I'm no Martha. Not even a Rachel. But I do love food.

I love food. I love to have time to plan for meals, shop for ingredients and lovingly prepare balanced tasty & beautiful food for my family in a warm and aromatic kitchen. However, more often than not, I find myself frantically scouring the fridge for something that will somewhat resemble an evening meal for my family. Thank goodness for a stocked pantry. Oh, my poor husband who often walks in from a long day at work to a cold kitchen.

{sigh}

I know many of you are fans of Pinterest - the (relatively) new virtual bulletin board phenomenon. I'll admit I'm addicted. I love the beautiful photos of all sorts of inspiring things. Not the least of which are recipes. Beautiful, yummy-looking recipes. Gorgeous photography of food & techniques.

I'll admit - I'm "Pin-spired."

I've recently tried out delicious zucchini "boats," energy bars & I'm dying to try these roasted swedish potato things... Mmmmm.

Yes. I love food.

I also happen to love photography. I have found myself thinking in terms of Pins - and combining some of our family favorites with beautiful photography & throwing it up there on Pinterest.

So, why not live the dream, right? Really, my intention isn't to turn this blog into the next Pioneer Woman
(good golly - I'm not nearly that polished!) - but I do think it will be a fun creative project to post a recipe now and again - paired with great photography. And, if a few of you happen to throw it up on Pinterest...
Oh my. I think I'd just about pass out.

Here's my recipe for tabouli, 

Marianne - it's pronounced tuh-boo-lee

a mediterranean salad my mom has made for years 

(and just so happens to be both yummy and healthy).

Recipe follows the photos, and bear with me, my style of recipe writing isn't an exact science.

Did I mention I love parsley?

Viola! Tabouli. You can get a sense of proportions that I like from this image... lots of parsley, not too many grains.

You'll need:
– bulgar wheat (about 1 cup dry - then cook it - here's how - not to mention all you ever need to know about Tabouli, including all 18 ways to spell it & about 20 variations on the recipe!).
– 1 bunch of fresh parsley - rinsed and chopped well.
– 1 can garbanzo beans, I rinse mine
– tomatoes... diced to your liking. Amount, to your liking... for this I typically use a big handful of grape tomatoes diced in about 4 pieces each. Sometimes its simply a matter of what I've got on hand.
– Juice from 1-2 lemons (avoid the seeds)
– Olive oil. Oh man, I drizzle until just right (helpful, no?). I think I'd start with 3-4 T... if it tastes dry - add a bit more.
– Salt and pepper to taste

Mix it all up. Its best if you let it marinate at least an hour. It can tend to dry out the next day - as the wheat soaks up the dressing. Have extra lemon and olive oil handy to refresh.

Play with the proportions. I added fresh mint to my last batch (I happened to have it on hand and needed to use it up). I also love fresh parsley... but some folks prefer the recipe heavier on the grains, and lighter on the greens.