Why did everything I make this time resemble something that comes out of your "you know what!"??

I am tempted to not show ANY pictures this time around, for one I CANT take a picture for the life of me!! I don't know what happened to my picture taking abilities but nothing comes out clear! For two, everything I made this time around happens to be yuckie looking...but promise, not yuckie tasting!! :)

I have been intrigued by all this DIY stuff lately as I believe I mentioned before. There are sooo many things I want to make that it overwhelms me and I have to sit back, calm down and take it one thing at a time! I absolutely love making things, especially when they are created in the kitchen...Recently on my f.b. status I asked the question "is it strange of me to be all giddy when I think about recipes, cooking, or organizing my pantry??" hehe

First things first- Tahini! I have been craving hummus lately and since our budget cut I have not been able to spend the money on tahini. Hummus just isn't the same without this key ingredient. I found a blog about how to make your own with white sesame seeds and it just so happens I had a bottle of that very same thing in my pantry! It is a really simple process as long as you have a good food processor. Lately I have been realizing I have no idea what I would do without my trusty food processor, it amazes me that I lived without it for so long! I actually took a picture of this because it was one of the least "poopie" looking.

Next- Black Bean Hummus! "wowee" is all I have to say. I made this kind more of a Mexican flavored dip as opposed to the traditional, and I had a bowl of black beans left over from the pot I made a few days ago so...I whirled that up in the ole food processor and it was dang good!

2 cloves garlic

2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons tahini

3 to 4 tablespoons lime (or lemon) juice

1 teaspoon cumin

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper -- to taste

3 tablespoons yogurt

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

And then- Prune Butter- I have been trying to come up with a good spread, made of only fruit, that I can use on PBJ sandwiches. About every decently priced bottle of jelly you pick up in the grocery store has High Fructose Corn Syrup..something us at the Pace household despise! So I came up with this handy (yet odd) concoction and it was even approved by the "P"-master! Basically it was dried prunes, a little bit of lemon juice, water, and a tad of cinnamon...send that through the processor and it makes for a nice thick spread!

Don't forget- Chocolate Pretzels! Yesterday was actually national pretzel day!!! I love putting food holidays on my calendar and even better if I get a chance actually making the particular food for the day...it is my dream to celebrate as many of these "goofy" holidays with my children..I'm hoping they love them as much as I do!! This one gets a picture because it was the second lease "poopie" looking. Imagine if you will what all these other items would of looked like in picture form...I don't know how it happened but when I went to take pictures this time I realized OH WOW! I must have been in a "poopie" mood or something?!?!

1 1/2 sticks butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 or 2 oz. good quality chocolate

1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
(1 egg yolk, for brushing)

Melt chocolate over double boiler.
With an electric mixer, whip butter until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Add sugars and whip until incorporated, 2 minutes.
Add egg, vanilla and salt; mix until combined, about 20 seconds.
Add chocolate; mix until combined, about 30 seconds, on low speed.
Add cocoa, flour, and baking powder. Mix on low speed until completely blended, about two minutes or less.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes.
Remove dough from fridge/freezer. Break off 1 1/2 Tbsp.-size chunks.

Roll into 10-inch logs, about 1/3-1/2 an inch thick. Shape like a pretzle and lay on ungreased cookie sheet.

Brush with a very light coat of egg yolk mixed with water and sprinkle with rock sugar if you desire.

Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes, until they've just begun to harden.

Hope you have a "not-so-poopie" day!! :)