Hummus!!! And a new Twitter account

Hummus!!

I have fallen in love with this stuff! It's amazing.....healthy.....tasty......very versatile....

There are lots of different recipes and ways to make hummus.....the most popular is chickpeas (garbanzo beans), tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. I don't like tahini......it just has kinda a weird taste to me....there are some purists out there who refuse to even believe that you can make hummus without it....I beg to differ. (tahini is a paste made out of sesame seeds)

You can also add in paprika, roasted pepper, and/or salt.....then everything is just ground up to a smooth paste like consistency.

Health Benefits

• Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are very good for you because they are rich in protein and contain no cholesterol or saturated fats.  Chickpeas are also known to be effective in preventing build up of cholesterol in the blood vessels.
• Olive oil is known for being high in healthy fat - it is high in monounsaturated fat content but low in saturated fat. This oil can thus help regulate cholesterol and protect the heart from various diseases.
• Garlic and lemon juice, meanwhile, are filled with antioxidants. They also work to improve your immune system and fight off bacteria and viruses.
• Altogether, hummus contains iron, vitamin B6, manganese, copper, folic acid, and amino acids. It also contains omega 3 fatty acids, which helps to  improve intelligence and maintaining a healthy heart. 

 

 Ways to use Hummus

• use as a dip for veggies such as peppers, carrots, and celery
• to replace mayo on sandwiches or pitas
• as a dip for pita chips/bread
• add to plain whole wheat noodles with some parmesan cheese ( I do this for my kids since they are picky eaters and they won't eat meat sometimes - adds lots of protein to their meals and they LOVE it!)
• add to sauteed onion and peppers with extra veggies such as corn or cauliflower and some chicken (this is SO good!)
• add to wonton wrappers and bake it then dip it in your fav chutney sauce
• use as a base "sauce" for pizza then add onion, peppers, chicken, mozzarella cheese and basil (had this for lunch today...also added some salsa just because for some reason it sounded good lol....and it was!)
• to replace cream cheese in some layered dips or on a tortilla (whole wheat tortilla with hummus, peppers and spinich)
• can be used to replace the yolks and mayo combo in deviled eggs
• can be used to thicken soups
• cherry tomatoes can be filled with hummus - cut off the tops of cherry tomatoes, scoop out the seeds, and use a piping bag to fill each tomato with hummus.
• and one person recommended using hummus as an exfolient for your face.....not sure about this one......if you do it let me know how it turns out! lol I would rather be eating it ........ 

Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained, liquid reserved
• 1 clove garlic, crushed .....or 2.....I like garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons paprika

Directions:

1. In a blender or food processor combine garbanzo beans, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and olive oil. Blend on low speed, gradually adding reserved bean liquid, until desired consistency is achieved. 

I usually double the recipe and freeze half......we go through it fast though so it doesn't stay in the freezer long.....but it will keep in the freezer for about 2-3 months.

 

 

I also signed up for Twitter! Finally (as my husband would say.....lol)

Check it out and tell me what you think! My Twitter handle is @eatcake_bakery

I don't have many tweets yet because I spent most of my time designing the background.....so really let me know what you think of it lol! I have a whole 5 followers so far! Woohoo! lol

My first "Cake Bible" recipe and Pizza :)

I LOVE my Cake Bible! It has SO much information in it! I have never been very good at baking cakes from scratch.....I usually use a cake mix base and add too it with Cake Dr. recipes.......don't judge me.......

However, this first recipe, White Velvet Butter Cake, turned out really well! It was very light, almost like an angel food cake, and just melted in your mouth......SO GOOD!  :))

I made some homemade Vanilla Whipped Cream and added fresh strawberries to top the cake off. It set the cake of perfectly......I think a stronger flavor would have been too much.

Hopefully, I will be making another recipe from my Cake Bible tomorrow :) I plan on baking my way through it this year - the whole book! I can't wait :)

On another note I made some homemade pizza.....I needed a recipe to give you since I can't just give you recipes from The Cake Bible :)

Sorry the pictures aren't very good :\ It was after dark and I don't have good lighting for pictures.

