Parmesan and Lemon Chickpeas and the Vacation Recovery

Whenever you go away for a little while, it's always odd to come back and get into the swing of things again. Your fridge is usually empty, there is a mountain of laundry to do, mail to sort, emails to go through, tan lines and tubbiness to ponder, and then eventually you have to go back to work.

I always give myself very little transition time between traveling and going back to work. I don't know if I'm a masochist, but I tend to head back to work at break neck speed. This time I gave myself a whole 13 hours. Practically a record!

My body is arguing with me, though. I got used to eating and drinking a lot more than I was, and I find my body is wanting more food than my normal routine gives it. I'm ignoring it and trying to get it back on to my regular schedule. I'm also craving foods I didn't eat while I was on vacations... fresh raw vegetables, my favorite salad, simple foods without a stack of ingredients, sauces, and fancy names.

When I come home from being away somewhere, I usually make Parmesan and Lemon Chickpeas. The ingredients don't really go bad so I tend to have them still in the fridge or the pantry. It's a simple, one bowl and spoon meal that makes two servings. I can throw it together and sit on my bed spooning with one hand and going through emails with the other. Simple. Uncomplicated. Filling.

It's my way of kickstarting myself after the vacation stall, getting me back to regular life and remembering that consistency will come too. Eventually all the clothes will be back in the closet, the mail will be handled, the tan lines will fade, and everything will return to it's normal place. I'll just have lots of great new memories.

Parmesan and Lemon Chickpeas

If you are using grated parmesan that comes out of a tub, use the 1/8 cup measure. If you are grating your own with a microplane grater it will be very fluffy, in which case you want a fluffy 1/4 cup.

1 Can Chickpeas, drained
1/8-1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan
1 Tablespoon Good Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper

This dish is simple. Gather your ingredients. Put them in a bowl. Stir them up with a spoon and eat. Be sparing with the salt and generous with the pepper. Add more lemon juice if you like.

Eat with a spoon out of the bowl while putting your life back together.

Makes 2 servings