Recipe: Busy Girl Hummus

*So nothing profound or even too terribly creative from me today. Just a recipe. I know, right? Maybe next week I'll have time for thoughtful reflection.

I love hummus. It reminds me of a little Mediterranean restaurant in a shopping center on the corner of Maryland Parkway and Flamingo in Las Vegas, and anything that reminds me of our time living in Vegas is kept close to my heart.

A few years ago, tired of trying to find good, store-bought hummus, I decided to make my own. The recipe I found called for tahini, which is a ground sesame seed paste. It was an expensive ingredient that I used once and finally tossed a year later when I found it shoved to the back of the pantry.

I've been limited in my meal/snack ideas because I am trying my hardest to eat clean and avoid processed foods. Store bought hummus is expensive for what you get, it doesn't taste as fresh as home made (obviously), and there is some amount of processing involved in its production. Now, my first attempt at hummus didn't go so well. Honestly, all I remember about the experience is I didn't eat what I made and I didn't try it again.

But I've been using the Crock Pot for beans a lot recently, so, on a whim, I grabbed some chickpeas the other day. Why not try again, right?

Now, this attempt is already different from the first because I used both tahini and canned chickpeas, then. To simplify and avoid buying tahini I will never use again, I cut it. And for the purpose of avoiding canned beans, I boiled my own. I call it Busy Girl Hummus because it is easy to make and full of protein to keep me satisfied longer than most other go-to snacks will.

So I soaked the chickpeas overnight in enough water to cover them, just like pintos or black beans. I threw them in the Crock Pot with some water yesterday morning and forgot about them. And I mean I really did forget about them. By the time I got home from work last night, most of the water was gone, but, luckily, they weren't burnt. I was too tired to do anything with them last night, plus my little kitchen helper was fast asleep, so I stuck them in the fridge to finish today.

Cooked and drained chickpeas

A friend of mine a while back made some hummus that was awesome. I didn't get her recipe, but I know it had lemon in it, so I just threw a few things together - lemon juice, olive oil, chickpeas - and ground it all up in my food processor. (You will laugh when you see my baby food processor, by the way. I have only just recently discovered the food processor's magic, so it may be time to invest in a new one.) Anyway, first attempt? No good. I wish I had captured the look on Aleigh's face when she tried it! It was way too lemony and the bitter flavor of the beans was overwhelming.

I knew something was missing, but I couldn't figure out what until I turned to the spice cabinet. Ah ha! While I loved that little Mediterranean restaurant, I certainly did not like the fire ignited in my belly and throat by the overwhelming garlic in the dishes I ordered. So... a clove of garlic (yes, just one!) and a dash of cumin later, my second attempt was a success. Even Aleigh said, "Mmmm!"

1 tbsp. olive oil, 1/4 tsp. cumin, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 clove of garlic

Ingredients after processing in my baby food processor

(Forgive me, but I am awful with recipes. I don't follow them. I look at them once, try to remember the measurements and ingredients, and end up changing much of what the original recipe calls for anyway... nonsensical, right, when you are trying to share a recipe with others?)

Busy Girl Hummus

1/4 lb. chickpeas, cooked and drained

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 clove of garlic

1/4 tsp. cumin powder

juice from half a lemon

*My recipe calls for about a quarter of a one pound bag of chickpeas, so adjust as necessary if you plan to use the entire bag.

1. Cook the beans per the package directions (I used the slow cooking method).
2. Give the garlic clove a few good pulses in the food processor before adding the beans.
3. Add beans and pulse away to break the beans down just a bit.

Hummus ice cubes!

4. Add oil and lemon juice and pulse until a smooth paste forms.
5. Add cumin powder and pulse until blended.

Now, just a quarter of a pound of beans makes a ton of hummus, so unless you plan to eat it all within three days or so, consider freezing some. I pop mine into ice cube trays, just like you would homemade baby food, and then pop it out into a freezer bag when it is frozen through. You'll have little individual servings for a quick snack with pita chips, carrot sticks, or celery.

And hummus is a super adaptable food! You can add different flavors and spices to it with great success. I use it on wraps in place of mayo... yum!

Dessert: A Lesson on Living

And this is the second reason I was so hesitant to start a blog: time! I don't have enough of it! I have a great amount of ongoing posts, and I'll be publishing them soon! In the meantime, here's what I started Wednesday...

I was in an oddly whimsical mood in my first class this afternoon, probably due to a lack of proper sustenance throughout the crazy-hectic day, and I didn't have a journal topic prepared like I usually... err... sometimes do.

I start all of my developmental classes the same way: the first ten minutes of class is dedicated to responding to a journal topic. I either pull the topic out of my head or I provide them with a famous quote about life, education, reading. You get the picture. In the years that I've taught developmental writing, I have come to the conclusion that the largest hurdle beginning writers must overcome is fear. Fear of putting their fingers to a keyboard and typing their thoughts; fear that they will sound stupid or their ideas won't make sense; fear that they'll be expected to write some masterpiece on the first attempt. Just fear. So, in an attempt to overcome this very real obstacle, they write. Everyday. And, believe me, they are not always comfortable with what they write. But, as you've probably guessed, that's the whole point. We tend to make the most progress, see the most change, when we are uncomfortable.

