Cucumber Mint Hummus and Getting To Know You

I want to get to know you a little bit. I have some new people commenting and a few followers that I don't know very well and I would like to remedy that! I'd love to hear from ALL of you! If you have the time or find this exercise fun in any way, oblige me and answer in the comments section. In turn, If you read another persons answers that you like, go on over and check out their blog. I have the best little network going on if I do say so myself. I have already answered the questions myself.

Wanna play? In the comments section, answer the following 6 questions about yourselves. I want to hear from anyone who is willing, even if you are my best friend and I see you every other day, and even if I don't know you from Adam. Because then I will know you. I'm totally weird about making friends in real life. It has to happen organically under very natural circumstances. As I like to joke "conditions have to be perfect". This is because I really dislike shallow relationships. I'm not spread real wide, but I go deep, baby! Anyhow, I'm a lot more friendly over the Internet, so I'd like to take advantage of that. :)

1) Describe yourself in 5 words:

-dramatic

-straight-up (what you see is what you get. I wear my emotions on my sleeve)

-inspired

-spunky (not so much in an excitable, physical way, well sometimes, but more so verbally)

-content

2) If you could eat anything in an elaborate sit down dinner with your significant other what would you eat/drink? And where would this take place?

This would take place on the beach, complete with candles, tiki torches and white linen. We would be alone, except for the waiter serving us. We would eat a long course after course dinner under the stars. Too hokey? We would drink good champagne and eat a big fresh lobster dinner. Usually I'm a shrimp or white fish girl, but today, it's lobster with lots of lemon and butter. For dessert we would have some sort of tropical bread pudding with mango, coconut and Tahitian vanilla beans.

OK so that's the dinner dream. I also have a vivid lunch dream. I dream about food a lot.

Jeremy and I would be at a casual beach cafe (I'm on a beach kick) right on the sand, no floor. There would be a live reggae or calypso band playing. I would be in the cutest dress with a great tan, but that's just a side note. We would sit and drink cold beer or margaritas and eat from the fresh seafood BBQ they were having right on the beach. We would hang out all day. There would also be fresh tropical fruit platters for snacking. After sunset we would dance by the bonfire the restaurant lit with the live band that was still playing...What? It could happen. And if any of you know a place like this please, let me know!

3) Top five places I want to visit someday:

-Italy (Rome, Venice, Tuscany, Almafi Coast, Capri...OK well, all of it, really)

-Bali

-Tahiti

-Paris, France

-The Holy Land

Um, Greece should be up there too. It used to be #2 where Bali is, but have you seen Bali??? It's ridiculous gorgeous! Oh, so is Thailand. OK, so top 7 would include those too.

4) What are things most important to you in this life?

In order. My relationship with God, or as I like to call him, "The Lord". My relationships with my husband and family. Then, friends and people in general. I'm realizing how important relationships are. I am aspiring to learn what loving your neighbor is really all about and what that looks like.

5) Pet Peeves?

Picky eaters. Also when people use the first letter of someones name instead of actually saying their name. I have a formal side to me that hates this. Example : "Let's see what K thinks about this" instead of "Let's see what Krysta thinks about this". Maddening, I tell you. Maddening!

6) This is your life. Are you who you want to be?

I'm working on it.

And now...A recipe. Gosh, this is a food blog isn't it? This is not regular hummus. It tastes nothing like regular hummus. This is light and refreshing and a perfect "deck snack" as we head into Summer.

Cucumber Mint Hummus

created by my friend Danielle Heit, hummus extraordinaire

2 cans garbanzo beans (chick peas) drained and rinsed

1/4 cup tahini

juice from 2 lemons

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 an English cucumber (sometimes called "hot house cucumbers") skin on, chopped

1/2 a container of mint leaves (about 15-20 medium sized leaves)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor and blend until combined. While still blending, stream in olive oil a little a time and then continue to blend for at least a whole minute to make sure it's really smooth. Taste and add more salt or mint if you wish.