I'm Back! / ¡Ya Volví!

 

It has been a while since I last posted a recipe, I think it’s time to come back. 

I have been away from my blog because I’ve been busy renewing a long passion of mine; hiking. I love walking and used to hike all the time but because of other priorities I stopped doing it. On February 2, 2015, I went on my first hike after being away from the trails for about 10 years. It was hard but it felt great!

My first hike was only a mile long and it took me a long time to do it. I could only hike during the weekends, which was fine because in the beginning, I was so out of shape that I needed the whole week to recover from any short hike. Now, after a year, I can climb mountains and can go on more than one hike per week. I can walk long distances much more easily and have taken a few backpacking trips, which I never did before but have discovered that I love it.

I’ve done the Mission Trails 5-peak challenge and found a #52hikechallenge on the web and decided to do it. The challenge is to go out and walk 52 hikes in 52 weeks; one per week. However, I’m working on a personal goal this year. I want to walk at least 52 hikes before August. My husband and I, together with other family members, are planning a big backpacking trip to the Sioux Hustler Trail in BWCA Wilderness, Northern Minnesota and I’m using my weekend hikes as training. I have done 21 so far…I have a lot more to walk.

Do you make New Year resolutions? I don’t but this year is different. I have set a couple of goals I want to be able to achieve this year; to be more active and to eat better. I really need to work on these so I can improve my overall health. With these goals in mind, I’m going to start doing a lot more cooking so, I guess this could mean posting more often…I’ll try. Here is a recipe for a healthy lunch or a light dinner. I found this soup in the book that came with my blender and adapted it to my taste. It is easy to make and it is delicious.

Hummus Soup

(for 4 portions)

3 cups of vegetable broth (chicken broth can be used)

1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 1/2 Tablespoons tahini paste 

1 Tablespoon chopped garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)

Combine all ingredients into the jar of a blender and secure the lid. Blend for a couple of minutes at a high setting or until everything is smooth. Pour into a pot and bring soup to a simmer over a medium-low heat and cook for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot with croutons or pita chips and enjoy. 

I accompanied mine with warm bread topped with greek yogurt, sprinkled with zaatar and a little olive oil. It was delicious!

Letter to Nora / Carta a Nora

Nora Ceccopieri Gómez 

¿Gusta Usted?

Dear Nora,
Wherever you are, receive a big kiss from me and I wish you peace. Here, we are very sad that you left us and your blogger friends will miss you immensely. However, your essence stays here in every one of the recipes you shared with us. From now on, every time I cook something of yours, I will think you are watching over me from where you are and I will smile. Thank you for all that time you invested sharing yourself with us. For me, it was amazing and a great pleasure to have had the opportunity to met you - rest in peace my friend. 💜
Love,
Prieta

Querida Nora,
En donde quiera que estés te mando un beso y te deseo paz. Aquí estamos muy tristes por tu partida y tus amigos blogeros te echaremos mucho de menos. Sin embargo nos queda tu esencia en cada una de las recetas que compartiste con todos. Siempre que cocine algo tuyo, pensaré que me observas desde donde te encuentres y sonreiré. Gracias por todo ese tiempo invertido y compartido. Para mí fue maravilloso y un placer haberte conocido - descansa en paz amiga. 💜
Te quiero,
Prieta