Wow-I’ve just been crazy lately with everything going on. After I made my dad his birthday dinner I was back in the kitchen for most of Friday making the goods for my BFF Kelly’s BBQ later that night.
The BBQ was not your typical hot dogs and hamburgers. We decided to go with a Greek theme and do sausages and kabobs on the grill, roasted red pepper hummus, tzatziki yogurt sauce, pita chips, greek salads, and other fun things the guests brought.
My job was to bring the sausages, make the hummus, yogurt sauce, and a greek style salad. I wanted to make everything from scratch, but was so nervous how it would come out. I mean after all I was making hummus for, what we thought, was going to be 40 people! I’ve never seen so much hummus in my life!
All in all the food turned out great, the party turned out great, and it was a huge success.
I started the cooking process with the yogurt sauce. I removed the seeds from 1 very large cucumber and diced it into very small pieces. I put the cucumber in a colander with some salt and covered it with a bowl to drain some of the excess water. After about 20 minutes I added the diced cucumber to 4 Cups of Plain Greek yogurt. Next I added minced garlic, lemon juice, a little salt and pepper to taste, and Italian seasoning. I know this isn’t your typical greek yogurt sauce recipe, but I was making it up as I went and it was a HITat the party.
Next up was the hummus. I used THIS recipe with a few tweaks. After adding the chickpeas, minced garlic, roasted red peppers, lemon juice, tahini, salt and pepper to the food processor, I whirled it away until it became smooth and creamy. I had to do the hummus in batches and decided to add a little olive oil as well as some Italian seasoning for a little extra somethin’ somethin’.
The Greek salad was simply diced cucumbers, diced tomatoes, and kalmata olives that I cut in half. I made a dressing of olive oil, balsamic, salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning and let it marinate all day. Here is a picture of the salad before I added the dressing.
I bet this salad would have been even better with a little Feta!
I was very happy with how everything turned out, and the guests seemed to like it to. I got a lot of compliments which made me very happy. 
Here are a few pictures from the rest of the night…
Kelly’s band, Man & Dog performed as well which was awesome!
Can you tell how hot it was from our shiny faces?
HOTT
In Food News- Yesterday I tried a new salad dressing. Made from hemp seed oil this GOOD salad dressing was something I was introduced to at the Fancy Food Show. I use hemp seeds and already know the health benefits of hemp, but I have never had hemp seed oil. This company makes Hemp seed oil, mayonnaise, and salad dressings made with the hemp seed oil. I was a little nervous to try this dressing because I had no idea what to expect.
I had my salad dressing on top of a salad made of Romain lettuce, carrots, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and beets. Along side was 3 fluffy egg whites that I ended up eating on top of the salad.
The dressing was good, but not great. However, ever since I had Galeo’s dressing, nothing even comes close in comparison. This dressing was a little thicker than I normally like, had more calories than I normally like, and it had a different taste to it that I can’t quite put my finger on. I’m hoping the other flavors taste a little better. This one just didn’t do it for me.
Check out the stats:
As you can see it has a great ingredient list, lots of healthy fats, but there was just something about the flavor that I wasn’t crazy about.
According to their website, “GOOD DRESSINGS are a great way to add flavour and omegas to your salads.” Their dressing are made with their GOOD Oil, which are a good source of Omega 3, 6 & 9. The dressings are vegetarian friendly and the Balsamic and Honey Mustard flavors are gluten free.
Last night Chris and I enjoyed a true American dinner…burgers and fries. But in true EDBH fashion I tweaked the traditional meal for a healthier version.
Extremely lean ground beef patties on the grill press (for even more fat extraction), topped with lettuce, tomato, and cheese, sandwiched between a Whole Grain Arnold Thin. Sides included sweet corn on the cob, fresh steamed spinach, and butternut squash fries.
It.Was.Awesome.
In workout news-I bought a new DVD set that helps tone the booty, thighs, and stomach. It’s a little embarrassing, but I’m really excited to give it a try. The DVD set is called Brazil Butt Lift, and is part of the Beachbody Program.
I started the 4 week workout plan this morning, and let me tell you-this is NO joke! I had to stop at least 3 times to catch my breath. It’s always a little harder the first day…right? The DVD’s also come with a measurement chart, food guide, and lots of helpful tips to tone and sculpt the lower half. 
I have updated my workout calendar with the workouts I will be completing a long with a few extra gym sessions here and there.
Side Note-My boyfriend, Chris, starts his new job today. I’m extremely proud and excited for him. Wish him luck!!!
Have a great Monday!!!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow I’m impressed with your culinary skills! Everything looks absolutely delicious. And sounds like a very fun time was had!
Ohhhhh gurllllll…. nothing is better than Galeos. NOTHING.
Fun idea to mix of the standard BBQ foods for something a little different. My favorite kinds of parties are always those that involve hummus, anyway. (: