The Best Hummus...and Pitas!

I love hummus...I remember a while ago thinking how cool it would be to make my own...so I did. Epic fail. I was so cross during the process, I had to get Jay to come and help me - ever patient, ever encouraging...but, honestly...it was gross. So...I resorted to the store-bought kind, even though I read reviews and recipes about delicious home-made hummus...I was certainly not giving it another go.

Until recently. A friend brought over some home-made pitas and home-made hummus...and I could not believe how delicious it was. Like - possibly the best I've had...and I've tried a lot of different kinds over the years.

Shut up and get to the recipe, am I right???

Here it is:

Hummus
2 cloves of garlic
1 can of chick peas (drained, but save 1/4 cup of the liquid)
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of chickpea liquid
1 and 1/2 TBSP of Zatar (its a Lebanese seasoning - i think this is a key ingredient - I would have no idea what you could substitute for this!)
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup tahini (ground sesame seed paste)
1/8 cup of olive oil

Add all of this (except the olive oil!) to your food processor and process until well combined.  Scrape down sides. Continue to process while adding the olive oil, and process until smooth and creamy. Sooo easy - and so delicious!

Now...I have to tell you...this is soooo good...and maybe takes 2 minutes to make. I don't think I'll be buying the store-bought kind again, honestly. You could probably experiment with different seasonings and additions to this...I likely will in the near future - but this is so awesome just as it is!

I also have the recipe for the pitas which are amazing...I made them last week, and also had some of the mini store-bought pitas - which have normally seemed fine - but tasted more like cardboard in comparison to the fresh home-made pitas. You will want to make these both on the same day...they will each be more enjoyable if you do! trust me.

Pitas:
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP olive oil
~ Mix together in large bowl, then add approximately 3 cups of white flour (not all at once!). Start with 1 cup, then mix into your next cup of flour 2 tsp of Quick Rise Yeast and add, and your last cup. (less if too dry, a bit more if too wet).  Mix with mixer as much of flour as you can, and stir with wooden spoon if too hard on your mixer. About 3 cups total flour.

Knead about 10 minutes onto floured counter - adding more flour as necessary if too sticky. Let rise in warm place (I usually turn my overn on at the beginning to about 200 degrees for like a minute, then turn it off) - in a large greased bowl, covered with a damp cloth - about 60-75 minutes, until doubled. Punch down, divide into 8 or 9 pieces. Let rest on counter for 10 minutes, covered with damp cloth so the dough doesn't become dry.  Roll out 2 at a time on floured counter quite thin - put on heated cookie sheet in 500 degree oven - 3-5 minutes per side. Leave in oven when flipping (use long tongs). They will brown a bit. These are unbelievably yummy. Hope this recipe makes sense to you and you give them a try! You may never buy store-bought hummus or pitas again, though...

Peanut Butter Hide-Aways

If you love peanut butter cookies (and why on earth wouldn't you?!) -- you will simply ADORE these: its a glorified version of a peanut butter cookie...and just as easy...

How could you possibly resist these?!

So, here's the recipe:

Peanut Butter Hide-Aways
1/2 cup softened margarine
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg

1 and 1/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Peanut butter cups (my package had 27 - and that's exactly how many cookies I made -- the recipe says it makes 3 and a half dozen -- I never get as many as the recipes say, though!)

So...Cream together the margerine, peanut butter and both sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy -- beat in the egg.

Combine next 4 ingredients in a small bowl, then add to margarine mixture. Mix til just moistened and all the dry ingredients are blended in. Roll into small balls, using about a tablespoon for each.  Place the balls into an ungreased mini-muffin pan. Like I said, my recipe made 27 cookies, but you'd get more if you made them a little smaller...

Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes, until light golden and puffy. Remove from oven.

Press the peanut butter cups down into the hot cookies (still in pan!), loosen the edges slightly with a sharp knife, and cool in the fridge for about 20 minutes (if you can stand to wait that long!) Then remove from the pan and ENJOY!!!

Be sure to eat one (or more!) while they're still warm, the peanut butter cups are gooey and delicious!!

We used to make these at Camp Joy in NY -- so, they always remind me of all those cuties we worked with there...and the place where me and my hubs fell in love. He's gonna fall in love with me all over again when he comes home from work today and sees these little goodies on the counter!!

Peanut Butter Squares

Okay...these are sooo delicious, and sooo easy. Honestly, they're just as easy as Rice Krispie Squares, and they taste like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, I'm not kidding.

