TPM kitchen: Easy Hummus Recipes {Basic + Avocado}

One of the reasons that prompted me to make my own hummus is because of my daughters' gluten intolerance. I was looking for gluten free options for snacks. I wanted to serve whole foods like vegetable sticks or fruits. Something healthy and easy to prep. But it's hard to just serve them carrot sticks or cucumber slices without any dip, di ba? So hummus to the rescue! Because it just takes less than 15 minutes to make one with no cooking required.

basic hummus on the left and avocado hummus on the right

I know there are a lot of moms like me who don't want to feel like they have to turn the entire family's life 360 degrees because of dietary restrictions. It's a challenge. Because even if only two persons eat gluten free, they find it so much more difficult to follow the diet when there is baguette or ciabatta or cake in the house. So nakikisama din kami sa kanila most of the time.

What’s Hummus? 

Hummus is a Middle Eastern spread traditionally made from garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice and garlic. All ingredients are gluten free.

If you search online, you will find a lot of recipes for making homemade hummus, which all claim to taste better than store-bought ones. 

The hummus recipe I am using is all about convenience so it makes us of use canned garbanzos/ chickpeas, which are readily available in the grocery, and easily stored in the pantry for spur-of-the-moment hummus cravings.

I don't use tahini because it's not one of the ingredients I usually have on hand. I like hummus that has tahini in it; but for me, the flavor it adds to the dip is not something that I would not miss if it's not there. So if I don’t have it, which I often don’t, I make it minus.

I know purists will say that hummus is not hummus without tahini. But for this busy mama, a homemade kitchen hack version is still better than commercial ones that are laden with preservatives. Besides, hummus needs only a small amount of tahini. I'm sure if I buy one, my jar of tahini will just sit around in my fridge until it goes rancid. Instead, I substitute with UNSWEETENED nut butter that's readily available in my pantry like peanut butter or almond butter. I've also tried using Kewpie sesame dressing. Please do not judge me! Hahaha!

Get the kids involved by asking them to take out the skin from each garbanzo bean. My daughter loves doing this. You don't really have to do this, but if you decide to, it will result in a super smooth, silky hummus. Again, it's a matter of preference and convenience. If you want silky hummus and you have the pleasure of time, then take the skin out. If you are short on time, then keep the peel on, and just let it run on the blender/food processor longer.

Easiest Hummus Recipes

Basic Hummus

This basic hummus recipe is like a blank canvas. Feel free to mix in additional herbs, vegetables, and seasoning to flavor the hummus.

Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzos/chickpeas
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2-3 tablespoons of drained liquid from garbanzos (or plain water will do)
3 tablespoons almond butter or peanut butter
1 1/2 tablespoons calamansi juice (original recipe calls for lemon)
1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp paprika, for topping

Instructions
1. Drain the chickpeas into a strainer, reserving the liquid from the can. If time and patience allows, pinch the skins from each of the chickpeas; this will make your hummus smoother.

2. Combine the chickpeas, olive oil, nut butter, calamansi or lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and paprika in the blender or food processor.

3. Blend hummus until smooth, at least 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to integrate any large pieces.

4. Taste and adjust seasonings. If your hummus is stiffer than you'd like, blend the 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved garbanzo liquid (or just plain water) to thin it out and make the hummus creamier.

5. Transfer to a bowl and serve with pita chips or raw vegetables. Alternatively, you can also transfer to a sealed container and it will keep inside the refrigerator for one week, inside the freezer for a month.

Avocado Hummus

Avocados are in season right now, so I've been buying a lot. There are so many ways to enjoy avocado, which I've shared here.

Ingredients:
Basic hummus recipe
1 large avocado, pit removed 

chili flakes, for topping


Instructions
1. Drain the chickpeas into a strainer, reserving the liquid from the can. If time and patience allows, pinch the skins from each of the chickpeas; this will make your hummus smoother.

2. Combine the chickpeas, avocado, olive oil, nut butter, calamansi or lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and paprika in the blender or food processor.

3. Blend hummus until smooth, at least 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to integrate any large pieces.

4. Taste and adjust seasonings. If your hummus is stiffer than you'd like, blend the 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved garbanzo liquid (or just plain water) to thin it out and make the hummus creamier.

5. Transfer to a bowl and serve with pita chips or raw vegetables. Alternatively, you can also transfer to a sealed container and it will keep inside the refrigerator for one week, inside the freezer for a month.

How To Serve Hummus?

Hummus is great as a dip with raw crispy vegetables such as carrots and cucumbers. My kids would not eat carrots and cucumbers as is, but hummus makes everything tolerable.

