Unique Holiday Decor: How to Dye Beans

Once upon a time I dyed beans...and they looked so cool! It truly is one of my favorite DIY's every. As the beans absorbed the dye they puffed out, expanded and really turned out to look interesting and unusual. Well, this year I decided to try it again, using the color Marsala. The deep rich tones will also work well with my Christmas decor (bonus!). So go grab some beans and some dye and let's do this!

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Simple Thanksgiving Centerpiece

We are having a very simple Thanksgiving this year...just the four of us,

but I still like to create a special table...

and then let my kids add their own special touch.

Well, I had this idea for Halloween and never quite finished posting it...

but I did manage to tweak that idea for this holiday!

This centerpiece is my contribution to this years #Thanksgiving Table!

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Spicy Carrot Hummus (recipe)

I seriously love hummus.

I have long made my own hummus 

I can control the balance of flavors to my liking

(although I do head to Trader Joe's to grab their hummus in a pinch!).

Recently I have decided to play with flavors even more,

and my first creations is...

Spicy Carrot Hummus

Many, many months ago I saw a recipe for Spiced Carrot Hummus with Garlic Oil on Daily Bites Blog. I printed it out, made it, and fell in love. I have made it many many times since then to rave reviews. Trust me..it is good. But I wanted me own variation, my own twist..

so here it is...

INGREDIENTS
1 pound carrots
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 Tablespoons Tahini
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced (you can always add more if you like garlic!)

2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dry ground mustard seed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper

Special Equipment: 

Food processor or good (high horsepower) blender

 MAKE IT

• Steam the carrot for 20-25 minutes. They need to be steamed past fork tender to blend easier. I left the peels on and just chopped the top of the carrot off. You can peel them if you would like.
• Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
• Place the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, chili powder, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, and cumin in the food processor/blender and blend until thoroughly combined and smooth.
• When carrots are done cooking, add them to the mixture in the food processor/blender
• NOTE/TIP: Reserve some of the cooking liquid in case the mixture gets too thick and some liquid needs to be added to the mixture. You can also use small amounts of olive oil as well.
• NOTE: If you want it spicier, you can adjust the spices to your liking. Also...be sure to head to Daily Bites - hers has curry in it for a different flavor profile

This is amazing served with so many different things.

I often served mine with pita chips or lentil chips,

but for a lo-cal options try celery or red pepper.

This post is written and created at 504 Main by Holly Lefevre

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