Ava's Summery Cucumbers with Hummus, Carrots and Raisins

I love when my niece Ava comes over for a sleepover. And when she does, we try and do as many fun things together as we can like playing games, coloring, watching movies, and baking. Having her over takes me back to when I was little and would spend time with some very special people to me in my life.

When I was a little girl, I used to spend a lot of time with my Grandmother and my two siblings, Chrissy and Peter, at my Grandparents house in Brooklyn, NY. We would spend a week each summer with them while our parents took a well needed vacation for themselves. It was always a great time when we were there, and all of us "kids" have many fond memories of those times that we still talk about today. Whether if we were playing together out on the driveway, picking raspberries and blackberries from her small garden, eating delicious meals she cooked for us, or when we'd all venture out to the 5 & 10 (Woolworth's) where she would treat each of us to a toy of our choice, we truly loved spending time with Grandma. 
Pictured below is a photo of my Grandparents on my wedding day in 2001.

I also have a lot of fond memories of my Uncle Ed. Growing up as a child, I remember him always being around, especially on the weekends and during the long summers. He was like a second dad to us kids. I remember him coming over to our house early in the morning and he would empty his pockets of whatever change he had in them to give to us to put in our piggy banks. He would always horse around and play with us, especially with my brother Peter. I remember a few things he used to say to us too that would always make me laugh. If one of us would say "Hey...!" He'd respond with "Hay is for horses!" And, if we were bugging him too much, he'd say, "Stick an egg in your shoe, and beat it kid!" I laughed every time. Maybe in that respect he was more like a big brother to us, and boy did we love it! Uncle Ed was the coolest!

For many years, he and my Dad played guitar and sang together. They would play out at local bars where even on a rare occasion—if the setting was right—we'd be able to go listen to them too. So, on the weekends if you didn't find them practicing their guitars in preparation for the next gig, you could probably find them out on the driveway playing basketball. They were both pretty competitive guys back in the day, so as you could imagine they could be out there for hours on end before calling it a night. 

I've always admired and looked up to my Uncle. He is very special to me. I even asked him to sing Blackbird by the Beatles as a surprise for my Dad at my wedding for our Father/Daughter dance. Blackbird was always my favorite song that they played together so it was very special to me to have him play that song for my Dad and I, and also for me to be able to include him on my most special day.

Since I have been blessed with so many fond memories of time spent with my Grandmother and my Uncle, I wanted to follow in their footsteps and do the same for all of my niece's. I have been able to do this the most with my niece Ava. Ava has been coming to my house for sleepovers since she was about 3 years old. She is now five, and she loves helping me in the kitchen. 

On this particular sleepover we baked some of my Banana Bread Mini Muffins, Nutella White and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies, and also the recipe I am sharing with you today. This recipe was all Ava's idea, which came from a commercial on TV she saw one day at home. She remembered this recipe completely, and luckily I had everything we needed on hand to make it. 

This recipe is actually quite beautiful when put together. I would have no reservations to serve these to my friends and family at any BBQ, family dinner, or get-together. They make for a perfect summer appetizer or afternoon snack, or in this case, a side dish to our main meal. They are really easy to make, and quite tasty too. Try them for yourself, and I'm betting you'll be making them again soon.

Ava's Summery Cucumbers with Hummus, Carrots and Raisins

Ingredients:
1 English Cucumber
Matchstick Carrots, pre-cut in the bag
1 Small Box Raisins or Craisins
1 Container Hummus (we used Trader Joe's Horseradish flavored)

Special tool: Melon Baller 
(You can use a small metal spoon if you don't have a melon baller.)

Directions:
Wash and dry your cucumber. 

Cut cucumber in about 1 1/2" - 2" slices.

Then, take your melon baller and make a cup for your hummus by scooping 3/4 of the way down into the center of the cucumber removing the seeds. Make sure not to scoop too far down, or too close to the sides, so that you leave yourself a nice cup for your hummus (see below).

Take spoonfuls of hummus and fill in each cucumber cup to the top.

Now, take matchstick carrots and start sticking them into the hummus around the inner edge of the cucumber cup, then add 3 or 4 raisins to the center as shown.

Place them on a serving plate and enjoy. Yes, it's that easy...and Ava gives them the thumbs up seal of approval!

You can also serve these with "refreshin' snacks" (Ava's exact words) such as grapes and pineapple.

Makes 8 cucumber cups.
This recipe is gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan.