Hummus

I love to make my own hummus. It's so much cheaper than store bought. I also find that the flavor gets kicked up a notch because you can taste as you go. 

But sometimes hummus is boring. Let's be real. 

While looking for recipes, I found an awesome cheat sheet on the blog skinnymom.com. This is what I based my recipe off of.

Although a few of those recipes look awesome (I will def try on a later date) I tried the ranch version.

As you can see. The best part about the recipe is that you just throw everything in the blender/food processor and BANG! You got some awesome hummus. You can even add extra herbs or salt and pepper if it appeals. Ta Da!

Ps. Do you like my 1970's blender? I'm old school like that. Enjoy! 

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recently I was scrolling through old posts of mine looking for a recipe for chocolate chip cookies. When I discovered I had none, I was appalled. The chocolate chip cookie is definitely a "staple" and nothing compares to a perfectly baked batch. 

Some people like the flat-break-apart kind. They are still delicious, but I prefer mine with a little bit more puff, so I add more flour than what is suggested.

 If you want to see how ghetto my recipe is, check it out:

"Add-ins" refers to chocolate chips or nuts, even dried fruit. I usually eyeball it, but I use at least 1 cup.

Oh and it gets better:

Pretty simple, but created fabulous results. I also frequently make dough and freeze it in tubes. 

It is so nice when someone at work is like "oh hey, I haven't had a good chocolate chip cookie in a while" and you can say "I can solve that problem" and pop those babies in the oven that night (after cutting into individual cookies, of course).

I let them cool on a wire rack.

Awesome, right? They are perfect if you want to get your lifeguards at the pool to do things for you, like bring you Starbucks. 

Enjoy your summer, lovely people. Over and out.

OH WAIT! If you get the chance, check out my new Etsy shop and buy stuff from me. Go to www.etsy.com and search for the store "sassystauffer." BUY THINGS.

Home Made Cereal

When I made this recipe, it was supposed to come out with a texture similar to a flake or wheat thin. 

The end result was still delicious, but different than cereal. If you have ever eaten those "Honey and Oat" bars from Nature Valley, these tasted EXACLTY like that. 

I guess in retrospect I could have rolled them thinner, but they were breaking apart, so I decided not to. 

Here is the recipe I used from Better Homes and Gardens. 

• Makes: 6 servings
• Yields: 24 squares (1/2 cup) each
• Prep: 20 mins
• Bake: 30 mins 325°
• Stand: 20 mins

3 users rated this 4.5

Crunchy Oat Squares

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup oat bran

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons almond butter

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon honey

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

Nonstick cooking spray

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.

2. Place the oats in a food processor or blender and grind into a powder.

3. Combine everything else in blender or food processor and mix together.

4. Place mixture on baking sheet and press or roll into a square, about 1/4 an inch thick (you can vary on this if you choose).

5. Cut into sections. You can do mini 1-inch squares for cereal, or longer rectangles for granola bars.

6. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until brown around the edges. 

Then they come out looking fabulous. Store in an air tight container. 

Also, I made some mango salsa (mango, cilantro, onions, red peppers and seasonings... BAM).

And some pickles, ala my hero Martha Stewart.

Both of which you can find in earlier posts on my blog. Anyway, stay cool. I am out lifeguarding at the pool today and it is 1,000 degrees. Give or take. Love!!!