italian or Curly Parsley, chopped very finely (I used 4 cups but it was too much)
- 2 tomatoes, chopped finely
- 1/2 English cucumber, chopped finely
- 1 small carrot, chopped finely
- 2-3 green onion, chopped finely
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste (I used about 1/4-1/2 tsp salt)
Directions:
1. Place vegetable broth or water and bouillon cube in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Add in the Buckwheat (or other grain) and reduce to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop all the vegetables and place into a large bowl. Drain the Buckwheat when cooked and discard the broth. Add Buckwheat into bowl. Pour on the dressing (lemon and EVOO) and stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to stand for about 30 minutes to allow the flavours to develop (optional). Makes about 5-6 cups.
NOTE: If using another type of grain, you might have to reduce the liquid if you don’t want to drain it. Also, I used curly Parsley but next time I would chop it much more finely than I did because it was scratchy on our throats.
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This was AMAZING! What a perfect dish for Spring. :)
Granted, I used a bit too much Parsley, but it’s all good. I used about 4 cups, but I recommend using 2.5-3 cups. I also used Curly Parsley, but I don’t think I chopped it finely enough because it was scratchy on our throats. Next time I will use less and chop it much more! A reader also said that you can add the dressing to the Parsley to let it soak in to help soften it up.
Have you tried these Food for Life Gluten-Free Brown Rice Tortillas? I spotted them at the grocery store and had to try them out because the tortillas looked so thin and pliable (two traits I love in tortillas!), and wow I just love them. They are much less hearty than the Ezekiel kind, but I love that they are a bit thinner. Keep them stored in the freezer or they do tend to dry out quickly.
Search your little heart out
Good news- I have a NEW Search bar installed on the right side bar of the blog.
If you have tried searching the blog before you probably were frustrated that it didn’t work well. This new one is amazing and I hope that you will be able to find things much quicker! Go check it out and give it a try and let me know if it is working for you. :)
Happy April
That looks so delicious! I haven’t seen those brown rice tortillas in my grocery store, but since going gluten-free I have definitely missed good tortillas. I LOVE flour tortillas, but those are out and corn tortillas are just not a good substitute.
I just finished my first package of those brown rice tortillas – I loved them!!
What a good prankster you are! I was thinking to myself…Geesh, your bakery must be making you a fortune!!!
The tabbouleh looks yummy – I’ve never tried making it before, but it looks easy enough to whip up as a healthy and filling dinner!
That deck will be wonderful in the summer!
I eat those Tortillas almost every day!!!! LOVE THEM! :) What a great recipe Angela. I’ve never made Tabbouleh myself, but it always looks so delicious and a perfect dish to bring to parties/get-togethers.
YES I love the new search!! Thanks!! :D
lol, when I saw pictures of the pool i thought: “That doesn’t seem like an Angie thing to do.” The cleaning would be horrible with all those trees around, haha! :) :) I’m cool with crazy rock tower water falls at hotels :)
I hope you post what Eric’s reaction is to the cookies! bwa haha! :)
Oh his reaction couldnt have been any better!!
I just tried the Food for Life Brown Rice Wraps, I love them! I made quesadiallas and they turned out so crispy! Delicious!
Yum!!! My roommate taught me to make tabbouleh last year – she always made it with quinoa and/or brown rice, with mint and parsley and a few chopped olives (everything else was similar to your recipe). Using the food processor to chop the parsley and mint has worked for me in the past too – curly parsley is harder to manage than it looks, haha.
HAHAHHA you totally had me with the pool! I was going to start telling you how beautiful that is. Good one!
I’ve never had tabbouleh, but it looks delicious.
baaahhahah! Eric’s gonna howl when he tastes those cookies :-P That’s a good one! I may just do that when I hang out with some friends tonight… muahaha
Oh my gosh, you totally had me going over the pool!!! I couldn’t believe you were going to put a Playboy style pool in your yard! You’re out of control this year :)
You have the same birthday as my nonna and one of my cats! Also this tabbouleh looks delish. I <3 parsley so I don't think I'd mind overdoing it ;)
My guess is that you are building a garden/greenhouse or a shed. But I am leaning towards a garden. Also, I am soo happy about the new search feature because it rocks! Sooo much easier to find something based on an ingredient or topic!
The search recipe button works really well now!!
I must try the tabbouleh, it looks so fresh!
I hope your husband likes the cookies! ;)
I think you are measuring for a swing set or play area…maybe for a little Glow baby?? :)
The tabbouleh looks great! I’m going to try it!
D’oh! I totally fell for the ol’ “measuring for a pool trick” :P
I loved the April Fool’s joke, but I honestly thought when I came on here today that there would be a recipe for Pot Roast with Hollandaise sauce, or something :) Now THAT would have been funny :)
i def. thought about it…but wasn’t into the whole buying and cooking meat! ;)
This morning a friend texted me to let me know his wife was having twins. They had been trying for two years to have a baby (and are pregnant), so I thought it was possible. I msg’d him back to ask why they hadn’t found out sooner, and he said one was “hiding” behind the other. When I msg’d him with Congratulations, he finally fessed up. Luckily, I wasn’t the only one to fall for his little joke.
Sam
samanthaball.ca
*Check out my Lululemon giveaway*
hahhahhaha I love that joke on Eric!! you HAVE to tell us the results :D you’re cutely evil Angela~ I know i’m such a softy too–I can never hold out a joke or trick for longer than 5 minutes with my fiance. and yes! i LOVE those tortillas! they’re so easy on the stomach too, at least for me. have a blessed day!
I like your idea to Eric to get him! I have to get my husband, he always beats me to it!
This meals is looking good right about now for lunch.
ha!! that was awesome!