Hum Hum Hum Hummus! Yum!

It didn't even make it to a serving bowl.  We ate it straight from the buzzer!

My first introduction to hummus was a few years ago when our family won the Cooking With Your Kids Contest with the Food Network.  One of the nights we were in NYC we were able to prepare dinner with all 4 of the  families who won, and Emeril.  Each family had a station in the Food Network kitchen and made a different component of the dinner.  Our family made a dessert of Frozen Chocolate Dipped Bananas rolled in all sorts of good thing, and fresh Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.  The Chocolate Dipped Strawberries were one of Emeril's daughters favorite things to eat.  He was so kind and good with the kids.  He made each kid there feel like he loved their guts.  Nice guy.  Well one of the other families made a homemade Hummus dip that we dipped pita chips and fresh veggies in.  It was surprisingly yummy!  I had never been interested in it, but now I was intrigued.

We went home from the vacation with loads of recipes, and treats, and the Hummus recipe became a favorite.  A few days ago I came across a recipe highlighted on the Tasty Kitchen blog.  It was a homemade hummus that incorporated fresh spinach in it and it looked so pretty.  Since I just happened to have all the ingredients on hand (my pantry stock is getting ridiculous!  I usually have just about every weird ingredient you could ever imagine.) I decided to make it.

It was the perfect pre meal snack before Sunday dinner.   And the good thing is, it will last a while in the fridge.  I love dipping Stacey's Just Naked Pita Chips.  Emma likes tortillas chips.  Veggies are great too.  It's actually really healthy and a great alternative to creamy chip dips.

Spinach Feta Hummus

Courtesy of Tasty Kitchen and www.whatsgabycooking.com

30 ounces, weight Garbanzo Beans Drained

1-½ cup Fresh Spinach

8 ounces, weight Feta Cheese (I used Goat cheese)

⅓ cups Olive Oil

5 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

4 Tablespoons Tahini (this is sesame seed paste)

2 Tablespoons Red Pepper Flakes (I used Sambal chili sauce 2t.)

2 cloves Garlic, Peeled

2 teaspoons Salt

1/4 c. sugar

Preparation Instructions

Combine the garbanzo beans, spinach, olive oil, lemon juice and tahini in a large food processor. Pulse until combined. Add the feta, red pepper flakes, garlic and salt. Pulse until combined. Taste and add salt or more red pepper flakes if desired.

These Are Some Hot Buff Chicks, Dip

Running/canning gals.

Beef ready for the steam table.

Look at that equipment. It's old and I'm amazed it still works.

Cappuccino girl. (Just teasing Jill!)

The second annual running girls Sat. outing at the Preston Cannery is always such a treat. Ok, maybe not a lovely treat, but after you get home with all your goods the time is always well spent. Our adventure started at 4:20am a few Sat's. ago as we loaded our 300 lbs. of raw chicken into the back of C's truck and off we went.

I remember the first time we pulled into the parking lot of the Preston Cannery. All it was, was a tin shed with steam rising out of it. Could this really be, I thought. I think I was expecting something a little more stainless steal shiny in appearance than this, but tin shed it was. Into the shed we go with chicken in hand, as well as beef this year. There are lots of other people there making anything from sweet and sour sauce, bean dip, tomato soup and stew. I love wandering and questioning others on what they are making. I'm sure as I leave a group after asking them 20 questions they are all looking at each other asking, "Did you know her? Who is that weird lady roaming the cannery?" but hey, I'm learning a lot, and maybe someone will let me taste something sometime:)

We can chicken each year and it is the best. I've put it is pasta salads, soups, enchiladas, but my favorite is Buffalo Chicken Dip. Delish!! One of my beloved sister-in-laws made this dip years ago for a family outing, and I've just kind of Lisa-fied it. It is dang good with celery sticks, or Stacey's Naked Pita Chips, or as a topping for Bruschetta too. This dip is the reason I got up at 3:40am last Sat. I must really love it, and I love the company I was with too. Try this dip for a Thanksgiving appetizer or other family gathering. It makes quite a bit, and easily stores in a container in the fridge. When you want some all you have to do is put some on a plate and microwave for 2 mins. It's that easy.

Enjoy and thanks again running buddies for the fun time canning our chicken bosoms, hot chocolate (cappuccino for Jill), and laughs! I love it when we laugh so hard Kerry cries!

