How to Make Classic Hummus

Today was a house-cleaning day. Lily (6-years old) decided to make a chore chart and put our names next to what needed to get done. She put all of our names (including the babies) on clothespins to attach next to each chore. She decided that Ben (10 months old) would be her helper for the family room and toy clean-up. She soon realized that having him in the room was a bit more work than she had intended. Well, you can only imagine what happened.

Eventually, the house did get clean and then it was lunchtime. While the girls were finishing up cleaning their room, I began to prepare lunch. It was 12:15 already and we were all hungry.

Since we were out all day yesterday I didn't have a chance to make the hummus. Remember the large pot of garbanzo beans I cooked on Friday?

Hummus is very fast to make and makes a great lunch. I have been making it for a long time now. I never use a recipe, just put everything into the food processor and every time it turns out just right. Everyone always loves my hummus and frequently asks for the recipe. Eventually I began measuring and created this recipe. 

You can get pretty creative with hummus. Think Rosemary-Olive Hummus or Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. Or how about adding a little lemon zest and fresh parsley to the batch? The options are endless.

Also on the lunch menu was leftover quinoa, Honeycrisp apple slices, and sliced persimmons. After our light and energizing lunch it was time to get outside.

Ahh, November, with its crisp fresh air and damp, spongy ground. It was a good day for gardening. The girls and I spent the later part of the afternoon preparing our garden beds for winter. Turning big, dry maple leaves into the beds in the front and pulling out old strawberry plants in the large bed in the back. We found ladybugs that had begun to hibernate in the roots of the plants. Worms and beetles were also among us in the damp soil. There is something soul-satisfying about working outside in the rich, wet earth. We all came in rosy-cheeked and covered in soil. Time for hot soup and rice. While we got cleaned up Tom began making a pot of brown jasmine rice and Red Lentil Dal (from our cookbook). I wanted something else to go along with our dal and rice, so I made a pot of curried vegetables. The warming spices felt just right on this chilly November evening.

After the babies and the girls were asleep, I made a batch of divinely delicious gluten-free brownies. That recipe to come in a later post. Goodnight!