Sweet Potato Hummus

This is potentially a dish you already have all of the the ingredients for! I’m a little overly obsessed with tahini. It’s up there next to almond butter me, I drizzle it on everything. Tahini is one of the main ingredients for hummus, but unlike traditional hummus, this recipe swaps chickpeas for a baked sweet potato. The finished product is so smooth and creamy, I licked clean every bowl and spatula after whipping it up.

Sweet Potato Hummus

Ingredients:
1 medium sweet potato
¼ cup tahini
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
juice of 1/2 a lime
pinch of salt

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Scrub clean your sweet potato then with a fork, poke holes all over the sweet potato. Place on a roasting pan and bake for about 45 minutes until a knife slips in easily and the inside feels tender. Cut the potato in half and set aside to cool until you can handle it.

Scrape the flesh of the sweet potato out from the skin and place in your food processor. Add in the tahini, garlic, lime juice, and salt. Pulse until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape the sides as needed. Transfer to a bowl, and top with a drizzle of nice olive oil, flaky salt, and paprika or red chili flakes if you like spice. Serve with raw veggies or crackers.

The hummus will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

Annie

Samoa Popcorn

Girl Scout cookies, you can’t, not, love them. My top three are Samoas, Thin Mints and Trefoils. Yours?

With it being peak Girl Scout cookie season, I wanted to repurpose the coveted cookies. I’m taking the flavors of Samoas, and actual Samoa pieces and turning it into a decorated popcorn recipe. With the Oscars this Sunday, it will be the perfect snack at my watch party!

My sister, Kathleen and our two best friends Jillian and Taylor get together for almost all award shows (and pageants), especially the Oscars. I never do as well as I set out to, when it comes to actually seeing Oscar nominated movies, but you can bet I’ll be in front of the TV Sunday evening filling out my ballot and snacking on all the appropriate snacks. Exhibit A, this Samoa Popcorn.

Are you watching the Oscars this Sunday? Hit up your local scout before the big show, so you too, can make this popcorn for your viewing and tastebud pleasure!

Samoa Popcorn
yields 6-8 cups

Ingredients:
6-8 cups air popped popcorn (I used 1/2 cup kernels and 1 tbsp. coconut oil, prepared in my Lekue popcorn maker)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips*
2 tsps. coconut oil
1/2 cup sweetened coconut
5 Samoas, roughly chopped

Directions:
Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil. Pop your popcorn and evenly distribute on your prepared cookie sheet.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt your semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1 tsp. of coconut oil in 30 second intervals. Stirring well between each interval to keep the chips from burning. Once melted, set aside. I did 30 seconds, another 30 seconds and then about 10 seconds at the end. In another microwave safe bowl, do the same with the butterscotch chips and 1 tsp. of coconut oil, then set aside.

Toast your coconut in a small sauté pan, over medium heat. Stirring often, until light brown. Don’t take your eyes off of it, this happens fast. Once light brown, take off the heat and set aside.

Now it’s time to put it all together. Using a small spatula or spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the popcorn. Repeat with the melted butterscotch. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the popcorn. Finish by evenly distributing the Samoa cookie pieces. Let sit until the chocolate is hardened, about an hour. Break up the big chunks of popcorn and serve!

*you can use melted caramel instead of butterscotch chips, but I just really love butterscotch and prefer the way it hardens on the popcorn.

Annie

My Oscar Ballot is from Studio DIY!

Bites of My Life

It's wedding week!!!!! We are headed to Brooklyn later this week as we prepare for Claire and Mike to tie the knot. We have been waiting for this day for years! From previous experience, Tucker weddings are a little too fun, I'm sure this will be no different. Last week's bites are below, but stay tuned for a wedding week bites post coming next Monday!

-What's for lunch? Elle!! 
-Another Cookie Pizza recipe because there is really nothing more fun to eat and they are perfect for birthdays. I shared this Triple Chip Cookie Pizza recipe last week with perfect pictures from KGC Photography. 
-A little downward dog action with #GabetheBabe! Catch us on the StudioHop insta. 
-A go-to single girl meal, this time fit for a 5 year old. Trader Joe's Frozen turkey burger cooked up and served salad style and with a smile. 
-Give me Mexican food and a bingo card and I'm sure to have a good time. A successful fiesta raising money for Infant Crisis Services. 
-Love getting to be apart of the restaurant industry and the friends it has brought my way. Congrats Neighborhood Jam, a sure success. Brunch all day starts tomorrow as they open their doors. PSA get the biscuits and apple jam.  
-Snoozin' for the Sooners. After our loss on Saturday I'm feeling the same way as Elle about this season...
-Late night cookies and milk at The Jones Assembly with my sweet treat lover Maddie. 
-This is the snack mix I based my Banana Chip Savory Snack Mix. I don't have time to make a batch of mine before heading out of town, so the original will do and will make the perfect Whole 30 airplane snack! And booch cause it was on sale at Uptown Grocery for $1.99!!

Annie

Bites of My Life

I started last week with the mindset to be more intentional. More intentional with constant friendships, reconnecting distant friendships, intention with work, creativity and personal life. "An intention synchronistically organizes its own fulfillment." - Deepak Chopra. I'm not one for quotes, but with more intention, I was so easily more fulfilled.

Starting the week out with a positive mindset led to spending quality time with friends I see every week, haven't seen in weeks, those that live down the street and those that live in different states. A lunch date, a workout date,  a new recipe, celebrating The Scout Guide OKC's vol. 2 launch, celebrating the start of fall with OKC KKG alum, celebrating one of my favorite local non-profits, and the grand finale celebrating Lauren getting married with all of my best friends. Live with intention and you will be fulfilled. 

-Everyone needs an Alexis in their life. A friend that radiates positivity into your life everyday. 
-Kicking whole 30 snacks butt with this Banana Chip Savory Snack Mix. First batch is gone and I'm quickly planning when I'm making my next batch. 
-Reality is dragging your coffee table into your kitchen to get the best natural light for your food photography. 
-The best intentions to have a fun workout together, ended as more of a near death experience. But being with Katie and Annie felt like sophomore year in the Kappa house all over. 
-Pumpkins in their prime.
-Spontaneous Tucker girl lunch with mom, sis and Elle.
-On my coffee table: Vol. 2 of The Scout Guide and The Jones Assembly on the cover of Edible OKC. 
-When you rent a lake house with 18 of your closest friends and top it off with one of the funnest weddings, it's a sure combo for a perfect weekend. 
-Unapologetically caught in the act of capturing precious moments.

Annie

Lemon Turmeric Energy Bites

If there is an event that involves me, then you know there will be treats. I had so much fun hosting a private Beyond 500 class for friends and followers last Sunday. I wanted to bring something sweet to reward everyone for the hard workout, but I didn't want to blow all the work we would be doing in the class. Energy bites (not energy balls, I refuse) were the perfect post-workout treat. 

Lemon Turmeric Energy Bites
yields 20 bites

Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
6 oz pitted dates
1 Tbsp. chia seeds
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. vanilla extract
zest and juice of 1 lemon

Directions:
Put all ingredients into your food processor and process until everything comes together, about 3-5 minutes. Stopping and scraping down the sides every minute or so. You want to make sure the nuts, seeds and dates are finely processed and it comes together like a dough.  

Using a tablespoon size cookie scoop, portion out the dough and roll to form balls. Store in the fridge for up to a week. Each bite is only 85 calories. 

With protein from the cashews and chia seeds, natural sugars from the dates, and an energy boost from the lemon and turmeric, they make for the perfect pre-or post-workout snack. 

Annie