georgia girl

I am trying to come up with some healthy Snacks to have around my house. I found a recipe for roasted chickpeas that I want to try. I will post the recipe, but I'm wondering if anyone else has any good roasted chickpea recipes....
Smoked Paprika Roasted Chickpeas
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp. EVOO
1 tsp. smoked paprika
pinch or two of salt
Preheat oven to 360 degrees. Drain, rinse, and pat chickpeas dry with paper towel (it is important that they are dry). Pour chickpeas in bowl and stir in all other ingredients until evenly coated.
Place chickpeas on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 40-50 minutes. Chickpeas should be crisp and dry on the outside, but still have slightest chew when eating. Let cool for 15 minutes and serve or store in air tight container.
I would appreciate any other recipes as well! Thanks!

Okay, so today I was really craving chicken salad but did not want all the extra fat and calories of mayo. I do not like the taste of light or fat-free mayo, so I came up with another alternative instead.
I took 1 wedge of light laughing cow swiss cheese (only 35 calories), put it in a bowl and microwaved it for about 20 seconds. It has the consistency of mayo when it's nuked!!! I added 1/4 cup canned chicken (packed), 1 tbsp. chopped walnuts, 1 tbsp. sweet pickle relish, a little salt & pepper and mixed it together and voila........a nice little lunch! Of course you could add whatever you like in it. It looks just like you used mayo and it's creamy too!
Next time I think I'm going to try putting in some raisins instead of the sweet pickle relish, yummmm.

It's delish! I love it! It's spicy with a little sweetness in the background. Here's the recipe.
PUMPKIN CHILI
1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 clove garlic
20 oz. fresh ground turkey (at least 93/7 lean)
2 (15 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, mild
1 (15 oz.) can Tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can 100% pure pumpkin ( I only use 1 cup, but the whole can is fine too)
1 (15 oz). can dark red kidney beans
1/2 cup whole kernal corn, canned or fresh
1 & 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
few pinches of cinnamon
Brown turkey in olive oil for a few minutes, then add onions, peppers, and garlic. Cook until completely browned and drain. In the crockpot, add all other ingredients and stir until combined well. Add in ground turkey mixture and stir. Cook on low for 5 hours. It's even better the next day!

Try adding a frozen banana (cut into at least 4 pieces- makes it easier to blend). It kind of gives it a milkshake consistency. Here's my go-to recipe...
1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk (this is a thick milk, so it helps with thickness too.)
1 scoop chocolate Peanut Butter Protein powder
2 tbsp PB2 powder mixed with Water to make Peanut Butter paste
1 frozen banana
Blend it all together and enjoy. It is thick and delicious!

I am not doing low carb right now, but I thought this would be nice for those that are. I made this a while back and it's really good. I was skeptical, but it really is pretty amazing.
Ingredients:
For the crust: For the pizza:
1 (8 oz.) package of full fat cream cheese (room temp.)
2 eggs
Freshly ground black pepper
Garlic powder
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup jarred marinara sauce*
A pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, or more if desired
Sauteed pepperoni
Garlic powder

*Finding a sauce that doesn’t contain added sugar is not easy, but I did find a “no sugar added” by Ragu that with a few added seasonings tastes fantastic on the pizza. You could always make your own too but I’m not THAT brave yet.
Directions:
For the crust: For the pizza:
Preheat oven to 350.
Butter a 9×13 baking dish
Blend cream cheese and eggs and season with pepper & garlic powder
Add parmesan cheese and stir until combined
Pour into buttered baking dish
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown (this step is important. Make sure it cooks until golden brown so that it doesn't turn out too soft.)
Let crust cool for 15 minutes before adding toppings

After crust is cooked, raise oven to 400 degrees
Mix together marinara sauce, garlic powder, cayenne pepper & oregano
Top crust with marinara and spread evenly
Top with mozzarella cheese
Add toppings
Bake for 8 minutes or until cheese is bubbly

This pizza really surprised me. I made mine with ground beef as topping, but you can use any topping you like. My husband even liked it....and he is super picky!!
The crust is not crisp like traditional pizza. Make sure you cook it til the top is golden brown and let it cool the full 15 minutes before adding the toppings and that will help.

I love Nutella, but I don't like wasting 200 calories and 11g of fat on 2 tbsp of it. I made my own today for only 80 calories and 3g of fat. Granted, it's not made with hazelnuts, but you get the same kind of taste with this. I used some in a smoothie this morning (I call it Nutella pumpkin Smoothie...YUM!) and I also put some on my whole wheat toast today for lunch. It was delicious!!
Ingredients:
2 tbsp PB2 powder (basically ground peanuts without the add fat like in peanut butter)
2-3 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder (I used 3 and it came out with a rich dark chocolate taste)
1 tsp of raw natural honey (if you like yours really sweet, you could always add a little more)
about 2 tbsp of Water
In a small bowl, add PB2 and cocoa. Whisk together with a whisk until most of the lumps are gone. Add honey and 1 tbsp Water. Mix well. Add another tbsp of water if it's too thick. You can add as much or as little water as you like depending on your desired consistency. Enjoy!
*I think there is a PB2 powder that already has cocoa added to it, so you could just omit the cocoa if you have that kind.
*If you are not fond of a rich dark chocolate taste, you could use a little less cocoa and a little more honey and it should dial the flavor down a little. I love the dark chocolate taste though!

