Classic Hummus, from Basilmomma

Hello Friends! It's that time of the week again... Guest Post Friday! I can't believe we're almost to the end of this series here at The Farmers Wife, but I have really enjoyed it and loved getting to know some fellow bloggers better, I hope y'all have too! And I am SO thrilled for this weeks fabulous guest... Heather from Basilmomma! 

Isn't she just wonderful y'all? I can't tell you how much I've looked forward to this post. I haven't known Heather all that long but I just can't get enough of this gal and her food! She is a Wife and Mom to 2 boys, so we all know what that means... She is one very busy momma! For Heather cooking is her hobby (can you see why we get along?!?), which I just adore as it is my hobby as well! And if you haven't you need to go check out her beautiful site, I promise you will find a bazillion recipes you will be drooling over and want to try ASAP! And now I will turn this over to Heather!

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You would think that we never feed my kids by how often they ask for food. If I ate like that I would be big as a house and quite unhealthy. The thing I often forget is that kids, unlike adults, are always moving. At least mine are. Playing tag, riding bikes or in this case, swimming. I could never keep up with him in the water and I can't imagine how good of shape I would be in if I did.

Health conscience adults that are watching their weight would never down a handful of brightly colored gummy "fruit" snack but don't think twice about handing a pack over to their hungry child. Whether it is to satisfy their hunger or to pass the time parents often give to many filler foods. Sometimes it is just easier to give in to what they are asking for rather than fight that battle in public.

Now, this is not to say I have never done this and I am guilty of this myself. A bag of super buttery popcorn at the movies or a dish of french fries from the baseball concession stand sometimes does the trick. But like clockwork, they are hungry again in an hour. I have found that for my kids, the key is to offer a more filling snack choice and also a drink. I know I often think I am hungry when in fact I am actually thirsty. There are so many drink options out there that are not loaded with sugar and artificial colors. I know right now my kids are really into those little Crystal Light pouches that you add to a 16 ounce bottle of water. Best thing you can refill that bottle and reuse it or use one of your own at home.

I see snack time as a Fourth Meal. The opportunity to sneak in a few things that I sometimes can't on their dinner plates. There are so many possibilities and they can be defined by your child's individual tastes. There is the standard that we all love, peanut butter in jelly, but what about substituting the jelly for a banana and the bread for a tortilla. Roll this up and wrap in plastic or foil and this is a good packable snack. The protein of the peanut butter and the healthy sweetness of the banana will tide your child over until their next meal.

Try some variety in those Ziplock bags. Small cut up fruit and a yogurt cup to dip them in is a good one. Dried Cranberries with sunflower seeds and a handful of chocolate chips will satisfy their sweet tooth. They idea is to find items that are tasty, filling, nutritious and enough to keep them away from the hot dog cart. Now, this doesn't mean that we don't enjoy the occasional treat at a game. I would be lying if I said we never did. But for some people a Saturday means going back and forth between soccer and little league, swimming and lacrosse. That can be several hours up to all day being away from home. So there can be a lot of time to fill.

Once you have packed your child's favorite small toys or handheld games consider packing in a few new foods to try. This was how I initially introduced Hummus to my kids. I knew they would be hungry and I wanted them to try a new recipe I had. I didn't say what it was but I did bring along dipping items that I knew they liked. When they realized that was all I brought they eventually caved in and gave it a try. To their shock not only was it good but they wanted more and that is how a new popular snack in my house was born.

Snacks don't have to be boring to be nutritious and delicious. Think outside the box and make something new. My recipe for hummus makes quite a bit and really only has a few steps. I like to put this in little 6 oz. cups that I can wash and reuse. It doesn't hurt that my husband and I like to eat this as well. Now I can bring along something to nibble on that makes everyone happy and especially me. Less whining about being hungry and less to pack is a real winner in my book.

Classic Hummus


A few of our favorite dippers.

Ingredients:
1/4 C fresh flat leaf parsley

zest of 1 lemon and 2 TB of it's juice

1/2 tsp salt

2 garlic cloves (or more if you like a little kick) 

2 15 ounce cans of Chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 TB of Tahini paste. This is available at Meijer and will keep for a long time in the pantry.

5 TB water

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 TB of olive oil

Add all of these items to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until thoroughly pureed and has a smooth texture.

Keep in refrigerator. Keeps for 1 week.

 

With a cut up pita, carrots, cucumber and some small pretzels.

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First off I just want to say Thank You SOOO much for sharing this recipe with us Heather! I LOVE Hummus and haven't made it in years, and I love that you make this healthy for your family. We all want our kids to eat healthy and this is spectacular, especially for summertime! I am so honored to have you here and as a friend!

If you want to see more of Heather and her fabulous food you can check out her blog Basilmomma

You can also find her on Facebook  and Twitter

Happy Cooking!
The Farmers Wife & Basilmomma