Lemony Pesto Hummus

I love hummus. I like trying it in any form, it's delicious. I've never made it myself. But, I know I'll be making it more in the future. The possibilities are truly endless. I'll be trying more and more. The only thing I'm not thrilled about is how many calories there are in one 1/4 cup serving, about 280! It's just so high. Also for me as a diabetic the carbs are high as well. So, I'll be seeking more vegetarian foods that are lowere in carbs.

Lemony Pesto Hummus
Delicious and quick snack that's nuturious and yummy.                     

10 Minutes to Prepare

Number of Servings: 4

 

Tips

Serve with chips, tortilla chips, celery, slices of peppers - the ideas are endless. Just enjoy. It's full of potassium and vitamin B6

Ingredients
1 Can Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) (about 2 cups)
Juce of 1 Lemon about 1/4 Cup
Truffle Oil 1/4 cup
2 Tablespoons Garlic powder
1 Tablespoon Pesto seasoning
1 teaspoon of Sea Salt

Directions

No cooking! :D
Open the can of chickpeas. Rinse them. Pour them into a blender, (or if you're lucky enough a food processor).
Cut lemon in half & squeeze the juice into the blender.
1/4 Cup of truffle oil over the chickpeas and lemon in the blender.
Add in garlic powder, pesto seasoning, and sea salt.
Blend until it's pasty looking.
Spoon out into a bowl & enjoy with your friends or family.

Hummus is great to enjoy, and it's so versatile.

Serving Size: Makes about 1/4 Cup Serving Sizes
Number of Servings: 4

Snickerdoodles Like Mom Used to Make

 Snickerdoodles - the one cookie that reminds me of home. I smell them, I see photos of them, or if a friend makes them I miss my Mom within a milisecond. My Mom made the best Snickerdoodles in all the Universe. No, seriously! She really did. I know she used the recipe from her grandma, and I'm pretty sure it was the same I found today because they taste EXACTLY the same. I was so happy to open my cookbook and see the recipe that we had used when I was a kid. I remember being in the kitchen with Mom during the holidays and baking Snickerdoodles. They were amazing straight from the oven, and even better a day or two (if they made it that long) later.

So, since I'm so far from my Mom I had to bring some home into our home this Christmas. So, I did. I put as much love into mine, as she did her's. The only thing missing were my Mom & Dad to enjoy them with. But, I got to take some out of the oven while I was on the phone with them and bite into it. Flashing back to my childhood and giggling with my family during the holidays.

I miss you Mom & Dad. I try to recreate all the love and togetherness we had growing up. I hope you'll get to visit sometime. Until then, I'll bring you into our lives in the things we do.

Here's the recipe I used to make the delicious cookies from Betty Crocker's cookbook.

Snickerdoodles

Heat oven to 400ºF.

Makes about four dozen

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Used for the dough to be rolled in:

1/4 cup sugar (4 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:
Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, the butter, shortening and eggs in large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cooking pan.

Cook 8 – 10 minutes or until set

I set the timer for eight minutes, then watch them very closely. The ovens here in Germany do not cook the same as they did back home in America. So, watch for the cookies just begin to form cracks and thier color is a light brown, and remove them. Cool them on the cookie sheet about 2 minutes then remove to rack to cool completely. Then eat & enjoy. Grab a cold glass of milk and eat!

There are a ton of recipes for Snickerdoodle's online, but trust me - this one is the real one. These are just like the ones I had from 1970-something until I left Texas in 2010.

List of delicious love

They seem to be everywhere of late. I am fascinated by them. I’m doing them more often, and having fun. I make them mentally, or do a more artistic journal rendition of them. Any way I’m doing them, and I’m loving it.

So, my lists of foods I’ve discovered and love is as follows:

Acorn squash! Oh, the things you can make with this delicious beautiful squash.

Butternut squash! There are so many things to can make with this fantastic fun shaped squash, or even better roast it, grab a spoon and just dig in as is. OMG! *drooling*

Black beans! Yes, you fantastic little legume I do love you so. You are full of deliciousness, and protein. You allow me to enjoy my life and not miss meat so much. Oh, the affair shall last forever. I eat you whole or can mash you up into a wonderful little dip. I know we met a few years ago, but you are back in my life to stay now.

Amy’s vegetarian frozen meals! Okay, I’d rather cook my own food, but when I’m beat, or my FMS has me beat, I can run to the store and grab one of the delectable little meals and just pop it into the microwave and enjoy the wonderful meal without the guilt of running out and buying meat. Amy dear Amy, you have made me realize that it’s not about meat or vegetarian meals. No! It’s about the flavor you can put into your meals. Thank you Amy! Thank you!

There are so many more vegetables and fruits I’ve discovered lately. I am excited about this new, rebirth, of this lifestyle for me. But I believe my last food to list for now has to be. . .

Chickpeas or garbanzo beans! Oh, like the black bean you are fan-freaking-tastic so many ways. I can sit down with a sliced veggie and just go to town. I’m so happy. I do love you. I love you with garlic. I love you with a bit of thyme and olive oil. Oh, I love you just about any way you can imagine.

I used to dread the idea of not being able to eat meat. Not so any longer.
No!

