Hummus from scratch (really)....

A while back Emma from She Sews Seeds blog posted on her Insta-story a video of her making home made hummus from scratch.  She got so many questions that she put it into a blog post for us and you can read about it here.

I've made hummus a few times before however as my kids don't eat it so I don't make it often and have only used canned chickpeas.  Emma swears that making it from the dry chickpeas is far better and that her method makes the creamiest hummus around.  She freezes it in containers as they go through a fair bit so I decided to give this mystery of dried chickpeas a go.  I often refer back to my blog for recipes so I'm going to type it out here as well as Emma's link above.  Below is a summary first followed by the actual recipe.  PS...both my kids tried this on seaweed cracker biscuits and liked it.

At night time before you go to bed or after you clean the kitchen put the chickpeas into a bowl and top up with water about 1 inch (approx 2.5 cm or so) above the chickpea line.  Leave on bench overnight.

In the morning empty the water out of the bowl and place the chickpeas into a big pot of cold water (ie just tap water) add salt and bi-carb soda and bring the pot to the boil.  Simmer for 1 hr.

Drain the water and let the chickpeas cool to room temperature.

Last step is to mix it up in your Thermomix or food processor.  So basically it seemed a bit daunting but in fact was super easy.  You could also start in the morning and then whip it up in the afternoon if you wanted to.  

I am converted to this hummus as it's the nicest home made version I've made so I highly recommend you giving it a go.  Here is the actual ingredient list and instructions by Emma, the above is an overall summary.  Here is a link to another way to cook and preserve chick peas using the slow cooker which is a great idea.  Thanks Cheryl for the link to this method.  I've also found a recipe for home made Tahini which I will be having a go at.

Ingredients:-

2 cups dried chickpeas (available in the soup section at the supermarket)

2 teaspoons of salt1 teaspoon of bicarb sodaJuice of one lemon3 tablespoons of tahini5 garlic cloves (actually probably way more…I adjust to taste and always add in more garlic!)1/2 cup water (also can vary, depending on the consistency you want for your hummus)1/3 cup olive oil1 tablespoon ground cumin2 teaspoons paprika

Method:-

Soak your chickpeas overnight in a big bowl of water, cover to about an inch (or more) above the chickpeas. No need to refrigerate, I just leave mine on the bench.

In the morning drain the chickpeas of all water, put them in a pot and cover with new water. Add in the salt and bicarb soda, bring to the boil, then simmer for an hour. Ensure that you have enough water and they don’t dry out.

Once the chickpeas are cooked they should be easily squashed between your fingers, but not be falling apart. Drain them and let them cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, place the cooked chickpeas, lemon, garlic and tahini in a food processor (I use my Thermomix) and blitz.

With the food processor running, slowly pour in the half a cup of water until you have a creamy texture and your desired consistency. More water may be needed.

Add in the oil, cumin and paprika and process until combined.

Adjust lemon/garlic/cumin/paprika flavours if needed, or more salt.

Chickpeas on the tray waiting to cool to room temperature.

Tastes great.

Beautiful creamy and smooth.

I filled smaller containers so they could go into the freezer and then I just need to thaw one at a time.  I've got some to give to my friend for her family as well as 4 small containers is enough for us.

Around Here

Around here we are into Day 6 of our "Week in the Life" for 2017.  I thought you might like to see a few of my favourite pics so far.


It all begins....

Woke up really early on Monday for some reason.

Menu Planning for the week.

Menu plan up on the blackboard.

Grocery shopping.

Sienna bought this for 50 cents at the school fete 2nd hand toy shop about 6 years ago still loves it.

Choc Chickpea biscuits....sounds weird but healthy and delicious.

NOT REAL....Sienna is making a fake cut for her Halloween Costume...tissue, glue and makeup.

This one turns 14 in 4 weeks....growing into a lovely teenager.

Friday afternoon slushie red tongue.

Self Portrait.

Our afternoon home from school pickup.

Flat Bread

Last night I got Sienna to make some "Flat Breads" to go with our dinner which are so quick and easy and taste amazing.  The recipe is from Rhonda's last book called "The Simple Home".  I purchase all my books from The UK Book Depository which has free shipping worldwide and great prices.  I've been using them for the past 8 years. 

