Snowed in! Time for some hot-weather inspired comfort food.

Read on for how to make these babies in your own oven!

Hello readers, and welcome once again to the life of Bonnie. When I'm not thinking about politics I am living life, and today that means I got sent home from work early due to an impending blizzard. After having a serious bike-ride home in the snow (wow, what a rush!) I decided to make some comfort food and chill. Things turned out so delicious, I decided to share my creations with the world.

1. Mediterranean-inspired white bean hummus

Ingredients:

1 can white beans, drained with water set aside (sometimes called cannelini, sometimes called white kidney beans)

1 T tahini

2t lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

2T olive oil (or more if you're feeling it)

A nice smattering of the following (I didn't measure, just do about a teaspoon of each except the cayenne and black pepper, which you should just sprinkle in).

paprika

cumin

black pepper

ground coriander seeds

cayenne pepper

fresh or dried parsely
Salt to taste

Method:

Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend. If the consistency is too dry or sort of "cakey," add small amounts of the bean-water you set aside. When desired consistency is achieved, taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Add salt if needed. Enjoy with pitas or crackers or veggies!

2. Baked curry fries

Ingredients:

2 medium sized russet potatoes or whatever you have

olive oil, enough to coat potatoes (probably about 1/4 cup or less)

3 T curry powder, or make your own! I do equal parts cumin, ground coriander, and turmeric, plus cayenne, black pepper, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, and maybe a little cinnamon if I'm feeling it.

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees farenheit. Cut the potatoes into sticks, about 1/3 inch in width. I leave the skins on for extra flavor, but peel if you'd rather. The best way to cut the potatoes is to cut off the ends, slice them the long way into planks, then separate your planks into 2 piles with flat bottoms, and cut into sticks. Place your sticks into a large mixing bowl and pour the olive oil over them. Then add some of your curry powder, a little at a time with mixing in-between to ensure that all your fries are coated. Arrange them in one layer on a cookie sheet lubricated with cooking spray, or on top of parchment paper. Bake about 30-40 minutes until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Serve immediately with a nice yogurt sauce or just ketchup. Yum!

Please ask if my recipes don't make sense! I'm a new blogger and all that. I hope you all are having an excellent leap day, and if you prefer politics to cooking, don't worry, there will be more to come.