It’s crazy to look back and see how much has changed in one year. Sure, 2012 was a lot like 2011—weddings (not mine), babies (not mine), and great vacations (mine all mine!). But, remember last January, when I wrote about how stressed out I was at work, and how much fun I missed out on by working non-stop? Well, it took almost a full year after writing that to make a change. So here I am, ringing in the new year with a new job and a lot less stress. Feels good, man.
So, last year’s theme was to not waste time. This year, my theme is to be awesomer. That’s right, I didn’t say more awesome, I said awesomer. Awe.some.er. (adjective) The act of being your most impressive self. That’s my theme: to be my most impressive self. Feel great, do great, look great… be great.
Step 1 in my 2013 theme: eat right. Ok, so everyone has some health related resolution, old news, I know. And I definitely think we should resolve to eating healthy every month, not just in the new year. But ya know, we all need to reset sometimes, and I think January, right after all that holiday indulgence, is the time to do it. So to go along with my new year's theme, each January I have a goal for the month, a way for me to reset and really focus on being healthy. In the past this has included giving up booze, meat, and sugar/baked goods for the month. This January my goal is to bring my lunch to work the whole month. I tend to get caught in the take-out rut for weekday lunches, which tends to drain the heft from my wallet and add it straight to my thighs.
So this month, it’s all homemade sandwiches, salads, and leftovers for this gal.
Switching from weekly lunches of sticky sweet teriyaki, cheesy burritos, and spicy gyros can be tricky, so I wanted to start off right with fresh tasty food that would get me stoked to eat my homemade lunch. That’s why I made this super chunky and thick hummus—it’s really simple, substantial enough to fill a sandwich, and delicious enough to keep me from straying.
Super Thick & Chunky Hummus
Inspired by Evan's dad's recipe!
Inspired by Evan's dad's recipe!
2 cans chickpeas, drained (around 4 cups)
1 cup tahini
Juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon parsley (dried, or finely chopped fresh)
Add half of the chickpeas, the tahini, lemon juice, and sesame oil to food processor and blend until pureed (don't worry about getting it super smooth). If needed, add a splash of olive oil to make blending easier. Taste, and add salt as needed. Lightly smash second half of chickpeas with a pastry blender, fork, or other smashy tool (barely smashed). Stir together with the rest of the hummus and the parsley. Enjoy with crackers, veggies, or add a hearty spoonful to a sandwich.
PS: Top 12 of '12!
Some of these were the most visited posts, and some were just my favorite to write, eat, or photograph in 2012.
