Oh thank the lord. I am finally healthy (ish). After getting a less then ideal diagnosis (but I’m not dying, so there you go. HUZZAH), I spent the better part of the last week as a slug. I just sat and drank smoothies and watched FAR too many movies and bad TV. I have never praised antibiotics, and I still am sad that they destroy a lot of your body, but I could kiss each little white pill that passed my lips as they made me feel like a human again.

Praise whatever or whoever you want, I can finally function. Thank goodness.

The first day that I felt normal I went a little crazy. Having ultimate cabin fever, I relished in the fact that I could walk without getting winded, I could swallow without horrible pain, and my head was finally free of fluff. I am sure I over exerted myself, but whatever—I was FREE.

My day consisted of Costco (bless the bulk, honestly), hours of yard work and gardening, eight miles with the pup and three hours of pure bliss in the kitchen. I harvested my first batch of baby arugula and ate it with some truffle oil dressing… it was like a spring time explosion of AWESOME in my mouth. As my roomies filtered in and out of the kitchen, they raised their eyebrows in curiosity at the strange mixture of food I was making.

There was falafel making, nut ball making, granola making and most importantly a GIANT batch of hummus. The kind of hummus that is so garlic packed it makes you start salivating the instant you crack open the container. True, I may add a WEE bit more garlic then the recipe calls for, but what can I say, the stronger the flavor, the better. I am the kind of girl that loves black licorice, sauerkraut, kimchi and all things pungent. If it punches me in the mouth, I want to be a part of it.

This recipe that I use as my base comes from the Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook (what else?). I like the simple ingredients and how easy it is to make. Whip up a batch of this for the week and add it to any and everything.

Super Garlic Hummus

2 cans of garbanzo beans

3 (6…heh) cloves of garlic

¼ cup of olive oil

1 tsp of herbamare

¼ cup lemon juice

½ cup of tahini

¼ cup water/garbanzo bean liquid

Add all ingredients in a food processor and blend for a few minutes. Yep, that is all there is to it. Hummus is the bee’s knees.

PS. I was blessed to get the opportunity to see Dr. Cornel West and Tavis Smiley speak on the topic of poverty and their new book, The Rich and the Rest of Us. The evening was spent with tears in my eyes and a newfound passion for social justice through the lens of love and hope. I have never been in the presence of men who exude such honesty and love. On top of all of that, a magnificent (there is no other word to describe him) 17 year old boy went up to the microphone and asked how his generation can spread this message of tolerance and hope, how he can rise above the racism, poverty and oppression of our society. It was like a breath of fresh air. Dr. West gave him a big hug with wet eyes. That, my friends, is what change looks like.

There is something exhilarating about a 5:45 run/walk when birds are chirping. In the depths of fall and winter, when you know you won’t see the sun until eight, there is nothing magical about 5:45 am. But when the daffodils are out, and when you don’t have to wear a hat and mittens, that is when 5:45 is an okay time to be awake.

Guilt gets the best of me when it comes to my dog. True, I have to be at work at 8, which means if I was a normal person I would be getting up around 6:45, or 7 if I was feeling lazy. Nope, not this girl. I know that my pup would be fine if he didn’t get a walk in the morning. I know that he would just sleep on my bed all day and wander around the house looking for trouble. I also know that I would have a deep, racking guilt at work, feeling like I could have done better for my dog.

Needless to say, I have found a sort of peace with 5:45 AM. I see it as a kind of refuge, a sacred time where Zeppelin, NPR and I can spend quality time together. Some days I run, other days I stroll… whatever my heart, knees and feet tell me to do. It is simply lovely.

Yesterday during my post work walk I was a part of what epitomizes spring in Seattle. Sunshine, bird calls and cherry blossoms at the beginning, torrential downpours, squealing children and happy ducks mid walk, ending with a rainbow and golden rimmed clouds. All of this happened in a 40 minute period. It was magical.

This led me to a sauna session, The New Girl and a giant bowl of popcorn. Speaking of popcorn, I can’t believe I haven’t touched on it before. For those of you that know me well, popcorn is a staple in my diet. It is me go-to for lazy dinners, and close friends make fun of me for the amount of popcorn that I eat—my whirley pop is my best friend. It would be the food that I would choose to eat the rest of my life. That is how serious popcorn is for me.

My popcorn is a family recipe that I relate to great grandpa’s hands and the big tins above their stove filled to the brim with golden deliciousness. My great grandpa—a strong and quiet man—would make huge batches of popcorn on the stove, toss it generously with brewer’s yeast and salt and then put it in old tins, the color of antique fire trucks. They lived in the cottages, squat brown buildings perched above Lake Washington. Historic homes, with big front porches, claw foot bathtubs and deeply worn out floors have been the place my family has called home. My great-grandparents lived there, my grandma, my mom and dad when they were first married, my great “aunt” and in the last few months my brother, sister-in-law, sister and brother-in-law have all put their names down on the waiting list. Those cottages are everything I imagine perfection to be.

Now, back to popcorn.

To me, buttered popcorn is sacrilegious, as it takes away from the perfect crunch and squeak of the corn, and adds too much oily nastiness. Popcorn can dress itself in a plethora of ways—truffle oil (delish), garlic salt (also great), lime and chili (weird, squishy and delightful), parmesan cheese (oh cheese…). No matter what combination of recipes I try, I always go back to my tried and true recipe… you just shouldn’t mess with perfection.

Great Grandpa’s Popcorn

1 tbsp canola/olive oil

¼ cup + 1 tbsp or so of organic popcorn (the bulk section is my best friend for popcorn/nutritional yeast)

2 heaping spoonful of brewers yeast (aka small flake nutritional yeast)

½ tsp salt

-First, make sure you have a whirleypop, or some way to make the popcorn over the stove. Don’t even try to make this popcorn with microwaved popcorn. I would probably have to slap you, I’m completely serious.

-Add oil to whirleypop or a big pot, and heat on medium-high heat. After a few minutes, when oil is hot, add popcorn. If using the whirleypop, turn the handle until the popcorn starts and finishes popping… when you hear the last few pops, remove from heat to keep the kernels from burning. If you use a pot… you just have to try and shake it around while keeping it over the heat—it can be challenging, but it can be a good arm workout.

– Transfer all of that goodness to a giant bowl, and toss with the yeast and salt.

-Enjoy, and try to save some to store in a container (anything but plastic), there is just something so delicious about aged popcorn… however, this may just be a weird family thing, and it will just taste old and stale to you… I say give it a whirl.