Back from Holiday, Absence of Cigarettes and Hummus Recipe

TÜRKÇE İÇİN TIKLAYIN

  
After a long break hi again everyone!

During this period I saw that the number of the blog's followers has increased.
I'd like to welcome all of you and thank everyone who've been following until this day.

It's been a while since I am back from holiday but I've just found time to take care of the blog. The main reason may be that I am not trying so many new recipes as often as before. I used to try at least 3-4 bread, cake, dessert and all sorts of recipes a week (even more) and publish the ones that I was satisfied with. Instead, recently I've been trying to limit our excess carbonhydrates and calorie intake.


My act of quitting smoking may have some effect as well...
Yes, I quitted! Even though I didn't have neither minumum intention, nor any plan on my mind, all of a sudden, just like that... 

When I got sick and had sore throat unluckily just 1 day before our departure, thinking that I wouldn't enjoy smoking at that moment anyway and feeling that I wouldn't wish to pass my limited vacation days as being sick, I said "Let me not smoke a couple of days". Following days thinking " I wonder how long I could last" or "I wonder if it would really be possible for me to stop for good" and saying "let me try another day... one more day.." I've arrived from 3rd August of 2011 until today. At the begininning, since I wasn't convinced myself of what I'd been doing, when i was asked if I quitted smoking I answered  "I don't know". After 1 month I am now able to answer that question saying "Yes" accompanied by a feeling of discontent though.

Some may wonder where this discontent is coming from. Let me put it this way:
Everbody for sure heard about health risks of smoking, it would be foolish to deny. 
When I stopped smoking however, I expected to feel some sort of relief, relaxation or expected to say "I am so disgusted with it now I can't even bear staying around when someone is smoking" - just like in those success stories which we often see in newspapers or on TV. None of them happened. I didn't get any estrangement feeling either as often mentioned. 
Instead, I had thought that it would day by day get easier and my pleasure, desire and tendency for smoking would ease off with time. And what's more, I had already reduced smoking in the last 5 years from 1 pack to 5-6 cigarettes a day. Nowadays I am discontent wondering if i will always be feeling like I am on some kind of diet for the rest of my life, I mean it sometimes feels like not eating high caloric desserts during a diet. Even then, when you finish dieting you can spoil yourself every once in a while knowing that you could balance it later some other way. It's not even like dieting. In short, this is where my discontent lies

I still can't bring myself to throw away 2.5 packs of cigarettes left at home with the dream of  enjoying one maybe, one sweet day accompanied with a pleasing chat and some nice coffee... It seems like I still have a very long way to go...

I don't know if it is because of a long break or lack of nicotine I am very talkative today ;)
I wouldn't wish this very delicious hummus recipe to get lost among the lines though!
It is very easy too.

HUMMUS is very well-known and appreciated throughout the Middle East as well as Turkey. Because of its nutritional values, great taste and low glycemic index values it is recently becoming very popular also among vegetarians, vegans and those following Glycemic Index Diet.

It could be consumed as appetizer, meze, spread or dip at breakfast, lunch or supper as well as snack depending on your traditional way of eating.

I hope you enjoy it


Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas (1 can=400g, drained=240-250g)
25g reserved liquid from canned chickpeas *
50g fresh lemon juice
50g tahini
25g extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
Salt


* Do not throw the liquid from canned chickpeas, we will use 25g of it while making our hummus


Preparation:

• Place all the ingredients in TM Bowl and blend for 1.5 minutes on Speed 4-5
• Scrape down the sides of TM Bowl with spatula. Blend for 1 minute on Speed 4
• Transfer hummus into serving plate. If you like you can decorate with lemon slices and sprinkle with sweet paprika

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