Hummus

1 carrot, quartered
1 cup dried chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
1 bay leaf
1 onion, quartered
2 tablespoons tahini
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Cayenne pepper, large pinch
Extra virgin olive oil, for ganish
Paprika, for garnish

Place the chickpeas in a bowl, add 1 quart water, and soak overnight (I sometimes skip this step).

Drain the chickpeas and place them in a large saucepan with 2 quarts water (or enough to cover the chickpeas by 2 inches) and add the bay leaf, onion, and carrot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the chickpeas are very tender.  Skim the surface, if you desire (I usually don't).

Discard the bay leaf, and optionally, the onion and carrot.  Drain well, reserving the cooking liquid and leave  the chickpeas until they are cool enough to handle. Pick through for any loose skins and discard.  (Usually I just leave them in and blend them up with everything else, but you can take them out if you want to.)

Blend the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, olive oil, cayenne pepper, and salt (and the onion and carrot if you opted to retain them) in a food processor or Vitamix blender until thick and smooth.  With the motor running, gradually add enough of the reserved cooking liquid, about 3/4 cup, to form a smooth creamy puree.  Season  as desired with salt and lemon juice.  Spread into a bowl or plate, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with paprika over the top.  Serve with warm pita bread, crackers, pita chips, or cabbage chips (our favorite--just cup raw cabbage into wedge and dip into the hummus--it is delicious!). Other vegetables are also very good served with hummus as a dip: carrots, celery, sliced red or green pepper,etc.

Tips: Cook the whole bag of chickpeas and make a huge batch of hummus.  Divide the finished batch into about parts and freeze three of them.  Eat the other part of course.  Hummus freezes extremely well and it is always nice to have some on hand.

Also, refrigerated hummus has a short shelf life, so either eat it quickly (which is never a burden) or freeze it.

AUNT RUBY'S CARROT CAKE

This is simply the BEST carrot cake recipe you will ever find.  Aunt Ruby proved recipes for the Lion House and used to be a professional recipe editor.  This is really yummy!

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups raw carrots, grated*

1 cup crushed pineapple with juice

3 cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons soda

1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

1 ½ cups raisins (optional)

½ cup shredded coconut

¾ cup chopped nuts

Set oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12” x 17” x 2” pan OR a 9” x 13” an 8” x 8” pan OR in three 8” x 8” pans.  Mix above ingredients and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

*Grated raw carrots for this recipe may be substituted with 2 bottles of JUNIOR size baby food carrots.  It makes life easier.

Blueberry Corn Cake

I made this today for a church function and had a lot of requests for the recipe.  It is an unusual dessert because it is a little hearty and not as sweet as desserts usually are.  Not having blueberries on hand I decided to make it with blackberries instead of blueberries, but it is equally tasty with raspberries. You can also try dried blueberries or cranberries.  Served with a dollop of lemon curd or lemon yogurt, or a scoop of lemon gelato, this dessert becomes worthy of a fancy dinner party.  Or simply use a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cornmeal, and baking powder. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the cream, melted butter, and egg. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients just until blended, then stir in the blueberries. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.

Bake until the cake is firm and golden, 20 to 23 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

6 servings

Notes:  I am not one to ever follow a recipe exactly, so here are a few of the changes I make with it, besides altering the fruit as I mentioned above.  First, usually I add a bit of salt and vanilla to round out the flavor.  Also, this recipe can be a little dry if overcooked, so I sometimes add a bit of applesauce or use a little more butter.  I also use milk (usually powdered) instead of cream, since I rarely have cream (or even milk) at home.  A little lemon essential oil is also very compatible with the other flavors.  When I want to make it extra-hearty I add grated Parmesan cheese (the good kind of course, never that nasty powdered stuff) and chunks of mozzarella (I know it sounds strange, but it works really well.  One of these days I may make it with the cheese and without the fruit.).  Generally I double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13 cake pan since it goes so fast.

Basic All-Purpose Cleaner Formula

Basic All-Purpose Cleaner Formula
This recipe makes 2 cups of formula, and it works on most types of dirt.

½ teaspoon washing soda (if you can find it; if not, skip)
2 teaspoons borax
½ teaspoon liquid soap or detergent
2 cups hot water
spray bottle

Combine the minerals, soap or detergent, and water in a spray bottle. Shake to blend.
Spritz the area every foot or so, and wipe clean with a clean soft rag as you go. For difficult dirt, spray and leave the cleanser on the surface for five minutes or so before wiping.

Yogurt Cheese (LABNEE or LABNEH, pronounced lah-bah-neh)

In The Middle East, this mild spread often makes an appearance as a breakfast choice. The Syrians are particularly known for their fondness for Yogurt Cheese. It is also one of my family's favorite cheeses.

1 quart plain yogurt (without gelatin)
1 teaspoon salt

Line a strainer with double-thickness cheese-cloth. Place strainer over bowl. Mix yogurt and salt; pour into strainer. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours. Unmold onto a plate and shape it how you want (or leave it as is to show the texture of the cheese-cloth).

To Serve Labneh as they do in the Middle East:

1. form into desired shape on a plate ( a slight depression in the middle holds the oil)
2. drown in olive oil
3. sprinkle with pulverized spearmint
4. surround with Greek black olives.

Eat it with toasted pita bread slices, as the Arabs have done for millennia. You can also use it like a slightly tart cream cheese.