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.