what a girl needs

Sometimes I have to fake confidence.

Preparing a special holiday meal for a large group of people.  Baking a three layer cake (to be continued on Saturday 😉 ).  Public speaking in front of a large crowd.  

Educating a group of patients who are taking Coumadin, on the role of Vitamin K. 

Today I was in charge of assessing all the new patients at the hospital, along with educating all of the heart failure patients and any patients taking Coumadin (a blood thinner.)  I had to confidently convince myself that I was capable of doing this.  That it wasn’t the end of the world if I messed up or made a mistake.  There were moments when I felt my confidence start to fizzle and slide, but overall it went really well.  I think we—all of us—are way more capable of doing the things that we fear the most, if only we just believe it.

Even so, it felt good to come home and cook.  Pressure and nerves flew out the window.  In the kitchen, everything makes so much sense.

One of my favorite breads to make is a recipe found in the Moosewood Restaurant’s Collection Cookbook (surprise, surprise!)  Due to the fact that I follow the recipe word for word, I can’t share the recipe.  But if you’re looking for a new cookbook to add to your collection, I highly recommend either this one or any of the Mollie Katzen Moosewoods. 

I don’t claim to be a bread maker, but so far I’ve found this recipe to be absolutely fool proof.   And I absolutely love the kneading process.  Pushing around a warm, round doughball is an especially fun way to unwind after a stressful/busy/intense day at school or work. 😀

(p.s. Eating a hot slice straight from the oven certainly doesn’t hurt either!)

Once the bread was finished and resting on a baking rack, I moved on to make a batch of hummus.

A while back, I made a peanut butter hummus that left my tastebuds in search for more.  The savory flavors sounded so strange and interesting—slightly odd?—but they met together with such complexity on my tongue.  I absolutely loved it.  And now, I love it even more, thanks to the simple addition of cayenne powder.  I like to call it my fancy schmancy, spicy peanut butter hummus, but really, it’s just an update on an old favorite.  😉

Baking.  Family.  Faith.  Enough confidence to overlook and overcome fears.  Cooking, stirring, kneading.  A warm slice of raisin walnut bread straight from the oven.  A scoop or two of pb hummus.

Truly, this is all a girl needs.

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Spiced Up Peanut Butter Hummus

This savory hummus is delicious on top of a crunchy cracker or smeared between two slices of toasted bread with some lettuce and tomato.  It also makes a great veggie dip for your raw carrot and pepper sticks. 

And, as is true with most things in life, it’s also delicious served with feta cheese.  ENJOY! 😀

• One 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 T natural peanut butter
• 2-4 T lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt (less or more depending on sodium level of beans and peanut butter)
• garlic powder, sprinkled liberally
• a couple dashes of cayenne, or to taste

1. Process ingredients together in a food processor until smooth.  ENJOY! 😀

Question: What are some of the things you’re most confident with in life?  Is there anything that you *don’t* currently feel confident with?  Is there anything you’ve done to build confidence in this area?  As many of you know, I am not a confident public speaker!  But I’m gradually learning and growing stronger with this, as I force myself to enter into situations that make me practice, practice, practice.  😀

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