I went grocery shopping on my way home from teaching Tuesday afternoon. As I was double-checking for the last pumpkin ale of the season, my eyes landed on a bottle of pinot grigio on clearance.
I’ve been enjoying white wines lately, dinner called for white wine, and I had just lectured on diabetes and the role adiponectin plays in diabetes prevention. In case you were curious, 1 drink a day for women and 2 drinks a day for men can actually reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. And…I want in on THAT.
I checked out at the grocery store, loaded my car, and discovered after unloading the groceries that I had not made it home with my clearance bottle of pinot grigio. I called the store, it was there.
Kroger is 1.1 miles from my front door and I needed to get in a workout. Rather than waste time and gas, I decided to run 2+ miles, end up at Kroger, grab my wine and head home. Little did I know I would pass a co-worker of Mr. Prevention’s…with wine bottle in tow. In a paper bag. Early evening…in daylight…all sweaty.
Unfortunately, the odd and disapproving looks were not only from hubby’s co-worker, but pretty much all those passing by on foot or car. People probably thought I was either 1) crazy or 2) too lit to drive to go get my booze. I didn’t think my time management through too well. I guess I, too, would give the side-eye to a sweaty stranger walking down the road with a bottle of wine. Oh well…
I finished my 3.2 mile wine mission in 35:53. Considering a mile of that was walking…I was moving during my walk. Embarrassment? Excitement to pop the cork? Who knows 😉 Take home message: I would not recommend walking around your neighborhood with a bottle of booze. People might talk…
I do, however, recommend trying something new…like a sweet hummus. A Pumpkin Spice Hummus, even. This hummus went great on pita chips. Bonus for double the portion (1/4 cup) of a traditional hummus for roughly the same number of calories.
The hummus is sweet enough to stand in as dessert, but nutritious enough (by a long shot) to be served as a snack. This hummus comes together in a matter of minutes, keeps well for 7-10 days in the fridge, and packs 4.6 grams of fiber per serving (and only 93 calories!).
Pumpkin Spice Hummus slightly adapted from The Edible Perspective
15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup tahini (or raw cashew butter)
1 Tbsp sunflower oil (or canola)
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in your food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust spices if needed. Yield: 12 servings (1/4 cup each).
Nutrition Information (per 1/4 cup): 93 calories; 4.3 g. fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 146 mg. sodium; 11.6 g. carbohydrate; 4.6 g. fiber; 3.1 g. protein
Result: Sweet, but hummus…pumpkin hummus. This was unique and very, very good! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! I also love the nutrition stats – low-calorie, healthy fats, and lots of fiber. Definitely a health-friendly snack option!
[/print_this]Question: Do you like hummus?
xo,
ahahaha! I LOVE the wine story. Why wouldn’t they have given you another bag to put it in? Blame the store… :p
I think this sounds awesome, even though you MUST have been wasted while making this. haha. jk. I have definitely run to the grocery store to get wine and/or beer before, because we used to live right across the street from Kroger, for 3years! I don’t think your strange Nicole, so you still have me as a friend, don’t worry 🙂
The hummus sounds awesome. Great recipe! I bet it would make an excellent Thanksgiving appetizer.
I’m going to look for Nick in dairy today!
Lol, too funny, Nicole! That’s my luck too — I would definitely see a co-worker or someone else I know! 🙂 Looks like dinner was worth it in the end though, I love the sound of this seasonal hummus!
I eat hummus, almost every day with my raw veggies. Love it! I think the red pepper is probably my favorite (and about the least amount of calories). I have to be careful though, b/c it’s a bit easy to go overboard. The pumpkin hummus looks really good. Not sure I could have it very often!!
Hummus is one thing I haven’t pumpkin-fied yet – thanks for the recipe!
Hummus rocks my world. I love it!
Bahaha….too funny. And sounds like something I’d do, too 🙂
Great story, and yes, great pace too! I’d love to try making this hummus-yes, i do like hummus-my fave right now is cilantro and jalapeno, but your sweet version sounds fabulous too!
This story ushyaret
So Sorry about the above comment. Hit the submit button. That story is hysterical!!!
This dip looks excellent!! I am all for finding more ways to use pumpkin.
hahahahaha I LOVE that you ran with a bottle of wine. If I had thought of that, I would absolutely have done the same thing more than once. 🙂
This hummus idea seems interesting. I cant decide how I feel about it logically, but I think it would taste really good.
Loving this idea! It could be really great to substitute the maple syrup with date syrup, (available at Middle Eastern markets and high in potassium). I recently bought a huge jar and am looking for ways to use it up lol … sorry! Just food for thought 😉
Dessert hummus is my new favorite thing right now, and this sounds great! I love that you ran to the store for the wine!
hehe that’s funny! But you had to get in a workout somehow right? The hummus looks fantastic, great idea 🙂
!!!!!!! i LOVE pumpkin and hummus!!!!!! i’ve thought to put pumpkin in pretty much everything except for that… who cares that it’s almost summer and pumpkin is so not hip right now?