Healthy Chocolate-Chip Cookie Dough Dip

Merry Christmas! I'm so happy to be on break from school aka I have time to blog! I also have time to bake again which I always try so hard to do at school, but graduate school had increased my liking for frozen meals and anything microwaveable. So even more reason to indulge myself in yummy home cooked holiday meals. 

I have a small family, but we cook like we're the Duggars. My mom and aunt are constantly wanting to make and buy more food. We should change Merry Christmas to Merry Eating Olympics. I'm always hearing "ah but don't you think we should make another pie" (no, we already have 5) and "do you think we'll have enough food (there's only 7 of us, mom, and we have enough food to feed a small country)." We eat well to put it simply. I try to keep up with my exercise so my body doesn't go into a temporary food coma, but sometimes it is inevitable.

Anyways, this year I have taken it upon myself to help with the cooking. So, after careful consideration from Chef Aunt Ree Ree (her name is Laurie, but I could never say it as a child so she has been dubbed "Ree Ree") I have been graciously assigned.... dip (and also the breakfast basket which I'll elaborate in my next post!) I will make the greatest dip of all man kind. 

I have been dying to make this chocolate-chip cookie dough dip which is made from chickpeas. It's simple and healthy and I'm all excited to lick the spoon.

     What you'll need:

• A 15-ounce can of chickpeas

• 1/8 tsp. salt

• A pinch of baking soda

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup peanut butter (or nut butter)

• 1/4 cup milk (or soy milk)

• 2/3 cup brown sugar (or Stevia.... I actually didn't use either because the dip was sweet enough)

• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.... I used Minis, they are the perfect size for this recipe!

     What to do:

1. Combine all ingredients (except for the chocolate chips) in a food processor or blender. Process until the mixture is smooth and reaches a texture that is similar to cookie dough. 

2. Stir in the chocolate chips. 

3. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. This dip goes great with graham crackers or fruit!

Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit...

The more you eat them, the more you _______.

a) Newt
b) Toot
c) Boot
d) None of the above

I would have to say d) none of the above. Are beans even a fruit? That's the better question.

So it was a typical Manic Monday, I was on the gym's elliptical reading about beans in my Self magazine. The usual, and I came across some really good information about legumes.

I love beans: coffee, jelly, and especially the ones inspired by an organ. Legumes are heart-friendly and high in fiber, so they'll fill you up without filling you out. Self had a great beans buyer's guide that I wanted to share. To buy canned or dried, both have advantages. So without further ado....ahem:

A Buyer's Guide to Beans

When they're in a bag....

• They're cheaper. Buy dried beans and save almost half of what you'd buy if canned. One bag of dried Goya red kidney beans costs $1.80, the same amount in a can in $4; that's a 53% savings!
• You control the salt. Dried beans have little to no sodium. If you add salt to taste, wait until after they're cooked because salted water can make beans tough.
• BPA free. Bagged beans have no BPA (bisphenol-A, a chemical linked with increased risk with breast cancer and heart disease). Some canned goods contain the chemical, yuck.

If they come in a can....

• They're a huge time saver. It takes only seconds to open a can of beans while dried beans needs a night of soaking. Make sure you rinse and drain them well to reduce sodium levels.
• Toots are muted. You read correctly. Beans have sugars called oligosaccharides that we can't digest; as a result, we get gassy. But, the canning process eliminates some of these stinky sugars to reduce those biffffsss...
• You have more options. The canned varieties are wider than the dried versions; ex: green beans.

I leave you on one, final note:

Genius 

Have a great week!

Giving Blood aka Pumping Iron

I never have had an issue with shots; but I, ironically, absolutely hated finger pricks. I would have chosen 10 shots over one finger prick. Eek..not my thing; but since needles in general never bothered me, I never had a problem giving blood. I actually kinda enjoy it. Here's my equation:

One pint of blood = free juice and cookies (maybe a t-shirt if I'm lucky) plus I help save lives. 

Sounds like a good trade-off to me; I have some blood to spare for a good cause. Sigh, the only thing I don't like about giving blood is, you guessed it, the finger prick prior to the procedure. But, I'll put on my big girl pants, suck it up and endure like a champ.

Not only is donating blooding an awesome gift of life, but it also torches a ton of calories! A person burns about 650 calories for every pint of blood they give. This is because the body is working overtime to replace the blood. Not too shabby, but it's important to fuel and refuel the body before and after donation. So say no to the gym and hello to an iron and protein packed meal.

Because donating blood wipes out a good amount of iron, my roommate and I are making an iron packed dinner the tonight before we go under the needle tomorrow. This dish is called Espinacas con Garboanzos....or in English: spinach with garbanzos beans, but I think the Spanish name gives it a little more pizzazz. We're making this dish along with brown rice...dear rice, beans and spinach, do your thing!

What you'll need:

A bag of dried garbanzo beans

Spinach

Cumin spice

Olive oil

Bread crumbs/croutons

Brown rice (optional)

You can buy pre-soaked beans in a can, but it's cheaper (being a college student this is clutch) to just buy a bag of dried beans and soak them overnight. It's like those little dinosaurs (lizards, horses, what have you) you'd put in water overnight & the next morning they'd be HUGE. It's like magic.

*THE NIGHT BEFORE: SOAK YOUR BEANS* 

Before

After....magic!

Strain the garbanzo beans and set aside. In a giant pan, saute spinach along with some water, olive oil, bread crumbs, and some cumin spice. Next, mix in the beans and stir until the mixture thickens.

Cook the rice (we used good ol' Minute Rice) and set aside until the beans and spinach are cooked. Once cooked, plate, and dive in. This meal is packed with well-needed iron and protein, and it'll pumped me up so I can pump out (give blood) tomorrow! 

The dinner of champions

If you're not deathly afraid of needles, give blood! It may be the easiest way to save a life (or several)! 


Enjoy your week!