I use black beans all the time in my chili! I hardly ever use any other kinds of beans now.

idahoanmom, you make some valid points. I agree that we don't always make time for ourselves. It's hard to do sometimes, but we should.
I don't exercise everyday, but I do exercise 4-5 times a week and I feel good about that. I think the reason people are getting upset has to do with the harshness of the OP's posts, not so much disagreeing with what she said. We all know that exercising is beneficial to our health. No one is agruing that. Is it necessary for weight loss? Not always. I have a friend (not banded) that has lost 76 lbs over the past year without exercising at all. Not sure why she didn't, but nevertheless, she lost the weight in a healthy way. She cut out processed foods and started eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean Protein, etc. She has just recently started exercising, but didn't the whole time she was losing weight. Now, that definitely isn't my approach, but who am I to judge her methods? She did what worked for her and she succeeded.
We have no idea what circumstances others are faced with, what medical conditions might be a factor, or what their lives are like in general. We have no idea. Everyone's journey is not the same. What works for some, doesn't work for others. And no, not everyone exercises. So what....let it go.

I use two green apples, a small amount of lemon with the peel on, celery, red bell pepper, ginger and carrots. it really yummy and not over whelming. I cannot stand to use cucumbers, can't even stand to be in the house when my husband uses it.
I got the Jack LaLane juicer from costco, it works great and is less than $100. it also comes with a huge recipe book for juices.
Have you see the move Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead? it's fascinating. Don't know that I would ever go as hard core as they do, but it's something to consider.

I came across this article on how to boost your metabolism and how to maximize your fat burning. Lots of great tips! Check it out.
http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/news-fastestfatburners/?cid=hero_media

1 c. almond milk
1 sliced frozen banana
1/2 c. pure pumpkin puree
2 tbsp nutella (made my own with PB2 powder, cocoa, honey, and water)
Blend all together and enjoy!

I came across this article on how to boost your metabolism and how to maximize your fat burning. Lots of great tips! Check it out.
http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/news-fastestfatburners/?cid=hero_media

4/6/2012
B'fast~ coffee
Lunch~ 1 oz almonds, 1/2 c cheddar bbq cheez-it snack mix
Dinner~ 2 slices pizza
Snack~ chocolate banana pb and spinach smoothie
calories~ 1,264
calories burned~ 1,094

Sounds yummy! I want you as a chef too! Haha..you could start your own little business hehe jk

1 c. almond milk
1 sliced frozen banana
1/2 c. pure pumpkin puree
2 tbsp nutella (made my own with PB2 powder, cocoa, honey, and water)
Blend all together and enjoy!

Right now, I alternate between interval jogging/walking and Bob Harper's Beginner's Weight Loss Transformation DVD. Bob's video is a beast of a workout! You go from weights, to squats, to prisoner lunges, to weights again, to jumping jacks, to plank exercises, to push ups, to weights again.....you get the drift. It's brutal and there are no breaks. It's a great workout!

Right now, I alternate between interval jogging/walking and Bob Harper's Beginner's Weight Loss Transformation DVD. Bob's video is a beast of a workout! You go from weights, to squats, to prisoner lunges, to weights again, to jumping jacks, to plank exercises, to push ups, to weights again.....you get the drift. It's brutal and there are no breaks. It's a great workout!

I have several different banana pumpkin smoothies. This particular one was made with a frozen banana, almond milk, pumpkin puree, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cinnamon, and little vanilla.

I came across this article on how to boost your metabolism and how to maximize your fat burning. Lots of great tips! Check it out.
http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/news-fastestfatburners/?cid=hero_media

If you want to keep an eye on sugar, it's best just to make real oatmeal. I make my own and like to add Peanut Butter and honey. You could add a little smashed banana, or cinnamon and raisins. I have even cooked down diced apples and added that with a little cinnamon in my oatmeal. The possibilies are endless.

I agree! I think about what I eat WAY more now that I am logging and everyone can see my food diary. Seeing everyone's exercise updates has really inspired me to get moving too!

I don't mean any disrespect either, but why do you care if people are posting recipes? Just because we have a band now, we are not supposed to think about food? Food is still a major factor in everyday life. This post is one of the many posts that offer a lower calorie and fat alternative to some typically high calorie fatty foods. I have a family to cook for, and it's nice to have these recipes and ideas.
I am glad you don't think of food much anymore, but I don't think the majority of us are that lucky. If it bothers you that much, why do you even look at the recipes?

Clean Eating Pumpkin Smoothie
(Makes 1 serving)
Ingredients
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup pumpkin (I used canned and organic)
1 tbsp. agave
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (no sugar added)
2 tbsp. whey Protein Powder
Just blend everything together. I wasn't quite satisfied with this recipe....it was a little too tangy for my taste. I think next time I will add a sliced frozen banana and see if that helps with the tanginess. It wasn't bad or anything, just needs a little tweaking for my taste.

I agree! I think about what I eat WAY more now that I am logging and everyone can see my food diary. Seeing everyone's exercise updates has really inspired me to get moving too!

I am home bound today because of all the bad weather and I found this while perusing on Pinterest.com and thought I'd share. For those who love to make smoothies, this would be a great time saver. I am not much of a Breakfast eater, so I usually have shakes or smoothies for breakfast.
1. Freeze greek yogurt (great source of protein!) in muffin tins.
2. Slice up a bunch of your favorite fruits. A few suggestions.....strawberries, blueberries, bananas, pineapple, kiwi, etc. Whatever you like best.
3. In freezer bags, add 2-3 frozen yogurt pucks and 1&1/2 cups fresh fruit and store them in the freezer.
4. When ready to make a smoothie, just blend contents of bag with a splash of juice and voila....breakfast is served.
I am definitely going to do this!