Sweet Red Pepper "Hummus"

   Football and Hockey season are officially here and that means lots of tailgate parties.  Whooo Hooo! I love parties! So what is something that I would bring to a party? There are a couple of things I can think of.  Kale Krack Salad is always a good hit.  The BLT bites would be pretty freaking awesome.  But so would a veggie platter with Hummus!  Now, I know chick peas are not paleo.  But here's the thing...this isn't made with chick peas! This awesome hummus is made with butternut squash! That's right, butternut squash! I'm excited!

  Now, I know it's not real hummus, but who cares.  I literally can't stop eating this pretend hummus. It's that good.  I will be full but will still take another bite.  That's how good this stuff is. It will become your go to for a party snack tray or something to have on hand as a healthy snack for yourself. My husband, Damon, and I tend to fight over this quite often.  We can't get enough of it. Seriously!

  You need the food processor for this one and if you don't have a food processor...Go Get One! I use mine for tons of things.  It's a great tool for the kitchen and you don't need the most expensive one. I have been using the same cheap old version for at least 12 years now.  There is a part that is broken and I will eventually get a new one, but for now it still works and that's all that matters. 

  Now, back to the hummus.  The hummus has a sweetness to it from the butternut squash and the Harissa.  Harissa is a Moroccan red pepper sauce that is out of this world.  If you like red peppers this is a sauce you need to try, if you haven't already.  If you don't like red peppers then the hummus still tastes great without it, so no worries.  I also add these amazing buttery olives to the hummus. Lucca and Kaine both love the butter olives. They fight

over who can get the last one.  Wow! We really fight about food over here.  That's normal, right?  Never mind, don't answer that. Anyway, enjoy football, hockey or the end of the baseball season (GO CUBS!) with this awesome hummus. 
Happy cooking and eating!

 Sweet Red Pepper "Hummus"

Serves:approx 2 cups

Prep Time:10 minutes

Cook Time:20 minutes

Total Time:30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 small/med cooked butternut squash, peeled and cubed (approx 1 cup)
• 12 Castelvetrano olives, pitted (or your favorite green olive)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 TBSP olive oil + 1-2 tsp for butternut squash
• 2 1/2 TBSP Harissa
• 4 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• 3 TBSP tahini
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Peel and cut the squash into 1 inch cubes. Lightly coat with olive oil and place on foil lined pan (easy clean up!) in a single layer.  
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes until soft when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
4. Chop olives and garlic in food processor. 
5. Add butternut squash and remaining ingredients to food processor and blend until combined.  You may need to scrape the sides a couple of times. 

*This tastes great with or without Harissa. 

*You can serve this slightly warm. I can never wait long enough for the squash to cool and it still tastes amazing.  Or you can place in fridge and serve cold, just give a good stir before serving. Either way it is good!

BLT Bites

  

  My husband, Damon, and I are pretty competitive. Who am I kidding, we are REALLY competitive.  We compete with everything!  It could be as silly as who knew the random fact the kids were asking about, who can win at Uno, or who can tie the kids shoes faster. I think it's a healthy thing that keeps us on our toes (at least that's what I tell myself).  We both thought our kids would have the same competitive drive and we tend to get a little frustrated when it doesn't come out enough. They both definitely have that drive but it isn't quite as intense.   

  Lucca started ice-skating at 3 years old.  He started playing ice hockey around 4.  He loved hockey and he pursued it on his own.  So it was odd for us when he started having trouble on the ice, couldn't focus and started looking like he had never skated before. We decided it was time to take a break and Lucca agreed. A little time went by and Lucca started asking to play hockey again.  We signed him up and he started out doing well!  He was better at skating again and he was making goals.  It was great to see him working so hard and enjoying himself!  Then, it started happening again.  He couldn't stand on the ice without falling.  He was at the other end of the rink away from the puck and wasn't paying attention.  He declined so fast and we couldn't figure out why. Initially, we thought it was the ADHD that he was diagnosed with.  But it didn't make sense because he loved hockey so much.  I kept hearing about hyper focusing but he couldn't focus on anything, including the sport he loved.  We started to talk about another possible break.  Then Lucca changed and started excelling again.  Even one of his old coaches made a comment and was super impressed with how well he was doing. At that point a break didn't seem like an option anymore.  

