Hummus Date

They are kind of our thing, hummus dates.  I'm not sure when or how that began, but they've been around since our early dating days.  The perfect thing about hummus dates is that it can happen anywhere!  Whether you make your own or buy it at the store, the food is easy to pack up and even easier to clean up.  Sometimes the convenience of store-bought is just what we need, but since discovering these recipes, I try to make it a homemade date as often as possible.  Seriously, these pitas are ah-maz-ing!  So perfectly soft and fluffy, with a hint of crunch in the thin areas.  Even if you buy the hummus, I would encourage you to make your own pitas.  So worth it.

The hummus recipe is really good as well.  Basic, but a perfect blend.  And of course you can add whatever you want to doctor it up.  Make it hot and spicy with some cayenne.  Add some roasted garlic (my favorite!).  Got any sundried tomatoes?  So delicious.

 My new favorite kitchen toy (I love the red!) makes the whole process easier, and my (majorly teething) little helper makes the whole process much, much sweeter. 

  I usually double the hummus recipe, and then eat on the rest for lunches.  This recipe is not full of oil like some I've tried, but it still has a perfect creamy texture.  I'd like to try freezing the pita dough in little balls so I can pull out a few at a time, but I'm not sure if that will work.

 Of course, sometimes our hummus dates become family dates because I just can't keep the girls away from those yummy pitas!  Caroline had her first hummus date with us last night, and I'm guessing from the number of "mores" she signed that she she'll be participating in many more in the future!

Autumn Recipe

The weather is absolutely gorgeous here! Sunny with a gentle nip in the air.  Perfect sweatshirt and sandals weather.  I am soaking up every glorious moment, seeking out time in our backyard; relishing the breeze through our open windows; drinking my coffee a little slower.

And of course making yummy food.  Lots of yummy food.  (Good thing it's also perfect running weather!)  I love to try new recipes, and this year there were some major winners in my book!  Roasted Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Pasta (in the September issue of Martha Stewart Living), Pumpkin Cornbread, and Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes.  All fabulous recipes that I will be pulling out of my recipe folder for many autumns to come.

I want to share with you one of my very favorite recipes of all time, and although good year round, fall is it's native country.  Warm and cozy, this is my ultimate comfort food, and the best part is, it's also really healthy!  Perfect to balance out the other decadent dishes of this season.  Also, this is one of the few dishes that Elli always asks for seconds of (sometimes thirds!), and even though Daniel is not usually a fan of sweet potatoes, he loves this one!  So, brew some tea (I'm drinking Harney & Sons Holiday), read on, and then add this to next week's menu plan. 

Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple Soup
The original recipe is from Real Simple, but it's one of those recipes that it's really hard to mess up.
 

You didn't really think I wouldn't have any pictures of littles, did you?

Make sure sweet potatoes are the star, but you could put pretty much any vegetable in this soup.  

I was running low on time yesterday, so I chopped up my sweet potatoes to help them roast more quickly.  You can totally roast them whole if you prefer.  The recipe tells you to scoop out the insides and leave the skin, but trust me, you'll never notice the difference.  Plus, all those vitamins and nutrients are concentrated in the peel; why would you want to miss out on that?

Roast in the oven at 400 degrees until tender.  Your kitchen will soon be filled with the most amazing aroma.

Let your olive oil heat up and then saute on med-high until soft (about 10-15 minutes)

Play around with whatever spices you choose.  Recently, I've been enjoying a curry powder (no, I'm not cool enough to make my own), ginger, and red pepper mix.  Go with your gut and start small.

Okay, not many picturess of this step because it takes too many hands.  Mix in your sweet potatoes to the sauteed veggie mix, add your spices, then pour in water.  If you've got a little leftover broth, feel free to throw that in there too, but water is all you need!  The recipe calls for 6 cups, but I usually think that is too much.  Put enough water so that it begins to look like a soup, but doesn't completely cover everything.

 Okay, the tricky part.  I make a little assembly line for this step, but be prepared... it's a little messy.  Scoop out some of the soup into your blender and puree until smooth and creamy.  You could also use a food processor if you like.  Then pour into an extra bowl.  Repeat until all your soup is pureed, then wash out any remaining bits from your pot before returning the pureed soup to the pot.

Eat it plain or top with cilantro and pumpkin seeds like we did yesterday, or toasted garlic and parsley, or a pretty swirl of cream... whatever sounds good!