Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

During the days leading up to Christmas and the few after when we were all running here there and everywhere, we tended to snack our way through lunch time. A daily favorite was Hummus, it's so easy to throw together in the food processor - and such a healthy snack - we made several different varieties. I neglected to take photos - so I'm making them one at a time to share.

First up is Roasted Red Pepper....

Recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

In the food processor:
2 cloves garlic
1 can canellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 C roasted red pepper
1/3 C tahini
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp salt

Puree away! Place in serving dish, drizzle a little olive oil on top (I use lemon olive oil)

Thank you for visiting, Edamame Hummus is next!

Project Night Night

If you've read the newest issue of Traditional Home, you've read the article about Project Night Night too. Their goal of giving homeless children a little comfort made me think of my grandmother who would sew stuffed animals to donate to her local hospital. I have no idea how many years she did this, but it went on for as long as I can remember - she tried to make sure that every sick child received this little bit of comfort.

Now, I can't sew to save my life - you don't find DIY projects on this blog. Honey-dos sure, tons of them - but creativity is not me. Project Night Night gives me a way to continue my Grandmother's tradition of providing a little comfort to children in my own craft-challenged way. I ordered some of their bags and will stuff them with a book, a stuffed animal, and a small blanket then take them to my local shelter - Project Night Night supports shelters all across the country........ if you're looking for a new way to help, this might be a nice organization for you to consider too. 


Helping homeless children have sweeter dreams ...

Project Night Night donates over 25,000 Night Night Packages each year, free of charge, to homeless children who need our childhood essentials to feel secure, cozy, ready to learn, and significant.  Each Night Night Package contains a new security blanket, an age-appropriate children's book, and a stuffed animal -- all nestled inside of a new canvas tote bag.  By providing objects of reliable comfort, Project Night Night reduces trauma and advances the emotional and cognitive well-being of the children we serve.  

Every child who receives one of our Night Night Packages leaves the shelter owning a book which encourages reading and family bonding, a security blanket which can be cuddled, and a stuffed animal which can become a cherished friend.  We have one objective – to deliver our Night Night Packages to every homeless child in the country who needs one.

Our Home at Christmas

Thank you for joining me in the mini tours of our home at Christmas.....

I attempted to capture our home with the window candles, the blue hour photo with the lights on turned out a little better. I love the flickering self timer GE candle lights - and they look great in the windows, but don't really give enough light for a night time photo.

Our front door is decked out in red and silver...

You won't be able to enter through the front door, because our Christmas tree is sitting right on the other side...

I like tall (10 feet) and wide trees and we decided years ago the entry way is where they fit without moving furniture - besides the only time all year long that someone comes to the front door is when we have a tree in front of it.

Also in the entry....

Visit our Living Room at Christmas...

Visit our Dining Room at Christmas

Visit our Den at Christmas

Thank you for visiting, in case I don't see you again until 2012 - I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

I'm joining the Christmas Tour of Homes at The Inspired Room and
The Nesting Place  There are so any wonderful homes to see, I may not have time to do anything else tomorrow, sigh.....

The Living Room at Christmas

The Living Room is the Nutcracker room at Christmas....

and nothing says "Christmas" quite like a red feather wreath, don't ya think?

a nutcracker here.......

a pine cone there......

add a Christmas tree and we're almost covered.....

and finally a nativity scene that I found on Olvera Street in Los Angeles a very long time ago.....

Thank you for joining me in a mini walk through.  I have one more space to share - our Christmas tree sits in the entry way  - that's the final installment.

The Dining Room at Christmas

 I'm continuing with the mini Christmas tour - this go round we're visiting the dining room.

 I have tall skinny mantels - they're typical of the federal style that our home is - but they don't allow for any decor more than 5 inches wide. Thankfully we don't have earthquakes here or I'd need to use superglue.

The color scheme in the dining room this year is silver and gold.....

 my method is...if it isn't moving - tie a glittery bow on it...

and the table......

next up on our little mini tour is the living room, I hope you have time for another visit.