open-faced israeli sandwich

this totally jumped out of the recipe book at me.
eggplant, eggs, and pickles?!
what?!
it sounds so completely bizarre and it so completely works!
it's delicious!
i followed the directions (mostly) and we ended up absolutely loving it!
mike and i ate it with a knife and fork but the boys ended up deconstructing it and eating each part individually. i guess they created their own recipe because it could totally be a salad too!
either way, it was great and i hope you try it soon!

Open-Faced Israeli Sandwiches
Makes 4.
Adapted from The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook
1 pound eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickles
4 (8 inch) pita breads
1 cup hummus
6 hard boiled eggs, sliced thin
1/2 cup Tahini Yogurt sauce
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup feta, crumbled, optional
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or smoked paprika

Spread eggplant on baking sheet lined with paper towels, sprinkle both sides with 2 teaspoons salt, and let sit for 30 minutes.
Adjust your oven rack to broiler level and preheat broiler. Thoroughly pat eggplant dry with paper towels, arrange on baking sheet in single layer, and lightly brush both sides with 2 tablespoons oil. Broil eggplant until spotty brown, about 5 minutes per side.
Lay each pita on individual plate, spread with 1/4 cup hummus, and top evenly with eggplant, tomatoes, pickles, and eggs. Drizzle with Tahini Yogurt sauce and sprinkle cilantro, feta, and Aleppo or paprika on top. Enjoy!

Tahini Yogurt Sauce
Makes about 1 cup.
1/3 cup tahini
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper

Whisk tahini, yogurt, water, lemon juice, garlic, and 3/4 teaspoon salt together in a bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let sit until flavors meld, about 30 minutes.
Can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

church campout!

a couple weeks ago, mike and the big boys went on the 1st annual young families campout!

when i was growing up in this church, my dad took all the youth on campouts all the time but this was the first one for this generation!

we were all supposed to go but baby rob came down with a fever so i stayed home with rob and gabriel and the big ones went and had. a. blast!

we love to camp but we had never been camping with friends so this was a huge hit!

we can't wait to go back! all of us!

 

lately...

our beautiful, freshly mowed baby pecan orchard

enjoying a quiet cup of coffee on the porch after mike comes running in, yelling that he saw wild pigs, and taking off with his gun. then the boys quickly avoided the rest of their chores, breakfast, and school and took off with paw paw to get in on the action. i was left with a sleeping baby, am empty chicken bucket, and freshly harvested greens.

aaaaaand he got one!

honeysuckle jelly from a local market

michael learning how to drive the backhoe

picking fresh blackberries!
actually, they are dewberries but taste exactly like small blackberries.
we have harvested almost three gallons so far!
lots of cobblers and lots of extra to go on top of yogurt :)

after every run in the morning, we pick a few cups!

yum.

he was so excited.
he planted these beets and now he gets to harvest them!

and gabriel gets to "harvest" the snow peas, i.e. eat as many as he can stuff in his chubby cheeks.

fresh broccoli and snow pea stirfry from our gardens!

homemade sunscreen!
tis the season!

me and my cutie at the zoo :)

my beautiful boys.

and ice creams on the way home!

uncle vince came to visit and we smoked mike's pig!

exciting day!
pouring my grandmother's slab!
lots of big trucks and excited little boys!

mike left for south america and he always leaves me coffee, ready to grind!

jumping boys!

i know that little girls learn to cook quickly but little boys take a bit longer.
but hey! we're there! our 6 year old can make scrambled eggs, fried eggs, and eggs in a hole! woohoo!

fresh cabbages from our garden, ready for homemade kimchi!

after paw paw mowed the pasture and let the hay dry out, the boys scooped it all up and refilled the chicken coop!

fresh rose veal from our friend! can't wait to enjoy a date night at home with my love!

picnic (or pignet, as they say) outside to watch the workers at grandmommy's house!

a picture for grandmommy!
look at all your new wood!

hot days call for naked boys and water hoses.

thinning the baby carrots and eating the babies! dirt and all!

some hard days call for boxed mac and cheese.
oh the horror! ha!

date night with my parents!

kimchi is fermenting!

curried cauliflower and leek soup!

bad storms call for evacuations to nanny's house :)

off to church!

the house is coming along!

more piggies!

oh so exciting friday nights when mike is gone ;)

and then, just like that, he's home again!!

may the fourth be with you!

poor baby rob came down with some sort of virus and was so, so sad.

"mommy, you 'tend."
"okay, gabe, what should i pretend to be?"
"a wock, mommy"
"a rock?!"
"yesh. so the mountain wion can cwimb on wu."

three perfect eggs and a perfect avo to go with

brave boy yanked his second tooth out all by himself!

enjoying a gabe date with fresh carrot and orange juice and homemade hummus and cukes

my parents took the boys during the baby's evening nap so i got a glass of wine and veggies by myself!

puzzles with paw paw

"hey dad, can you get me a couple lemons, some carrots, a head of garlic and a cucumber?"

my heart.

sunrise on our farm.

mv found tons of loose change in the back of one of my dad's old cars in the barn.
so, he asked if he could have it, after he washed it :)

lunch with my brother!

we had to do a drive-by after church for nanny to pull mv's 3rd tooth!

pretty picture of my smoked salmon and caper toast :)

my parents stole the two big boys for a couple days and they headed off to my uncle and aunt's new house!

they had a great time.

and had the first swim of the season!
they retained almost all of their lessons so i am happy!

gabe and i had a date while they were gone :)

and drank lots of hot chocolate during thunderstorms!

on the saturday before mother's day, a local and absolutely fantastic snow cone place offered free snows to mamas!
my mama got pineapple coconut and i got lemon, lavender, and sweet cream!
yum!

then that night, we went to a dear friend's housewarming/bbq!

on mother's day, mike made me homemade eggs benedict in bed and jack made me toast!
i nursed the baby and the other two boys were still asleep :)

fresh flowers!
but they couldn't find a vase ;)

mother's day pictures before church!

presents in star wars paper of course.

the men made us homemade egg rolls!

and homemade ice cream sandwiches!

then we went to check on my grandmother's house progress!
she'll be moving in soon!

a great day and a great month!