11 Weeks

Our vegetarian (breastfed) baby continues to grow! She weighed 11 lbs 4 oz at her 2-month check-up, continuing at the 50th percentile that she's been at all along. We are pleased.

I recently had a 3-day hospital stay, including two surgeries under general anesthesia, and managed to keep my milk supply strong despite a large loss of blood. (The surgeries were to repair damage caused by childbirth -- I had a uterine inversion and some accompanying issues.) I like to think that having a good diet with iron-rich vegetarian foods helps me to produce good milk!

Hummus

I tasted my first hummus in the summer of 1995, and have been a major fan ever since! It's nutritious and oh-so-delicious. Here is my basic recipe:

2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2-6 cloves of garlic (depending on your preferences), peeled and halved
1/2 cup tahini paste (sesame paste)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup warm water
juice and pulp of one lemon, or 3-4 T lemon juice
1 T ground cumin
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Put the beans and the garlic in a food processor with the large blade attached. Process until most of the beans are pureed.
2. Add the tahini, olive oil, water, and lemon juice. Process until smooth.
3. Add the cumin, salt, and pepper. Taste for flavor. Add more salt and pepper as needed.

Refrigerated, can last for up to a week. Eat with fresh vegetables, crackers, pita bread, or make into hummus-and-cheese sandwiches.

Optional additions: fresh basil leaves, fresh tomato, fresh parsley