Homemade Hummus

On today's lunch menu... homemade hummus! I discovered hummus two summers ago, when I was pregnant with Rebecca, and ate it All. Summer. Long. However, $3.29 for a container from the deli got to be kind of an expensive habit. And then I remembered that I have a food processor... which is basically all you need. Everything you need to make this is probably already in your kitchen, except for maybe the chickpeas (which are cheap and easy to find) and tahini. When I first found this recipe, I had absolutely no idea what tahini is. (If you are a more cultured person than me and already know what tahini is, skip this part.) After asking several commissary employees (who also had no idea), I finally found it. Turns out tahini is a paste made of sesame seeds. I found it with the ethnic foods; it's from the Middle East. (Makes sense, right?)

This is your priciest ingredient, but you only use a couple of tablespoons in each batch... see the Math Section below. Its consistency is like natural peanut butter in that it separates into oil and paste, so make sure you really stir it before you use it. The rest is easy.

As far as crediting the recipe, all I can say is that I adapted it from a recipe that I tore out of a magazine. Unfortunately, since I literally tore out this corner of a page, I can't tell you what magazine it was. My guess is Family Circle or possibly Better Homes & Gardens.

Homemade Hummus

Yield: 1 1/4 cups

You'll need:

1 (15.5 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3 T lemon juice

2 T tahini

2 T olive oil

1/2 t cumin (or more... I really, really love cumin)

1/2 t salt

Put all your ingredients in a food processor and blend until you've got a smooth paste. Tah-dah!

(Not the most photogenic food, is it? Brown paste. Trust me, it tastes great.)

My favorite ways to eat hummus: on Triscuits with cheddar cheese and diced tomato...

Or, just dig in with some Tostitos. Yum.

The Math Section:

The jar of tahini cost me about $4, but since there are 16 2-tablespoon servings in the jar, that's only $.25 for each batch of hummus. So, $.59 for the chickpeas + $.25 for tahini + mere pennies for your other pantry staples = a beautiful bowl of hummus for less than $1. Also, it would be ridiculously easy to experiment with the recipe. Spinach? Garlic? Roasted red pepper? Try them all! Why would you ever buy hummus again?

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go open another bag of Tostitos...

M&M Cookies

Here's a family recipe that I've loved for as long as I can remember. My mom used to make these every Christmas... I find that I can't go a whole year without making them at least a few times!

They are fantastic warm out of the oven, and they stay fresh for quite a while (if you can keep from eating them all immediately).

They also make great holiday desserts, if you buy the Christmas M&Ms, Easter M&Ms, etc.

M&M Cookies

Yield: 3-5 dozen, depending on size

You'll need:

1 c shortening

1 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c granulated sugar

2 t vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/4 c flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 1/2 c (or more) plain M&Ms, divided (plus some to snack on while you're baking)

Cream shortening and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix. Stir in half the M&Ms. Drop spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Decorate the tops with the rest of the M&Ms. Bake at 350 degrees (or 325 degrees for dark/non-stick pan) for 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Don't over-bake! Cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.

Chicken Ranch Pizza

Here it is... my very first post! I found this recipe at Pennies on a Platter via Pinterest. The only change I made was to use my own recipe for the crust.

It reminds me of my favorite sub at Subway. This got me thinking about other toppings that would be great on the pizza. Shredded iceberg lettuce? Pickled banana peppers? Hot sauce? You could go a lot of directions with this one.

Chicken Ranch Pizza

Adapted from Pennies on a Platter

Yield: 12-inch pizza

You'll need:

1 prepared (12-inch) pizza dough

1/4 c ranch dressing

1 c shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cooked chicken breast, cut into very small pieces

6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1 tomato, seeded and diced small

1/4 c sliced green onions

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to the temperature directed for your crust. Shape dough and place on prepped pizza stone or greased metal pan. Evenly spread the ranch dressing over the crush, leaving a 1/2" border for the outer crush. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese, then layer the chicken, bacon, tomato, and green onions. Top with the cheddar cheese. Bake according to your crust recipe's directions.

P.S. I added hot sauce when I ate the leftovers - OH YES!