Easy Roasted Chickpeas

Roasted Chickpeas
4 servings


1 14.5 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ - ½ teaspoon salt (1/2 will be very salty. - Kris)
5 dashes cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin

1) Preheat oven to 425°F.

2) Place chickpeas on baking/cookie sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Shake the pan. (Do not spill on kitchen floor.) Roast another 10 minutes.

3) In a medium bowl, combine chickpeas, oil, salt, and spices. Stir well to combine.

4) Spread chickpeas back out on baking sheet. Roast between 5 and 15 more minutes, until they're browned and super crunchy. Serve.

NOTE:  I have also made these with garlic powder and onion powder.  I serve it before dinner while waiting for whatever is still cooking.  My daughter ate almost the entire can once!  Easy finger-food and healthy!  Easy to take to the park food.

Approximate Calories, and Fat,
135 calories, 4.3 g fat

Calculations
1 14.5 oz can chickpeas: 500 calories, 4.8 g fat,
1 teaspoon olive oil: 39 calories, 4.5 g fat,
¼ - ½ teaspoon salt: negligible calories and fat,
5 dashes cayenne pepper: negligible calories and fat,
1 teaspoon cumin: negligible calories and fat,
TOTAL: 539 calories, 9.3 g fat,
PER SERVING: 135 calories, 4.3 g fat,

Chex Lemon Buddies

I love snack foods.  If I could snack all day and not eat a single meal all day I certainly would.   I can totally relate to the character that Cher plays in the movie Mermaids, because she can make an entire meal from cocktail wieners and cookie cutters. 


And so, here is a Chex Mix recipe that lemon lovers will adore.  Just make sure to let it cool before bagging it up...lest you bag it too soon and the whole mix goes stale.  Not that I know.  


Chex Lemon Buddies

9	cups Rice Chex® cereal
1 1/4	cups white vanilla baking chips
1/4	cup butter or margarine
4	teaspoons grated lemon peel
2	tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2	cups powdered sugar

1.	Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
2.	In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chips, butter, lemon peel and juice uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3.	Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; gently shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool. Store in airtight container.

1 Serving: Calories 160 (Calories from Fat 45); Total Fat 5g (Saturated Fat 4g, Trans Fat 0g);Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 135mg; Total Carbohydrate 26g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 18g); Protein 1g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 4%; Vitamin C 2%; Calcium 6%; Iron 20% Exchanges: 1/2Starch; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 MyPyramid Servings: 1 tsp Fats & Oils 

Easy lunch boxes

I am always on the search for the perfect storage solution.  I love purses, bags and containers.  I am a frequent visitor of The Container Store and IKEA.  I reorganize our cabinets and house often (to my husbands dismay!).

I was recently introduced to these cool lunch boxes by a friend.  I like the size and simplicity.  They have 3 compartments which is perfect for a sandwich, fruit/veggie and a cracker.  It has helped to eliminate the massive amount of plastic containers and snack bags I was washing on a daily basis, and has eliminated my need for plastic baggies.  The containers are plastic--but, they are BPA free.  Best of all is the price.  For 4 containers and4 different colored lids--they cost less than $15.  They also fit inside of a Crocodile Creek lunch box with some room to spare.

The lids aren't super tight, so packing wet food or fruit wouldn't be a good idea, but it makes it easy for the kids to open the lids up.  If you kiddo's are prone to dumping or spilling their food out--these would not be a good fit.  And if you child eats in the stroller or on the go I wouldn't suggest them either.

There are a ton of websites now on Bento Box styled lunches and ideas, I stick to the basic sandwich with fruit theme.

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This site was designed to act as a central location for the posting of recipes, meal planning ideas, lunch box suggestions, and overall help for busy parents who are saddled with the responsibility of meal planning.