Pumpkin Muffins

These muffins are SO GOOD.....and so easy to make!!  I couldn't believe it when my friend told me the recipe, but it's true!!

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until smooth. Spoon equal amounts of batter into the prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.

Hummus

One of my favorites! Shannon emailed me this recipe from a friend of hers.

-I normally use a large 29 oz can of chick peas for a batch. I believe that is roughly equivalent to 2 regular cans. I have also used black beans instead of chick peas with fantastic results.
-It is important to drain and rinse the chick peas, because the liquid can tend to be bitter. Some brands of chick peas taste better than others. I use La Preferida.
-Obviously, the chick peas need to be blended to make hummus. I use our blender, because it holds more than our wimpy food processor. The challenge is getting the right amount of liquid so that the hummus can blend but also maintain a nice consistency. I use a spatula to help the blender along.
-Many hummus recipes call for lemon, which helps counter the natural bitterness of the chick peas. (you can also use tahini - my note)Garlic, either fresh, roasted, or powered is another ingredient commonly used. Water or oil can be used to the liquid in hummus.
-There are many other ingredients that can be added, such as roasted red peppers, green olives, hot pepper, vinegar, paprika, parsley, basil, turmeric, just to name a few.



-With that in mind, this is my most common recipe:


1 big can of chick peas
1 lemon juiced
1 lime juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic minced and sauteed in oil until brown
1 Tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon of minced parsley
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
water if needed for blending





A less volatile and simpler recipe would be:


1 big can of chick peas
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of dried parsley and/or basil
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
salt and pepper to taste
water if needed for blending





I found this recipe online - using Tahini

· 1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans

· 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas

· 3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)

· 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini

· 2 cloves garlic, crushed

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 2 tablespoons olive oil