Cilantro Jalapeño Hummus

So there a restaurant around here called Pita Jungle. If you're in Arizona or California, go look up your closest one and go eat. You can send me a thank you note later.

I know there are people among us who are not fortunate enough to have been blessed w/ the genes required to taste cilantro properly (seriously its genetic). In case you're wondering, you know you can taste it properly if it tastes like a party in our mouth. And well Pita Jungle has this AMAZING hummus. Probably my hands down favorite I've ever had. Its a Cilantro Jalapeño hummus thats not spicy at all but tastes AMAZING. Seriously I can eat that stuff with a SPOON.

And I've been craving some of that hummus for a week now but I'm currently too broke to go get a fix (or two... or three... or four.... or...). So I started googling and I found recipes here, here, here and here that all claimed to approximate the crack hummus I'm seeking. There were some minor variations, so I wrote down the gist of it on a note pad and went and started experimenting w/ my food processor.

My biggest goal was that I wanted that taste, but I know that hummus can vary widely in fat so I was trying to keep the fat content down (b/c some of those recipes have A LOT) b/c I'm doing Weight Watchers. Well folks - I have succeeded!!! (I apologize for the blah picture but I just couldn't WAIT to share!).

Cilantro Jalapeño Hummus

2 cans of garbanzo beans (15 oz size) - drained (and I saved the juice from the bean can)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt (I'm sure you can use regular salt but thats what I always cook w/)
1 jalapeño cored, seeded and minced (if you want it spicy leave the seeds, if you want flavor and no spice ditch 'em)
2 limes, juiced
1/2 c of cilantro, chopped (you can do less if you're not a big cilantro fan)
2 T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil - I gave in and added some to smooth out the texture and make it creamy)
1/4 -1/2 tsp Cumin
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Basically, add everything listed to your food processor and hit frappe. I then thinned it down to the desired consistency using my bean juice I saved from the can. I probably used a good half a cup or so. I did this instead of adding water b/c I was afraid it would water down my amazing flavor and using that much olive oil would add a TON of fat.

I also ditched the traditional tahini, partially b/c I'm out, but also cuz that stuff is WAY high in points.

Oh the taste verdict: AWESOME (at least I think so) and if you're doing Weight Watchers its only ONE, thats right, ONE Points Plus per 2 TBSP serving, or only 5 PP for a whole half cup!! Sweet!

Rick Santorum just ticked me off

Okay, before this morning I was on the fence about Santorum. I didn't really know anything about him so I didn't have much of an opinion. And then I read this speech and now I'm pissed. Here go take a look at the link. Mostly I care about paragraphs 2-4 (okay well mostly 3 and 4)

http://news.yahoo.com/rick-santorum-draws-crowds-raises-nearly-1-million-070701782--abc-news.html

I read it and at first I was all:

For those of you too lazy to click the link and read the article (and really I understand if you are) Rick starts off by goin' off about how Obama is out to destroy the churches of our country. And I'm all "Whatever. Standard inflammatory political rhetoric" but THEN I get to:

"He [Santorum] told the audience at the raucous rally that Obama is restricting religious freedoms in this country, and even that a situation like the French Revolution could happen in America. As he spoke supporters yelled, "We want Rick!" and "We want you!" throughout the speech.

"They are taking faith and crushing it. Why? Why? When you marginalize faith in America, when you remove the pillar of God given rights then what's left?" Santorum asked and an audience member offered, "Communism!"

"The French Revolution," Santorum answered. "What's left is a government that gives you rights. What's left are no unalienable rights. What's left is a government that will tell you who you are, what you'll do and when you'll do it. What's left in France became the guillotine. Ladies and gentlemen, we are a long way from that, but if we do follow the path of President Obama and his overt hostility tofaith in America, then we are headed down that road."[Emphasis added]

And then the more I thought about it the more I was all: 

And thats when my head exploded. Because REALLY??! I almost don't know where to start. But b/c this is me we're just gonna dive RIGHT in.

