9 Changes for 2009- #3 Hummus

This entry is part of a series on changes I made in 2008 that I want to stick with in 2009…

1. Cut out commercial breakfast bars
   
2. Cut out canned beans
   
   
3. Ditch premade hummus (and all those containers)
   by making it at home.
   

   Okay, this one totally piggybacks on the bean post. Let me confess right now that a love of hummus is where the whole bean soaking in mass quantities idea stemmed from.
   
   There are many reasons to love hummus: it tastes great, is nutritious, and jazzes up veggies or pita to make light but filling snack or meal. But, all of those little plastic containers they come in add up. My county only recycles plastic containers with necks, so we either could keep amassing them (but there is so much space, right?) or throw them away (eek, never!). So, we decided to start making our own.
   
   We tried some actual recipes (there are tons online) and devised many of our own: basic, lemon, chipotle, roasted pine nut, roasted garlic, roasted eggplant, mixed hot pepper, and roasted sweet red pepper. I also just learned about pumpkin hummus—we'll have to try that, since we are still wading in pumpkin.
   

   
   

   As you may guess from the bean post, since dried beans are so cheap, homemade hummus is considerably cheaper than packaged hummus. Another score for reducing packaging, saving money, and increasing yumminess!