If we can't go out... you'll have to come in!

Never a better excuse for a dinner party...!

For those of you who know us, you likely have received an invite to one of our dinner parties in the past- we love hosting, and these days in seem like the perfect storm to cook for those we love.

We decided to celebrate our new "eating at home resolution" with some of our wonderful 2nd floor neighbors.

While you saw the delicious chili recipe that Jess made for the dinner (if not, check out her post below), I was charged with appetizers (clutch!) - hummus and pita chips.

Ah, hummus- a delicious blend of chick peas and spices- that has become a staple in our lives and in our relationship too! Yes, we do love it that much. :o)

Thanks to a gift from Jess' mom, we have our own Cuisinart, which I have come to know and love. I use it almost like a lab device- experimenting with favoring, changing spices, adding citrus juices- too much fun. It has definitely allowed for making a variety of flavors of hummus and it is also MUCH cheaper to make it from scratch than buying it at the store (and way more fun too). We have traditionally used two cans of chickpeas to make our hummus, but as Jess mentioned, she has now begun using the Crockpot for dried beans, so we took three cups of the Jess hydrated beans (awesome!) mixed with artichoke, jalapeño, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon.

Artichoke Hummus:

3 cups garbanzo beans

1 cup of marinated artichokes (chopped)

1/2 large jalapeño

1/4 cup water

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp cinnamon

We also have quickly realized that pita chips while delicious are quite costly. We set out to find a better way! So, to make Pita chips, we take half a package of whole wheat pitas (6) and cut them into eighths. We lay them on a single layer on a cookie sheet and spray them with cooking oil. I sprinkled adobo spice, cinnamon, and onion powder and then put them in the over at 350 for 5-10 minutes until crispy/brown. You might notice at this point that we use a cinnamon in many of our recipes. Once while cooking Jess mentioned that you should have a bit of cinnamon every day- since it tastes delicious and Jess seems to have a strangely insane knowledge about spices- I never questioned her! Therefore, it is a common spice that I use in most recipes we cook. :)