Beautiful Baby Shower & Hummus

Robin and I have been friends for well over 20 years and yesterday's celebration wasn't just any baby shower. You see, Robin has been married for 10 years and they hadn't been able to have a baby. After years of challenged fertility issues and a couple of gut wrenching miscarriages, Robin had nearly given up hope of having a family. Chuck, her husband, is an officer with the Oklahoma Army National Guard and late last summer they received word that he would be sent to Iraq for no less than a year. At 40 years old, this crumbled their hopes of having a baby further still. In December, Chuck and the others from the guard, were brought home as a surprise to their families for a week during the holidays. And as you can see from the above slide show, we are now joyously celebrating this very special impending gift that God has bestowed upon these two amazing people.
Chuck is still serving in Iraq, but he will be allowed to fly home for the birth of their son the first week in September. Robin is being induced on the 6th so that daddy can be present for the birth. Congratulations and I love you, dear friend!

And just to keep it raw.....Today's post isn't complete without sharing the new recipe that was birthed yesterday. You must try this....it is really rich & delicious and you'll swear it's not raw!
“ROASTED” Red Bell Pepper Hummus

For the “roasted peppers & garlic:”

4 red bell peppers

4 – 6 cloves garlic

2 tsp. olive oil

¼ tsp. sea salt

For the hummus:

2 zucchini or yellow crook neck squash, peeled & chopped

¾ cup raw sesame tahini

½ cup feresh squeeszed lemon juice

¼ cup olive oil

2 ½ tsp. sea salt

1 tsp ground cumin

First – cut, de-vein & de-seed the peppers. Smash & peel the garlic cloves. Toss both in olive oil and salt to thoroughly coat. Lay pieces on a Teflex sheet and tray, dehydrating at 115 F for 12- 24 hours. The longer you leave in the stronger and richer the flavors become. Set aside.

In a high speed blender or food processor, combine all of the ingredients for the hummus and blend until thick and still slightly chunky. Add in the roasted mixture and blend again until well combined & smooth.

This savory dip is best served with slices of cucumber, zucchini, celery stalks, carrot sticks or sliced bell peppers. It is also delicious with raw onion bread or flax crackers of your choice.