So, anyway, the journal topic I came up with, again, probably because I was hungry, related to students describing themselves as desserts. If you were a dessert, what would you be? To get the creative juices flowing, I encouraged them to think of ingredients, difficulty level, cook time and method, and, of course, knowing how college kids can be, I reminded them to keep it PG13 since I do have to read and assess their responses.

About halfway through their writing time, I added a simple statement to the bottom of the journal topic I had written on the board. It read, "Now, how is life like dessert?" Some students chewed their lips in contemplation as they stared at the addition; others, of course, heavy sighed. How dare she make this about life and not all fun and games! their frustrated scowls suggested.

I never really intended to make the topic more than just a fun, creative way to tell me more about themselves. But, as I listened to them typing, some frantically and others barely, I thought, life should be more like dessert! I don't know what conclusion any of them came to yet because I haven't read their responses, but I know what conclusion I came to as I sat there.

In my family, dessert was always a special occasion, mostly centered around the holidays. And, because desserts were reserved for special occasions, they were anticipated moments that were savored and remembered. At Thanksgiving, for instance, I can remember eyeing the dessert table and not even tasting the food on my plate, just hurrying through the meal so I could have my treat - one I would enjoy slowly, down to the very last bite.

When I think about how I have spent the majority of my adult life, I realize that I have always been anticipating the next moment and moving as swiftly as possible through the current one. When I was in college, I was just so ready to be finished with school. Now, what I wouldn't give to go back and listen in awe as the incredible minds that molded and shaped me imparted their wisdom once more. When Scott and I lived in Las Vegas, I could not wait to get back to Texas. Now, I find myself driving those old familiar routes I used to complain about in my mind, afraid that if I forget how to get from my old job to my old house, that means I've lost an invaluable piece of myself. I remember complaining that it would sometimes take hours to get my oldest bug to sleep at night; now, it breaks my heart that she doesn't need me to go to sleep anymore, though thankfully she still wants me most of the time.

Now, with two little girls who grow faster than I ever could have imagined possible and two dogs who grew white around the eyes at some point when I was too busy to notice and now both sleep harder and limp more than they ever have before, I find myself wanting to slow time. If I could just stretch out each hour... Maybe then I could play frisbee with Chloe and scratch Daisy's booty as much as they'd like me to. Maybe then I could read Where the Wild Things Are to my oldest 100 times instead of just ninety-nine times a day or just sit and listen to the rhythmic sound of my little one breathing instead of being pulled away by another responsibility that will never be accomplished if I don't do it while she's napping.

So how is life like dessert? Well, I guess, if we live it right, every second is savored, instead of just the high and low points being forever engrained in our memories. If we could hold on to every second, then we'd be able to travel to another time and place and relive those moments that seemed so ordinary at the time, savoring everything: the absence of responsibility we took for granted; the youth we will never be able to recapture; the friends and family who have since changed, aged, and perhaps disappeared from our lives.

And we'd be plump and happy, full of guilt-free, everyday slices of sweetness.

Taking a Leap - Starting a Blog

It is amazing how life can inspire in so many different, unimaginable ways!

I learned about the death of a friend from high school's father today, and I have been thinking about him, about life, and about death since I read his somber obituary. The news upset me. Not because I knew the man well or because I had even seen him but in passing in the twelve or so years since this friend and I parted ways. I think more than anything it saddens me because, in my mind, this man stayed the same man he was in high school, his daughter - my friend - the same girl. His death was a reality check to be sure.

So here I am, inspired by the death of a man I once knew, to do something I've been trying to work up the courage to do for more than a year. I'm starting a blog. 

So what, right? Who doesn't have a blog now days? Well, until now... this girl. 

Those who know me may be shaking their heads in disbelief right now, wondering where I am going to find the time and energy to manage one more "project," especially considering this particular project involves writing. I am a writer. I aspire to be a writer. It is my passion. A strong, raging passion that sometimes consumes me, as it rightly should. 

But it is a painstaking passion, which is why it is so difficult for me to commit to posting writing for all to see (gasp!) on a regular basis. When I have to write something others will read, I spend hours upon hours mulling over it, perfecting it, changing sentence order and rewording until I am satisfied that I am giving my readers the very best of me. 

But my friend's father's passing reminds me that life is too short. Entirely too short. My life is incredibly hectic, but when will it not be? Won't there always be papers waiting to be graded? Dishes and clothes waiting to be washed? Man is only given one shot at this living business, yet too many live for the next moment, wasting away the beauty that is today in anticipation of tomorrow. And I have no interest in being one of those people any longer. I never want to look back on life and see the word regret creeping into my memories.

So... what is this blog about? Little bits of everything! Experiencing life with my daughters, husband, and our furry family members; projects, crafts, and recipes from Pinterest, the greatest thing since... well... ever; teaching reading and writing, since that's what I do if I must claim just one main profession; and writing with all its inexplicable joys and heartaches.

***

Tracy, my heart is heavy today and my thoughts are with you and your family.