For those of us without gluten sensitivity, we eat it with toasted pita bread or ciabatta. We love the crustiness of the bread against the smoothness of the hummus.

Traditionally, I've seen hummus topped with EVOO and a few whole Chickpeas. But, since we are making our own, then anything goes! With mine, I added Smiked Paprika and Chili flakes.

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#TPMkitchen: Ways to Enjoy Avocado

It's avocado season! Is anyone here celebrating with me?

Fellow avocado lovers, you have to agree with me that bringing home a beautiful looking one is a good fortune that should be celebrated. When I get my hands on one, I slice them, fan them out to a long line, then turn them into avocado roses. 

 I like to play with them using my sharpest knife and make them into works of art, and show them off.

Advice To My Teen Daughters On Finding Their Personal Style

My daughters used to go to me every Sunday to ask my help on what to wear, but they hardly do that anymore. Not that often anyway. They have somehow developed their own sense of style, and are now confident in the sartorial choices they make.

As a mom, I want to teach my girls that style is not just about nice clothes, but ultimately it is a balance about feeling and looking good. About being confident and comfortable in who they are and what they are wearing.

There are a LOT of times where we step out in color coordinated outfits, UNPLANNED. 

This is one of them where we are all wearing navy and Breton stripes.

Phenomenal Tip: What to Expect During An International Swim Meet

I just realized that I wasn't able to write a post about that time we accompanied R to his first international swim meet.

We were in Hong Kong during the last week of April. C decided that since the 2 girls already flew to Hong Kong with their Ahma just a week earlier, we wouldn't take them with us anymore. It would be a great opportunity to spend alone time with our only son.

This is the first trip that we are taking him by his lonesome so it's a double treat for him, as well. Imagine competing in his first international meet and then having mom and dad all for himself. 

I bet that made him feel like a winner already.

Phenomenal Tip: DIY Poke Bowls (What Is It + How To Make It)

Poke Bowls is basically like a deconstructed sushi. 

Whatever ingredients you think will tastes great in your sushi, all thrown into a bowl.

Phenomenal Tip: What To Pack In Your Family's Travel First Aid Kit

I’ve got all our summer plans booked and organized.

Last week, I restocked my family's travel first-aid kit.

there's a link to a FREE PRINTABLE version of my packing list at the end of this post

My girls are on a short trip with their ah-ma (my husband's mom) for some bonding and shopping because girls really do bond as they shop, di ba? Hahaha!

While the husband and I will be accompanying our fave son as he competes in his first ever international competition later this month. As it is with boys, I'm sure our trip will be spent eating more than shopping. Which is fine with me, as I'm not much of a shopper anyway.

As with every trip, I make sure that I prepare all the essentials so I don't have to worry about the what-ifs. Any experienced traveler will tell you, things can and occasionally do go wrong on any trip, and taking a well-stocked first-aid kit is always a good idea.

My medicine kit has evolved and been refined over the years. For a long time, I carried a big box like container because most of the kids' medicine was in syrup form so ang dami kong dala na naka-bote pa. But thankfully, since I've got teenagers now, my current container is a slim flat one and we just have one kit shared by everyone.

I just used a thin plastic container I bought from SM Home in Megamall. 

I actually make one big first-aid kit that stays in the luggage and another small one that can fit our bags.

The small plastic containers I used below are actually just the plastic containers from USBs that I got from press kits. They are the perfect size for a few tablets, some betadine and alcohol swipes, and band-aids.

What I pack in my travel first aid kit

The basics

The amount to bring will depend on the size of your family and the dosage/frequency you have to take it.  For my own kit, I always bring medicines good to take for 3-4 days, or the duration of the trip whichever is shorter.

1. Fever/Pain: 

Paracetamol (Tempra or Biogesic)

2. Colds/Decongestants:
Sinupret
Neozep Forte
Sinutab

3. Pain killer:
Mefenamic acid 500mg

4. Diarhea:
Loperamide

Oral Rehydrations salts

5. Allergy medicine:
Cetirizine 10mg
Loratadine 10mg
Benadryl AH 25mg.

6. Betadine wipes, alcohol wipes, bandages, bandaids, gauze + tape

7. Eye drops:
optique
tobradex

8. antibiotic ointment/disinfectant:
cutasept
bactroban

9. eczema management:
coconut oil
Zenutrients Argan All Around

Elica
Calmoseptin

10. acid reflux management:
sodium bicarbonate tablets
Gaviscon

OTHERS:
Digital thermometer

Kool Fever

I have a son who I brought to the ER several times, thrice for wounds that needed to be sutured. I jsut found this one at Amazon and I bought it. It seems like a good thing to keep in handy. It cost about $8.50 for 4 sachets.

