Roasted Garlic Hummus

On February 16, 2023February 16, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Ingredient, Using2 Comments

You can’t go wrong with the classic pairing of pita bread and hummus. Although hummus has become popular enough to earn cold-case space in most grocery stores, your homemade Pillow Sourdough Pita deserves a homemade spread. Fortunately, you can easily whip up a batch in minutes in your kitchen, as I share this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon.

For maximum flavor and creaminess in my hummus, I use roasted garlic, a little Homemade Yogurt, and home-cooked dried chickpeas. My hummus is still ready in minutes because I always have a stash of roasted garlic and fresh yogurt in my fridge for all sorts of uses. Then I’ll cook up a large batch of beans for a couple of meals and throw in an extra 2/3 cup of dried beans to pull out for hummus. But for spontaneous hummus, I always have a can or two of low-sodium chickpeas in my pantry.
Learn to make Roasted Garlic Hummus

Toaster vs. Toaster Oven

On February 10, 2023February 8, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Topic, Using1 Comment

I’ve been a toaster oven fan since my days of melting marshmallows and chocolate chips onto graham crackers in the little model on my grandmother’s counter for my after-school snack. But my parents always kept a pop-up toaster on their kitchen counter, preferring it to this day. My sister owns both, but there’s a clear preference: the pop-up toaster claims counter space, but the toaster oven lives in a cupboard until needed for a special meal, like mini English muffin pizzas.

I listened to all of their pros and cons, along with some deeper research, for my latest piece for The Spruce Eats. Although I wasn’t swayed to give up my toaster oven, I found several sound reasons for choosing a pop-up toaster instead.
Learn about choosing and using toasters and toaster ovens

Corn and Potato Chowder

On February 9, 2023February 9, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, Ingredient, UsingLeave a comment

Just setting at a bowl of chowder on the table cuts my hunger pains. The thick soup immediately looks warming and filling. After a ski day, I don’t even feel guilty about dipping a slice or two of sourdough bread into the bowl.

The chowder recipe I share this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon has become one of my après ski favorites because it’s so easy to make with ingredients I keep in my house. Even if you don’t grow and store boxes of your own onions, garlic, and potatoes, they’re affordable and keep well. The same goes for frozen corn and stock. With a little butter, and some cream and salsa if it’s on hand, you have everything you need for a filling meal.
Learn to make Corn and Potato Chowder

Kitchen Favorites: Snack Bowls

On January 24, 2023January 22, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Topic, UsingLeave a comment

Testing kitchen products for The Spruce Eats puts pieces in my hands that I never would have sought out, like the four Corelle Classic Winter Frost White Bowls I feature in my latest article for the website. These 12-ounce bowls were chosen by another writer as part of a cereal bowl roundup, but after they arrived at my house for testing, it was clear I wanted to bump up a size. Instead of immediately returning the bowls, I held onto them to judge their overall usefulness—and decided they were worth the shelf space to keep permanently.

I rarely eat cereal from these bowls, reserving that for a larger-capacity set that I tested and kept for sailing, picnicking, road tripping, and more. But Corelle’s smaller bowls travel just as well. I use them often at home, too, for snacks, small portions, meal prep, and serving.
Learn about choosing and using snack bowls