The Flat Breads are made up of Self Raising Flour, Salt, Baking Powder and Natural Yoghurt (I used Greek).  So quick and easy.  All the ingredients go into the Thermomix or you could use a food processor to mix it together to form a soft dough.  The dough is soft and a bit sticky so we just put some flour on the bench to roll it in and pat it.  There is no need to knead it (ha ha).  Just divide it up, and roll each piece thinly and cook for 2 minutes each side.  They are so soft and yummy and would be great to serve with dips.  If you haven't made these before I recommend you give them a go.

Week in the Life 2017

I'm really excited that tomorrow is the start of documenting our 2017 Week in the Life photo project.  It's a snapshot of your life for 7 days from routines to food to house decor to sitting in the car driving your kids everywhere.  I've done this project for many years and have spoken about it in this post and every year what seems "ordinary everyday life" changes before our very eyes.  I wish I had started a few years earlier however it's amazing when I look through these photo books at just what has been documented over the years.

I think about how wonderful it would be to see a photo book of when I was 7 from the breakfast cereals we were eating, the wallpaper that was trending, the types of cars that were driven.  There were no mobile phones, internet, google and I remember the milkman delivering milk each morning in glass bottles.   There were no CD's or DVD's it was cassette tapes, vinyl records and the family usually had a big piece of timber furniture in the lounge room that housed the record player. There was usually one TV and maybe a little portable B&W tv and with 7 people it was always a negotiation about which show was going to be watched on the B&W tv while my parents were watching the 7pm news which we, as kids found extremely boring and couldn't understand why they wanted to watch it.  There was no extra rooms for a study, 2nd lounge or media room.  A house with 3 bedrooms was typical of a family of 7 and bear in mind the parents had 1 of the 3 bedrooms..you figure out the math.  These days most kids have their own bedrooms, 2 lounge rooms and 2 bathrooms.  Oh how the time have changed.

We (all the neighbourhood kids) rode our bikes all over the suburb where we lived and went out in the morning and maybe came home for lunch and were home for dinner.  We explored the local creek with buckets and nets and caught tadpoles and on a Friday night we would catch all the cane toads in buckets and build a 3 brick high fort in our neighbours front yard and put all the toads in there and then release them in the morning if they hadn't jumped out during the night....ahhh life was fun.  Oh how I wished I had photos of some of those activities we did at the time.  My kids will appreciate these books when they are adults married with their own kids and they can use the age old phrase that starts like "when I was a kid" or as my kids refer to my stories always start with "back in the day"....a standard family joke which always makes us laugh.  

Kids grow up and move schools and have different interests and hobbies.  This is a chance for a sort of "time capsule" of what life is like for us in 2017.

Here is a short video by Ali Edwards who is the creator of this project explaining about how it came about.  Ali has been doing this project since 2005 and I started in 2008 and document the same week as Ali and thousands of people around the world do it at the same time.  This year Ali did the Week in the Life in May however I couldn't do it that week and chose to do it in October since 2016 was done in May I thought I would to document a different time of year.  At least all the beautiful Jacaranda's are out at this time so I want to take some pictures of these to include in the book this year.

I take all my own pictures and get in the frame as well using a tripod or just placing the camera on the table or bench top.  This year I've purchased a little Joby Gorilla 3K SLR kit so I can place it on a table or wrap it around a tree to get a photo.  Fun to have a new toy and my first photos will be of me having a coffee in bed and the tripod will sit on top of the bedside table.  I have a Canon camera and apart from using a $20 remote and self timer this has a WIFI function so you can use an app on your phone to control the camera and see what will be in your pic which makes life a bit easier.

It's an exhausting project but one that is well worth it so excited for the week ahead.

Taking Stock - October 2017

I thought I would do one of these taking stock posts this month.

Making: A video of Sienna jumping on the trampoline doing back flips.

Cooking: Healthy meals from scratch and making extra to freeze for the following week.

Reading: Tutorials on how to make family video films. 

