Hummus with Pita Chips

Hummus
4 garlic cloves
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons, bottled works fine too)
2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
8 dashes hot sauce (I use Tabasco)

Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Pita Chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray; set aside.

Cut each. pita bread into 8 triangles. Place on baking sheet, in a single layer. Lightly spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool.

pumpkin gingerbread trifle

I haven't actually made this myself, but someone made it at enrichment this week (Christmas themed) and it was delish so I thought I would share the recipe. It would be a perfect holiday dessert.

2 (14 oz) packages of gingerbread mix
1 (5.1 oz) box cook and serve vanilla pudding mix
1 (30 oz) can pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 tsp. cinnamon
1 (12 oz) container of frozen whipped topping

Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions and cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the pudding according to the package directions and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cinnamon into the pudding.

Crumble 1 batch of the gingerbread into the bottom of a large bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Refrigerate overnight.

homemade macaroni and cheese

I can't believe that I have been living in the dark for so long! This recipe is super duper easy and definitely tastier than the blue box.

1 box of pasta (your choice, although I recently purchased pirates of the carribean and nemo pasta at Frys-not sure what store that would be in Utah but it is the Kroger brand)
whipping cream
butter
shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package. Add 1 Tbsp of butter. Add one part whipping cream to three part cheese. For example: If I cook half of a box of pasta, I add 1/3 c. of whipping cream and one cup of cheddar cheese. But you can add as much cheese as you like. Salt and pepper to taste.

Doodles

These are the best. Most recipes for Snickerdoodles call for cream of tartar and this one doesn't. Cream of tartar, imho, leaves an aftertaste. Not so with these.

3 1/2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Sift together dry ingredients. Cream the butter. Add the sugar, continue to mix, then add eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients. Can chill, if sticky.

Preheat oven to 375. Roll balls of dough into cinnamon sugar mixture (3 Tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon)
Bake 10-12 minutes.

BBQ Meatloaf

I tried this recipe yesterday solely on the premise that when I googled "Best Meatloaf Recipe Ever" this is the first one that popped up. I wanted something a little different from the usual. Didn't want anything with green peppers in it, either.
I had to endure many pointed references to it's BBQiness (variety and change is so upsetting around here:) Go ahead, ld share the joke about how hard it was to turn the meatloaf on the grill.

Still, I liked it a lot. Enough so that I want to share.

1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 cup milk
1 large egg
1/4 cup chopped onion ( I used more)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven 350. Mix all ingredients except the Barbecue sauce together, then spread meatloaf mixture into an ungreased loaf pan. Spoon barbecue sauce on the top of the meatloaf and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.

wished I had thought of it first

So, I was looking for a baby shower cake site that I remembered seeing and as always happens found something unique along the way. A new site to love. It's hilarious. Some woman made a blog dedicated to all the crappy cake failures she has personally seen or that others have submitted. Oh. My. Gosh. Kenz and I tee heed all morning. Go have a look, but be forewarned some posts deal in potty humor. Maybe we should all post our dinner failures on this blog, what an idea, eh?

Go see. Try not to laugh.

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

This little gem comes from the Vineyard cook book courtesy of Rose Marie Morris.

2 c. quality shortening ( this is the secret ingredient....use the shortening, it's delicious I promise)
1 c. brown sugar, packed
2 c. white sugar
4 eggs beaten
2 tsp. salt
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. nuts (optional)
4 c. sifted flour
1 1/2 c. quick oats
2 tsp baking soda

I always add ingredients in order they are listed.

Drop on Cookie Sheet. Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes