Quick and Delicious Hummus

I  love hummus. I love dipping things in it and I love putting it on my sandwiches. If you haven't had hummus before a lot of people use it as a mayonnaise substitute. I love buying multigrain chips and using as a dip or even vegetables.  I used to always buy it at Costco but when my parents told me how easy it was to make I was so excited!! Here is the recipe I use.

Quick and Delicious Hummus
source: Brye Crockett

3 cups (two 15.5 oz cans) drained garbanzo beans
6 Tb. sesame tahini
6 Tb. lemon juice
1 Tb. olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves (depending on size)
1-2 tsp. ground cumin (I LOVE cumin so I do closer to 2)
Salt to taste

In food processor mix garbanzo beans, tahini. lemon juice, and garlic. While the food processor is running add the olive oil. (I think it tastes creamier when added this way.) Once creamy add spices and pulse. Season to your liking. Serve or refrigerate and serve later.

Fruit and Honey Bars

I got this recipe from my Mom and Dad (they always have a million recipes for me to try). They found it on the weight watchers website. I am not typically a "healthy" bar type person. I love my butter and sugar so I was pleasantly surprised with how great these are and everyone that has tried them has loved them to. Normally I bake these in a pan but I wanted to see how they worked baked in a cupcake pan and I have to say I love them. It's nice to pop them out of the pan rather than wait for them to cool to cut them. I did decrease my bake time to about 10-12 minutes.

Fruit and Honey Bars
1/3 c. honey
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 c. instant non fat dry milk powder
1/2 c. shelled unsalted pumpkin seeds
1/2 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 c.ground flaxseeds
1/2 c. dried apricots chopped
1/2 c. dried cherries
1/4 c. whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9 in. square baking pan with nonstick foil. Beat honey, eggs and salt in small bowl until blended. Put oats, dry milk, pumpkin seeds, coconut,flax seeds,apricots, cherries and flour in food processor and pulse until evenly moistened. Transfer dough to baking pan; press into even layer with damp fingers. Bake until center is set and edges are brown, about 20 min. Let cool slightly on rack, 10 min.. Holding foil, transfer bar from pan to cutting board. Cut into bars.

Options:
*1/2 c. mini chocolate chips: add after done baking but don't cut until cooled or you'll smear the chocolate/

*Less sweet option 1/4 c. cherries and 1/4 c. cranberries

Homemade Graham Crackers

I've never really enjoyed graham crackers. Everytime I ate them I felt like I was eating cardboard... gross!. The only time I did eat them was with chocolate and marshmallow and still they weren't great but when I came across a recipe for them and the ingredients weren't crazy weird I knew I had to try it. Can I just say how amazing these are?!? I can because it is my blog. When I makes these they hardly last a couple of days and everybody loves them.

I like mine baked a little longer so they are more graham cracker-like. Coach likes them baked less so they are more like a soft cookie. The kids aren't picky. They eat mine and his.

So look in your pantry and you'll be surprised that you have most of the stuff on hand.

Graham Crackers
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Makes 10 4 x 4.5-inch graham crackers or 48 2-inch squares

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (375 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour (a swap of 1/2 cup with whole wheat flour)
1 cup (176 grams) dark brown sugar, lightly packed (I have used light brown sugar and they were good, just a little less moist.)
1 teaspoon (6 grams) baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher sea salt (4 grams)
7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces or 100 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1/3 cup (114 grams) honey
5 tablespoons (77 grams) milk (I've used whole and 1% and didn't notice a difference.)
2 tablespoons (27 grams) pure vanilla extract


In a food processor with steel blade combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse until combined. You could also do this in a mixer with a paddle attachment but I never have. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and dust it lightly with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap it, then chill it until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary. Trim the edges of the rectangle to 4 inches wide. Working with the shorter side of the rectangle parallel to the work surface, cut into to 2 inch squares.
Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping if desired. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge or 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer. Repeat with the second batch of dough. Finally, gather any scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and re-roll.
Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350°F.


Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. [The baking time range is long because the original recipe calls for 25 minutes but my new oven -- which I suspect runs crazy hot but have yet to confirm with the actual purchase of an oven thermometer -- had them done in way less. Be safe, check them sooner. Nobody likes a burnt cracker!]

Topping (optional)
3 tablespoons (43 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (5 grams) ground cinnamon
The topping amount will make a heavy coating, like the store-bought ones. Make only half if you just want a light-to-moderate sprinkling.

Baked Kale Chips!! You Know You Want to Try Them.

On my quest to living a healthier lifestyle I have been reading tons of articles and for awhile now I've read about baked kale chips. Interesting right? Well we love kale in our soup so I figured it could be pretty good. Let me tell I like it but more than that it is SO easy!!

First off if you don't know what kale is it is a dark green leaf usually found by the cabbage in your produce area. It is full of nutrients and is said to be a natural detox, help protect from cancers, full of fiber, and six million other benefits. So if you haven't tried it... do!

Baked Kale Chips

One bunch of kale- I used the curly stuff because out here in no man's land it's all I can find but all varieties work.
1/2 Tbs. olive oil
Sea Salt to taste

Pre heat your oven to 300 degrees. Wash and dry your kale and remove the stem and the tough center ribbing. Cut in to large pieces and toss in a bowl with the olive oil and sea salt. Spread the kale out in a single layer on to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until crisp. Take out of the oven and let cool. Dig in.

A Yummy Lunch

I found a yummy and easy lunch. It is quickly becoming my go to lunch. It comes together really quickly which is great. I always cook up a batch of brown rice either Saturday or Sunday and stick it in the fridge to use during the week which makes this lunch so good!!

Brown Rice Yumminess
1/2 c. cooked brown rice
1/2 T. olive oil
2 mushrooms sliced
1/4 c. edamame (you can add more depending on how much you like it)
salt
pepper

Heat oil over med heat.While oil is heating put edamame and a dash of salt in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 and 1/2 minutes. Throw the slice mushrooms into the pan and cook. After a few minutes put in the steamed edamame and microwave rice covered for a minute. Throw it all in to a bowl and dig in!

I also steam some broccoli or cauliflower to eat on the side but this always fills me and tastes delish!!