These Are Some Hot Buff Chicks, Dip

1 large can chicken breast or 2 bosoms chopped or 1 small rotisserie chicken

2 8 oz bricks cream cheese

1 c. Franks Hot Wing sauce

1 c. ranch dressing, or mayo, or sour cream (whatever you've got)

1 c. or more crumbled blue cheese

1/8 c. sugar (totally optional)

Mix all the ingredients together in your mixer. The chicken gets completely pulverized. It turns pretty dang smooth. Place the mixture in a large baking dish. I use a deeeeeeep dish pie plate

One More Great Way To Use Tomatoes

Two out of the four quarts the recipe makes.

Salsa man. Salsa!  Does anyone not love this stuff.  I remember when salsa first came into my world.  I realize that most kids now a days don't know anything but salsa, but that was not always the case. I was about 15 years old and I was attending EFY with a ton of friends when my first memory of salsa happened.  I was rooming with my best friend since kindergarten and we had some free time before heading out for all those wonderful EFY activities. (You know.  Boys and dances, and if you were lucky someone to give you a chaste little peck!  I loved EFY.)  We decided we needed a treat and headed across the road to a little convenience store that was on the other side of our Helaman Halls home.

Our treat of choice was a bottle of Pace Picante Sauce with a huge bag of chips.  We weren't smart enough to know to get the bottle of mild sauce.  We got the bottle of screaming hot sauce.  We sat in the room slurping the stuff down.  If we stopped for too long our tongues would be on fire, therefore we just didn't stop chomping down the chips and salsa until it was gone. Every last crumb and drip.  You know when something is so hot, but it tasted so good.  Our taste buds slowly recovered a few hours later and I'm sure we smelled so sweet and oniony for the first dance of the week, but 15 year olds don't care about those kind of things.  It was a delicious moment in time.  Chips and salsa quickly found their place in my life.  

This recipe for fresh salsa is from my friend Allison.  It makes a ton.  Actually about a gallon, but if you're sharing it goes quick.  I made it last weekend for the Labor Day activities, and when all was said and done there was nothing left.  I sent a bottle home with J's brother who seemed to enjoy it immensely and the rest was scarfed right down.  You won't have trouble finding takers for a lovely quart of this sauce!  If you do, call me.  My friend Erin is always willing to help me out with a quart or so:)

Allison's Fresh Salsa

12-14 large tomatoes or 5 lbs. of Roma's

6 yellow wax peppers

6 jalepenos

2 large chili peppers

(or a combinations of any peppers you have.  I used 4 jalepenos with the seeds last week and it was spicy.  Instead of chili peppers I usually use just regular green or red peppers.)

1 large red onion

1 bunch of cilantro

1/8 c. garlic salt or 5 cloves of garlic

1 c. vinegar or lime juice

1/2 c. vegetable oil

8 oz. can tomato sauce

I usually place all the peppers and onion in the Cuisinart and chop the heck out of them.  Then I add the cilantro and buzz a few more seconds.  I place that mixture in a bowl.  I usually hand chop half of the tomatoes, and buzz the second half.  Stir in the remaining ingredients and serve with chips or drink it out of a cup:)

Garner Family Reunion

Lizzy the mermaid

Spencer on the newest additon.  Airchair!

Our favorite new addition.  Jessica!

What a fun grandpa!  

Lovely girls!

What a fantastic weekend we had with the Garner's.  Every 24th of July weekend we head up to Bear Naked Lake with my fam and everyone comes.  Hollie comes from the land up north and Marc and Suz even come.  It is dang fun.  We always enjoy every minute.  We got a new addition to our family this year.  Well it is unofficially official.  Jessica "soon to be Garner".  I have to take full credit for this match up.  Jess worked for us at the bakery and when Eric returned home from his mission I told him I wanted him to meet this cute girl.  Well the rest is history.  They've dated, she's been on a mission, and now the next step is marriage.  They'll do great together.  

Of course the food is always a main attraction at the reunion, and nothing disappointed us.  I love you all and thanks for the great weekend.  Ma and Pa you're the best!  Thanks for all the shakes too!  I'm posting the recipe for Guacamole.  We make it a little more on the salsa side.  Lot's of tomatoes, and cilantro.  It made a great burger!  

Pioneer Guacamole

Avacadoes cut and in chuncks.  I don't like it smooth.

tomatoes

red onion

cilantro

jalepeno without seeds

lime juice

salt and pepper

Cut up everything and keep it chunky.  Place on your favorite burger, sandwich, tortilla soup, or just naked with chips.  Takes you to Mexico without the swine flu:)