Spanish Eyes (Sleepy Ones)

I have a new post on Burkina Faso up at LJUrban. And I haven’t been making it known here everytime I post, so you can see the archives here if you’ve missed some.

Can I just say that I have scrambled eggs in my head instead of brains? Packing scramble. Today I waved goodbye to a bookshelf, which made me feel like I am getting somewhere. It was one of those weird full circle things that happens sometimes, with those of us who have lived at the Land. The bookshelf was in Elena’s cabin, until she gave it to some people who lived in another cabin, and then the next people who moved into that cabin inherited it, and then they gave it to me. I brought it here when I moved, because it is a good little bookshelf, and then today, I called my friend Elena, and asked her if she wanted a bookshelf. Turns out that she and the bookshelf have been friends before.

See what I’m saying? Scrambled eggs.

Throw three young children into the packing mix and it is not always that pretty. Add the fact that I’m practically comatose by 9:00 PM, and you have an impossibility. (And a rhyme!) I’m also ordering things like backpacks and sleeping bags online, while deciding which books to ship, and which ones to store.

However, I had some high points today. Sitting on the floor singing alphabet phonics songs with Leafy and YaYa. The little cuddles I snuck in with all three kids today. The kids painting on paper with their shirts off. And THE BOMB Spanish rice that I made tonight.

When I was pregnant with Kid A, I had a thing for Spanish rice. I traveled from Taqueria to Taqueria, looking for the perfect rice. If only I had the recipe then that I have now.

I have no fancy pictures for you, but if you love rice, and you love Spain, you might just love this recipe.

Ingredients: 1/4 cup cooking oil
2 cups long grain rice (I used white)
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (I used red)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 3/4 cups chicken broth (no msg)
3/4 cup tomato sauce
2 tsp salt

In a skillet that has a lid that fits, sauté the rice in the oil at medium high heat until it is golden brown. You’ll need to stir it quite a lot. Throw the onion and the bell pepper in when the rice is golden brown, that’s golden brown, and sauté them for a few minutes, then throw the garlic in too and sauté it for a few minutes.

(The garlic will burn if you leave it too long, I know this to be true.)

Now pour (don’t throw) the chicken broth, tomato sauce, and salt in (you can throw the salt if you want) and turn the burner up to high. Bring the soupy ricey stuff to a rolling boil, and let it boil for a couple of minutes, then turn it down and simmer with the lid for twenty minutes.

That’s it. Oh gosh, it’s sitting in my fridge right now. What do you think, should I fold laundry? Or eat more Spanish riczzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Snore.