Roasted Garlic

I personally can't stand the smell or taste of raw garlic (to the point that it practically turns my stomach - holdovers from morning sickness with my firstborn!), but believe me when I say that there is NOTHING like roasted garlic! :) I love hummus, but only if it's made with roasted garlic, so I always make my own. Yes, I know that heating garlic causes all the good benefits to be lost. But at least it tastes good and doesn't make me nauseous. ;)

Just slice off the pointed end of a whole head of garlic so the tops of the cloves are exposed. Place on a pie plate (or baking dish), drizzle with a little olive oil (but not extra virgin, because it will burn), and top with a little cracked pepper and salt, if desired. Cover with foil and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes, and when it's cooled off a little bit, then you can squeeze the soft, caramel colored cloves out.

I make hummus by blending a can of chickpeas, a tablespoon or two of tahini, several tablespoons lemon juice, about half a head of roasted garlic, and a little salt and pepper in a food processor. I usually add a little water (just a couple teaspoons) to make the texture smoother. It tastes a lot creamier and nuttier than store bought hummus!

Vanilla update

It's been in the pantry almost four weeks, and I'm thinking it will need to sit for at least another month or two before it's vanilla-y enough. I'm still smelling a little more alcohol than vanilla, and I tried a tsp in one recipe but didn't taste much result, so I'm going to give it plenty of time to "cook". :) It's definitely starting to turn dark, though, and also to smell good! Can't wait till it's fully mature. :)