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This hummus can be whipped up in 10 minutes or less!  This recipe is simple to make and is perfect for a light lunch or served as an appetizer.  It's been really hot lately (above 90 degrees all week and really high humidity) and this weather has me craving some light and refreshing foods.  This is what I served myself up for lunch and it really hit the spot and helped me to beat the heat! 

Ingredients:

15 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
1/2 of a red pepper, quartered
2 tbs. tahini
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt or to taste

How To:

Toss all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth making sure to scrap the sides one time!  Allow to chill for 30 minutes or you can eat some now and refrigerate the rest for later (that's what I did)! 
 
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I give this recipe 5 stars!  These turned out amazing and I was impressed!  This recipe is from Erin at
Texanarian Cooking and I found this recipe on Pinterest.  They have no grain, no eggs, no dairy, no oil, and no butter!  These really fooled my husband!  It is such a simple recipe and they were extremely easy to make.  The odd thing is that they are made out of chick peas!  Wait, did I really just say chick peas?!?!  Yep, I sure did and the funny thing is that you wouldn't even be able to tell unless I told you!  These cookies really pack a punch in the protein department and they are extremely filling.  Two of these cookies and I can almost guarantee you'll be
full!

I'm not usually a grain-free person but this recipe was so out there that I needed to try it and I'm really glad that I
did!  My husband likes his warmed up a bit before eating but I actually like mine room temperature.  Funny thing is that Erin mentions how she really doesn't like them cold!  I guess it's all about personal preference but I still thought they were good!  
 
Things I did Different
Erin mentions that this isn't the type of recipe to do all sorts of variations with so I stuck with the recipe.  The only variation I did make was using agave nectar instead of honey to make it vegan.  She does mention that this is a variation that can be done with success.  The only thing
that it changed was the color of the cookies.  They turned out slightly darker than hers but they're still amazing!

Overall Thoughts
I will definitely make these again!  These would be great as a mid-day snack when an extra boost of energy is needed!  They're packed full of protein, healthier than most cookies, and sweet!

 
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This recipe only gets 3 stars because these looked a lot better than they tasted!  I found this recipe on
Pinterest.  Both my husband and I were really disappointed in this recipe.  These boasted no added sugar, no flour, no dairy, no eggs, no butter, and no oil.  I was really excited when I first saw this recipe and I loved how it used a banana to bind all of the ingredients together.  However, these were extremely lacking in taste and it reminded me of chewing on cardboard.  I just
couldn't get over the texture.  The recipe does have
potential.
 
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hings I Did Differently
There were only a two changes that I did to this recipe and I believe one of these affected the overall taste.  However, this doesn't change the texture issue.  The recipe called for one packet of Truvia.  I do not use ANY fake sweeteners; natural or not.  For me it's a personal issue.  I don't believe it to be natural if a sugar doesn't contain sugar.  Also, I can't stand the after-taste it leaves in my mouth.  The recipe does state that you can use a sweetener of your choice but it doesn't state what options you could use and how much.  I opted to us Agave nectar instead of the Truvia.  I ended up drizzling this on top of the granola bars.  However, I believe that not using the Truvia affected the taste.

The second change I did was using sweetened coconut flakes.  I used these because I knew I was using Truvia
and I figured that by using this along with the Agave nectar that it would help to make up for this.

Also, the recipe doesn't state what the thickness should be when pressing down the mixture on the cookie sheet.  I eyed it up from the pictures and I guessed a 1/8".  Even in
doing so, I had to bake these a lot longer than the time that was listed.  I baked mine for an extra 15 minutes and I think they still could have gone for a couple more minutes.  The recipe stated that one batch makes 8 bars and I had more than that.  That being said, the thickness should have
been greater but then in doing so then the required baking time should be a lot longer.

 Overall Thoughts
I understand the whole concept of "no added sugar" but I don't think it should be omitted if it makes the recipe really lack in flavor.  To me, it's not worth it and I would gladly take the bit of extra sugar for a tasty treat.

I'm not sure if I would make this recipe again or not because it needs a lot of adjustments.  If I were to just add
some sugar; it's not going to solve the texture issue.  If the texture doesn't bother you and you want to opt for not adding Truvia then I would suggest the following:

* I would add the chocolate chips into the batter itself because I think this would makeup for the lack of flavor.

*  After pressing the mixture down and shaping it I would brush it with a light coating of Agave nectar.

I think in doing these simple steps that it could liven up the recipe a bit!

 
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I've found that I crave the most sugary indulgences when I'm really stressed out.  Doesn't everybody?  Actually, I have a tendency to crave sweets most of the time.  I always have room for dessert; it's a bad habit of mine.  Well, my wonderful big Sister, whom I swear is a real genius when it comes to food, had turned me on to a miracle that cures my T-Rex of a sweet tooth.  I bet you'd never guess...Medjool Dates!!!!  Yep, that's right!  You know, whenever I think of dates I think of them as a food my
grandparents would probably eat to help them out in the oval office...ahem...the bathroom!  I wanted to put it in a nice way but I wasn't sure if you would understand what I meant.  These dates are ridiculously good and yes, they can offer some help in the oval office as they are high in fiber but I've never had any trouble with them.  Don't worry; they aren't like prunes where they act as a laxative.  I would think you would have to eat a lot of these dates to cause some chaos but good luck!  I can usually only eat 3-4
of these dates at a time because they are so filling!  What!?!?!  A sweet that offers its own portion control!?!?!?  My Sister is a genius!  The Medjool Dates taste like candy.  They have a wrinkled skin on the outside but the inside is gooey, chewy, and packed full of flavor!  These dates are pretty big in size too and don't let looks deceive you because these babies are divine!  I was able to find them at
Trader Joe's in the refrigerated produce section and at Whole food among the fresh fruits.  The ones at Trader Joe's were decently priced around $4.99 per carton (probably a little over a pound or so) and the dates at Whole Foods were priced at $6.99 per pound but their dates are certified organic and just a little larger in size.  Ever since I've been eating these to cure my sweet tooth, I've found that I'm actually craving fewer sweets.  It may also be because I'm not eating so many sweet therefore, my body stopped craving them.  Whatever it is, I still have my Medjool Dates in my fridge ready for when my sweet tooth hits!

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