home-made | organised castle

As I mentioned in my last post, the ironing board cover really needed replacing so I made that project a priority for today.

I do not have a ‘before’ photo but I can assure you that it was ripped in a couple of places, very thin and badly stained.

Here is the new version which I made from a sheet which was no longer being used. The fabric is strong cotton that I bough and used to make a fitted sheet several years ago. I cut two layers for extra strength. The inside layer is cotton/bamboo batting.

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The straps, velcro and binding around the edge were all salvaged and re-used from the previous version.

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There are a couple of old layers from previous purchased covers which are under the new cover. It is firm but well-padded so a great surface for ironing.

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I use 2 straps underneath the board to hold it firmly in place. You can see one of them here.

With a new iron and fresh cover for the board I am ready to do the ironing. Like most tasks, it is made easier with the right equipment.

I was recently reading a discussion about home-made hummus and what constituted the perfect result. I realised that I was unable to contribute very little to the discussion as I do not usually measure any of the ingredients as it is all done by taste.

When I made another batch I was careful to measure the ingredients and write down the method and here it is.

HUMMUS

1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas
3 cloves garlic (roasted)
1 large lemon (zest and juice)
60ml olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon smoky paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 heaped tablespoon peanut paste

Cover the chickpeas with 4 cups boiling water and soak for 4 hours. Drain chickpeas, place in saucepan and add fresh water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 hours or until tender. Drain chickpeas and place in blender/food processor with garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest and oil and blend until smooth. Add spices and peanut paste and blend. If mixture is too thick add a little water or more oil/lemon juice if you prefer.

NOTES: I always roast the garlic as I found the flavour is sweeter and more subtle. I use about 1/4 cup lemon juice which is the yield from 1 of our lemons. The peanut paste is used instead of tahini which I do not particularly like. I use one made from freshly ground peanuts with no additives. The salt is important to release the other flavours. I use pink Himalayan salt. Although I make my hummus using dried chickpeas you could also use canned chickpeas. You would probably need 2 cans for the quantity in the recipe.

There is no right or wrong way to make hummus – it really is a matter of personal taste.

Dried chickpeas

Chickpeas soaking