Vacation Memories, and Toasted Chickpeas

Firstly, I would like to apologize to my wonderful readers for not being able to post quite as frequently and regularly as usual, and for being a bit behind on reading all of your wonderful blogs... Unfortunately, my now "official," regular schedule on Sundays through Thursdays only allows me to be at home for an hour or two each day, giving me just enough time to shower, change clothes, take a quick nap, and then dash off to work or class again! This rather surreal routine makes it quite difficult to obtain sufficient sleep or to do many of the things I love most, such as cooking and spending time with Zach, but I am trying to constantly remind myself that my schedule results from the blessings of having a job and being able to go back to school. If I'm ever absent in the blog world for a few days as a result, please know that you, my dear readers and beautiful blog-friends, are always in my thoughts!

Despite all the chaos of the past few days, I think my attempt to maintain a vacation mind-frame has been helping, as I haven't been quite as stressed and frazzled as I think I would have been otherwise! (aka I've been frazzled this much, but not quite frazzled this much... :-)

Helping me float through the days, the memories of our blissful vacation weekend linger, a treasured gift...

Here you can see the view that awaited us last weekend as we arrived at the bed and breakfast, housed in an 1830's farmhouse... I could feel myself growing more relaxed by the moment, dwelling in this peaceful setting...

We were the only guests at the B&B, so we were allowed to select whichever room we liked! Here's Zach testing out the bed in one of the rooms...

Here, Zach demonstrates that the sloped ceiling is not tall enough for him... :-)

The lovely little sitting area outside the room we eventually chose...

Zach, ready to go hiking... (and probably thinking "hurry up...")

Here's me, dressed for dinner later on that night... I think I've posted blog pictures of me in this shirt before - it's one of my favorites! :-)

Before dinner we walked around the tiny town, and discovered a little, random dive bar that specialized in German beers! Zach finally got to try the Paulaner Oktoberfest!

Later on, at dinner, The Best steamed collard greens I've ever tasted... I love when restaurants devote as much care to their vegetable side dishes as to the main entrees!

After dinner, we played mini-golf! Zach won, but only by 3 points, which is a huge accomplishment for me! :-) Then we savored decadently, gloriously, gooey chocolate ice cream for dessert... :-)

Vineyard touring the next day, amidst perfect sunshine and a mountain breeze...

Our final morning in the mountains, we lingered over lusciously frothy, creamy mochas...

...and jalapeno corn biscuits before driving home.

And so, in celebration of moments of treasured simplicity amidst our hectic lives, I would like to share with you a gentle, whisper-soft comfort dish, one so unflustering it barely needs a recipe at all, a tale of toasted chickpeas keeping contented company with garlic and rosemary...

Toasted Chickpeas with Rosemary and Feta

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained
2 T fresh rosemary
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

~ In a medium skillet, saute the garlic in the olive oil over medium-high heat until the garlic just begins to brown.
~ Stir in the chickpeas and rosemary, season to taste with salt and pepper, and continue to saute until the chickpeas turn golden and crispy on the outside, and begin to stick to the pan.
~ Decrease the heat to medium, pour in the broth, and deglaze the pan while stirring quickly, scraping the bottom to loosen the wonderfully flavorful browned bits.
~ Simmer for just a bit longer, stirring frequently, until most of the broth has been absorbed.
~ Remove from the heat, fold in the feta cheese, and season to taste with salt and pepper once more. Serve immediately, hot and crispy!