Labneh (yogurt cheese)

Labneh is a Middle Eastern yogurt cheese, flavored with just about anything you like. It is very easy to make, but you do have to start it a day in advance. By pouring some yogurt into a cheese cloth and letting it strain overnight, you will end up with thick yogurt that looks like a creamy cheese. Add the flavoring, spread it on crackers or bread and enjoy.

Yogurt, with the liquid drained

Cumin

Labneh
Serving Size = About 1/2 cup

• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds, crushed in mortar pestle
• 1/8 teaspoon or so of freshly grated ginger
• Salt
• Pepper
• Chili pepper/garlic oil to taste

How to make the chili/garlic oil

• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 1/8 cup oil

1. In a saucepan, heat everything together. Once it gets hot, shut it off and leave it until it goes back to room temperature. Remove the garlic and serve.

1. For the Labneh, line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth (a couple of layers), place over a bowl (the strainer cannot touch the bottom of the bowl, make sure it's a few inches away), and pour in the yogurt. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 
2. The next day, there should be liquid (whey) in the bowl (save to add to bread, in the place of milk) and the yogurt will be thick. If you need to, you can gently squeeze out some more liquid from the yogurt. It depends how thick you want it to be.
3. Add all of the ingredients (oil, cumin, etc) to taste. Mix gently. Serve with toasted bread or crackers.

You can add any type of flavoring you want. If you prefer garlic and dill, add that instead, or possibly make it sweet instead of savory. The possibilities are endless.

Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Mushrooms

While walking through the store the other day, I happened to see a sale on large stuffing mushrooms. Of course, I couldn't pass up this deal, so I grabbed a few. I love finding manager markdowns in the store. Sure, I only save a dollar or two, but over time it really does add up. If you keep your eyes open for deals, and stay flexible with your meal planning, you can really save on your grocery bill over time.

Anyway, back to the mushrooms. Since I had some jalapenos and lots of cream cheese, I thought I would stuff it all into mushrooms and see how it turned out. My idea was to make them similar to cream cheese jalapeno poppers. It worked out beautifully! To give it more texture, so it wouldn't turn into cream cheese soup, I took the leftover mushroom stems, chopped them up, and added them to the filling. I also added several of the seeds from the jalapenos to spice it up. Finally, I topped them with bread crumbs and Parmesan to give them a nice crunch.

Jalapenos and garlic

Mushroom stems

Fresh Parmesan

Everything mixed together

Stuff the mushrooms and top with Parmesan and breadcrumbs

Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Mushrooms
Serving Size = 2

• 2 jalapenos
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup Parmesan (fresh)
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 - 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
• 1 - 2 tablespoons Parmesan
• Stuffing Mushroom (about 6, or a 14-oz package)
• Leftover Mushroom Stems
• 1 tablespoon oil (I used EVOO)
• 4 oz cream cheese
• Salt/Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Set the mushrooms aside (in a baking dish) and finely chop the stems. Add the oil to a small saute pan over medium heat, and add the stems. Add the garlic, jalapenos (add the seeds if you want it spicy), salt, and pepper. Saute until everything is softened.
3. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Add the cream cheese and mix (my cream cheese was cold, but when I added the hot ingredients and mixed it, the cream cheese came to room temperature).
4. Stuff the mixture into each mushroom. Top the mushrooms with Parmesan and sprinkle on the breadcrumbs.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the mushrooms are softened. To get the brown crust on top, I put the mushrooms under the broiler for 1 - 2 minutes.

Fried Baby Artichokes

Confession. I am horrible at preparing fresh artichokes. Just horrible. I rarely make them correctly, and after I make them I usually swear I'll never mess with them again (while using swear words, actually.... haha). Luckily, this time around went better than expected. The drool-worthy appetizer you see above only had one tiny problem. Either I needed to peel them more, or I over-cooked them a bit because the outer leaves were a little chewy. It wasn't a problem though because I just peeled off a few leaves and they were good to go.