1. The French Revolution was all about the ideals of Enlightenment: namely Equality, Citizenship and Inalienable Rights. They revolted because their government took those away. Or more correctly - those were never even an option under the absolute monarchy of the time. Inalienable rights were what those people GAINED by their revolution. 

2. The guillotine was an invention of compassion. Sure it definitely got over used but compared to the other methods of execution at the time (beheading with multiple blows from an ax, hanging, stoning, drawn and quartered... ) it was very compassionate. A doctor invented it because they wanted a humane way to kill people. The aristocracy was famous for the tortured deaths of anybody who disagreed with them. The Revolution meant certain people had to die so that others could have their unalienable rights but they didn't want to be the people they were disposing so they found a "humane" alternative to the methods of the time. 

3. Yes the French Revolution did take over some of their churches. The people took them from the Catholic church (who at the time was still knee deep in the Inquisition AND in bed w/ the ruling classes, I might add) and turned them into "Temples of Reason". Admittedly those people did go a smidgen far. They beheaded statues when they ran out of people but lets all remember that the IQ of a mob is equal to the IQ of its dumbest member divided by the number of people in the mob and just go with it. 

So basically I have to say to Rick Santorum: Don't insult my intelligence. Go back to school and take a few history classes or hell just go read Wikipedia. That or fire your speech writer. Some combination of the above. 

Communism wasn't a half bad answer. But "The French Revolution"? Thats a cheap shot at the French, who historically have been one of our strongest allies and with out whose support we would have lost the Revolution. I know we've had issues in the recent past but I don't think that should undo 200+ years of positive relations. I did a study abroad in France in college and I know for the most part the French love Americans (they just weren't big fans of Bush, mostly b/c he was friends w/ Tony Blair). 

I was on the fence about you before because I didn't know anything about you. But you sir, just lost my vote. 

Patience

Today I pray for patience. It took me 10 years to get this big. Its not going to go away over night no matter how much I want it to. And if it takes me a year or even two to get it all off and be healthy then I think thats okay. So for tonight I share this with you. It helps me stay focused. 

Small Miracles

So I finally GOT UP and did something instead of just thinking and planning and talking about doing something and started working out over the last week or so. And I've NEVER been one to be all "I'mma gonna exercise b/c I LOVE IT". HA yeah right. I'm more like John Pinette (if you haven't seen him to look him up on YouTube - hysterical I tell you), "I can quit this ANY TIME I WANT".

I've NEVER been one to enjoy my trips to the gym. I LOVED dancing. I adored dancing. I miss it so bad it aches. But with my injuries dance is off the table and thus my meteoric weight gain in college. And I've made myself stick to a work out schedule before but I never did it because it felt good. I did it b/c I wanted to lose weight.

Well in Weight Watchers they really emphasize "reframing". Changing how you deal w/ things. This is a BIG issue for those of us who are emotional eaters. And I'm here to tell you I'm ALL ABOUT my emotional eating. Except that this last week instead of making a pan of brownies... I got on the elliptical machine.

And do you know what - I felt better afterwards. I didn't work out Sunday (b/c it was the sabbath) and I felt kinda BLAH all day. Didn't work out Monday either. BIG time with the BLAHS. First half of today was really BLAH. Then I worked out.

I actually feel better. Better mood. Better motivation. Holy chit the studies are true. All those statistics that say it helps w/ endorphins etc actually apply to me. Who knew?!

I know its DUMB to think it doesn't apply to me but honestly prior to now... yeah I can definitely quit that ANY TIME I WANT. But now... it just feels good. I actually enjoy it. I turn on something on the TV and hop on my elliptical machine and just go. I'm up to 30 mins now and I think I'm gonna increase it by another 5 minutes later this week. My legs don't feel funny anymore when I stop so I think I'm good.

And honestly I think I need to give some credit to Scott Adam's. He writes the comic "Dilbert" and writes one of the funniest, most thought provoking blogs on the web. And I read this post of his months ago and haven't been able to get it out of my head since. I think he's got a point.

Check it out: http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/pattern_recognition/