I soaked chick peas overnight and made falafel today, and it turned out well. There's labor involved but chick peas, pita bread, and the stuff for tahini aren't very expensive. The labor involved is the value added to the modestly priced ingredients. Though I planned for a healthy meal, we had four different things for dessert. Two I had, one was brought, and one I made when they arrived and I realized the daughter is gluten intolerant so I made a gluten free cake from a box - they all liked it so I sent the last box of that home with them and the warning that if the baked cake is around for more than a couple of days it gets really hard.

This makes for three times in four weeks I've cleaned house ahead of company coming, meaning the house is still looking pretty good, though it still has more furniture than it needs. I'm pondering what is the next large thing to send out of the house. One of the tables? The Victrola? It just collects dust. One of the trunks from the family house back East? Who knows - maybe a trunk will sell on eBay. :)