Merry Christmas

I was sitting around the house today looking at my hiking books trying to figure out where I would go next.  This hike called Badger peak looks interesting.

All of a sudden I heard commotion in the kitchen.  I saw my friends hanging out talking about dinner.  This group is a tough one to cook for, Reindeer is a vegetarian, drunk fox eats anything, and the bears....well let me just say that are kind of picky eaters.  

Do you see the cupcake Beanie sent me a few months ago (it's in the far right).

I decided to join the conversation and add my two cents.  I was in the mood for something homemade.

Since I was the last one to join the conversation I got nominated to make dinner.  Hmmm, what should I make?  I suggested Hummus and they all threw up their paws in a cheer.  Ok, it's a little non-traditional but Hummus for Christmas dinner it is.

Step 1: Toast the sesame seeds.  I needed Tahini but my roommates told me it was expensive and showed me how to make my own Tahini with sesame seeds  (left over from a sushi dinner I made a while back) and olive oil.  I had to be careful when I used the stove, it can get beary hot. 

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Now that the seeds are toasted I gave them a whirl in the food processor to grind them into a paste. 

Step 2: Gather all the ingredients for the hummus.  Let's see; garbanzo beans, olive oil, garlic, paprika, tahini and a food processor.  

Step 3: Now that everything has been ground up I have to wait for at least an hour (or longer) for all the flavors to meld together. 

Step 4: Cut up the veggies.  This pepper is HUGE.

Do you like peppers?  I grow bell peppers in my garden but not as big as these.  Actually, this pepper came from British Columbia.

 I thikn I better ask Drunk Fox or Big Bear for some help with the knife.

Step 5:  Lay out some crackers and vegetables.  My secret ingredient is paprika (I like paprika not only for the taste but also because it's fox color as well).  I put a little plate of Hummus and veggies together for me and my kitchen helper Reindeer (he likes to spend time with me in the kitchen since he is one of Sequoia's chew toys and if he's not hanging out with me then he is getting chewed up by Sequoia).  

Amazingly when the hummus was done all of my friends came back into the kitchen but they were too busy eating that they didn't pose for a picture :)

What is your favorite Christmas food?

Enjoy your Christmas Day, Little Fox, his roommates, and the other stuffies at our place.