.humming about this hummus.

i certainly didn't grow up with hummus. during high school is when i tried it for the first time. i say that like it should be an after school special. but, i hung out with a crowd of vegetarians and some of them introduced me to some interesting new foods like tabouli, falafel, couscous and yep, hummus. of all those, hummus has really stuck with me.

the simple taste and hearty dipability make it a favorite amongst meat-eaters too. it isn't just vegetarian-fare. we buy hummus all the time and it goes oh-so-well with my husbands famous homemade tortilla chips. one day, i woke up and thought- "why don't i just make my own hummus?" really, just like that, my first thought in the morning. ok, that's stretching the truth, but once an idea hits me, i don't let it go.

in my usual internet research fashion, i found a simple ina garten recipe that had some ingredients that truly tickled my fancy- namely lemon and garlic. this recipe really couldn't get any easier. i'd say the most challenging part was finding the tahini and then forcing myself to buy it. i think it cost more than everything else in my cart.

with my amazing food processor we got as a wedding gift, i began by mincing the garlic cloves. they stuck to the walls of the bowl like stars in a plastic sky.

after the garlic, i added the drained chickpeas and wished them luck as they voyaged into a tastier existence.

kosher salt always makes me feel more gourmet somehow and i like that.

squeezing in the lemon juice was super easy with one of my favorite, sunshiney kitchen gadgets. just the yellow alone can brighten your mood. but really, there's nothing more beautiful than the pure brightness of an actual lemon. wouldn't you agree?

with the tahini and some of the liquid from the chickpeas added, it was time for the little somethin' somethin' that makes this recipe stand out. that's right- hot sauce. oh, look at that, i just realized the brand i coincidentally, by chance, what are the odds, just happened to pick up is the same as my name!

this hummus really has some interesting layers of flavor. at first bite, the lemon comes on a little strong until you are met with a hint of garlic resting on your tongue. it really is very tasty and i'll be making it for some get-togethers in the near future. you would think i'd put it in a pretty bowl after sprinkling paprika, adding some pine nuts to the top and drizzling it with a little olive oil. but, i didn't. instead, i put in a big ol' tupperware dish where my husband and i devoured it. i'll pretty it up next time.

hummus, thanks to ina
ingredients
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)
2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
8 dashes hot sauce
directions
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 coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature.

.my peach.

i've always been told not to have liquids around my laptop in case there is a spill. i'm assuming liquid parts and computer parts don't work well together. for this reason, i am going to try my best not to let my tears cause a malfunction on this blogging machine. to say the least, i'm heartbroken, heart-holed, however you want to put it. for the last seven years, i've had a best friend, a confidant, a great listener, a shadow, a means to a smile, a personality with bite and all wrapped into my little fur baby, mocha. this past weekend, he left this earth and this fur-mama with a heart so heavy i'm still not close to being able to pick it back up. i miss him with every ounce of my being.

in times of distress, food comforts me. i'm sure there's health nuts out there that cringe at this tactic, but this is who i am. i love food and it loves me right back. i give myself permission to find comfort wherever it exists until i'm back on my emotional feet. although, i baked this cake a few weeks ago for a party that didn't happen due to an emergency vet visit, i look at it now with longing and am thinking about walking into the kitchen right now to make it again. remember, i'm eating whatever i want right now. and i want comfort.

let me show you the beautiful cake by the talented ina garten that i recreated.

this recipe began with mixing some of the creamier components, including sour cream believe it or not.

from there, the usual suspects of dry ingredients got mixed and added to the wet ingredients.

once it was a cohesive batter of cake, i layered the gorgeous peaches across half of it.

then, more cake got poured in with a final layer of peach. you can see how two layers of peach make this cake twice as good.

the cinnamon sugar sprinkled generously all over the top added a glistening, delicious crunch to an already rich cake.

comforting, this cake warms the stomach and soul.

i'll always miss and forever love my little mochaccino, my peach.

peach cake by ina garten

ingredients
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large, ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1/2 cup chopped pecans
directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugarfor 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.

Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the peaches, then sprinkle with two-thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the remaining peaches on top, and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and the pecans.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

.wonton wrappers.

while my hpff was visiting us this summer, she offered to make dinner one night. when she asked what we wanted, i suggested she whip up one of her specialties. she was trying to think of a meal that would be meat-friendly for her and my husband and also veggie-friendly for moi. we both screeched with delight when she suggested making potstickers.

later that day, we headed to the grocery store to get all the ingredients. being that i didn't have many, ok any, of the necessities, we were loading the cart. the last item on the list was the wonton wrappers. after looking in several different sections from ethnic to produce to the sushi station, we finally caved and asked a store associate to help us. he walked us around to the same sections we had already tried and we all came to the conclusion that they did not carry them.

our only choices were to either put back a million ingredients or change the course to something like lettuce wraps or spring rolls instead. with potstickers already stuck in our head, we both had mopey faces on. until.

i offered, 'why don't i make them from scratch?' she may continue to deny this, but her face spoke deep tales of doubt. after convincing my friend i had faith in myself, we kept all our potsticker insides and headed home for me to prove myself.

now, what i'm not being completely forthright about is the fact that i actually had quite a bit of doubt myself.

as i began adding the suggested amount of water to the dry ingredients, my confidence was as sticky as the uncooperative dough. i ended up adding almost double the amount of water suggested to form a semblance of a pliable product. with all the ingredients mixed and resting in their bowl as a mound of dough, i started gaining some more hope that maybe i could pull this off.

after allowing the dough to rest for 30 minutes, a nice little snooze, it was time to roll it out. i had to get my rolling muscles ready. little did i know how very difficult rolling these potsticker wrappers would be. unlike rolling pie dough, these wrappers were supposed to be super-duper thin. my hpff was kind enough to let me know that my original ones were not thin enough. so, i think i pulled a few muscles on this job, but about 2 hours (ok, more like 30 minutes) later, i had an adorable stack of wrappers waiting to be filled with yumminess.

the yumminess stuffing portion was all thanks to my hpff and i hate to leave you hanging. i know she added cole slaw ingredients, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, garlic, salt, and oh boy...a lot of other stuff, sorry.

most importantly though, the wrappers were a piece of culinary art! (i hope she's reading this)

these potstickers really were absolutely delicious and both my hpff and i were quite proud of our joint efforts. my husband's taste buds were proud of us too.

.wonton wrappers.
ingredients
1 egg
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
extra flour as needed

preparation
Lightly beat the egg with the salt. Add 1/4 cup water.

Sift the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the egg and water mixture. Mix in with the flour. Add as much of the remaining water as necessary to form a dough. (Add more water than the recipe calls for if the dough is too dry).

Form the dough into a ball and knead for about 5 minutes, or until it forms a smooth, workable dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out until very thin, and cut into 3 1/2-inch squares. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

.nature made.

some taste combinations are so divine that you almost wonder why they just don't grow on the same plant. for me, tomato and basil are a match made in veggie heaven.

beep. beep. beep. ok, back it up, tomatoes are technically a fruit. yeah, yeah. let me just be scientifically incorrect here and say i've never had a tomato in my ambrosia salad at the holidays or in my little fruit cup from any cafeteria. so, i pretty much consider it a veggie.

phew, that was therapeutic.

we have an amazing garden we plant every year. it consists of one basil plant and one cherry tomato plant. amazing, right? although we don't have an impressive spread, for me, it is just right. those little cherry tomatoes turn red in handfuls at a time and the basil is always in plenty. sometimes, i'll stop on my way in the door and wrap a ripe tomato in a basil leaf for the perfect pick-me-up.

one of my favorite go-to party platters is a fresh bruschetta with roasted cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and hunks of mozzarella. doing this with my own homegrown goodies is just so delicious. take a normal italian dish and snazz it up with these ingredients and it tastes so good it hurts.

my point is...sorry, i can't think. i'm going outside for a snack.

.grits bar.

if you want a whimsical way to serve up your southern classic, make yourself a grits bar. for either a brunch, like i served, or an intimate meal at home with your family, a grits bar is sure to please.

start by making your grits. i'm sure that part wasn't clear. serve them up in a big ol' bowl. then, set out all your topping options. some grits fans swear by butter only; while others love cheesy grits. i have a certain friend, (not mentioning any names scrimp) who can only eat them with sugar. while i want to gag at this, i should at least give it a taste first before i make any final judgements.

for my intimate brunch, i served up the following topping options: salt and pepper, butter, cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon and sugar (for scrimp). i meant to get some chives, but i just plum forgot. cute it up by putting your toppings in little, clear glasses versus clunky bowls.

enjoy, y'all!

for those not in the y'all state of mind, try an oatmeal bar with brown sugar, peaches, apples, sugar, butter and various berries for your topping options. no matter which way your tastes lie, have a little fun with it.