After watching David Ziff make these on Barefoot Contessa, my first thought was that is might be oily. The recipe calls for starting the artichokes in cold olive oil and then increasing the temperature to fry them. Yes, they had oil on them but no, they weren't oily. Just a normal amount of oil that you would expect from fried food. Although, since a bit of oil does remain on them, you definitely want to use some good quality olive oil, which brings me to my second concern. I didn't want to waste an entire bottle of olive oil. But this isn't really a problem. Once you finish cooking the artichokes, let the oil cool, strain it with cheesecloth (to remove the thyme, garlic, and any pieces of artichoke), and then pour it back into the bottle to re-use. The oil takes on a little bit of the garlic and thyme flavors, so it's perfect for most recipes. And don't waste the garlic either, smear it on some bread and serve it with dinner. It's heavenly.

Peel and slice the artichokes

Place into cold oil and turn on the heat

Bring the temperature up to cook

Bring the temperature up again to fry until brown

Serve as an appetizer

Fried Baby Artichokes
Serving Size = 4
Original Recipe: David Ziff, Barefoot Contessa

• 10 baby artichokes
• Olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 bunch fresh thyme (I had to use dried, about 1 1/2 teaspoons or so)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Remove the artichoke stems and discard. Remove approximately 18 leaves from each artichoke, dispose of the leaves. Slice the top half of the artichoke off, so that only the light green part remains (they will be about 1 1/4 inches after being trimmed). Cut the artichoke in half, lengthwise.
2. Place the artichokes in a medium pot, cut side down, and pour on olive oil until just covered (a little over 17 oz, roughly). Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme. 
3. Bring the olive oil to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. It's done when a knife can be easily inserted.
4. Remove the thyme and garlic (I used dried thyme, so it stayed in the pot), raise the heat and fry uncovered for 2 - 3 minutes, turning artichokes halfway (I cooked them longer though, which might have been a mistake). They are done when they are golden brown and crispy.
5. Remove to a paper towel to drain, sprinkle with salt and serve.

Linking to: Gallery of Favorites, Foodie Friday

Two Jalapeno Popper Dips - Regular and Low Calorie

This is the original version, it makes a smooth cheese topping

I found this recipe over at Mrs Happy Homemaker. You can also find her link under my "Blogs I Adore" page at the top. Yes, I adore her blog, so check it out. :) Anyway, as soon as I saw the title of this dip I knew I would have to try it. We're big jalapeno popper fans in this house. I actually made this dip two different ways. One was a low calorie way (my additions) and the other one was the original full fat version (Mrs Happy Homemaker recipe). So you can choose either one. Both were delicious. The full fat version was richer and had more oil, the low fat version had a tangy flavor and less oil. The low calorie one has a crisp crust and the original has a smooth, cheesy crust. Again, both were yummy.

I actually came up with the low calorie one because, as you can guess, I need to lose some of my pregnancy weight. Yikes. And yikes again.

Jalapeno Popper Dip - Original Version
Serving Size = Almost 2-quarts (About 8 - 12 people)
Original Recipe - Mrs Happy Homemaker

• 2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• 8-oz diced green chiles
• 2-oz canned jalapenos, chopped (I doubled this for medium-hot --- see note below)
• Parmesan cheese, shredded/grated, roughly 1/4 cup (I used my micrograter)

Note: I've used pickled jalapenos and fresh jalapenos. Both were great, just remember to cut the fresh jalapeno into very small pieces.

1. Preheat oven to 400F. 
2. Combined everything but the Parmesan cheese and place into a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.
3. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned a bit.

Low calorie version uses sour cream and panko bread crumbs

This is cooked. The lower fat version makes a crispier crust with the cheese

Jalapeno Popper Dip - Lower Calorie Version
Serving Size = Almost 2-quarts (About 8 - 12 people)

• 2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 8-oz diced green chiles
• 2-oz canned jalapenos, chopped (I doubled this for medium-hot --- see note below)
• Parmesan cheese, shredded/grated, roughly 1/4 cup (I used my micrograter)
• Roughly 1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs (just eye it)

Note: I've used pickled jalapenos and fresh jalapenos. Both were great, just remember to cut the fresh jalapeno into very small pieces.

