Chilly Last Texas Thursday Of July Up With The Sun Thinking About Split Pea Hummus

You are out on my patio with me, drinking coffee, and watching the sun light up the place on the last Thursday of July.

It is borderline chilly outside at 75. It is almost like winter is arriving early.

I am going to try and go swimming in a few minutes. I hope the water has not chilled too much.

Complete change of subject from the sun and swimming to hummus. I got a big bag of yellow split peas at Sprouts Farmers Market yesterday. A couple weeks ago I learned whilst watching Top Chef that hummus can be made from split peas.

So, a big batch of split peas cooked overnight in the slow cooker and now await me Vita-Mixing them into hummus. I hope it works.

It is very likely that after the workout involved in Vita-Mixing split peas into hummus, and other ordeals, I will need a good dose of endorphin stimulation from aerobicizing myself on the Tandy Hills mid-day.

Meet me at noon at the top of Mount Tandy if you want to go hiking with me. See you there.

Up Late This Second Sunday Of July Thinking About Hummus & Going Swimming

You are looking at the view from my patio this, the 2nd Sunday of July. As you can see the sun has arrived and is lighting up the place, which is a good clue I slept in past dawn today. This does not happen too often.

It did not rain in copious amounts yesterday for the first time in a few days. I'm hoping the unseemly, out of the ordinary, extra wetness is done for the summer and we can dry the humidity out of the air and return to a more pleasant desert-like outdoor experience, instead of the current sauna bath.

A couple days ago I blogged about the Tex-Mess I made of trying to make hummus. Yesterday I threw my remaining garbanzo beans in the slow cooker, thinking slow cooking them would have a better result that my first attempt.

Last night Alan commented on my hummus making debacle with really good suggestions that make me think my second attempt will turn out better. Originally I had said there would be no second attempt at hummus, but, ironically, even though I somehow managed to make cement hummus, it is still quite tasty and I have been eating the stuff.

I am heading to the pool in a bit for a long long swim. What happens after that, this second Sunday of July, I have no idea.

My Tex-Mess Hummus Debacle

A couple weeks ago I bought a bag of garbanzo beans at Town Talk. That bag has been mocking me ever since, reminding me that I bought the bag thinking I'd make hummus out of the garbanzos.

How hard can that be?

It is very easy to find recipes for the world's most popular condiment. All the recipes have you blending the ingredients in a food processor, also known as a blender.

I have that kitchen item covered in the form of a Vita-Mix, bought years go at the Home Show in Seattle's Kingdome. Which seems to indicate I have a very old Vita-Mix.

Early this morning I started boiling the garbanzos. Hours later the beans seemed to have reached some level of doneness.

So, I drained them and dumped them into the Vita-Mix. Then I added some chopped up garlic, olive oil, tahini paste, lemon juice and liquid from the boiled beans.

Put the lid on the Vita-Mix and hit the 'go' button. This did not go too well. I was not getting the mixing action I was hoping for. So, I got out the wooden stick thing that came with the Vita-Mix, that you stick into the stuff you are trying to mix to help it get mixing.

The stick didn't work too well. Soon I could tell I was over working the Vita-Mix motor.

I added some more liquid, kept trying to shove the beans to the mixing blades. Eventually I was a HOT sweaty mess from all this exercise.

I decided the hummus was blended well enough. Then I found that I'd pretty much mixed up a batch of cement. It took about 20 minutes to get the cement plug out of the Vita-Mix.

I tasted what I'd made. It did not taste bad. Blindfolded I don't know if I would have guessed hummus. It does not look too appetizing, which you can clearly see in the picture at the top.

I grew addicted to a constant supply of really good hummus when Town Talk had a constant supply. And then it was gone.

I'll eat the Tex-Mess Hummus I made this morning. But, I won't be making anymore. Probably.

In Texas Eating Whole Wheat Israeli Matzah & Hummus While Getting A History Lesson About Moses

I think I've mentioned, before, my unexplained weight gain and my quest for an explanation. Not enough exercise? Cut back in swimming due to cold water? Too much cheese? Too much Hummus? It's been a mystery.

And the mystery continues as I continue to puff up, rapidly approaching my all-time record, at the same time I think I've amped up the exercise and cut back on the eating.

Well, there was that fried chicken and pizza on Easter.

My new theory that explains the unexplained weight gain, thus making it explainable, is that it is Don Young's fault. Fort Worth's #1 Watchdog pointed me to a store I'd not heard of before.

Town Talk.

At Town Talk I find all sorts of exotic food items I don't find elsewhere, at ridiculously cheap prices. So, I've found myself buying big portions of Tennessee BBQ Pulled Pork. All sorts of imported cheeses. Sausage Kolaches. Coconut Shrimp. And Hummus.

For awhile I've thought my Hummus addiction might be the source of the unexplained weight gain. But today I read an article, on the Fox News website, that pretty much makes the case that Hummus is an ultra-health food.

Israel is Hummus Central. In Israel Hummus is like peanut butter is in America, like Nutella is in Europe or Vegemite in Australia.

I have no idea what Nutella or Vegemite is.

Hummus is in 95% of Israeli homes, with almost every restaurant serving the stuff up as an appetizer, I suppose much like Mexican restaurants in America, with the bowl of chips and salsa.

