i heart hummus

oh hummus, a superfood and my love. i can eat hummus every single day. i looooove it. i feel great after i eat it, satisfied, and it somehow soothes the soul. when i've been ill or have trudged through morning sickness, hummus has been the only thing i could tolerate. i'm not the only one who shouts, "i love hummus" from the rooftops. lately, there are many articles, books, and even websites, dedicated to the benefits and simple delicious variations of the stuff. anyway, not realizing that it's an art form, i started making my own hummus. the first batch wasn't so bad but wasn't so good either, although i used canned organic chickpeas (not as nutritional as dried beans). the second and third (using quality dried chickpeas) came out really yummy. for me the secret was, first, finding the really small chickpeas, second, in adding more water to the consistency you prefer, and third, you definitely have to warm it up and drizzle some olive oil in the middle before serving.

There are many many recipes out there but I found that the original one that I had worked out great. I followed the hummus recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks called "Feeding the Whole Family," by Cynthia Lair. The book has wonderful recipes with basic whole ingredients. What I love about this cookbook is that at the bottom of each page, she gives suggestions on how to use the ingredients from that meal and make it for baby, which saves me from having to cook a separate meal (now if only she could tell me how to turn all of these recipes into mac 'n' cheese for my 8 year old...that's another story). 

for me, making my own, of something that is nowadays readily available on the shelf for you at the supermarket (hummus, tomato sauce, pie, breads) somehow grounds me - and by grounded i don't mean punished :) i mean that i feel more connected to the earth and my family i guess. that sounds so corny. but what i mean is that when i go out and buy organic, seasonal, local ingredients and then come home a make something with my hands that may take an entire day instead of a half hour, i feel a bond to my ancestors. and it just feels good to slow down and put your heart into something wholesome that your family will enjoy.