Duck Tour.

 

We played tourist yesterday and showed my brother-in-law some of the sites around Boston.  If you are ever here on a beautiful sunny day like we had yesterday, you must go to the top of the Prudential to see the city of Boston from the 52nd floor.  I'd been up there once but it was before we lived here so, now that I know the area a little better, it was cool to see a birds-eye view of the city we now call home.

Up next, we took a Duck Tour of Boston.  Here's the funny thing.  Since I've known Lee, he has always said how he'll never take a Duck Tour and he'll never let me take a Duck Tour because of how dangerous they can be.  Apparently a few years ago (not in Boston), one of them tipped over in the water and hurt/killed a bunch of people.  So Lee had sworn off ever taking one... until yesterday.  Obviously we made it off the Duck Tour unscathed and enjoyed seeing Boston from both the road and the river.  And, yes, that's my brother-in-law driving the duck boat as we cruised around the Charles.

 
Because of the holiday this week and the fact that we have a guest in town, we've been eating a bit like pigs lately.  Dinners out.  Bread and butter.  Calamari.  Pizza.  Desserts (of course).  So to get some healthy snacks into our lives, I made a batch of hummus that we've snacked on while we're at home.  It is so easy!  And once you make it, you'll never buy store-bought hummus again.  Trust me.

Five-minute hummus (recipe from Real Simple)

• 15 oz can chickpeas (rinsed)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil (you can reduce this by up to half to make it lower fat)
• 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbs tahini or sesame oil (I use sesame oil)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• pinch of Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp paprika

• In a food processor, puree all the ingredients (minus the paprika) until smooth and creamy.  Add 1 to 2 tbs of water as needed to achieve desired consistency.  Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.  Serve and enjoy.  Share, if you must.  

I usually double the recipe and store it for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.  It is the perfect quick snack to have with carrots and celery or a few pita chips.  And it's filling, healthy, and full of protein! 

Now the boys are off to New York and I am staying home.  It's good for Lee and his brother to have alone-time together.  And besides, who wants to take a 6-month pregnant woman to the city that never sleeps?!  Honestly, I'd rather stay home, too.  Have fun, you guys!

Do you buy hummus?  I used to buy it all the time until I found this recipe.  Now I never do because it is so easy to make and it tastes much more fresh than the store-bought stuff.  Try it!  You'll agree.