Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
― Winston Churchill
I am constantly amazed day in and day out at the power of our words, and the capacity we have to lift each other up or down with them. I’m talking not just about the words we write (for those of you who share blogging as a thing we ‘do’) but also the words we speak. Continue reading
Filed under Cooking, Food, Food Insecurity, Gluten Free, Recipes, Savory, Vegetables, Vegetarian
It’s amazing what can happen when you look through your cupboards sometimes. A few weeks back, as I tried to catch my breath from the holidays, I wasn’t yet ready to relax as I was hosting a baby shower for one of my very best friends in the world. Continue reading
Filed under Cooking, Food, Gluten Free, Recipes, Rich & Simple, Savory, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Lost time is never found again.
~ Benjamin Franklin
Howdy fine blogging readers and buds!
The weekend is soon upon us (yay!) and we are looking forward to spending a quiet weekend here at home. The teenager is gone on a camping trip, and the little one is done school for the year. Time to stop. And enjoy.
Sometimes nothing beats the promise of a few days around the house, enjoying the hard work it takes to make your house a true home.
I’ve shared with you all about my recent attempts to free up some space and remove a portion of mental clutter by clearing out closet space, or the basement, or just our minds. This weekend I am looking forward to seizing the opportunity to enjoy that extra space.
I can feel the relaxation already…can you? 
Today I am excited to share with you quite possibly the best hummus I have ever had – yup, it’s that good.
Now, if you like cumin, this recipe will seriously hit the spot. If you don’t (or just aren’t sure), this is almost guaranteed to turn you onto it (IMO). It’s that seriously serious about it’s flavor. And it’s just that feisty too.
Packed with the goodness and flavor punch of fresh lemon, garlic, and parsley, this intensely flavorful dip will have you wondering how you ever made it any other way!
I find the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.
~ Thomas Jefferson
The Less:
Less over salted processed dips means less bad sodium without sacrificing taste. Less high cost and high fat snack foods means less guilt and more enjoyment. Less repetition in your recipes means there is always something new, so you can re-work the classics to be fresh every time.
The More:
More intensity in flavorings means more satisfaction from fewer bites. More freshly made snack foods means more healthy ways to get cooking. More pure clean ingredients means more accessible nutrition, so your body can make quick work of every morsel.
Feisty Fried Cumin Hummus:
~ Recipe can easily be halved for a single serving
Ready to make delicious?
Start with the cumin seeds and 2 tbsp. of olive oil. In a medium frying pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat until hot. Add the cumin seeds whole and cook, stirring pretty much constantly, for 1 minute. The seeds should turn a dark brown and become beautifully fragrant – just be careful not to burn them!
It is best to stay fully present (as in, in the moment, hard sometimes) while doing this step, or you could end up with a smoke-filled kitchen (unless you like that sort of thing).
Remove the seeds to a bowl and allow the hot oil from the pan to follow. Set aside.
In a blender or food processor, combine 2 teaspoons of the cumin seeds with all the remaining ingredients except the water – reserving the last half teaspoon or so of seeds for garnish. Blend on high until well mixed and smooth (and crazy good).
If using a blender, add the additional water as the blender runs and agitate the mixture with a spatula (careful of those blades!). Use only enough water to get the mixture churning nicely and to facilitate better blending.
For those using a food processor, feel free to add enough water to reach desired consistency.
Taste to adjust seasonings and remove into a container or serving dish. This hummus is best served a little colder or after sitting in the fridge for (just a little) while.
Before serving or storing, garnish the top with the remaining fried seeds and a nice splash or drizzle of additional oil.
Perfection!
I actually think this is my favorite hummus version ever.
It is full of protein, calcium, and loaded with healthy fats and fresh ingredients. Keep this stored in your fridge for up to a week and use it as you wish .
On fresh crusty bread, crackers, or with any fresh crisp vegetable.
Teachers open the door – you enter by yourself.
~ Chinese Proverb
There is nothing as wonderful as a fresh bowl of crunchy romaine hearts.
Ready to scoop up your favorite dip.
Summer time calls for easy living. With ovens off and back doors flung wide open.
Grab a few fixings and head outside. This weekend I’ll be enjoying this house I call a home.
I’ll be digging into this delicious dip right here. All alone. And I can’t wait.
I make like I like alone time, but guaranteed it won’t last long.
Whether filled with friends or family, this house always seems full. Full of energy, full of good folk, and (thankfully) full of good food. Not too much though……just enough. I am a lucky girl.
There is more to life than increasing its speed.
~ Ghandi
A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety.
~ Aesop
The first hummus recipe I ever posted here at IPOM was (just a little) bad-ass, but add this super feisty version and I wonder kind of match we’ll have on our hands?
Let us know readers! It is always such a pleasure to hear from you all 
I’ll be doing some major blogging catch up this weekend as I relax on my couch, and I can’t wait!
