Honey Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas

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Honey Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas

Honey Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas

I very rarely pay attention to the nutrition of the recipes I share with you. Occasionally, I'll notice that something I've made has turned out unusually healthy, but it's always an accident (and never quite on purpose). I love butter, sugar, and heavy cream. I don't want to imagine my life (or desserts) without it.

Despite my affinity for decadent desserts, I volunteered to develop a few healthy low-calorie, low-fat recipes for a local magazine. I thought it would be a cinch until I sat down to work out the recipes. It turns out it's a lot harder than I gave it credit for. What I thought would be a simple task became a new challenge, with one important question to answer.

How do you remove the unhealthy ingredients of most decadent desserts and still keep them delicious?

Honey Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas Honey Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas

As I've been trial-and-erroring my way through recipes the last week, I realized something important. Maybe it's obvious, but it took me a bit to figure it out. I shouldn't have asked myself how to turn a decadent dessert into a healthy one. Instead, I should have been asking how I could turn a healthy food into a decadent dessert. As it so happens, starting with an already healthy food is half the battle.

Or, in the case of these chickpeas, all of the battle.

Honey Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas

I've always associated chickpeas with hummus and little else. After a little research, I learned that chickpeas are so much more than just a bowl full of hummus. Roasting chickpeas in the oven turns them into something very similar to a crunchy little nut (but so much healthier!). Since I love all things sweet, I added a little honey and cinnamon to these roasted chickpeas to make an amazing snack I pretty much devoured in one sitting.

Though these little babies didn't make it into the magazine, it certainly wasn't because they weren't delicious or healthy enough. On the contrary, they were too good not to share with you immediately. I hope you make a batch of these for yourself. Finally a snack you can feel good about eating!

Honey Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas Honey Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas

These Honey Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas are simple to make, with minimal ingredients, and taste just like your favorite roasted nuts. Roasting chickpeas turns them from a soft bean to a crunchy wonder. I added honey and cinnamon to bring a light sweetness and spice to these addictive roasted chickpeas. Fair warning: You might want to double this recipe right away. You can thank me later.

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Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal

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Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal

Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal

Winter has its charm, with a world covered in white. Spring lures me in with the green seedlings of new life. Summer romances with vibrant colors and fragrances from exotic places, but autumn will always hold the colors to my heart.

The fading of green leaves into muted tones of yellow, orange, red, and purple is one of the most fascinating transitions to watch. I fear that their time is coming to a close in the Midwest. The colors of the leaves have now dimmed further still and their luster is lost as they fall gracefully to their rest among the cracks in the sidewalk. I can only wish the colors would linger longer. I don't think I've yet had my fill. The weatherman is talking of a snowstorm this weekend and I'm not ready to give in to cold winter just yet.

Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal

When I sat down to photograph this oatmeal before breakfast last weekend, I couldn't help but notice something strange. Though I typically choose to shoot food in the late afternoon autumn sun (I love the long golden rays and the charm it lends), this day was an exception. At first, I thought I had accidentally left the overhead light on (since I photograph food exclusively in natural light, this would create a problem for me in terms of shadows and white balance—the food never looks as vibrant or real). But, as it turns out, I hadn't. I looked around for another source, but came up empty handed. It couldn't be, I thought. Is the autumn sun really flecked with gold in the morning light?

And, if you look at the picture below, I think you'll find it's true.

Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal

When you next have a moment of time to enjoy the morning sun, I hope you'll sit down to a bowl of this apple cinnamon oatmeal and watch as the autumn sun turns your bowl into flickering golden lights.

Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal

This Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal makes for a hearty, comforting breakfast. Steel cut oats, unlike traditional oats, are a less processed version. They are full of texture (long gone are the days of mushy oatmeal) and I find the oats to be heartier and more filling. Apples and cinnamon are a classic fall flavor combination. The apples lend a sweet taste and soft texture to this oatmeal while the spices round it out, bringing the flavor closer to that of a good apple pie.

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Caramel Apple Cider

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Caramel Apple Cider

Caramel Apple Cider

Halloween costumes have always been a source of stress for me. Even when I was younger, I struggled to figure out what (or who) I wanted to be. My mother would take me to the store and I'd spend what felt like hours looking at costumes until my eyes would glaze over, ultimately choosing none of them before my mother would take me away. Most of my years growing up, my mother would choose to make my costumes to avoid my shopping indecision entirely, staying up late the night before to stitch everything together with a little love.

Because of this, when the end of October hit each year, I dreaded the inevitable decision of the Halloween costume. Can't I just be myself?

Caramel Apple Cider

In kindergarten, I dressed up as a very eager Baby Bop, a costume my classmates thought I was arguably too old for, but I rocked it just the same. From there, I was a witch and a basketball player. I wore a poodle skirt and a wedding dress. I was a princess and a very overweight clown (of which I hope all pictures of that horrific hoop-lined costume are burned. No one should ever have to relive that decision. Especially me).

It wasn't until college hit that finding Halloween costumes became a real challenge. While all the girls I knew seemed to be dressing up as a slutty [insert occupation here], that wasn't my style. I like to keep Halloween about the costumes, not the cleavage. So this year, while searching a warehouse filled with thousands of rental costumes, I ran into a mother and young daughter doing just the same. If I didn't know any better, this could have been my mother and me years ago.

Caramel Apple Cider

The costume room was claustrophobic and smelled of lord knows what, only making the hunt worse. After looking through thousands of outfits, the little girl sat on the ground, exhausted. Her mother pulled one last costume off the rack, asking if this is what she wanted to be. The little girl put her head between her knees and grumbled nooo. The mother shoved the hanger back on the rack, completely exasperated. "Well, then what do you want to be?"

"Mom, I think I just want to be a potato."

I think that little girl might be on to something...

Caramel Apple Cider

This Caramel Apple Cider is a twist on the standard apple cider. A few tablespoons of caramel ice cream topping is swirled into apple cider and then heated on the stove until just boiling. It couldn't be simpler. The cider is then topped with whipped cream which gently melts into the hot liquid, making the cider ever so creamy. The caramel also gives the cider a smoother taste and finish (which I love). This drink is perfect for autumn weather when you are looking for something just a little bit different.

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