I find so many wonderful recipes and come up with so many things to make. I have to be honest here though. I woke up today thinking about my family’s chicken & dumpling recipe. I began to fret. I mean – HELLO! It has chicken in it, and I do NOT eat that any longer. BLECH! So, I thought – okay, I can have some vegetarian chicken formed thing. Then, I began to gag – NO! So, I thought well, make it just without the meat, just have dumplings. HAHAHAHA No. That’s not healthy either. So, I figured I’ll just find something to create, something that will still be the ladies in my family, but me as well. So, my new quest is to create a vegetarian meal like chicken and dumplings, something that even my grandchildren will love. (When I have them – I’m in NO rush!)

Life is all about change. At least for this lady it is. I embrace change. I probably welcome it more than some do. I can’t seem to stay in one place for more than three years at a time before I begin to get itchy feet…but this is for another blog. Today, it’s all about the fun of lists and the wonderful foods I’m rediscovering.

Dee's Potato, Leek and Cilantro Soup

Life for me is better being meat free. Again, I'm not doing this for any political reasons, or anything other than my body cannot handle the meat any longer. I just don't feel good, physically, after I eat meat anymore.

So, I have meat behind. I feel so much better. My body is thanking me by making my moods elevate again. It's been so long since I've been happy & I was truly dreading winter with the lack of sun. However, it's been a complete turn of attitude and mood & I am thrilled! I am happy again for the first time in almost nine months!

So, I made this yummy soup. I know it look super greasy, but it's really not. It only has two tablespoons of truffle oil.

Delicious, flavorful soup that is super simple to make for two or more. Great to make ahead and have leftovers during the week for lunch or dinner for the busy single, or couple.

I hope you'll try my soup. It's simple and delicious. I LOVE soup! I told my daughter a while back, if I ever opened a restaurant I'd open a soup place. I found one in Luxembourg, that I will be going back to try too.

Dee's Potato, Leek & Cilantro Soup

Six 1-Cup Servings

Ingredients:

1 Leek, chopped

2 Potatoes

1 Bunch of Cilantro

3 Cloves of Garlic (Yes! I LOVE garlic.)

2 Tablespoons EVOO or Truffle Oil (which is what I used)

16 Oz of Vegetable broth

1 Can of Coconut Milk

2 Cans of Water

Exact amounts:
Leeks, 1 cup
Potato, raw, 2 medium (2-1/4" to 3-1/4" dia.)
Garlic, 3 clove
Cilantro, raw, 3 tbsp
Olive Oil, 2 tbsp
Coconut Milk, 1.25 cup
Vegetable Broth, 2 cup
Water, tap, 26 fl oz
Cooking:

Slice up the leek. Chop the potatoes into chunks. I made mine bite size. Dice up the cilantro and two cloves of garlic.

Put one table spoon of oil into a pot. (I like to cook my food in the pot I'm going to make the soup in, it's just less mess!) Put in the sliced leeks, and chopped potatoes and cilantro and two cloves of garlic.

In a saute pan put the other tablespoon of oil and the remaining diced garlic clove. (I used the largest clove of garlic I had for this piece.) Sauté for about five minutes, or less depending on your taste. Stir occasionally.

While your clove of garlic is sautéing, begin to prepare the soup by adding your vegetable broth, coconut milk, and two cans of water to the pot with your leeks, potatoes, and cilantro. Cook on low-medium heat for about 25 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Tips:
Add more veggies if you'd like it chunkier. I just love creating recipes, and I'd love to hear other's additions and changes.

Family of Friends

This little odd montage of trees are some I photographed on the way back from Amsterdam. You know what a tree hugger I am. (Yes, literally in many cases.)
I know I'm odd. I admit it. This is proof. This is how my odd little mind works.
See, I was completely taken by these three trees. So, I photographed them individually, knowing I was going to do this with them. I just loved them. They were each unique and beautiful, but I wanted them together to show their different unique style. Kind of like the people in my life. You are all together in my heart, but very unique & different & that's what I love about you all.
I love my family of friends.
Just like things that grow on the earth some things are planted by things that float into the area. Well, each of you in my life are here and are incredibly beautiful, unique and planted for a purpose.
Sometimes one needs more than the other, and that's what I value in relationships. Thank you for being a part of my life.
I love you.

Dee's Lemon Garlic & Paprika Peppered Pasta

Dee's Lemon Garlic and Paprika Peppered Pasta

Ingredients:
8 oz of Angel Hair Pasta
1 Lemon
2 Cloves of Garlic
2 Tbsp Oil (I used black truffle oil)
2 tsp Paprika
3 tsp Lemon Garlic Pepper
Few "spritzes" of butter/margarine spray
Directions:
Cook Angel Hair pasta according to the packaging. Drain & set aside, spritz a few times with butter/margarine spray & toss.

Smash your garlic clove(s), (I LOVE garlic, so I actually used two very large cloves), and dice into small pieces.

Put two tablespoons of oil, (I used black truffle oil), into skillet and mix in the diced garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes until the garlic is thoroughly integrated into the oil. I cooked mine until the garlic was a light brown consistency.

Place pasta into a bowl, pour oil & garlic mixture over the top and mix thoroughly. Take your lemon cut in half and squeeze generously over your pasta. Sprinkle your paprika and lemon garlic pepper over the mixed pasta and stir/mix again.

Makes probably four portions, but I think it was two healthy portions. You could easily serve it with a salad and veggies and have the four serving sizes.

It's a light delicious meal, with a different flavor. I get sick of the same ole tomato flavor, or super creamy pasta meal. I like the light flavor of this meal.

This meal was inspired from my Pintrest.com food board. Follow me, I'm Nikongoddess on Pintrest.com.