One Step In The Right Direction

Writing all that out yesterday was actually therapeutic.  I've had that horrible habit of being a closet eater from time to time and getting it out made it real.  It also seemed to erase the guilt or the shame associated with hidden eating.  It's done, nothing can change that.  There's no need to feel guilty about it.  The only thing to be done is to take action and move forth.

Last night I skipped my workout!  Doesn't sound like action, does it?  But it was!  The workouts are the easy part for me.  Sometimes (like lately) I even use them to avoid facing tasks that need to be done.  Which is why I skipped it last night.

I finished cleaning up my kitchen, cupboards & fridges.  Two HUGE garbage bags full of junk.  I had tons of fruits & veggies, yet half of it was rotten.  So when I go to prepare a meal I was just faced with having to pick through things and got overwhelmed.  Same with my cupboards.  Boxes and packages of stale, out-dated food that had to go.

It felt so refreshing to get all that cleaned up.

Then, I made a new batch of hummus.  Not the prettiest batch I've ever made.  I added a bunch of cilantro & chili powder to it and it had a very disturbing browny/green tinge.  But it tastes pretty good.

I also prepared lunch for today!  As many of you noted, and I knew this too, pre-planning is a major part of success. 

So, today is going much better.

Breakfast - Raisin bran cereal with 1% milk
Lunch - Hummus & veggie wrap, cottage cheese, orange
Dinner - I'm thinking a shrimp stir fry with brown rice would hit the spot.
Dessert - Peaches

 ... and a big a$$ bottle of water too!

I'm hoping today we get the news that they'll take off my son's braces soon.  It's been over 2 years and his teeth look perfect, and have for some time.  They're not getting any more money from me and we both just want them off!  I'm actually getting kind of angry about it.

Definitely having a more positive ... in control day.

Hope you are too!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

**GIVEAWAY**

Cute Under Armour Shirt at Destination 26.2 - go check it out

Hummus Recipe

Jen at Priorfatgirl posted today about her love of hummus. Alot of people mentioned the ease of making it on your own. So I said I'd post a recipe. I just bought a tub of hummus but I really should just make it again.

It really is a super simple recipe to make, with SO many variations. Plus ... it's super cheap to make. Probably the biggest expense is the tahini, but you use so little so a jar will last a long time.

Store this in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. And have fun with the varieties you can make. Look to the prducts available at the grocery store for further suggestions of combinations - or just get creative. You could also take a batch and split it to make a few different combos.

HUMMUS (singing) "any way you want it ..... that's the way you need it"

1 - 19 oz. can Garbanzo beans (Chickpeas)
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from 1- 2 lemons (approx. 2-4 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper (and/or other spices) to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Drain Garbanzo beans and reserve liquid **see notes. Add beans to food processor along remainder of ingredients. Pulse until smooth. Add water (or reserved liquid) and continue to pulse until desired consistancy.

It is best once the flavours have blended for a while in the fridge (a few hours or overnight). But you can eat it right away.


NOTES:

Liquid - a lot of recipes recommend using the reserved liquid from the drained beans. However there is a lot of salt in that liquid and you may want to just use water and then adjust salt to taste.

Garlic - use as much or as little as you like. Apparently roasted garlic is a more mellow taste, but I like it zippy.

Lemon juice - You can use bottled, but fresh just seems to taste best. Again, you might want to experiment with the amount you use. Start with less and add more.

Tahini - (paste of ground sesame seeds) Usually found in the specialty (Middle Eastern) area of your grocery store. I've heard you can substitute peanut butter, but I wouldn't. I have made hummus without any tahini, but it's much better with it.

Olive Oil - do NOT leave out in an attempt to lower fat/calories. It's a healthy oil and it definitely makes hummus … hummus!

Seasonings - Add to taste. There is a ton of variety here. You can add any of the following on their own or in combination (be creative): black pepper, cumin, cayenne, crushed red pepper, hot sauce, chipotle or jalapeno pepper (SPICY!), roasted red pepper, sundried tomato, chives, cilantro, chili pepper, parsley