  Lucca continued to have highs and lows with hockey until it only became lows.  We couldn't figure out why until he was diagnosed with PANDAS. Once we started treatment (with antibiotics and then IVIG), we saw an immediate change in everything including hockey!  There was a glimmer in his eyes when he would get on and come off the ice.  He enjoyed being out there and he enjoyed scoring goals.  There was a competitive drive behind him now and we were all excited!  

  Lucca has come a long way and is having a great time at hockey now.  We just joined a new league/arena and hockey season has officially started, which means we are quite busy!  It becomes challenging to find things that are healthy to eat before and after practices/games. Some sort of protein works best and these BLT bites are perfect.  I like to use turkey bacon because it is less fatty and not as rich, but regular bacon would work too.  I love the micro greens because they give a powerful punch of nutrients and just easy to have on hand.  Both my kids hate tomatoes.  They love ketchup and things made with tomatoes, but the thought of plain tomatoes will freak them out. So, I make a few with and without tomatoes.  Both are delicious.  I think these would be really good as a little party appetizer too...maybe while watching a hockey game.  

BLT Bites

Serves:12 bites

Cook Time:10 minutes

Prep Time:5 minutes

Total Time:15 minutes

Ingredients:

• package of turkey bacon, cooked
• couple of tsp amazing mayo
• micro greens
• tomato, thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. Place turkey bacon in oven and broil for about 3-5 minutes.  Flip and broil for another 3-5 minutes.  You want it to get a little crispy and hot. Remove from oven. 
2. Lay out a bacon strip and add a small amount of mayo across the bacon.  
3. Add a little bunch of micro greens and place a slice of tomato on one end of the bacon.  
4. Carefully roll up and secure with a toothpick.  Repeat.

Second summer of the year

Second summer of the year...

  Is it just me or does it seem like we are being hit with a second summer? Don't get me wrong...I love summer!  I patiently (sort of) wait for it every year but I really don't feel like we had a full summer this year. Plus, we were hit with a cold front just prior to school starting which started to get me in the mood for fall (which I also LOVE).  Now that school has started, this weather is reminding me of the end of the school year instead of the start of the school year.  But don't get me wrong, I AM NOT COMPLAINING! 

  One thing that I love during the summer is smoothies!  When it's hot out the last thing I think about is eating.  So a smoothie is the perfect way to get all the stuff I need without feeling too full and it cools me off at the same time.  Not to mention, it's a great way to sneak some extra veggies into my kids when they aren't looking! I use an emulsion blender but you can use a regular blender or Vitamix type product. 

  You can customize any smoothie to fit your needs or taste but some folks just don't know where to begin. This is a smoothie that my kids love and it contains stuff I always have on hand.  I sometimes add a little sprouted watermelon seeds (yes, I said watermelon seeds, check it out here) to give a boost of protein or I add pumpkin seed protein powder. Either works well or you can do without.  The added protein almost makes this a complete meal that is perfect for breakfast, after workouts, after school, at the pool, or just whenever you want one. So make yourself a smoothie, grab a book, head outside and enjoy the warm weather before we get blasted with snow!

Summer Smoothie

Serves:1-2 (2 Cups)

Prep Time:5 minutes

Cook Time:0 minutes

Total Time:5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup frozen mixed berries (or favorite frozen berry)
• 1/3 cup canned coconut milk or almond milk
• 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach
• 1 banana
• *optional 1/4 cup of watermelon seeds or 1 scoop of protein pumpkin seed powder

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients and blend until smooth.