cheerful

The smell of hyacinth has invaded the house due to a cheerful springtime bulb mix the beau brought the other night.  Although it is chilly and icy outside, I can pretend that springtime has arrived inside the house.  We did have a dusting of snow over the weekend that bathed the trees in a sprinkling of ice that hung around for most of the weekend, making for a misty, magical appearance as you drove down the street under their branches.

I've been eating and drinking a lot lately, having dinners and lunches with girlfriends and coworkers.  Margaritas, beers, wine, and more margaritas.  Paired with some warm and gooey food and the lack of running (brrr...so cold) and I'm afraid to hop on the scale.  I did buy a pair of cold-weather running tights, though, which does help quite a lot.  It's just the motivation to actually get up and out that does me in.  But, tomorrow is another day.

This week I need to cook and maybe bake (and grocery shop!).  The oven repair guy comes on Wednesday afternoon and I'm hoping that means I'll have a functioning oven by Wednesday night.  Sweet potato muffins and roasted butternut squash and all sorts of goodies are on the wishlist.  Fingers crossed.  Otherwise, this chickpea and artichoke masala recipe from Aarti Party is on the to-cook list this week for an easy weeknight stovetop dinner.

Update:  Shortly after posting I scanned The Kitchn and see that they have chickpeas on the brain as well.