Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus and a little life update
Guys, I have a confession to make. I am completely done with the world these days. Besides my Master studies, my studies to become a holistic health coach and another secret project, we are currently moving into a new apartment, and I am completely exhausted. I know, I know, this blog is supposed to be a happy place, and I do not want to complain, but I just had to tell you that I’m not feeling all that great these days. It all came down on me last Saturday at IKEA. When I was trying to configure my new PAX closet. The tears just kept coming and I think I had a litte meltdown there for a moment.
I do not want your pity, guys, because I know that all of have to go through tough times. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows, and it’s ok not to be o.k. all the time. I am not suffering from any serious problems, I just needed a moment to let it all out, because it feels so good to talk about your emotions and not have to pretend there for a moment. For me, making decisions is always tough. I hate making decisions. They force me to be a grown-up, and being a grown-up is freaking hard.
Besides my dislike to make decisions, I have also been struggling to eat well these past few weeks. I have always been honest with you that I do not eat healthy all the time, and I will continue to tell you this, because it’s the truth and I do not want you tot hink that I am all perfect when it comes to healthy eating. In my opinion, balance is the key, even if some health coaches strongly disagree with this opinion. While Jannis and I were painting our new apartment, there was more than one pizza involved. There was non-vegan chocolate, beer and even a kebap involved. Yup, you heard right. I do not want to promote this kind of eating, but it’s my reality sometimes. What’s important to note is that there will be healthier days once we’ve fully moved in again. Lots of healthy and happy days in this new apartment.
Why am I telling you all this? Because I want you to know that it’s ok not to be perfect. It’s ok not to eat healthy all the time, it’s ok to miss workouts, it’s ok to admit that something is not right. There is no shame in admitting that we are feeling a little down at the moment. There will be better times when you can whip up all the healthy dishes in your kitchen after a sweat-drenching HIIT workout. But sometimes, we cannot be all healthy, all grown-up, mature and functioning at the same time.
After days of bad food, I finally took the time today to make a delicious roasted pepper hummus that Jannis and I will be feasting on this week while packing, DIYing and getting ready for the final move date this weekend. It will probably be the last recipe that I will have shot in my old apartment, which already makes me feel very sad, but also excited for the things to come. I cannot wait to show you our new home.
- 2 red bell peppers
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 400g (about 15-ounce) can of chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons of tahini
- 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon of sambal oelek (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of water, more if needed
- a pinch of sea salt and pepper
- Cut the bell peppers in half, remove the stem and seeds and place them face-down on a baking tray aligned with baking paper. Add the garlic cloves, drizzle some olive oil on top and roast everything at 400°C for 30 minutes.
- Place the tahini and olive oil in a food processor or mixer and mix well for about a minute. This will make the hummus extra fluffy. Add the roasted bell peppers and mix until smooth. Add the juice of the lemon, the chickpeas, sambal oelek, sea salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Depending on the strength of your food processor or mixer, you might need to add some water. Add it one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired texture.
Enjoy!
Liebe Lynn,
ich kann dich gut verstehen, ist doch völlig normal, dass man bei so vielen “Hochzeiten” irgendwann nicht mehr allem so gerecht werden kann, wie man möchte. Wenn dann noch ein kleines schlechtes Gewissen anklopft, weil man seinen Körper gerade nicht so füttert, wie man es normalerweise zu tun pflegt, gibt einem das das Gefühl, ein wenig die Kontrolle zu verlieren. Insolvenz Momenten hilft es mir mich hinzusetzen und aufzuschreiben, aus welchen Teilen der Berg besteht. Dann betrachte ich diese Teile als viele kleine Hügel und nicht mehr als Gebirge. Ich frage mich, welchen Hügel ich am liebsten hinaufrennen möchte, um welchen ich lieber einen Bogen machen möchte und wieso – ist es der Hügel selbst oder eher die Tatsache, dass man sich gerade dem Bergsteigen nicht gewappnet fühlt?
Und dann überlege ich, was ich ändern kann damit ich mich nicht mehr so überfordert fühle (ich habe zum Beispiel mal aufgehört to-do Listen zu schreiben, weil mir das den Berg ständig vor Augen geführt hat).
Dann ich die Hügel und mache einen Plan (entspannt realistisch, nicht überfordernd), was wirklich h sofort passieren muss und was eventuell Zeit hat, weil nichts existenzielles daran hängt. Auch wenn das bedeutet, dass ich dies oder jenes später schaffe als ich mir ursprünglich vorgenommen habe. Ich sage mir dann, dass diese privaten Freuden auch Freude bleiben sollten und das nur klappen kann, wenn ich die Ruhe dafür habe.
Dann kann ich auf die Hügel schauen und sehe, dass ich wieder die Aktive im Kletterplan bin. Ich habe entschieden, wie ich es ab sofort versuchen möchte. Dann fühle ich mich nicht mehr so getrieben von meinem eigenen überambitionierten Plänen. Und die Situation so überdacht und analysiert zu haben, ist immer ein super Gefühl.
Du schaffst das auf jeden Fall, mach dir nur keinen Druck 🙂
Liebe Grüße
Stella
Thank you for your honesty – great post! The recipe sounds delicious! Do you have any experience with how long the Hummus lasts in the fridge?
All the best for the rest of your move!
Hi Kristina,
thank you so much! Honestly, hummus never lasts longer than 2 days in our fridge because after that it’s all gone :D. But if you keep it in an air-tight container, then I’m sure it’ll last for about four days.
Take care,
Lynn
Oh Süsse! Wir sind uns echt sehr ähnlich 😄, ich kenne das so so gut! Besuche bei Ikea und daraus resultierende Aufbauten lösen bei uns gerne mal kleine Ehekrisen aus – von umziehen will ich gar nicht sprechen! Ja erwachsen sein ist manchmal echt doof, aber du schaffst das und bald sitzt du in eurem neuen schönen zuhause und wirst total stolz sein! Lustigerweise mache ich morgen ein ganz ähnliches Rezept für ein Event 😊! Alles liebe
Ah Lynn, this article has honestly made my day. I have been feeling exactly the same for a couple of months. Struggling to make decisions (and big ones at that) and fighting my inner health goddess… Like you say for the the most part I am healthy and active, but there are days and weeks where that goes completely pear-shaped ** cough cough – a complete overdose of wine, pizza and ice cream on Monday (followed by a hangover, bloating and serious self-loathing on Tuesday for instance)!!**
It’s really nice to hear that other people (particularly people like you) have their ups and downs too and that I am not a hypocrite or a glut that is just trying to fool myself into thinking I lead a healthy lifestyle. I have a really difficult time forgiving myself for “bad” days and it’s nice to hear I’m not the only one.
Keep being real – it makes you ever more lovely, trustworthy and a healthy brand yourself 🙂