My Favorite Way to Eat Vegetables

I ate most of this in one sitting....

If I've ever made you dinner, or if you have me on SnapChat, or honestly, if you let me tell you about food at all, you're probably well-aware that I love roasted vegetables. Especially broccoli. Like, I know it's lame, but I'm pretty sure roasted broccoli is my favorite food. I eat it almost every day. If not broccoli, it's probably Brussels sprouts. All roasted. Always. It's the best way to eat vegetables, I promise. It's also vegan friendly, if you're into that. Oh yeah, highly recommend dipping the broccoli in hummus. I love.

I got you a new phone background.

The day I made this, my car broke down. I'd love to say it came out of nowhere, but I like to think we're all friends here, so I'll admit that it was a part my dad told me to fix a month or so ago. So.....lessons learned. Sorry Daddy. But I digress.
Anyway, I pulled out of the apartment I'm currently trying to sign a lease at, and realized my power steering had quit. Have you ever had to use your entire body weight to move the steering wheel? It's interesting. So, I pulled into the nearest parking lot and called my dad, who probably would've laughed at me if he'd been in a better mood, and then informed me that I couldn't drive the car. While I was freaking out to him, for some reason trying to talk him into saying it was okay to drive, a man appeared. He told me that he was the owner of the bike shop (which apparently was the parking lot I pulled into) and that he knew what was wrong with my car and was willing to go buy the part for me and put it in.
I was shocked and confused and explained it to my dad on the phone, who told me to take help where it's offered. The man (his name is Paul, he owns the bike shop on the corner of NW 6th St. and NW 21st Ln. support his business if you're a Gainesville local.) proceeded to fix my car, and only asked that I reimburse him for the parts and buy him a lottery ticket, even though I offered beer and cash. As someone with a stats background, this feels like a stupid statement, but I really hope he wins. I returned the next day with cookies. I don't know how I got so lucky. All I can say is that God was keeping an eye on me. 

Sometimes good things happen. Celebrate with broccoli, that's what I did.

Roasted Veggies
1 head of broccoli/1 lb. Brussels sprouts/1 lb. green beans/1 sweet potato/etc
3 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
garlic powder

1. Place the veggie of your choice on a baking sheet lined in foil in a single layer.
2. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat. It's okay if they aren't all coated, they just need a little sheen.
3. Season to taste.
4. Bake at 425. For broccoli, I find that it's best after 20 minutes, Brussels sprouts are great after 25, green beans take 20, and sweet potatoes take more like 30-40, depending on size. You just want the vegetables to be cooked through and golden brown where they touched the foil. So good.

BBQ Hummus

Hi squad. Happy 2017. How are we feeling about this year so far? Are you a resolutions type of person? I'm not, but I think it's just because I make goals for myself constantly, so making even more at the start of a new year seems almost redundant. But anyway, this little paragraph is probably redundant, since the year started 18 days ago. Whoops.

But anyway, this year so far: I baked quite possibly the best thing I've ever made about a week ago now. It was this babka from How Sweet Eats and oh my goodness. I didn't make it into muffins but kept them in little swirls like cinnamon rolls. They were buttery and chocolate and fluffy in all the best ways. I'm sort of in love with dough right now. Bread doughs are fun for me because they need just a bit more finesse than other stuff, and I like having my hands busy. I've made cinnamon rolls in the last week and I'm not slowing down. Sorry. Recipe to follow.

In other news, I watched my first anime all the way through and I don't know how I feel about it, but I can definitively say that Yuri on Ice was really good and made me feel things. Also on the TV topic, I'm watching Series of Unfortunate Events and WOW. It was basically my favorite book series growing up and I love the Netflix adaptation so much. NPH as Count Olaf originally made me nervous but he nails the characterization perfectly. I'm on a nostalgia high like no other.

Last few things: I'm trying to pick guitar back up, which currently involves a whole lot of sounding like crap while one of my friends "teaches" me, which mostly involves him making fun of me. I spoke Spanish to a customer at work for the first time yesterday and the look of gratitude she gave uncomfortable, awkward me made it so worth it. I was given almost 20 pounds of flour recently, so baking will not be slowing anytime soon. Buy me flours, not flowers, friends. Sorry.

BBQ Hummus
Ingredients
2 cans of chickpeas (only drain one of them)
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for the onion
1 small onion, cut thin
3 tbsp BBQ sauce

1. Put the onions in a pan with a bit of oil over medium low heat. Saute until translucent.
2. Meanwhile, Combine the other ingredients (minus BBQ sauce) in a blender or food processor until smooth. Place in serving dish.
3. Once onions are translucent and soft, add BBQ sauce, removing from heat when totally combined.
4. Top the hummus with the BBQ onions, or stir them in if you'd prefer. Serve with chips or anything else you'd like.

South of the Border Hummus

I love hummus. I love the stuff out of the container. The plain, the roasted garlic, the lemon. I love it on crackers, on tortilla chips, with veggies, with chicken, on potato chips (is that weird?). I just love it.

So, of course, I topped it with veggies and beans and other things that reminded me of southwest-y flavors. You get it, right? That's how our friendship works. I make (sometimes weird) stuff. You look at it. You don't judge me. It's perfect.

South of Border Hummus
Ingredients
2 cans chickpeas
juice of 1 lime
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 avocado
1/2 tsp salt
1 tomato, diced
1 ear of corn, removed from the cob
1/4 cup black beans
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Using a food processor, blend together the chickpeas, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and avocado until smooth. You may need slightly more oil.
2. Add the hummus to the bowl, or whatever serving vehicle you plan on using. Top with the tomato, corn, black beans, and cilantro. Enjoy with chips or crackers or anything else you want!
   
   
   

What Should I Eat? 7

Let me tell you about this new, cute, little place that just popped up on University. It's called 3 Natives and I'm a fan. They have these little things you see above, called smoothie bowls. They're fresh, they're fruity, and the bottom is frozen, so it's like healthy (dairy-free) ICE CREAM. Me gusta mucho. The one I got had pineapple, kiwi, strawberries, and peanut butter. I wasn't sure how those flavors would gel with the granola and acai berry smoothie base, but it totally worked. I had mine for breakfast, and it was surprisingly filling. The only downside is that these are sorta expensive (like $8), considering what they are. However, I'll probably recreate them in my kitchen at some point, so get excited for that. In the mean time, splurge and get one of the ones from 3 Natives.

I'm-Not-Good-At-Naming-Things-Don't-Ask-Me Hummus

The name for this post came from my former roommate, who, when I asked her what to name this hummus responded with, "I don't know. It's delicious, but I'm not good at naming things. Don't ask me." So that's the name.

This recipe is also super exciting because it's the first recipe I've made in my dorm kitchen. Also, I know these pictures aren't the prettiest, but lighting isn't great in here, so bear with me. This recipe is also the first one on the blog that's vegetarian AND vegan. So exciting.

Taking pics on the water fountain because that's where the light is

I made this hummus in a blender, which takes awhile, so if you have a food processor, that's probably the better idea. However, I feel like most college students are more likely to have a blender? Anyway, it's totally doable. So is cooking in college, even in a dorm. You've got this.

Tomatoes!!!

I made a pretty normal hummus and then topped it with tomatoes and green onions because 1) yum. and 2) pretty! and 3) summer.

Nameless Hummus

Ingredients

2 cans chick peas

2/3 cup olive oil (I also think sesame oil would be really good if you feel like spending that much money on oil)

juice of one lemon

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

1/2 tbsp garlic, minced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

1. Blend together the chick peas, olive oil, and lemon juice. You're probably going to need to stir around a few times, especially if you're using a blender. When it's smooth, you're done, but it might take a little while.
2. Pour into a bowl, then add the salt, pepper, and garlic. Stir/mash around.
3. Sprinkle tomatoes and green onions on top. Serve with pita chips or whatever else you like.