1. Preheat oven to 400F. 
2. Combined everything but the Parmesan cheese and place into a 2 quart casserole dish.
3. Mix together the Parmesan and the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top.
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned a bit.

Linking to: Gallery of Favorites, Foodie Friday

Brie En Croute

Ok, let me start by saying that this is a stunning and very impressive appetizer to serve at any function. However, if you are not a brie fan than you will not be jumping up and down over this. Unfortunately, I've never been a brie fan. I like brie but I don't love it. I LOVE the cinnamon/sugar/walnut combo and when I get a bite of it with the brie, yummy. I think it's yummy because it masks the brie a bit and it becomes almost a cinnamon roll. But those times when I get mostly brie.... eh.

I know, everyone wants to try a recipe that the blog author doesn't care for. haha! What a great review! Oh well. :) It's a great recipe and if you love brie than you will love this. Promise! I still like it even though I'm not a brie fan, so a brie fan will go crazy over it. :) My only tip is to make sure you really spread the topping over the brie so that you won't get any sugarless bites. Also, Paula Deen recommends cutting the top of the brie off a bit to let the flavors blend better. I didn't do this but I would try this in the future.

And baby Emmett is doing great! Here are some random thoughts:

1. He's a calm little guy.
2. Having 2 kids is more work but having the second baby is easier. I know what to expect.
3. His weight is average but NOTHING fits him. Even newborn clothing is huge. I don't get it!
4. Mimi loves him and will stare at him and smile. She also somehow knows to be gentle with him.
5. I was worried I would have guilt over a second baby. How could I devote my every minute to Mimi if I had another baby?? I haven't had this problem though. I feel like giving Mimi a brother is a blessing and I think it's definitely a positive thing in her life.

Being a mommy rocks! I love it!

Place the mixture onto the puff pastry

Brush with an egg

Let cool and serve with crackers

Brie En Croute

Serving Size = 1 8-oz wheel

Original Recipe

• 1 sheet frozen puffed pastry, thawed (will try making this from scratch some day)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I added more, maybe 1/2 teaspoon total)
• 1 8-oz wheel Brie
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg beaten
• Crackers for serving

1. In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat and then add the walnuts. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon and stir well.
2. Roll out the puff pastry a bit (maybe an inch or two). Place the brie into the middle and then top with the walnut mixture and then the brown sugar (if you want, cut the top of the brie off first and then add the walnut mixture). Lift the corners of the puff pastry and bring together (if the dough doesn't stretch over the brie, then roll the sides out a bit more) and then tie with kitchen twine (I didn't have twine, so instead I brought the dough up and cut off a bit of the excess dough and then smashed everything down so that the dough wouldn't come apart in the oven).
3. Place onto a cookie sheet. Brush the puff pastry with the egg and bake for 20 mins, until golden brown (I cooked mine about 10 mins longer). Let it cool for about 15 mins before serving or all of the cheese will flow out.

Linking to: Let's Do Brunch, Full Plate Thursday, Gallery of Favorites, Foodie Friday, Friday Favorites, Friday Potluck, Sweets for Saturday

Crab Puffs (a MUST try)

Last week I found the best coffee cake and today I give you the best appetizer.

Crab puffs.

I saved this recipe ages ago but never got around to making them. My friend made lobster cheese bites for a birthday party (I'm guessing they are a lobster/cheese combination with breadcrumbs and baked, possibly? Or deep fried? I haven't tried them) and it reminded me to try this recipe. They are very similar to making cream puffs but you're less likely to mess these up. Cream puffs can collapse, these won't as easily. Don't open the door when they are cooking though, just to be safe. Since the dough is almost the same as cream puffs, I went ahead and took the same short cut by mixing in the eggs with my Kitchenaid Mixer. It saves your arm, trust me.

What's great about these puffs is they taste good hot but taste just as good (if not better) at room temperature, so they are the perfect appetizer to take to a party. The outside is golden brown and when you break them open they are full of ooey-gooey-cheesy goodness. Holy moly, out of this world I tell ya. My husband and I gobbled them up immediately (even my toddler ate some which is rare). Another plus is that they taste great with canned crab meat. We do not have access to fresh crab but if you do then feel free to use that instead.

