I'm not in Casablanca...

However, from the looks of the recipes I've been cranking out today, you'd think I was in Casablanca!

The house is currently being perfumed by Moroccan Meatballs and Chicken and Chickpea Stew. How did I do it? Well, I took a couple of recipes from the internet and adapted them to my situation. Chicken thighs and ground lamb were on sale at my local store, so I bought some of both.

First, I made the Chicken and Chickpea Stew in my SmartPot crock pot from this recipe from www.goodhousekeeping.com. Below is my adaptation.

• 5 pound(s) chicken thighs, skinned
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 1 (1-pound) jumbo onion, chopped
• 2 clove(s) garlic
• 2 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 1 can(s) (28-ounce) whole tomatoes in puree
• 1 can(s) (14- to 14 1/2-ounce) chicken broth
• 6 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 can(s) (32-ounce) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
• 1 cup(s) pitted green and black olives, whole

First, I browned the chicken thighs in olive oil on both sides. Then I sprinkled the seasoning mixture (cumin, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne) on top of each thigh. Once browned, I put the first 6 in the crock pot, then browned the remaining six and topped with spices when browned.

Next I added my can of tomatoes and my chickpeas to the crock pot on top of the first chicken thighs. When the rest of the thighs were done, I added those.

Following this, I chopped my carrots, and in the skillet I used for the chicken, I browned my onions and garlic slightly. When done, I added them all to the crockpot, and topped it with the olives.

Finally, I set the heat to four hours and away I went. NOTE : this dish is great with pasta or couscous on the side.

Photo of Chicken and Chickpea stew below:

Sunday Stealing: the 40 Meme

Ahh, for a little break from my studying, I found this Sunday Stealing meme via The Night Life from a Nurse's Point of View blog.

1. My uncle once : took me to the airport...and brought me back when I returned several months later. Granny was superstitious about that stuff.

2. Never in my life : have I been to Idaho.

3. When I was seventeen : I was plotting and planning what I would do in college.

4. High School was : fun, especially when I was goofing off outside of classes. It was even fun goofing off in class.

5. I will never forget : high school graduation. It was hot and steamy, with no AC. Thankfully, I was tall enough to sit in the back row by the fans.

6. I once met : Chuck Berry in Reagan National Airport.

7. There’s this girl I know who : meets celebrities all the time. She works at several local concert venues.

8. Once, at a bar : I saw a flaming drink (I forget what it was, though).

9. By noon, I’m usually : working somewhere.

10. Last night : I watched a movie.

11. If only I had : an iPhone. I could send e-mail from anywhere.

12. Next time I go to gym/church : I'll bring my husband. (He was out doing stuff today, so he went at a different time.)

13. Susan Boyle : sounds pretty good. Just watched the YouTube video today. Loved Simon's face while she sang.

14. What worries me most : being unprepared for anything.

15. When I turn my head left, I see : a lamp.

16. When I turn my head right, I see : a lamp.

17. You know I’m lying when : I say, "Okay." and look incredulously at you.

18. What I miss most about the eighties : my giraffe print Chuck Taylors. I'd be so in right about now!

19. If I was a character in Shakespeare, I’d be : Ophelia...or Juliet.

20. By this time next year : I hope to get my family out somewhere on vacation (and not to anywhere in IL).

21. A better name for me would be : I like my name just fine, thanks.

22. I have a hard time understanding : calculus and Wittgensteinian logic. I forced myself in college and very little ever stuck.

23. If I ever go back to school, I’ll :get a master's degree this time.

24. You know I like you if : we go out for coffee.

25. If I ever won an award, the first person I’d thank would be : My parents, without whom, said award would be impossible.

26. When I compare 80’s rock to 90’s rock : I don't usually. I have my favorites among both decades.

27. Take my advice, never : go to the hospital alone, and get out as fast as you possibly can.

28. My ideal breakfast is : slow and unhurried with lots of coffee.

29. A song I love, but do not own is : Vacation by the Go-Gos (80s and reflecting what I'm thinking about right now!)

30. If you visit my hometown, I suggest :seeing the sites and letting me take you to a few obscure ones, based on your interests.

31. My favorite Beatle is : Paul.

32. Why won’t people : use turn signals.

33. If you spend the night at my house : it will be quiet until 6AM when the dog gets up.

34. I’d stop my wedding for : my in-laws. (Actually did that--they got lost on the way. The bride CAN be late, remember?)

35. The world could do without : global warming.

36. I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than : ugh! I hate roaches! The only good roach is a dead one.

37. My favorite blonde is : my son.

38: Paper clips are more useful than : binder clips in many instances.

39. If I do anything well, it’s : manage my life under the varying circumstances. I've had some doozies!

40. And by the way : I make a mean pound cake. Just ask this guy about Mrs. Nelson's Imperial Pound Cake from St. Louis.

Egg-xtravaganza

Here's a sampling of the Easter eggs I dyed recently. Nothing fancy, just the old food coloring in vinegar-water bath with some masking tape added for effect.

The small eggs came from our neighbor's chickens.

Happy Easter!