Inspired Cucumber Salad

cucumber salad

This recipe is adapted from ‘Oh she glows’ – Thai-Inspired Hydrating Cucumber Salad with Roasted Spiced Chickpeas

  • 1 medium cucumber (I used 2 small lebanese cucumbers)
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1/4 cup sliced red onion (I kept the pieces larger as I really enjoy red onion)
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
  • Roasted spiced chickpeas (recipe follows)

 

Roasted chickpeas

  • 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon turmeric

Preheat oven to 400F

Rinse and drain the chickpeas, and with a couple of pieces of paper towel, roll them around until they’re dry.

Add the chickpeas to a bowl and stir in the oil. Then add the rest of the spices.

Put the chickpeas on a baking sheet

Roast at 400F for 20 minutes. Stir the chickpeas up a bit, and roast them again for another 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on them since ovens are different. Cool for 5 minutes and add them to your salad. They don’t stay crisp too long. You can also freeze them when they’re cool and reheat them in the oven for about 5 minutes to get them crispy again.

On to the salad!

Slice cucumbers down the middle lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Slice into half moons and toss into a bowl.

Add the cut up red pepper and red onion, and cilantro. Add the chick peas.

Ta da. Simple!

I left the dressing off of this recipe. I actually made the one from the original but it smelled really.. interesting, and decided that I would try it plain. It was quite delicious and the chickpeas make it a very filling (and spicy) salad.

 

 

 

Back to the Withered Lands #EQ2 #EverQuest2

EQ2_000117Like I typically do in the summer months, I have been wandering around from game to game, trying to find what appeals to me. Lately that has been EverQuest2. My defiler is already 95 but I decided to work on my illusionist, hoping that perhaps she would be a better fit for groups. Right now she is level 91 although I just reached that today. I did a bit of research and it seems like the ‘fast’ way to level would be to get a group at Skyshrine and grind – however – I’m not really keen on leveling that way so I’ve been completing quests in The Withered Lands.

Man the quests sure do reward a LOT of money, but not that much gear. The pieces my illusionist is wearing is well beyond ‘outdated’ by this point in time. She thankfully does have her epic done (and repercussions) so I don’t have to go backwards too far in the timeline. She also has 280+ aa so I don’t have to worry about not being able to level.

I was able to ding 91 by completing most of the timeline, but I still have to inch my way to 92 and then after that I can begin the Chains of Eternity quest line and FINALLY move on to Cobalt Scar which I’ve never seen before. I did have fun with Hamal wandering through some of the new(ish) dungeons that were added a while ago, but I did those with my defiler, not the illusionist that I’m working on now. For so long I’ve been 95 on only my crafters, it feels nice to stretch my legs and work on a character again.

Am I excited after my extended break from the game? Well. Yes. I think it would be better if I had a ‘home’ any more in game, but my Oasis guild fell apart and every single person left. So for now I’m on Antonia Bayle, learning the ropes once again.

Broccoli Inspired Salad

salad

 

This salad was inspired by Skinnymom – skinny broccoli salad

  •  1/2 head fresh broccoli, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped red pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped yellow pepper
  • 1/2 cup green olives chopped
  • 1 cup tomato chopped
  • 1/4 red onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup chopped carrots
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, diced
  • 2 tsp italian dressing (can omit)

Chop it all up and mix it. This salad is very simple – and delicious.

 

Quinoa and Spinach Patties

Recipe is adapted from Skinnytaste.com – Quinoa and Spinach Patties

  • 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 egg, whisked, another egg for on top of the patty if you want
  •  feta cheese
  • 1/2 a leek, sliced thin
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup fresh spinach
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

Rinse quinoa and cook according to instructions. Basically it cooks like rice. Let it cool when it is done.

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, eggs, feta cheese, leek, and spinach. The mixture will be runny. Add oil to a non-stick skillet, and drop the mixture into the pan – almost exactly like you would a pancake. Cook the patties covered 5-8 minutes on each side, they’ll crisp right up and turn golden.

Serve with an egg on top however you like it but I prefer mine sunny side up so that the yolk breaks down into the patty. This dish tastes amazing and was a real surprise to me. Would highly recommend.

 

 

 

Festival of Unity on Antonia Bayle #EverQuest2 #EQ2

EQ2_000115Me and the Festival of Unity which is run on the Antonia Bayle server go way way back. This will be the 7th year the festival has run and I’ve really had a blast at every single one of them. You can check out some of my blog posts about previous years. The festival runs from August 11th to 17th, with events on every single day. There’s a map of the happenings, and of course you can check out the web page for day by day schedules. There is also a facebook page.

This festival grows every year, and a huge number of people are involved in putting it on. I usually attend the event with a lesser known character and stay in character the whole time while I mingle with the crowds.

Events like this are important, and they’re not just limited to EQ2 but they happen in pretty much any game that has a community. If you’ve never been to the festival before, I implore you to check it out. It’s a great way to meet others from the community, and participate in some really neat games – there are even prizes. Even if you’re not much of a roleplayer it’s a great time to observe other people participating. You can guarantee that I’ll be there taking screenshots and posting videos.

As always, happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!