A must try. Trust me! :)

Mix the dough until a ball forms, then leave for 5 minutes 

Spoon the dough onto the greased pan 

Bake until golden brown

Crab Puffs
Serving Size = About 4 dozen (I had 3 1/2 dozen)
Original Recipe

• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of water
• 1/2 cup butter, unsalted
• 1 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I used wayyyy more, maybe 5 or 6 splashes, but adjust to taste)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups (8 oz) shredded Swiss cheese (I used my food processor. I normally do not care for Swiss, but I LOVE it in this recipe)
• 1 can (6 oz) drained crab meat, flaked and cartilage removed

(Have everything prepped and ready to go)

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Grease a large baking sheet.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, mustard, salt, cumin, and hot pepper sauce to a boil. Add the flour all at once and stir quickly until a smooth ball forms. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Pour the dough into a mixer and with the flat beater start stirring. Add the eggs one at a time until combined, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until smooth and shiny (it will thicken as well). Stir in the crab meat and cheese.
4. Drop rounded teaspoon fulls 2 inches apart onto the greased baking sheets (mine were more like tablespoons). 
5. Bake for 23-26 minutes (26 for my tablespoon sized puffs) or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Serve warm.

*Update: These do taste good out of the freezer as well. Just preheat the oven at 350F and bake for about 15 minutes or until the middle is hot.

Linking to: Foodie Friday, Frugal Friday, Friday Favorites, Gallery of Favorities, Friday Potluck, Savvy Homemade Monday, Masterpiece Monday, Let's Do Brunch

Pita/Flatbread/Pizza with Za'atar

I wanted to share this quick and easy recipe with you. I still haven't posted a recipe for za'atar, but I plan to once I use up my store bought version. This is a great snack or just something to serve with dinner to replace rolls. My favorite thing to eat this with is a salad though.

Click here for the recipe for homemade pita bread.

Pita /Flatbread/Pizza with Za'atar

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Za'atar Seasoning Blend
• Pita Bread (what I used) or flatbread or even a small thin cooked pizza crust

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Brush the bread with a little bit of EVOO and sprinkle on a teaspoon or so of the za'atar seasoning. Bake in the oven for a few minutes, until warm and as brown as you want.
3. Cut into wedges and serve. 

In other news, I am working on a second blog. I've decided that the Baby Talk page is so much fun that I want to expand it. I also thought that cloth diapers and recipes were not a good combination! :) This blog will focus on family/children, no recipes though. Even the kid-friendly recipes will still remain on this blog.

I've also been stressing about the following:

• Baby Names
• Baby Diapers
• Cleaning the house for.... the baby
• Baby Clothes
• Baby Supplies
• How will Mimi like the baby?
• Where will the baby sleep?

Are we seeing a pattern here?
My mind has went into full-blown baby mode to the point where I've gone a little loony. I can barely think about anything else (good time to start a baby blog) and as soon as I make a decision, I change my mind. I've had to tell myself to calm down because I would burst into tears. I'll try a few diaper brands, I have two names picked and I'll make one permanent when I see the baby, the house will get clean, and how many outfits and supplies does a newborn really need? C'mon. I can see that nesting is right around the corner. I'm kind of looking forward to it. Clearly I have some energy that needs to be put to good use. Don't worry though, I went loony towards the end of my pregnancy with Mimi as well. Apparently this is normal for me.

Anyway, there ya have it! I'll keep you posted on my second blog. :)

Salsa I, Jalapeno Kitchen Tips, and Baby Dreams

I've been interested in homemade salsa lately. This is a very basic recipe, but I want to explore and find different types to play with and post later. What started this whole interest was when I went on vacation to TN (remember? I bought a million dollars worth of clay pottery. hehe). We went to a Mexican restaurant where the food was amazing, the restaurant was colorful, family friendly, and we just had a great time. The salsa was actually pretty plain but I LOVED it. The reason it was so delicious was because it was fresh. You could taste that it was made THAT day. They didn't need a lot of spices or fancy ingredients, it was simply fresh. I wanted to recreate that experience. While this isn't exactly the same, it's still pretty darn good. I made ours super hot (as in burn your stomach hot) by chopping up 2 whole jalapenos with seeds. Use 1 jalapeno and no seeds to keep things mild.

