Crackers, Hummus and Stupid Dancing to Kendrick Lamar

Crackers, Hummus and Stupid Dancing to Kendrick Lamar
12 October 2015

I have spent most of my time in the car today thinking how to write this post. There’s no news or revelation, I’ve just been trying to articulate a feeling I experienced this morning.

You know when you look at your kids and they look back at you in a certain way. The way that makes your head, heart and whole body explode from a mega overload of love, pride, joy and some other intense emotion I have been trying to grasp all day.

I have to admit, I experience these feelings more often now my kids are older. They let me sleep more, have better communication skills and can be pretty handy. Babies are cute, cuddly and smell amazing, but they don’t offer much in the way of companionship or the ability to pass anything to you just out of arms reach.

This morning I caught my littlest person genuinely sad. Not, “I’m not allowed to eat a third chocolate muffin for breakfast” sad, but a real silent tears down the face sad. It tore me up and I went straight into “fix mode”. It hurts WAY more to see your kid sad than feeling sad yourself. It’s a billion times harder and you’ll do whatever is necessary to return that face and heart back to its happy state.

We hugged, I did some crazy dancing to Kendrick Lamar, I made eyes out of cut pieces of fruit and we hugged some more. She was smiling again, and I’d saved the ship from sinking.

This afternoon I made her a huge jar of her favourite crackers and an almost endless supply of hummus for after school snacks.

The world takes a back seat when your kids need you, it isn’t even considered. It just does.

TURN THAT FROWN UPSIDE-DOWN CRACKERS + HUMMUS

WHAT YOU NEED

For the crackers:

• 3 cups plain flour
• 2 tsp golden caster sugar
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup water
• Stuff for sprinkling on top, I used black cumin seed and fennel seeds

For the hummus:

• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 3 lemons, juiced
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups chickpeas, cooked
• salt and pepper, to season

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO`

For the crackers:

1. Preheat the oven to 230˚C / 450˚F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together.
3. Add the oil and water to the flour mixture. Stir until a sticky dough is formed and all flour is incorporated.
4. Divide the dough into two and set one half aside. Sprinkle your bench lightly with flour and pop the other half on top. Pat the dough down with you hands.
5. Roll the dough out until roughly 3mm thick or even thinner.
6. Combine your seeds, for topping, in a bowl and sprinkle over the dough. Pat the seeds into the dough so they don’t fall off.
7. Prick the dough all over with a fork, to stop them from becoming puffy.
8. With a sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut the dough into crackers. You can make them into cool shapes, or go for the rustic vibe I had going.
9. Using a spatula, put the crackers onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
10. Bake for 15 minutes, or until they’re your desired golden brown.
11. While that batch is in the oven get cracking on the other half and pop them in once your first batch is ready.
12. Cool crackers on a wire rack.
13. Store in an airtight container.

For the hummus:

1. Peel the garlic and pop in a food processor.
2. Whizz until chopped into tiny pieces.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, apart from the chickpeas. Whizz until combined.
4. Add chickpeas and whizz until you have a smooth paste.
5. Add more of whatever flavour you feel is lacking, I always seem to add more lemon, I can’t get enough of the stuff.
6. Store in an airtight container with a little olive oil on top.
7. Enjoy with the delicious crackers.