Why I Love Breakfast

Breakfast is an art form that just isn't the same when you're rushing to class or work. When I actually have the time to make a leisurely breakfast, it makes me happy in a way few other things do. I love watching the coffee grains sizzle and then swell with water in my Bodum lime green french press.
I also love staring out my window onto 110th Street and watching the working people scamper to the bus and train like crazed ants, while a crowd of "regulars" hang out on the benches with nowhere to go.
I love the smell of early morning air, so heavy and unexpectedly cooler than the rest of your day will be.
However, it's mostly having the time to make exactly what I'm in the mood for that I love the most. Being able to casually swish around my kitchen at my own pace feels like a selfish luxury, but I enjoy every moment of it.

Lately I've been making my own healthier version of hummus, adding tons of squeezed lemons (at least 2-3!) and chicken stock in place of all that oil. It takes on a more tart flavor, but it still comes out creamy and delicious.

Here's how I make my healthier hummus:

squeeze 2-3 lemons in your food processor or blender (catch the seeds!)
add 1-2 tablespoons of tahini paste
blend until they emulsify and get frothy
throw in a garlic clove
1 tablespoon of olive oil
a glug or two of chicken stock (or water if you're a vegetarian)
a can of rinsed chick peas
and of course, salt & pepper

Usually I'll put a good spoonful of it on a whole wheat english muffin and top it with sweet grape tomatoes!

And lately, I don't have the patience in this heat to make scrambled eggs. Something about the warm weather changes my tastebuds. So I've been making a bowl of hard boiled eggs that I keep in my fridge, and just a dash of salt and pepper on them is perfect. And when I'm really living, I cook up a couple of turkey sausages and I'm in protein heaven.

So whether you're a morning person or not, try to take a few moments this morning to appreciate the unique sounds, smells and feelings morning brings. And if one day I fulfill my dream to open a bed & breakfast in Mexico, I hope you'll come visit and try out my hummus! :) Have a beautiful day.