Kitchen Tip: I do not touch jalapenos and I never remember to buy gloves. When I use them, I simply get a pair of very sharp scissors and while holding the stem, I cut them lengthwise into as many pieces as I can (stopping right before the seeds if I plan to leave them out), and then while still holding the stem I cut the pepper crosswise to make little pieces. Once I'm done, I pitch the stem and the scissors go into the dishwasher. Now when I take my contacts out at night, my eyes will not burn for several minutes. Woohoo!

Expect more salsa posts in the future and please share your recipes with me as well!

Salsa I
Serving Size = About 2 cups

• 1/4 cup or so of cilantro
• 4 - 6 large roma tomatoes (mine were abnormally large)
• 1 very small onion, chopped (and my onion was abnormally small)
• 1 - 2 jalapenos, chopped
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 tablespoon vinegar (apple cider is fine)
• 1 garlic clove, grated (I just use a microplane)
• 1 teaspoon or so of ground cumin, to taste

1. Place everything into a food processor and pulse for a few seconds until it reaches desired consistency. Or chop everything up by hand and mix. Let is sit out at room temperature for an hour, mix and then refrigerate.

Baby update! --- Dreaming of Baby

I'm feeling better about the names. I'm pretty sure we're going with the name Emmett because I had a dream about it. I know, silly, but it's true. I dreamt that I was looking out the window while Mimi and our baby boy were playing (they were running around their playground set -- Mimi first, baby boy following) and I yelled at them, "Mimi, Emmett, it's time to come in." And both of them came running. He was adorable with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and his skin was a tiny bit darker than Mimi's. He was also a little bit chunky. He was wearing jeans and a dark brown, zip-up, heavy knitted sweater (it was autumn, apparently).... very adorable. :) And what's interesting is that the dream was before I even seriously considered the name Emmett. I was actually leaning towards Eliot, so it seems like I would dream of that name, but I didn't. Another thing that's interesting is that I had a big and pregnant belly in my dream. Baby number 3???? haha!

Spicy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Goodness, I have been a busy person lately. Nothing too exciting to report though. The weather has been stunning/beautiful/amazing/perfect so my toddler and I kept the front door open and sat on the porch listening to the golden oldies and eating snacks (daily). My daughter now has a new favorite toy, which is Winnie the Pooh with an oversized head. She packs him everywhere, including outside, so he joined us on the porch every day. Of course, now he's filthy and I have to figure out how to wash him. I'm not sure he'll fit in the washing machine, hmmm.....

Dirty, icky, Winnie the Pooh

Anyway, because of the beautiful weather, and because I didn't want the house to get hot, which would lead to air conditioning, I did lots of BBQing. But I did cook one thing in the house. Yummy, ooey-gooey, spicy and delicious warm spinach and artichoke dip. My favorite thing about this recipe is that it's super easy to make and takes only a few minutes. It's perfect for any gathering you might go to, or just general snacking around the house. Feel free to use fresh artichokes instead of canned. I just didn't want to spend the money on fresh for a dip.

Spicy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Serving Size = Roughly 4 - 6

• 1 package frozen spinach, or 1 can of spinach (About 14 oz. I used frozen, I've never used canned spinach, but you would probably want to drain it as well)
• 1 14-oz can plain artichoke hearts, drained
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (I will add a bit more next time)
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I added more, but my pepper flakes lack heat)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Dash of pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Drain the artichokes and chop them up, place into a medium saucepan. Add the spinach and boil the mixture for about 5 minutes (my frozen spinach added enough liquid, but feel free to add a bit of water if necessary). Drain the mixture well and add the spices, Parmesan and cream cheese. Mix well, taste and adjust seasonings.
3. Turn out into a nice (something to serve in), oven safe bowl (I sprinkled on additional pepper flakes) and bake for 10 - 15 minutes, until bubbly (this also thickens it a bit more).
4. Serve warm, with plain or toasted bread.

