All Hummus!!!

If you ask me, hummus is the B-E-S-T snack on the planet.  Healthy, a good source of protein, a great dip for veggies and chips, and ooooooh so yummy, you will always find this snack in the Frane fridge.

One thing I've learned this year is that hummus is always made with chick peas, cumin and tahini, but you can throw in ANY in-season vegetable to change it up.  My friend Susan Buchman gave me this delicious pumpkin hummus recipe at our Ski and Tea workout this morning, and it's super GOOD!

Pumpkin Hummus

Susan Buchman's Pumpkin Hummus

2 T Tahini (ground sesame seeds, most stores carry)
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tsp olive oi
salt and red pepper
1 1/2 cup pumpkin
1 garlic clove
2 tsp. parsley

Add to a blender and walllaaaah, you have an awesome, healthy snack!!


And, this week I made some broccoli hummus with some late season broccoli.

Broccoli Hummus

And, I still dream of the happy days of the purple cauliflower and zucchini hummus from this summer.Mmmmmmmm, good.




Zucchini Hummus

Click on the colored link for the recipe

What a busy week.  In the first 3 days of the week, I worked 45 hours and top if off with Trick or Treating and the play Hairspray at Chanhassan, and I'm still spinning.  But, I have lots of ideas buzzing for my next blog (in fact I was dreaming of ideas).  So, more to come......

Happy Halloween

Happy Cooking,

Kristin :)

Zucchini, Yum!!!

Every time I turn the corner I seem to be presented with a zucchini. Lucky me! I love zucchini!

First off, I made a great Zucchini Fritter for breakfast this week.  Not everyone is keen on trying zucchini fritters for breakfast, so I just call them fritters.

Zucchini Fritters

Here's the recipe:
Zucchini Fritters
Delish!!  I LOVED these.  Only 67 calories a piece and a great way to serve up your zucchini.

Next up, I made some healthy zucchini lemon muffins.  Long story, but I made them for my running friends but ended up serving them to a whole crew of people.  Hopefully they were good!!

Zucchini Muffins

Healthy Zucchini Muffins

I used whole wheat flour, and there's hardly any sugar or oil in this recipe so I know they are healthy.  But, are the good?  I'll have to make them again to find out!!

My dad made a special request for zucchini hummus again (since I was BRAGGING it up), so I whipped some up for him quick.

Zucchini Hummus

Zucchini Hummus

This recipe is a real winner, so I had to include it again.

Next up, I tried a Zucchini Hotdish.  Now I'm not going to lie, it was o.k., but not fantastic.

Zucchini Feta Pasta

Here's the recipe:

Zucchini Feta Pasta

• 1 zucchini, chopped thin
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4t. salt
• 2T. olive oil
• 1lb. pasta of your choice (we used soba noodles)
• feta cheese
• salt to taste

Saute the zucchini, onion, garlic, salt, and olive oil together over medium heat until zucchini is browned.  Meanwhile, prepare the pasta according to directions.  Drain the pasta and return to pot.  Add in the zucchini mixture and toss well to combine.  Top with feta cheese and toss well again.  Salt to taste.  Serves 4.

Last but not least, I need to include my fabulous Zucchini Bread.  You can't go wrong with this recipe....yum, yum!!!

Zucchini Bread

Here's the recipe:  Zucchini Bread
We had an awesome day canoeing with my brother and his family yesterday.  We borrowed canoes from our neighbors down the road (that's where the picture is taken).  Brock got ALL the kids in his canoe and Graham and I got the canoe with the leak.  I'm not sure which was worse - HA!  At least it was a beautiful day!!

Canoe Trip

Until next time,

Kristin

Purple Cauliflower, Zucchini Hummus and More!!

Today at work my friend, Kerry Rothgeb, gave me an AWESOME purple cauliflower and she told me that she read about zucchini hummus.  I went right home and whipped up some zucchini hummus (oh my!) and served it with the purple cauliflower in my Grandma Evelyn's dishes.  OMG.....what a GREAT recipe. 

Zucchini Hummus

I found this tablecloth at the Ventures Thrift Shoppe in Spooner and I had to get it because it reminded me of my Grandma. 

As I whipped this up in minutes for supper, I was pretty sure my Grandma would not like hummus (a little too garlicky for her), but if you like hummus, I'd HIGHLY recommend this recipe.  I used chick peas instead of pinto beans and I used soy sauce instead of tahini.

Next up I made these great Zucchini Boats!




Zucchini Boats served in my Grandma's relish tray


Talk about FANTASTIC!!!!  Basically you create boats out of the boiled zucchini and add your favorite toppings and then grill.  Oh my, this is soooooooo great!!!

Here's the recipe:   Grilled Zucchini Boats


Last but not least, I made the ever-delicious and very simple tomato, basil, mozzarella salad.  Wow, with my garden-fresh tomatoes and basil, this recipe can not be beat. 

So, basically I layered tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella - drizzled it with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Another blue ribbon winner - so refreshing and good!!!!!




I have been running each week with this great group of women (where I learn so much each week), but yesterday Patrice was able to join us.  After our awesome humid run on the Makwa trail, she opened up her trunk to this amazing breakfast:  home-made goat greek yogurt, home-made granola and blueberries.  The night before I put my steel-cut oats in the crock pot, but woke up to quinoa instead (I added the wrong dry ingredients to the pot).  Because I screwed up my own breakfast, this was a very wonderful surprise.

Here' the picture:

Goat-milk-greek-yogurt, home-made granola and berries after a run

We spent an awesome day at Wilderness Walk not feeding ourselves, but feeding the animals.

Greta feeding a fawn at Wilderness Walk

Now we are preparing for the Packer game on Friday night.  I'm nervous because we lose Gus at EVERY family outing (I wish I were exaggerating).  We even lost him today at Wilderness Walk.

Anyway, I'm looking for tailgating ideas - any thoughts?  I did find a Packer tablecloth, so I have a start.

Next up:  beets and potatoes.

Kristin