Supplements

For travel, the only supplements I pack are vitamin C and Probiotics

For sports-related travel:

1. Sunblock. I make sure to use a sunscreen that is broad spectrum, meaning it offers protection against UVA and UVB. Read up on the difference here.

2.Insect Repellant
Zenutrients bug balm
Cycles stickers

3. Relief for muscle pain
Fastum
Zenutrients Muscle Balm
ice gel packs

4. Ear Drops (Swimmer's Ear)
Synalar Otic

Ever since hitting the big 4-0, my body has started to ache a little bit here and there. I noticed that I needed a little more of gentle care. I have started bringing around my own care kit full of products that are tried and tested to make me feel better.

Zenutrients Muscle Oil in a roll-on dispenser goes in my everyday bag to soothe away tired muscles caused by lola-moments. Fine, rayuma and arthritis! Pangalanan na yan! hahaha! It's pain relief on-the-go. The Zenutrients Muscle Balm naman is a lifesaver whenever my swimmers complain of muscle ache after a tiring training set. It smells so good also because of the camphor that my kids naturally fall right asleep after I massage them.

Hopefully we won't need to use our first aid kit, but I’ve certainly found that the best approach to family travel is to be prepared.

Is there anything I’m missing here? What do you put in your medicine travel kit? DO SHARE!

I'm also sharing the PRINTABLE file of my Travel Packing List. All you need to do is to click on the downloadable link to my PDF file, and from there you can print it out.

Click HERE for a free downloadable version of my packing list 

And if you’re interested to know what I think are the essentials for when our teens travel without us, please check out my post on Teen Travel Essentials (For When They Travel Without Parents)

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Tips For Taking Better Care of Your Non-Stick Pans + Hard & Light Cookware by Lock & Lock

I definitely knew I hit middle-age when going to department stores, the first area I hit up is the Home & Kitchen section. And, the same thing holds true for online shopping. I spend a lot of time browsing the Home and Kitchen section, too.

Lately, I've been I've been obsessing about pots and pans.

I have all sorts. I have stainless steel. I have cast iron. I have non-stick. I think the more pans, the merrier.

What Kind Of Pan To Use?

I am lucky to have a set of solid stainless steel Salad Master that my MIL gifted me with. I use it to saute vegetables and stir-fry meats.

But for cooking food such as sunny-side eggs, fried rice, fish fillets, pancakes, crepes, nothing beats a non-stick pan. No matter what I do, dumidikit talaga pag di non-stick.

Just the other day, I was in the mood for garlic rice, and experience has told me so many times that the best pan for fried rice is a non-stick pan. It's a good thing that I have the newest non-stick pan from Lock & Lock, the Hard & Light Frying Pan.

TPM Baon Diaries: 5 Easy Tips for Packing Lunch Baon That Your Kids Will Love

My Li'l Man started school already this week, and my girls will follow next week.

For the past few weeks, we have been spending a lot of time getting things organized to go back to school. School uniforms bought, school supplies replenished, and we have been shopping for new backpacks and lunch bags.

It's a bittersweet time. Although we are sad that summer will soon end, we’re also excited to start a new school year with new goals and adventures.

For me, back to school always means back to baon prepping.  If you follow me on Instagram, you will see me posts about the baon I prepare for my kids.

http://thephenomenalmama.blogspot.com/2016/04/tpm-baon-diaries-finding-best-lunchbox.html

Where To Buy "My Pals Are Here" in Manila?

One of my most visited blog posts especially during the start of the school year happens to be a very old post about Singapore Math.

In 2010, I posted about discovering a distributor selling the My Pals Are Here accompanying practice books.  I made this discovery as I attended one of those book fairs, and it so happened that the distributor was selling old editions of My Pals Are Here at 50% off. Naturally, I hoarded the practice books at ALL levels.

What I get from my kids' school is just the textbook and the workbook, but it turns out that there are also additional enrichment books that can be purchased separately.

I've lost the contact number of that distributor already.

But, I'm happy to share with all of you tutor-mamas that I recently discovered where you can all easily buy the additional practice books.

Teen Travel Essentials {For When They Travel Without Parents}

My kids have started packing for themselves a few years ago, but while I don't think they can be considered packing experts yet, I believe they can manage pretty well on their own.

For the first time ever, all the grandchildren went traveling with their grandparents and their 2 best aunties. This year is the first time they traveled without us. It was just a short trip to Hong Kong, but it's still a trip - without me! I'm very proud of how my kids handled themselves on that trip.

Hello, Blog Reader + Rundown of TPM Top Posts

Just like other writers, there are days when I seem to not have anything to write about, or I feel too overwhelmed with real life that I can't seem to stop and calm my mind enough to write about things I am passionate about.