Linking to: Foodie Friday

Roasted Garlic Hummus

Notice that my hummus is green for St. Patricks day. hehehe I feel so clever. Wait, let me pat myself on the back. :) If you prefer your hummus less green, just add fewer herbs or completely omit them. The last hummus recipe I shared with you had raw garlic, but this one is roasted which gives a mild flavor. I actually prefer this recipe because if you let the raw garlic hummus sit for a while, then it gets very strong. This isn't something you need to worry about with roasted garlic. 

Also, I have another clever little tip. I do not like to buy tahini because:

1. It expires 2 weeks after opening
2. It's expensive
3. I never use it for anything but hummus
4. And no, making it is still expensive because I can't seem to find cheap sesame seeds

Sooooo I replace the tahini with ALMOND BUTTER. You could probably use peanut butter as well, but use less just to be safe. Yes, almond butter is expensive, but I use it in so many different recipes, so I always have a jar. As much as I would love to pat myself on the back again, I did not come up with this brilliant little replacement. I actually got the idea from the Gluten Free Goddess. 

I served the hummus with homemade pita bread. Enjoy!

Peel the roasted garlic (I ended up using about 7 cloves) 

Add everything and blend

It's green!! :) 

Roasted Garlic Hummus
Serving Size = 8 or so
Serve with Homemade Pita Bread

• 2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas (1, 15-oz can), liquid reserved
• 1/4 cup or so of extra virgin olive oil
• 5 - 7 cloves of roasted garlic (I roast an entire head and then add to taste)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon sweet paprika 
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
• 1 lemon, juiced (very important ingredient)
• Roughly 2 tablespoons of cilantro and 1 tablespoon of parsley (I did not measure)
• 1 tablespoon or 2 of almond butter or tahini
• Red pepper flakes for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Either place 7 cloves of unpeeled garlic drizzled with oil, in an aluminum foil pouch, or into a bowl (I skip the foil), or take an entire head of garlic and trim a tiny bit off the top and drizzle with oil. Roast for 15 - 20 minutes, or until soft. Remove the peel and place into a food processor.
2. Put everything else into the processor and process until well blended (I usually drizzle in the oil while this is happening). Add the reserved chickpea liquid until it reaches desired consistency. 
3. Taste and adjust seasoning, sprinkle of the red pepper flakes and serve.

Linking to: Full Plate Thursday

Buffalo Wings and Blue Cheese Dip

A few of my favorite things in life:

1. The colors red, burnt orange, plum/eggplant and pink
2. Tom Petty
3. My purple cast iron stock pot
4. My red kitchenaid mixer (especially now that it doesn't shake all over the place)
5. And Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dip

I love Buffalo wings and I'm proud to say I've made by husband an addict as well. We ate them two nights in a row. No, they weren't leftovers. I went through the trouble of making them twice. We both have an obsession and we need help. I'm not sure we'll ever eat anything else again. I'll just have to keep re-posting this on my blog. ;)

Here is my purple stockpot. I know, I have a red one as well. Why do I need two? Because it's purple of course! hehehe

Ok, here are the recipes. I'm really proud with how the chicken fried ---- very beautiful color, moist inside, not oily, and a nice crunch. And the blue cheese dip is wow. I couldn't find a better recipe, so I sulked a bit and went with this one and it is THE one. So very, very good, trust me.

Heat the oil to 375F.

Mix together the flour and seasonings.

After cooking for 15 minutes, this is what you have.

Tabasco sauce. 

Simmer the butter, Tabasco, garlic powder and some salt. 

Set it aside until you are ready to coat the chicken.