Yours in Less,
Filed under Cheap, Cooking, Food, Gluten Free, Photography, Recipes, Rich & Simple, Savory, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
If we did all the things we were capable of, we would astound ourselves.
~ Thomas Edison
Greetings IPOM readers! How IS everyone?!
It’s been a busy week so far here – filled with the right mix of family stuff, work stuff, and a whole bunch of other details – like saying goodbye to good friends (and a little crying) and getting out for some quality time with the fresh air!
I am never sad after a nice long run in the sunshine…especially with company (my daughter rides her bike beside me).
I am hoping to wax a little bit about my love (and the zen benefits) of running in a post soon…
But for now, let’s get chatting about a well-known dip, shall we?
When I was a teen, I swear hummus was the very first recipe I ever tried. I credit the Moosewood Cookbook (my mom had an original) for the original genius behind what quickly became the inspiration for a recipe ingrained in my DNA…I still use that book to this day (though my hubby bought me my own early in our marriage).
Let’s get started with the chickpeas shall we?
Time to dig in..
To my recent delight, I received a few extremely precious bags of dried chickpeas from a friend’s family farm.
“The first farmer was the first man. All historic nobility rests on the possession and use of land.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Yes – direct from a farm in Saskatchewan!
Of course, I was totally ecstatic as it is difficult to buy Canadian grown garbanzo beans in Canada….yes, strange as it seems, we actually export most of our garbanzos to the Middle East!
I try to soak and cook chickpeas from scratch whenever possible, as the economical benefit is staggering vs. canned, and in this case – the taste and texture difference is dreamy!
I’d love to write an entire post just about these beans because they are truly amazing: large, creamy in texture, sweet, and Canadian grown – it’s no wonder they are in demand from the rest of the world.
If you have never cooked beans from scratch – it is really super easy!
Here is how:
I am sure we can all agree that chickpeas are the perfect base for a dip, or salad, or a curry (my next post). Of course you can also used canned and they are the handiest when you are short on time – a quick survey among cooks in the office today revealed they use canned about 50% of the time. I say that’s pretty good!
The cost to cook them at home vs. using canned is pennies in comparison – there is a less for more if I ever saw one – and have I mentioned the taste and texture? HUGE gratitude to Janna for the beans
Next, we have olive oil…
And by olive oil, I do of course mean strictly cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil.
It is delicious, healthy, and we use it by the liter in this house. Make sure it really comes from Italy or Spain or Greece instead of just ‘packed in’ those places. There is a lot of imported olive oil from countries like China on the market these days posing as European oil. Just read the labels, and be wise!
Try different kinds – what is your favorite?
Next up is salt…
Unrefined sea salt is full of minerals from the sea that get stripped out in the salt refining process. After harvest it looks like this: wet, grey, and chunky. I always have a mortar and pestle handy in the kitchen (by the stove) with salt in it, ground and ready for use .
A little goes a long way with this stuff, and it costs more, but it’s worth it.
Ready for the garlic?
Garlic is sooo amazing when used fresh and if you can find locally grown. Applying the ‘less is more’ principle is a lot easier when it is strong and potent. Generic white garlic from China is far inferior to the good local stuff (organic is even better) and if you are a garlic lover, you will notice the difference instantly!
I’ll let these giant black olives speak for themselves here…
Bad Ass Black Olive Hummus:
Simply combine all ingredients, except the olives and water, in your blender or food processor and start blending – add the water as the blender is running until you get a nice smooth rhythm going. Use your spatula to help things along and don’t be shy to sing or dance (just a little) too!
Transfer to a serving bowl or container and keep in the fridge. Before serving, or storing, add the chopped olives to the top!
Enjoy with veggies, on bread, or with crackers – or heck – on its own! I am a BIG fan of a bowl of steamed broccoli and hummus to dip it in. Perfection!
Fear less, hope more, eat less, chew more, whine less, breathe more, talk less, say more, hate less, love more, and good things will be yours.
~ Swedish Proverb (after my heart!)
The beauty of this recipe is it’s versatility – I am posting this as black olive hummus (and a bad ass one no less), but it only needs to be as limited as your imagination.
The first part of this recipe can be made new and exciting with the addition of parsley (my fave) or ground cumin, roasted pepper, or even fresh basil. I am sure I’ll make a few of these versions to share with you in the coming months…
Success is sweet: the sweeter if long-delayed and attained through manifold struggles and defeats
~ A. Branson Alcott
However you choose to enjoy this – do it well! I hope you are all enjoying life post holiday!
I don’t know about you guys – but I get a real kick from ingredient chatter
Wishing you all a fabulous next few days!
Yours in Less,
Filed under Cheap, Cooking, Food, Gluten Free, Photography, Recipes, Rich & Simple, Running, Savory, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
