Feathers in Our Nest

Organizing, Crafting, and Decorating

February 19, 2014 by Aliesha

I don’t know why, but I’ve had a major urge to organize, declutter, purge, clean, decorate, and craft lately! I guess it’s an early spring cleaning bug!

I reorganized both bathroom closets/cabinets and threw away old stuff. Here is the master bathroom linen closet:

We got a headboard, finally, after years of not having one. That, plus the new Euro pillows, are making nursing in bed so much nicer!

I made this sign for the kitchen after being inspired by this one. I’m planning on turning my broom closet into a pantry and then hanging this sign above it.

I also took some pictures of my beautiful Cordelia, since she will be 2 on Sunday! Here’s a tiny sneak peek … but check back Sunday for more! I’ve also made a couple of fun things for Cordelia’s birthday party!

While we were outside, Tad took a couple shots of me. I got a new watch, which you can see in this picture.

In other news, we had a beautiful snow last week (third one this winter, which is crazy for our area)!

We also had a lovely Valentine’s Day dinner that Tad made for us!

I think that pretty much summarizes our last week or so!

Classic Roasted Garlic Hummus

February 17, 2014 by Aliesha

I’ve been making my own hummus for several years now since I learned how easy (and frugal!) it is to make at home. The store-bought stuff is great, but it can be $2-$4 a container, so I always make it in my own kitchen now!

This is how I usually make it, but I’ve also experimented a lot with different add-ins, such as roasted red peppers, other seasonings, etc. You can’t go wrong!

Classic Roasted Garlic Hummus

1 14-oz. can chickpeas/garbanzo beans (same thing), drained, liquid reserved
1 head roasted garlic (see note)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (freshly squeezed is better)
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil (adds great flavor, but you can omit it)
1/2-1 tsp. cumin (to taste)
1 tsp. sea salt (I like Real Salt)
1/4 tsp. pepper
a shake or two of Aleppo pepper flakes (for a little heat), optional
1-2 Tbsp. ice cold water

To a food processor (mine is a 2 cup model), add chickpeas. Squeeze the head of roasted garlic to remove each bulb, adding them to the chickpeas. Drizzle in olive oil, lemon juice, and toasted sesame oil. Add cumin, sea salt, and pepper. Pour in a little of the reserved water from the can of chickpeas, and process. Add a Tbsp. of ice water and process again. If the hummus is still too thick, add another Tbsp. of water. You can make it as thick or thin as you want! The ice water helps make the texture more similar to store-bought hummus. Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired.

Serve with fresh veggies, crackers, or pita chips! We also like to eat it on wraps and sandwiches.

Note: To roast garlic, cut off the top portion of a head of garlic to exposed the bulbs. Leaving it unpeeled, drizzle slightly with olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees (I like to do this while I’m baking something else), or until the bulbs of garlic are soft (test with a fork). Cool, then use in this recipe.

Enjoy!

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Jude’s Five Months Old!

February 13, 2014 by Aliesha

Jude is five months old today!

Some milestones:
-rolled over (tummy to back) finally
-giggles when his chin is tickled
-turns his head upside down to see someone behind him
-wears 6-12 month clothes, mostly
-loves his nightly bath
-thinks his sisters are pretty hilarious
-sticks his tongue out
-holds his feet for diaper changes
-thinks it’s funny when someone is wearing a something on their head
-laughs at “peek-a-boo”
-still only has a tiny bit of hair on his head
-is very healthy and content!