"Those who have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have
to find time for illness."
~Edward Stanley
My eyes sputtered to life at approximately 3:50 AM. Insane, I know, but true none-the-less. As I laid in the dark, straining to listen for the scraping of plows or the shrieks of wind, I became agitated. I had planned a "Snow Day" and the quiet, calm extra-early morning hours did not exactly assist in creating the day I was envisioning.
With a heavy heart I rolled over, adjusted the pillow and pulled the quilt over my head. While I wish this wasn't a true fact, it honestly is. As I hid under the covers, I calculated the time to what I believed would be the exact moment the storm would hit, the school would call and classes would find themselves crossed off my list of daily activities.
The genius I am (wink), I quickly stuck my arm out from my little blanket fort, grabbed the alarm clock, re-set it (while adjusting for the fact that I needed to straighten my hair and pack my lunch), and grabbed my cell-phone. I figured that I would wait until the last possible minute, the last possible millisecond, and then, if I hadn't heard anything, I'd rise, drink enough coffee to hide the severe disappointment and pray that I could pull off the morning tasks without being late. With the cell-phone nestled just under my left cheek, I felt certain that it would ring before my alarm, making me one very happy girl.
Not so.
Knowing that my Chad-o was enjoying his peaceful slumber and that my serious state of agitation and excitement over a pending snow day would only go unnoticed for so long, I kissed him on the forehead, tucked him in and headed for the couch. Upon looking out the window my hopes fell through the floor. While snow had fallen, it didn't appear to be all that bad. Naturally, I turned on the television, hoping and wishing and crossing my fingers that I'd see numerous school cancellations scrolling across the bottom of the screen. Nope.
With a heavy sigh I began making my coffee and telling CT that since I was up too early, I'd spend some time and cuddle with her on the couch. Coffee in hand and puppy in arm, I snuggled between the cushions just as my school's name flashed across the blue cancellation band.
"Praise God!" I cheered. "Praise God."
...and so began our perfectly wonderful day.
You should probably know that Charlie T. has firmly perched herself next to me and hasn't stopped chewing her paw for the last thirty minutes. She's afraid, that furry one. I'm guessing it has something to do with the intense winds that swarm and pound against the windows, causing the house to creek and crack while working to defend it's fragile inhabitants.
We're snug in here, though. The coffee's hot, the snowmen tress are lit and my list of things that must be accomplished are nil.
My mama and I did battle the storm today, the brave ones that we are. There's simply no stopping me when I get an idea. And, let me tell you, an idea i had. So, off we went. Over the hills and through the slushy streets we ventured. While we had a great time and got some stellar things, my list still contained one impossible-to-find ingredient. We looked everywhere. We went to every grocery store and food seller in our small town. Sadly, we never did find it.
Oh well. Make do, right?
Who said that every recipe and every set of directions has to be followed exactly? Not me, that's for sure.
I wasn't about to let a little Tahini stop my perfectly wonderful snow day.
So I present a little Snow Day recipe that I made without, mind you, one of the main ingredients.
Three cheers for being inventive and taking chances.
Snow Day Hummus
*Otherwise known as Buffalo Hummus (Adapted from Food Network)
Like I said, I didn't have any Tahini, so I made do without it. Then I changed things up a bit, adding a bit more spice, because honestly, I like it that way.
3 cups drained and rinsed garbanzo beans
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
5 Tablespoons of Franks Buffalo Sauce
1 Tablespoon distilled white vinegar
3 cloves of garlic
A sprinkle of cayenne pepper
A hearty "sprinkeling" of sesame seeds (to make up for the lack of Tahini)- ha.
Place everything in the food processor and blend until thick, rich and creamy. Garnish with some fresh parsley (straight from my indoor herb garden) and... yum yum yum...eat it up.
Here's hoping your day is cozy and warm and delicious and wonderful.
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