Buffalo Wings

Original Recipe

Serving Size = 10 wings

• Oil for deep frying (the wings should be covered)
• 1/4 cup butter (I used unsalted)
• 1/4 cup hot sauce (I used Tabasco, but I will attempt making my own in the future)
• 1 dash ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon plus 1 dash of garlic powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 chicken wings, cut up with tips removed

1. Mix together the flour, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Drop the wings in the flour mixture and mix until coated. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours (I refrigerated mine for 1/2 an hour). 
2. Heat some oil in a large stockpot and using a thermometer heat the oil to 375F. Drop the chicken in, but do not over crowd. Cook them for 10 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and place on a plate with a paper towel to absorb the oil. Keep doing this until all of the chicken is cooked.
3. While cooking the chicken, start the sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, place the butter, hot sauce, dash of garlic powder and salt to taste. Simmer until combined (it will combine as soon as it comes to a simmer almost). Mix well and set aside.
4. When the chicken is done, stir the sauce and pour over the chicken, mix well and serve.

Blue cheese dip.

Blue Cheese Dip
Original Recipe
Serving Size = 2 1/2 cups (you will want to cut this in half, or more, if you are only making 10 wings)

• 3/4 cup sour cream (plain yogurt works as a replacement)
• 1 1/3 cups mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (I didn't measure, I just crumbled as much as I wanted)

1. In a large bowl, mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise and Worcestershire. 
2. Mix in the spices and blue cheese. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving. I didn't refrigerate mine for 24 hours. I served mine immediately, and it was still tasty. I honestly didn't notice much of a difference after 24 hours.

Linking to: Tuesday Night Supper Club, Hearth and Soul

Hummus and Pita Bread

My husband and I love hummus, so I decided to make it today with pita bread. The hummus is delicious, but you'll notice that it doesn't have tahini paste. I didn't have any and I wasn't about to part with my small amount of sesame seeds to make it from scratch. If I can find sesame seeds in bulk then I will try out a tahini recipe. I didn't have any on hand, but I usually like to add some cilantro to the mix as well (about and 1/8 or 1/4 cup). As for the pita bread, it sounds complicated but it's super easy to make. Just think of it as several 6-inch pizzas --- just as simple.

But first, here's a peek into my kitchen. Check out my glass chili peppers. They hang in my kitchen window. I lovvveeee looking at them. :)

Red, yellow and orange.

And here is the yummy hummus!

Place all of the ingredients into a food processor.

Hummus
Original Recipe: Mark Bittman
Serving Size = 8 or so

• 2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas (1, 15-oz can), liquid reserved
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I added more to taste, probably 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1 lemon, juiced (Very important ingredient, do not skip)
• Red pepper flakes for garnish
• (If you have tahini, add 2 tablespoons)

*Note: This can be made in advance, but I prefer to make it as late as possible. I think it tastes better right after being made. It seems to get stronger the longer it sits in the refrigerator.

1. Put everything in a food processor and process (a blender works as well). Add some of the reserved chickpea liquid until desired consistency is reached (about 1/2 the liquid). If you don't want to use the chickpea liquid, just use water instead. Process until you have a smooth puree.
2. Taste and adjust the seasoning. 
3. Pour into a bowl and sprinkle with red pepper flake garnish.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces.

Roll out into 6 or 7-inch circles.

Remove from oven and cover with a damp towel until soft.

Easy Pita Bread

Original Recipe: Sandy at Allrecipes.com

Serving Size = 8 pitas

• 1 1/8 cups warm water
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1. Place all of the ingredients into your bread machine, in the recommended order for the machine.
2. When done, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll dough to form a 12-inch rope. Cut the rope into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6 or 7-inch circle. Set aside on a lightly floured countertop. Cover with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 500F. Place 2 or 3 pitas on a wire cake rack (cooling rack) and place the rack directly into the oven. Bake for 4 or 5 minutes until puffed up and beginning to brown. Remove immediately and place into a brown bag and seal, or place onto a baking sheet and cover with a damp towel (what I did) until soft (about 2 minutes).
4. They can be stored in the refrigerator for several days, or in the freezer for 1 - 2 months.

Linking to: Foodie Friday, Potluck Friday, Vegetarian Foodie Friday, 12 Days of Bloggie-mas