.many mini donuts.

i remember it like it was yesterday. (insert nostalgic music) after an afternoon at the mall, i was exiting to my car through a department store when suddenly i saw it. as if a beam of light descended from heaven and spotlighted this ruby red beauty...ok, it was more like the fluorescent store lights, but still. there was a countertop mini donut maker.

for those of you who weren't aware, i spent a great chunk (as in all of it) of my adolescence making and selling mini donuts with a fancy, schmancy donut making machine. so, there was a good while there that i figured i could go the rest of my life without ever having another mini donut. i figured wrong. as soon as i saw this little donut maker, i knew i had to have it. however, with a greater sense of fiscal responsibility under my belt, i walked out of the store without it.

for the following few weeks, i barely slept a wink and had one nightmare after another about being chased by giant donuts with rainbows shooting sprinkles at my head in bullet form. ok, i made all that up, but i really wanted this thing. rationalizing that weeks of craving said machine equated to me deserving it led me right back to the department store.

i got it the same week as the brunch i was hosting. so, as soon as i got it home, i made a batch of mini cinnamon donuts from a recipe i found online. while i found the machine really easy to use, i didn't think that they tasted good. my husband enjoyed them, but i didn't even think they were worth the calories. gasp.

with my brunch approaching and the cuteness factor dangling above my head, i decided to go for it again with a different recipe. i just used the basic recipe that came with the machine and decided to spruce them up with toppings. chocolate with sprinkles, cinnamon brown sugar and confectionary sugar...

the payoff this time was much better! these little babies were yummy, without all the guilt of frying them. can you think of any better accompaniment to donuts than milk? next to the donuts on the table, i had a tray of milk shots all lined up for the ladies. i couldn't even take one bite without reaching for my shot and it went as well together as milk and donuts. see?

since the brunch, i haven't made the donuts again, but maybe this weekend will be the perfect excuse. i guess making mini donuts is in my blood after all.

basic mini donut recipe

ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp canola oil

directions:
stir dry ingredients together. add egg, vanilla, and milk and beat 1 minute with electric mixer or vigorously by hand.
add oil and continue to beat 1 minute more.

.sweet, sweet summer.

as a teacher, i never take for granted the beauty of these sweet summer months- just as i never forget the days where i'm at work and teaching before the sun is up to one hundred fifty of other people's children throughout the day, tutoring after school, then coaching and getting home past ten pm from those late night games. while i'm quite inept at climbing on soap boxes, today i shan't. instead, i'd like to focus on wishing my summer adieu.

when i reflect on my great adventures and distant cities seen, i come up empty. you see, this summer, i had quite the staycation. with my husband unable to get any time off from his externship and after a busy year of flying back and forth to florida for wedding events, i made the easy decision to call memphis my summer destination. although i worked at my fellowship in june, i still had all of july to play.

first, my niece came for a bit and we toured memphis like never before. i think i saw more while she was here of the city than i have my whole three years living in it. soon after her departure came my two friends' arrival. we partied like it was 1999 until one of them flew back home to her mama duties. that left my hpff here for another week where we got to do a lot of bonding. although, i'm not sure you can get much more bonded than a friendship as welded as ours. so, we just did what we normally do. we were.

with one last week before the alarm clock is reset, i spent most of my time at home nursing my sick precious doggie. let's not get choked up so i shall move on. back to saluting summer. often, i hold onto the last day of my break with nails clamped in tight to whatever piece of it i can hold onto, i don't really have that feeling this time. do i wish i had more time off, well that's obvious. however, i also know how blessed i truly am.

i have a job, no, a career. i have the opportunity to wake up every morning with a sense of purpose. i don't have the worry that many people have to suffer through in a bad economy or in a bad situation. every night, we eat and too much at that. every morning, we have running water and hot at that. every day, i have the unique opportunity to take the life and mind of an impressionable adolescent and demonstrate manners, a positive disposition and instill the beauty of learning. better yet, i am oftentimes gifted the chance to learn myself and laugh from what they give to my life.

do i spend many, many days complaining about the workload, the bureaucracy, the rudeness, and a dozen other things? yep, i sure do. i'm human. however, as i sit here about to embark on a fresh new year with one hundred fifty new teenagers either awaiting or dreading their new math class, i feel that my choice to embrace it makes me a truly lucky girl.

the words of one of my favorite songs by dashboard confessional comes to mind...'i stumbled upon you and gratefully basked in your rays, so long so long." with arms outstretched for the embrace of a lifetime, i wish you all the best sweet, sweet summer. let's do it again next year...