Classic Hummus

A creamy classic. Perfect for dipping just about anything… Or, eating by the spoonful.

Squirrel and I happened upon a set of badminton rackets and one lonely, beaten up birdie the other day while we were visiting Squirrel’s parents.

I haven’t played badminton since my freshman year of high school, and Squirrel couldn’t remember the last time he picked up a racket. We glanced at each other, nodded, then quickly picked up the rackets and headed out to the yard to slap the birdie around. At first, it was just for kicks and giggles. Before you know it, our just-for-fun game quickly turned fierce and competitive.

I was hitting the birdie so hard it hit Squirrel in the head. Squirrel was using his “signature move.” How the man has a signature move after 5 minutes of playing is beyond me. I was taunting him. He was booing me. It got real ugly on the badminton field.

Here’s what I learned about myself while playing badminton:

• I’m pretty bad ass at badminton. We weren’t keeping score, but I totally won!
• I’m easily winded.
• I forgot how much fun it is to play a competitive sport. Wait, is badminton a sport?
• I can smack talk like a beast.
• I can jump fairly high for a short girl.
• I have awesome mid-air ninja moves while swinging the racket.
• My under arm swing is total crap.

Oh, there will be frequent matches in our back yard. We live in a townhouse, so I’m going to get Squirrel to rig a net across our fence. It won’t be aesthetically pleasing, but good times will be had by all.

Smack talk and badminton work up a mean appetite. One of my favorite post-exercise snacks is homemade classic hummus.

Hungry calls for something quick. Hummus is just that. It literally takes 5 minutes to whip up.

I learned how to make authentic hummus by a Pakistani couple. They’re patients of mine, and they’re the nicest couple I’ve ever met. One day, they showed up at the office with a huge bowl of freshly made hummus. One bite, and I was in love.

Lucky for me, they were nice enough to share their recipe and their method. Step-by-step, the husband and wife team taught me how to make authentic hummus. Not that crap you buy in the store. This is velvety smooth with hints of toasted sesame, zesty lemon, and garlic.

One batch will quickly turn into two, three…

I like to dip just about anything into my hummus. My favorites are fresh veggies, pretzels, soft pita, tortillas, naan, and pita chips.

Sometimes, I ditch them all and grab a spoon. A larger vessel means more hummus in my face at warp speed.

Grab your veggies, chips, pita, or spoon and go make yourself some hummus.