Hummus' zinc, folate and protein make it a great after workout snack. Chickpeas are high in fiber, garlic has a cholesterol lowering effect. The Hummus I get at Town Talk is the version with roasted red peppers part of the mix, hence even more nutritious.

Hummus consumption in America has gone up 35% in the past 21 months, with people discovering it makes a good mayo substitute, that it is good over chicken or fish and is a tasty replacement for sour cream on a baked potato.

I like it over brown basmati rice.

About a week ago I discovered Whole Wheat Israeli Matzah at Town Talk. Three boxes for a dollar. Made in Israel. The only ingredient is Whole Wheat Flour. I thought this is going to taste like cardboard. I was wrong. The Israeli Matzah is very tasty dipped in Hummus.

The packaging on the Israeli Matzah is interesting. Click on the thumbnail and you'll see what I mean.

The back of the package tells the story of something called The Exodus, where this guy names Moses was the leader of a bunch of Israelites enslaved by an Egyptian Pharaoh. Moses asked the mean Pharaoh to set his people free. The Pharaoh said no. This caused God to unleash a bunch of plagues, which eventually caused the Pharaoh to give in, but then change his mind and chase after the escaping Israelis, who wandered around the desert for 40 years til God gave Moses Ten Commandments and some other instructions as to how to start up the new nation of Israel.

Fascinating reading on a cracker box.

I Am Excited To Go To Hummusland Even Though Hummus Is Making Me Fat

I don't remember if I've mentioned one of my recent conundrums, that being my inexplicable weight gain. As in the past few months I have steadily been heavier each time I step on the scale.

I thought maybe the greatly reduced amount of swimming time was the culprit. And less other type exercise, due to the weather restrictions imposed by this bad Texas winter we are currently having.

I'm not an over eater. I'm a bit of a health food nut, sort of. Have been that way for decades. I rarely eat in restaurants. I don't like candy. I don't even eat dinner, at night I just have a healthy snack.

So, what is causing the weight gain? I'm almost 100% certain it's not all added muscle. I have not had clothes fitting tighter. I can easily get into my skinny jeans that I could not easily get into before I moved to Texas. I just realized, those are old jeans.

Anyway, this morning I was trying to think of anything I've done different the past few months. I realized I've consumed massive quantities of hummus. But that's pretty much a health food, garbanzos, roasted red peppers, garlic, lemon, tahini, onion, other good stuff.

This morning I Googled to find out the caloric count for hummus. Over 400 calories a cup? It is easy to eat 2 cups of the stuff. That is not sufficient calories to explain the weight gain. My research continues.

In the meantime, Googling hummus brought up something really bizarre.

After Lebanon won the Guinness World Record for the largest plate of hummus, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism announced plans to win the record back by building a massive hummus themed resort and spa in an area called Shebaa Farms in a disputed 12 mile strip of land on the border of Israel and Lebanon.

Hummusland will have a huge Lagoon filled with hummus, in which Hummusland visitors will be able to swim, ride canoes and take in the rejuvenating powers of the anti-oxidizing pulverized garbanzos.

The Hummusland Lagoon will also have a wave pool, a creek, waterfalls and a shark reef. All filled with hummus.

Are sharks going to be happy swimming in hummus? I can't help but wonder.

The director of the Hummusland project, Amos Cohen, says, “The total volume of hummus that is pumped through the park each day will exceed a million cubic meters. This will make the Lebanese 2,506 kilogram dish seem like a joke. Our kiddie pool alone will have twenty times that much hummus in it.”

Cohen says there are plans to add other Israeli dishes, like zaatar, couscous, shawarma and falafel, to the park's attractions. Falafel Mountain is currently under development. This will be a roller coaster which tunnels inside a giant Falafel, as big as a football stadium.

I don't know about these Israelis. Hummusland sounds like something nutty I'd read here about some kooky Texas plan, like Bearfire Resort.

I forgot to mention, that is an artist's rendering of an overview of Hummusland at the top.

It Is A Cold, Drizzling Sunday In Fort Worth With Hummus

You are looking east at the noon view of John T. White Road in east Fort Worth, Texas. It looks a bit forlorn and ghost townish. It looks that way because it is a bit forlorn and ghost townish.

I've been up since before 5. I jumped in and out of the freezing pool at lightning speed this morning.

When I left here at noon, intending to go to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake, I did not realize that, in addition to the biting cold, a drizzle was falling.

Walking around in a freezing cold wind with drizzle did not sound like fun to me. And so, the change of direction to head east to Wal-Mart to load up a cart with heavy stuff and get my aerobic exercise up and down the aisles chasing chubby people out of the way.

I have not heard from my Mad Texas Grandma (MTG) this morning. I knew she was heading out of town for a few days, but I'd hoped she would check in and confirm some information. And send me some pictures of some perps in action.

I learned something this morning that brought back to me how much I dislike the Pacific Northwest (Shop). I tell you, I shall never deal with doddering old fools ever again. Unless the doddering old fools wave a lot of money in front of me.

Just heard the rice cooker ring its rice is done bell. Time for burgers, rice, hummus and a celery red pepper salad I cooked up this morning. I am such a Top Chef.