dinner tonight was for my guy and his boy.  i’m backing off food for now so i’m in “cooking/not eating” mode which is always an interesting reality check that appears more in the form of a personal ultimatum.  but i look at it this way:  it’s my choice and there’s plenty more lamb chops where these came from.  i’ll be fine, if not finer, if only i can keep this up for awhile.

in case you’re wondering why i’ve been over-posting, i decided to join in with the ‘NaBloPoMo‘ craze.  and although i still can’t quite figure out why or what the deal is, somehow i have managed to post every single day this month.  the concept seemed like a good idea at the time and i am determined to see it through.  but boys and girls, if you are getting saturated with me - i totally understand.  usually we visit 3 or 4 times a week at best.  and now here i am attempting to charm you on a daily basis.  and we’ve got 19 days to go…

as for dinner, tonight was a major ‘eating down the house‘ experience.  the only thing i picked up from the market was a head of garlic and a lemon.  the loin chops had been in the freezer for at least 2 months and the israeli couscous had been hanging around the pantry waiting for the right moment to shine.  the 2% fage greek yogurt that i love so very much was 3 days past its suggested ‘eat by’ date.  and i still have a kitchen full of vegetables in varying degrees of health and wellness.  so i opened the fridge, grabbed a cucumber and one each of the last of my green, white and purple peppers - all from my wonderful csa, delvin farms.  and now that this csa  the very one that presented me with huge challenges week after week is finally FINISHED, thank god, i am free to shop at my own free will.  really, i love this farm and think so highly of the delvin’s.  it was a true pleasure to get to see these great folks each week.  but my weekly share worked me over.  and i say, never again.  i just want to go to the farmers market from here on in and pick and choose what’s coming home with me.  every saturday morning i’d  get my box of vegetables in the house and on to my kitchen table and began unloading.  and i swear, it was like clowns in a volkswagon… 

so i marinated the chops in olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and garlic (pressed - sorry bourdain) - a total winning combination in my book.  the yogurt got hit with some cumin and salt, along with the diced and seeded cucumber.  the peppers and onion were roughly chopped and sauteed with olive oil and salt, and the israeli couscous was simmered in chicken broth with a dash of pimenton.  had i thought harder about what i had that ‘worked’ i might have thrown in some greek olives.  it would have tasted great and added to the visual.  after 11 straight days of me, i owed you some olivey eye candy.  i was even going to add some minced cilantro but as quickly as it crossed my mind, i forgot that too.  a little fresh greeness would have gone a long way.  please accept my apologies.  i’m just one woman on a diet.  not quite myself, i fear.

so once again, not the sexiest plate.  certainly not the most beautiful.

but totally solid…