Wanting: To live on acreage not too far from here.

Deciding: On spending an hour a day cleaning out the garage for the next few weeks.

Wishing: I was on a plane going overseas on a world trip instead of/or with my sister.

Hoping: That I get through the month of October without having any diet coke.

Enjoying: The rain which has turned our brown grass into beautiful green lawn.

Loving: That I am a Mum to two amazing kids. 

Listening: To the Today Show each morning.

Buying:  Birthday presents for James who turns 14 at the end of November.

Watching: The Block, Doctor Doctor, The Wrong Girl, Landline and Gardening Australia.

Marvelling: At Sienna's persistence in learning how to do a proper back flip on the trampoline.

Needing: To go to sleep earlier each night.

Smelling: The jasmine in the backyard which is flowering at the moment.

Admiring: People who are great at putting together family video films.

Opening: The box over the weekend with our new Aldi TV in it. 

Feeling: Like this year has gone by too fast.

Dreaming: Of winning lotto (I only buy about 3 tickets a year lotto though!)

Celebrating: Getting featured on "Self Portraits of Motherhood" blog.

Pretending: That my housework is done every week to perfection.

Embracing: Good days and bad days. 

Around Here

Around here we have just started Term 4 and only have 8 weeks left of school.  Thoughts of Christmas Shopping and summer swims are fresh in my mind.  We have loved the little bit of rain over the past week or so and the grass is looking green again instead of brown which is always nice.  Here's a few pics of our week.

The Jasmine flowers are out and looking great in my backyard.

After school fun on the trampoline and in fact this week has also been before school too.

Love this girl....she was trying to recreate a photo which sits on her bedside table from 6 years ago.

Here's the recreation with 6 years in between....she cracks me up...so funny.

James studying the map on our recent nature walk...becoming a lovely teenager.

Afternoon sun on our brick home.

Backyard afternoons.

Breakfast.

This is where I am going to live one day.

Afternoon shadows in the family room.

The Gift of an Ordinary Day

About 7 years ago I came across Katrina Kenison and "The Gift of an Ordinary Day" book.  This is a story about Motherhood and the changes that happen so quickly that we think will be there forever.

I was reminded of this the other day when someone mentioned about how their 8 year old daughter would get her hair brushed every morning and it would always end in tears and struggle.  Something every mother dreads but then one day the daughter no longer wants her Mum to do her hair and she is now able to do it on her own.  Then suddenly you realize it's gone, and you won't experience it again even though it was a struggle for both of you each day you feel sad.  I remember this myself how I would have to allow at least 10 minutes to brush Sienna's hair and get the knots out and plait it for school.  She would say that I was pulling it and hurting her and I was just trying to get knots out.  I think every Mother can relate.

There's the time when they had baths and sit in there for 20 minutes enjoying the water and then one day they are having showers with the door shut.  One day you are lying on the bed reading bed time stories and the next minute they are reading novels by themselves before bed.  One day you are making them breakfast and the next day they are cooking themselves eggs on toast before school.  Those early years are hard and long and then one day you have 10 weeks left until you will have both kids in high school.  How did that happen?

"The Gift of an Ordinary Day" is still one of the best books I have read in my life.  I just loved everything about it and can highly recommend reading it and getting a copy of the book to keep.

My photography is a big part of that and why I love documenting our everyday ordinary life.  The kids eating breakfast, doing their homework, reading their books, playing their instruments.  Everyone photographs the big events like Birthdays, Christmas, Holidays, 1st day of school etc but it's the in between which is life, just hanging around at home growing up.  I have taken thousands of photos within the walls of our home in the last 6 years of being here and enjoying the ordinary everyday life that we have.  This is why the photo project "Week in the Life" is a great time capsule of your life from year to year.

Below is a 7 minute introduction video from Katrina Kenison which I find hard not to get teary at watching because it's so meaningful and so beautiful.

You can see how fast time flies and little ones grow up in my recent post about my "Birthday Traditions" where I take a special family photo on my birthday and have documented this 12 years running.

I can highly recommend the book "The Gift of an Ordinary Day" for any parent of any age as it's beautifully written.