Anyways, it is homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza with whole wheat crust........my favorite pizza :) I don't have the calories figured out exactly....I've been working on it lol.....but it is about 250 calories for 2 slices.....not too bad for pizza :)

BBQ Chicken Pizza


Crust Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Crust Instructions:

• In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
• Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in 3cups of the whole wheat flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.However, I actually had enough to make 4 medium-ish pizzas - I made 2 up and froze the rest of the dough for later.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a well oiled pizza pan.
• I like to pre-bake the crust at 500 degrees F for about 5 minutes before putting toppings on. 

For the toppings:

• 1 large-ish chicken breast - shredded
• about 2 cups of BBQ sauce (click HERE for my recipe)
• 1/2 red onion - sliced however you like for pizza - I personally like them in strips
• 2 tomatoes - sliced
•  mozzerella cheese - one bag of shredded cheese - a couple of handfuls should cover pizza
•  parmesan cheese - grated fresh 

 To put together:

• after pre-baking the crust - spread a layer of BBQ sauce on the crust
• then spread the chicken over the sauce
• onion and tomato go on next
• then mozzerella cheese on top and grated parmesan cheese after that
• Bake at 425 degrees F for 16-20 minutes or until bubbly and turning brown on top
  
  Enjoy!!!
  

Green Monster Smoothie!

I'm so excited for this post! I have been wanting to try this smoothie since I first saw it like at least a year ago! I wasn't too sure of it at first.....I mean it's green! A pretty green, yes......however, still green!

My hubby got me a Oyster Smoothie Blend and Go Cup for Christmas :) I LOVE it!!!! It's SO convenient - all you do is blend it right in the cup and switch lids - barely any cleanup! Just my type of kitchen gadget! lol 

I've been making the usual smoothies which are good - like strawberry/blueberry with oatmeal - however, I wanted something a little bit more.

Doesn't that look beautiful?!

This is chock full of vitamins like A, C, K, iron, fiber, folate, and lutein..........Leutin is an antioxidant that promotes good eye health, and may help prevent cancer of the liver, ovaries, colon and prostate, and even dementia.

There are loads of people who claim that green smoothies help....

•  smooth and clear skin exponentially
• decrease acne
• increase energy levels
• speed up hair and nail growth
• encourage shinier, healthier hair
• improve overall feelings of health

So what's to lose?! Plus as my hubby and I discovered....they are DELICIOUS!!!! They don't even taste healthy!

Here are the basic ingredients: 

• Full-Fat, Organic Yogurt (3 Tbsp): For the creaminess, and the protein
• Spinach or Kale (1-2 handfuls): It just wouldn’t be a raw, fresh, green smoothie without one of these two ingredients 
• Banana (1 whole, peeled, frozen banana): To add body, potassium, and creaminess to the smoothie

 Other Things You Can Use in a Green Smoothie:

• Fruits of any shape, taste or size (I used frozen strawberries - if you use a colored berry such as blueberries your smoothie will turn brown!)
• Oatmeal (I LOVE adding oatmeal to smoothies! They really help to fill you up!)
• Peanut butter
• Honey, agave, stevia, or other sweeteners
• Wheatgrass, Kale, or any other type of healthy green powdered veggie/grass
• Ground flax seeds, hemp hearts, maca powder, chia seeds
• Milk (cow, almond, coconut, rice, almond, etc.)
• Veggies of any shape, taste, or size
• Flavorings like vanilla extract, orange extract, molasses (VERY healthy), and more
• Cocoa powder
• Coffee or tea
• The kitchen sink

 From what I've found there really are no set rules for a green smoothie other than the green part :) Though, I have read  that you do not want to leave out the banana - apparently the banana is what "cancels" out the "green taste".

Here is the smoothie that I made today

• 3 Tbsp Organic Vanilla Yogurt
• about 1/2 cup milk
• one full banana - sliced
• about 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• about 1 Tbsp honey

(I put "about" with a few of them because I really don't measure the ingredients, I just put in what looks right and after I blend it sometimes it will be too thick so I will add in more milk or too thin so I will add another frozen strawberry or some protein powder)

Blend all together in a blender and enjoy!!!

Here is my daughter enjoying her green monster! Wouldn't she be surprised to learn that there is spinach in it!