juliav1

Easy Hummus Recipe

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First of all lets tackle that big question – what is the correct spelling?

You may know it already but I have spotted so many different ones on manufacturer’s packaging, restaurant menus and even in the supermarket that it’s hard to know for sure.

Apparently this is the correct spelling

hum·mus
ˈho͝oməs,ˈhəməs/
noun

a thick paste or spread made from ground chickpeas and sesame seeds, olive oil, lemon, and garlic, made originally in the Middle East.

Now we have that cleared up…lets make some Homemade Hummus to tantalize your tastebuds and play with that blender again 🙂

Play around with your own ingredients to get different tastes

Once you have the basic recipe you can add or remove ingredients to suit your taste. Just add a bit of olive oil or water if the mixture is too thick. Have fun.

There are lots of ways to serve Hummus – warm pita bread, carrot sticks, veg – how do you serve yours?

The Original Miami Beach Meatloaf

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Here’s my husband’s famous Original Miami Beach Meatloaf

Enjoy!

What You Will Need

Strong blender, mixer or food processor – we use the Ninja Kitchen Master

  • 1.5 lbs of ground beef
  • 1 large white onion
  • 2 slices of cooked smoked bacon
  • 5 medium white mushrooms
  • 1 large egg
  • splash of water (optional)
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • sprinkle of oregano
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • sprinkle of taco seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 6 splashes of French’s Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 6 saltines

Meatloaf Topping

One of three simple ingredients that garnishes the top of the meatloaf. Adding dijon mustard and honey brings out the flavor.
One of three simple ingredients that garnishes the top of the meatloaf. Adding dijon mustard and honey brings out the flavor.
  • 2 tbsp Hunts Ketchup
  • 3/4 tsp of Dijon Mustard
  • 2 tsp Orange Blossom Honey

Method

  1. Set up your mixer as required. We used setting one and the largest bowl attachment with knife blades.
  2. Pre-heat oven to 425F
  3. Chop the onion in half and add to the mixer bowl. Blend for 10 secs or until onion finely chopped.
  4. Add mushrooms and blend for 20 secs.
  5. Remove knife attachment and replace with dough hook for kneading.
  6. Add 1/3rd of the ground beef, egg, saltines, bacon and seasoning. Mix together for 1 min on setting one until the ingredients are combined and you get a smooth liquid substance.
  7. Add another 1/3rd of the meat and continue mixing. Repeat until all the meat has been combined for approx 2 minutes.
  8. Check consistency and add small amounts of water if necessary
  9. Using a spatula add the mixture to a tray or foil container to fit the size of your meatloaf. Your meatloaf should be 1.5″/2″ thick.
  10. Cook in middle shelf for 30 mins
  11. While your meatloaf is cooking prepare the topping.
Add a tasty topping to your meatloaf.
Add a tasty topping to your meatloaf.

Meatloaf Topping

Method

  • Combine tomato ketchup, dijon mustard and honey together in a small bowl

Remove the meatloaf from the oven after 30 mins and add the topping evenly over the meatloaf.

Return the meatloaf to the oven and cook for a further 20/30 mins or until fully cooked.

Serving suggestion

Serve hot with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Total Cook time 50/60 mins

Once you start eating it you just can't stop. Quick and easy to make.
Once you start eating it you just can’t stop. Quick and easy to make.

Labor Day Weekend Sunday Sunrise

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A great way to start the day, if you’re up early, is to pop down to the beach and enjoy the free sunrise show. This is exactly what we did this morning.

[KGVID]http://travellingbanana.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Miami-Beach-Sunrise-Labor-Day-Weekend.mp4[/KGVID]

To make the experience even more comfortable we sat on our beach chairs with tea and coffee in a couple of travel mugs.

 

A great way to get the day started
A great way to get the day started

 

Morning!
Morning!
Morning Sunrise over Miami Beach
Morning Sunrise over Miami Beach
The warm glow that follows
The warm glow that follows and it begins to hot up!

Have a Happy Labor Day Weekend wherever you spend your early mornings!

Dadeland North Station

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As stations go, you can’t beat Dadeland North Station.

It’s elevated high up and has a great view of the Snapper Creek canal one way and The Dairy Queen the other.

From the elevated station platform you get a great view of the Snapper Creek Canal
From the elevated station platform you get a great view of the Snapper Creek Canal

This station is located at the intersection of South Dixie Highway (US 1) and Southwest 83rd Street on the Snapper Creek, two blocks north of Kendall Drive and two blocks south from the US 1–Snapper Creek Expressway (SR 878) junction.

The station is conveniently located if you wish to visit the Dadeland Mall.
The station is conveniently located if you wish to visit the Dadeland Mall.

 

Easy Chicken Broth

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Chicken Broth is one of the tastiest, filling meals or stock base you can make yourself. There’s no need to buy those too salty off the shelf, tin, cube or boxed broths when you can probably make one today with what you have in the fridge. How? Let me show you…

Unless you are a vegetarian or vegan this article is probably not for you but for the rest of us who like chicken, chicken soup and broths here’s my tip to stretch that chicken dinner a little further.