I have certainly felt that way the early part of the year, hence the silence here. I hope you don't mind it too much if you hear less from me. Just know that infrequent posting means real life is happening - in mega BIG doses. hahaha!

Anyway, if you follow me in my social media accounts (if you don't yet, then you can follow me now: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook), then you must have seen this post already. But please forgive me for still posting about it on the blog. You see, this is the first time ever I was stopped by a reader. So I'm still kilig about it - big time!!! Hahaha!

I really felt "legit" Meron palang nagbabasa other than my family and friends. Hahaha!:)

{Phenomenal Tip}: How to DIY A Strawberry Costume... On A Budget!

As you may already very well know by now, we do not really observe Halloween; but when the kids get invited by their good friends to go trick or treating, then we make an easy DIY costume of their choice. Nothing scary, spooky or evil - but always just full of whimsy and creativity.

I am intentional that our Halloween costumes are DIY because I really want the kids to enjoy the process of creating something wonderful with their hands.  I love how I can show them that using a little creativity and effort, we can make something out of the materials that are already in our house.  Of course, it goes without saying that going the DIY route also means that I do not have to spend a large amount on their costumes.

So just a few days ago, my oldest daughter decided to go trick or treating with some of her best friends. She wanted to dress up as a strawberry! I thought it was hilarious, and so much in sync with her personality... funny, quirky, and just all-over happy!

ReadyWrap Giveaway + Phenomenal Tips for An Organized Kitchen

Packing lunches for my three kids is something that I have to do every day of the week during school days. I’m passionate about sending them to school with a yummy and healthy meal. There are days, very few and far in between, that I ask them to just buy lunch from the school cafeteria, but my girls rarely like the food from their canteen, and it’s usually not as healthy as something from home. 

But it’s not just lunch baon I prepare, I also make an effort to prepare delicious and nutritious meals for breakfast, school lunch baon, merienda/after-school snacks, and dinner. I share the home with people who are big eaters and who look forward to each meal with anticipation.

Meal planning and food prepping are two very important areas in my life as a homemaker. But I am also a busy with other homemaking and parenting duties. Not to mention I also try to pursue other areas of interest and manage my social media accounts and update the blog. Having said that, an organized kitchen (pantry + refrigerator) makes meal planning and preparation run as efficiently and smoothly as possible, to leave me with time for doing other things.

A Well-Stocked + Organized Pantry

I like to keep my pantry well-stocked and orderly. A well-stocked pantry full of nutritious food makes it easy to prepare healthy meals for the family.

You can see more photos of my pantry and how I keep it organized in this post: 

http://thephenomenalmama.blogspot.com/2013/04/phenomenal-tip-organized-kitchen.html

Phenomenal Tips for Faster Breakfast Prep

For several years now, my husband and I have been starting our days with a breakfast date. I don't really remember when this started, but surely it was borne in the early years of our marriage when it was such a major production to leave the kids and schedule a date night.

Now, our daily breakfast dates are a part of our routine already that we cannot do without. My husband loves to eat, and he appreciates that I make an effort to "style" his breakfast plate. I'm not really good at styling, but it makes me want to continuously improve because I can see that he really appreciates the effort I put into it. Right after I prepare the kids' baon in the morning, I usually take a quick break for some quiet time, and then I'm back in the kitchen to fix up something quick for our breakfast.

Don't be mistaken, our breakfast dates are not elaborate. We just take about half an hour to eat and talk about matters which concern the family, our schedule for the day... just about anything. We just use the time to reconnect with each other, before we go about our own.  It's just the best way to start the day!

.   .   .   .   .

Make sure to read on until the end of the post to find out how you can be 

one of three winners of this 12-piece plate set.

Phenomenal Tip: Guide to Mobile Food Photography

I am not a professional food photographer, and neither am I a professional chef. I am, however, a full-time homemaker who has lots of practice cooking food for my family. Naturally, it follows that I also have a lot of practice taking photos of what comes out of my kitchen, and posting them on IG.

{Phenomenal Tip} DIY Handpainted Canvas Bags by Whimsical Sushi

Since the kids were really young, summer has really been all about DIY crafts, baking, cooking, drawing, painting... basically all kinds of creating going on around here. 

I am just really loving this beautiful bag hand-painted by my daughter. 

I love the combination of colors and the design. And basically the very idea of how she thought of re-purposing an unused canvas bag into something so pretty.

TPM Kitchen | Phenomenal Tip: Homemade Bacon

How do I love bacon? Hmmm... Let me count the ways...