Here's the ingredients:
1/2 cup margerine
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup graham crumbs
1 cup chocolate chips (I did half milk chocolate, half semi-sweet - Chipits, of course!)
2 Tbsp. margerine

Here's what you do:

Melt in a saucepan (on medium heat):
1/2 cup margerine
then add 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

Melt and stir until smooth. Remove from heat.
Then add: 1/4 cup graham crumbs and 2 cups of icing sugar.

Stir until combined, and pour into foil-lined 9x9 inch pan. Smooth out (if you're slightly anal, as I am.)

Melt:
1 cup milk chocolate chips and 2 Tbsp. margerine in microwave for about 1 minute at 50%, then stir...if not completely melted and smooth, do another 20-30 seconds...Pour and smooth over top of squares, and refrigerate for a little bit...

Sooooo yummy. and so easy, right?! :)

Enjoy!! ~ K~

Orange Cranberry Muffins

I have no picture, but...I'm telling you, these muffins...are sooo easy, and so moist and delicious -- you do most of it in the blender -- so, that's the toughest part: cleaning your blender afterwards!!

Orange Cranberry Muffins
1 whole, unpeeled orange
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 egg
1/2 cups softened margerine
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

Cut orange into 7 or 8 pieces. Remove seeds (remember, don't peel the orange!). Combine orange pieces and juice in blender. Puree 'til fairly smooth, then add cranberries, egg and margerine to blender and blend 'til...blended? Pour into medium sized mixing bowl.

Combine flour, sugar, powder and soda in separate bowl, then pour over top of orange mixture. Stir just until moistened, don't overmix too much or they may become tough! Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes...let sit about 5 minutes before removing from pan...Makes about 15 muffins...I have a tiny loaf pan that I usually pour the remaining batter in after I've filled my muffin pan up, 'cause...who wants to keep that oven on for just 3 muffins, am I right?

These are yummy...I can't believe I never took a picture of them...we gobbled them up too fast, I guess!  Enjoy!

So Soup Me..

So THIs just may very well be the BEST chicken Vegging soup Ive ever had! Ask anyone who kows me.. I CANNOT MAKE SOUP.. I just can't.. however since I've decided to start selling Epicure to make a little cash I HAVE to use their products so i can talk about them. Well the CHICKEN BOUILLON is TOPS!

AMAZING flavour.. 1/2 tsp to 1 cup water adn voila!  So i did 6 cups of broth with some fresh carrots and celery and chicken breast. Threw in some Epicure 3onion mix and it is amazing! Oddly enough the company promises to make you a better cook an dif you dont agree we will reimburse your money.. thats how SURE they are of their products! And I will say.. Im finding already that this wont be a hard sell.. the products are excellent.. top knotch.. can't wait for my first show!

Potato Salad

So...I cannot stop thinking about how nice it would be to have a BARBEQUE right now...but, there's no way that's happening. So...I'll settle for some other summer food: Potato Salad. And...I hate to brag, but...really, I don't think I've had anyone's potato salad that tastes as good as this. Its my mom's recipe, and pretty simple, but...sooooo good. Not healthy, but...very tasty!!

Potato Salad
Boil 6 - 8 medium sized potatoes, however you normally do. (I made mine into smaller chunks than normal so they'd cook faster.)

In a mixing bowl, mix:
3/4 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellmann's, which I'm pretty sure is the ONLY way to go! Mom uses Miracle Whip...which I'm not a huge fan of.)
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup coleslaw salad dressing
3-4 Tbsp. evaporated milk
Mix it up really good so the sugar dissolves. Then add about 1/3 cup chopped celery and chopped onion. Then add in your cooked potato. I kinda like mine pretty mashed up, but you can chop your potatoes or whatever you like! Add 3-4 chopped, boiled eggs, and put in the fridge. You'll probably want a couple bites of it warm, though - seriously delicious. I don't add salt and pepper to mine in the bowl, but I definetely do on my plate - everyone has a different tolerance for that, so I think its easier to just let them add their own.

So, there it is. I have mine cooling down in the fridge right now. Then I will be taking it to my mom's for a Potluck feast of lasagna, baked beans, and other yummy salads!! Mmmmm!!

I can't wait 'til summer.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Well. Yum. Really. And very red, but -- these pretty little things were supposed to be for a birthday party for a friend for a party for tonight, BUT - we had some really messy, snowy roads...so we are...stuck with a whole batch of these little treats...which. We WILL share. Tomorrow. Tonight they will enjoy just being pretty, and tomorrow: they will be devoured by my family.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

1/2 cup margarine

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. cocoa

3 Tbsp. red food coloring

1 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbsp. vinegar

Cream margarine; add sugar gradually.  Add eggs, one at a time; beat well. Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring in a small bowl, then add to the sugar mixture.  Mix flour and salt in a small bowl, and add alternately with the buttermilk, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla. Sprinkle soda over vinegar in small bowl, then add to the batter. Stir with a wooden spoon until mixed.