What You Need?

One whole cooked chicken
Two Stalks of Celery (chopped)
Two Large Carrots (chopped)
Half a large onion or one medium onion (roughly chopped)
Pepper, Salt, Herbs (for taste)

Preparation

Use what you need and then save the rest to make an easy and tasty broth.
Use what you need and then save the rest to make an easy and tasty chicken broth.

Take your leftover chicken carcass, which may include some of the meat, all the bones and some or all of the skin and place in a large saucepan.

Add the chopped celery, onions and carrots to the pot. Season with salt, pepper and your choice of herbs. You can add other vegetables for flavor but these are the ones I would recommend.

Remember, keep it simple at this stage as the vegetables you add now will be discarded along with the chicken bones, carcass and skin and any meat, as once cooked you will only be interested in the leftover broth.

Cover with cold water and bring to the boil.

Simmer on low for 1 hour. Stir occasionally. You can pretty much leave it to it’s own devices once the simmering has settled down nicely and you know it’s not going to boil but keep an eye on it.

Remove from heat and stir well.

Pour the liquid through a strainer into a separate container. Leave to cool.

Discard what is leftover.

Add your own ingredients to make a chicken vegetable noodle soup
Add your own ingredients to make a chicken vegetable noodle soup

If you do not wish to use straight away, place in fridge.

You now have Chicken Broth. You can drink this as it is or take it one step further and make Chicken Soup using the liquid you just made as the base. Don’t forget the meat you pulled off as you can then add that back into the soup. You can also use the broth to flavor rice. Do you have any other tips for using homemade broth?

Why not check out my easy
Chicken and Vegetable Soup
using the Slow Cooker.

Neighborhood Trees

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If you wander your local neighborhood what kind of trees do you have?

Here are a selection of my local neighborhood trees and a lot of them are fruit trees 🙂 with a few mystery trees thrown in – do you know what they are?

Papaya Trees

Such a thin sparse tree...but it still produces fruit
Such a thin sparse tree…but it still produces fruit
How can such a small thin looking tree still produce fruit? Where there is a will, there is a way!
How can such a small thin looking tree still produce fruit? Where there is a will, there is a way!

A big thank you to Beatriz of gardeningB.com for pointing me in the right direction – these are actually Papayas not Mango as I incorrectly identified. See, I need all the help I can get 🙂 

However, I’m going to keep this fun Mango fact here 😉 because it’s so interesting.

Mango Mystery – Solved
Mangos are distantly related to a few plants that you’d probably never guess: the cashew and pistachio.

Fig Trees

You can see why Adam and Eve used Fig Leaves to cover themselves - they're huge!
You can see why Adam and Eve used Fig Leaves to cover themselves – they’re huge!
A vibrant, green fig tree
A vibrant, green fig tree

Did You Know?
Fossil records date figs back to between 9400-9200 B.C.

Avocado

They are not my favorite fruit
They are not my favorite fruit
They are extremely popular and nice as Guacamole
They are extremely popular and nice as Guacamole

Fun Avocado Fact
Avocados will not ripen on the tree. They must be picked from the tree to initiate ripening. The leaves supply a substance that prevents ripening. The best way to store avocados is to leave them on the tree; they will store for 7 months or more when left on the tree.

Now it’s your turn..

I need some help identifying what the following trees/fruit are? Any clues?

Really not sure what kind of tree this is?
Really not sure what kind of tree this is?
Do You Know What This Is? Is this also a Fig?
Do You Know What This Is? Is this also a Fig?

and then of course there was this tree…

Large and nicely displayed in oversized plant pots but do you know what it is?
Large and nicely displayed in oversized plant pots but do you know what it is?

and this was underneath it…a good clue and useful to help identify it. Does this help?

Can you eat this? Looks like something you would dry and put out at Christmas time.
Can you eat this? Looks like something you would dry and put out at Christmas time.

If you can solve the mystery, please leave a comment below.

I’ll leave you with one last photo – a collection of mini balls that were under a palm tree. They’re definitely the fruit/seed from the palm tree (usually green when still attached) but to me they look like eyeballs. I guess Hallowe’en must be on my mind, even though it’s a couple of months away, and the colors reminded me of Fall/Autumn.

Not really eyeballs but it was such a funny collection I just had to snap a picture.
Not really eyeballs but it was such a funny collection I just had to snap a picture.

If you liked this, you may be interested in other food and drink articles
Witch Finger Grapes and The Most Tasty Cocktails

 

El Cyclon

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‘El Cyclon’ – is a whimisical unique looking loft building located in South Beach’s South of Fifth area.

 

An interesting building that is sometimes known as Spongebob Squarepants because of its shape.
An interesting building that is sometimes known as Spongebob Squarepants because of its shape.
Even the name is interesting
Even the name is interesting
There are some quirky fish adornments scattered across the building.
There are some quirky fish adornments scattered across the building.
It has a very interesting front door - Octopus or El Cyclon himself?
It has a very interesting front door – Octopus or El Cyclon himself?