Ever since, I've started on the path to CLEANer EATING, I've consciously tried to look for ways to cut out the "poison" in the everyday meals I serve my family.  I just want to lessen the preservatives in the food we eat.  We don't have any intentions of turning vegan, vegetarian, etc. Just a healthy balance of everything.:) Which means that we don't really give up bacon... we just don't eat the processed one from the grocery.

How To Cook a Romantic Valentine's Day Dinner + A Recipe for Seared Scallops

Valentine's Day is coming up! Which one of you does the planning?  In our case, it is usually C who does the dinner reservation. When we started dating two decades ago, he would pull out all the stops to make Valentine's super romantic and memorable. That includes the biggest bouquet of Ecuadorean roses greeting me on my office desk first thing in the morning, then a nice and thoughtful gift he personally hands over when he picks up from the office, ending with a romantic dinner.

Family Road Trip Safety Tips + Fuel Saving Tips

Taking a road trip is always a fun time for my entire family, especially for the kids who look forward to taking such trips.

We've taken the kids to several road trips already - to Pampanga for a food trip, Anvaya Cove in Bataan, to Baguio, to Acuatico in Laiya, Batangas, to Tagaytay, to Villa Escudero in Laguna, and a lot more that are not documented in the blog.   It is important that we ensure safety first so that no one will miss out on the fun. Just recently,

1. Go for a tune-up.
Make sure your car is in good working order and have your tires, battery, motor fluids, and everything else checked by a professional. Nothing ruins a trip's happy vibe more than a stalled car.

2. Get a good night's sleep.
You have your entire family in the car with you; their safety is in your hands. Enough said.

3. Pack for the trip.
Have each of your child pack items to keep them entertained for the long car ride. My kids are old enough already to take long car rides, but they still need some items to make the trip enjoyable: Oreos, sunnies, magazines, playlist of their favorite songs and earphones, of course!  We do not want arguing over which song to listen to.

4. Study the route.
Print out your map or look it up in Waze. Waze is such a big help to me for city driving. Whenever I have to go somewhere, I most often check Waze first for what route to take.  So far, it hasn't disappoint yet.  C also used it for the time he took the kids to go camping with him.

5. Assign seats.
You know your kids better than anyone, and you know who are likely to get on each other’s nerves one hour into the drive so do your best to avoid that by sitting them apart. Yes, sit them apart, even if they seem to get along well during the early part of the trip.  Magkakainisan din eventually.

6. Be firm about seatbelts.
I constantly remind everyone to buckle up before we go. Seat belts will only work if they are worn properly. I’ve been involved in two road accidents already, and have a first-hand experience on why seatbelts are the first thing we should put on before we leave our driveway.

At some point in my the past, I had a booster seat and 2 car seats strapped permanently in our van. I am so grateful those days are over! But for those of you still with car seats, do check that your car seats are securely strapped before your trip.

7. Bring snacks to eat in the car.
My kids love to eat! For them, there’s nothing better than enjoying their favorite snacks while on a road trip.

During our recent Tagaytay trip, my mommy friends and I all met up at Shell along SLEX to fuel up and also to get our OREO snacks.

8. Take short breaks.
We usually stop to take breaks at gasoline stations.  We use this time to refill on fuel, take bathroom breaks and let the kids eat at the resto of their choice.

My husband is quite the nitpick when it comes to the fuel for our cars, he insists that we only use Shell Nitro+ because it turns out to be more cost-efficient in the long run. 

Breaks are also a good excuse to get down from the car to stretch those arms and legs... and chikka with friends! Thanks for the photo, Mish!

When we go out of town, it is usually C or the driver who takes care of navigation so I never had to worry about it. But during our recent Tagaytay outing with my mommy blogger friends, it was just me and the girls. Even if I've been to Tagaytay several times in the past, I wasn't that confident that I could make it there on my own. So I asked to convoy with my friend Didi of The Candishhh Tales.  Lucky for me, Didi also took care of printing out a map for me.

For a tsuper-mom like myself, being part of a car convoy during a road trip is safer as there is someone to look-out for me.  Big thanks Didi! I do not really notice design features of cars, but for the first time in my life I cannot tell you how comforting it was for me to see the daytime rear lights on Didi's Audi as I trailed behind it.  I did not have to look hard for it as we navigated the highway. 

Thanks to Shell for the full-tank of Shell Nitro+ Racing.  After going to Tagaytay and then driving back home the next day, I only used up about 1/8 of the fuel.

I loaded up on Shell Nitro+ Racing, and I guess my husband was right all along, it is more expensive but it really is more cost-efficient.  For fuel-efficient driving, get some good tips from Shell Fuel Saving Tips.

Till the next road trip!

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