Put in a well greased muffin pan or muffin liners (I use a silicone muffin pan - they are super easy to clean and get out!)  and bake at 350 for about 22 minutes. Leave in the pan 'til a bit cooled so they don't fall apart.

Icing

1 pckg. cream cheese, softened

6 Tbsp. butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups icing sugar

I also had whipped cream - and that was equally as yummy on top in place of icing!

Enjoy! ~ Kristi



Cranberry Raisin Muffins with a bit of Orange

Healthy Cranberry Raisin Muffins

I was looking for a muffin recipe that was not just "healthy" but yummy. I wanted something to eat with a few chunks of hard cheddar cheese for breakfast or a morning snack at work so i wasn't tempted to go to the URBAN EATERY to get one of their delish cookies.  Sometimes the healthy muffins are the grossest.. lets be real.  But this recipe is the combination of two recipes plus a few added goodies of my own to jazz it up. If you actually have wheat germ in your cupboards... kudos to you.. add  2T, but if not.. no worries. Just be regular like the rest of us who have ran out of wheat germ today and your muffin will be just as tasty.

Okay.. lets get started!


1/2 Whole wheat flour
3/4 white flour
2 Tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 dried cranberries

Mix together well with  a wooden spoon or your hands whatever suits your fancy.

In a separate bowl ADD
1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt, (Activia Plain is my fav)
3 Tbs Olive Oil
1 egg
the juice of one small orange
the zest of that same orange. 

Stir a few times until incorporated . Leave lumps!!! this is the secret to great muffins.

Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with Pam and fill 3/4 full. Bake for 21 minutes  @ 350*.

SIDE NOTE:
Muffins are best baked at no higher than 350*

These freeze well for 8 weeks but i promise. You wont let them last that long in your house!
Enjoy,
Amanda

A most amazing sticky sweet jam cookie

So for this old fashion sweet cookie I recommend using homemade jam and claim these puppies as "authentically homemade" from start to finish.

You will need:


1.5 cups of Brown Sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1.5 tsp vanilla (you know I think Dominican pure vanilla extract is by far the best, If you have it use only .5 tsp)
2 cups flour
1tsp baking soda
.5 tsp salt.

This is so easy:
In a large bowl mix brown sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs with a mixer. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon.
Using a tablespoon baller roll dough into balls, roll in a little white sugar if you have some, and place on cookie sheet. Flatten with your hand. Make a thumb impression in the centre fill with little dollops of homemade jam. I used strawberry jam for this receipe and it was DELISH!

Bake 12 minutes @ 350*. They wont look done but as you also know.. Kristi & I are big fans of letting cookies finish baking on their racks.  You will definately want a cup of tea with these cookies.

You will easily get at least 3 Dozen.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Dont be tempted to make these small. Often times when they are smaller they come out more plump but drier... go for the tablespoon size and enjoy the sticky sweet yumminess!

Amanda

Guest Blogger: Erin B

Happy to introduce to you, our Guest Blogger today, our faithful reader/friend/sister, Erin...

Winter
The one of the best parts of winter for me has been coming over to my sister's house in the afternoon and playing a good ol game of Racko. But usually before we start playing, my sis will get a big ol' pot of water piping hot to make us some hot chocolate. And she makes a darn good cup of it too.

(*right now, I hope you are envisioning the sequence from Polar Express....HOT HOT HOT HOT Chocolate and I'm also imagining that part in the movie Chocolat when she finally figures out Jonny Depp's "favorite" when she makes him her famous hot chocolate with chili peppers in it. But I digress.)

Anyways. Here's MY way of making Hot chocolate:
1. Get regular water and make it hot somehow -microwave, tea kettle, campfire. (But don't add it to the mug yet!)
2. Take a little bit of cream or milk and put that in your mug then add maybe 2 TBL of Hot Chocolate Mix. It's very important to rapidly whip this into a frenzy and have it nice and frothy before adding the hot water.
3. Ever so gently, pour the water directly into the mug.
4. Add at least 40-50 mini marshmellows on top, and don't put the bag away either because if you keep a spoon handy you can skim those ones off the top and add a few more when they start melting.
5. Enjoy with a game, book or movie! Good served alone or also with popcorn.
*Just remember that sometimes this is very rich and it needs to be very hot, so you may need to reheat it once the cup is half full...also it may give you a slight stomach ache from being too sweet* ~ Erin