Carrot and Sweet Potato Chips

These seriously could not be easier to make and they're healthy and tasty.  So, as Michael Scott would say "win, win, win."  (That's from the episode where Angela ends up wearing her cat poster as a shirt for all you newbs who don't watch the show)

On top is obviously the sweet potato and on the bottom, the carrots.  Ok, so they are both made the same way.   All you do is cut the sweet potato and carrots (I used baby carrots and cut them in half, although I'm sure it would be better to just use the large carrots and cut them in sticks), toss them with some olive oil + salt + pepper + whatever other spices your heart desires (oregano is always good).  

Next, lay them flat on a baking sheet.  This is important because if they are not flat they will not cook properly.  

Pop them in the oven at 350/400 for about 20 minutes.  Flip them over and cook until the other side is  golden brown and crispy.  Warning: the sweet potatoes will take longer to cook.  

These are perfect as a snack or a side dish.  I dipped my carrots in dijon mustard and I usually eat the sweet potato plain, but I'm sure it's good with some sweet chili sauce as well.  Enjoy!

Also, I started watching Luther and Oh em g, it's amazing!  I really liked Dexter and this show is like a grown up version of that.  I don't mean like R-rated, you little nasty nasty (Raven - That's So Raven), I just mean it's a little more dramatic and intense.  Check it out and try it while eating these "chips" because it will obviously make it even better.

Raw cookie dough

I don't remember exactly how I made this cookie dough.  I used a recipe from healthforhappy's blog (http://healthforhappy.weebly.com) but didn't follow the directions exactly.  I also made another cookie dough without eggs that had brown sugar and butter (which was equally delicious).

Here are photos of both:

 (with eggs and butter)

         (with chickpeas)

Ingredients:

-chickpeas

-chocolate chips

-oats

-peanut butter

optional:

-brown sugar

-butter

Mix the ingredients together.  I don't really know the measurements but you just keep adding ingredients until you get a consistency you like.  Also, it helps to put the dough in the fridge to let it harden a little because with all the mixing it can get warm a little liquidy.

Sorry for the somewhat lame recipe.  I am watching The Fosters and eating sweet potato and banana right now and I am kind of paying more attention to those.  

Mango Lassi

Alright, first blog post about food in a while.  I will try to do two each day, but that might not happen so don't get your hopes up.  I know you all (can I even say that if pretty much nobody reads this?) are just pumped for my new blog posts.

Ok, so a mango lassi.  I love these and I always get them at the farmer's market.  It is a mango smoothie with cardamom and it's delicious.

Super easy to make and healthy for a pre-meal snack, because let's be honest, it's most definitely not filling enough for a meal.

Ingredients:
-frozen mango
-splash of milk
-2 cardamom pods broken and ground (it would probably be a lot easier to just buy pre-ground cardamom)

Put the ingredients in a blender and blend away!  Then enjoy.

Also, I have been making a conscious effort to eat slower because I realize that I literally inhale my food and don't really take the time to savor the flavor.  I'm also making a bigger effort to get through all my shows before school starts so I don't start school behind.  

My neglected blog

I have been MIA for quite some time.  You know me though, pretty busy watching TV, eating food and stressing about school coming soon.. but I am back!  Over the next few days, if I am not too busy catching up on all the shows I've missed (Kardashians), I will be posting plenty of new recipes I have tried.  So, this was just a warning that more posts will be coming soon.  Unfortunately, this post has no food.  But, here is a funny pun:

(Justin/Case = just in case)

Banana ice cream

I made banana ice cream.  I know most people call this "nana" ice cream, but I refuse to call it that.  It's a stupid name and what some people call their grandma.  So, no, I did not make "nana" ice cream, I made banana ice cream.

Ingredients:

Frozens bananas (as many as you like)

vanilla (optional)

all the toppings you want

Now that we got that out of the way, here's how to make it.  You take bananas, however many you want, I used two, cut them up into bite sized pieces and freeze them for at least a couple of hours.  The riper the banana the better.  Then, once they are frozen, take them out and put them in a food processor and pulse away until it is nice and creamy.  

Super easy and super good!  I topped mine with some homemade almond butter, but you can go as crazy as you like with the toppings.  

Almond Butter

While I continue to binge watch Scandal on Netflix (I've gotten through two and a half seasons in about 4 days), I also continue to eat.  I loved my homemade peanut butter I made the other day.  It's been delicious on bananas, oatmeal or spoons.  It's so good that I've decided to experiment a little with nut butters.  I'm going crazy now with almond butter.  It's made the same way as the peanut butter, so it really doesn't take much skill.  

Ingredients:
Almonds (as much as you like, but enough so that the food processor has enough to puree)

Take some almonds, put them on a single layer on a baking dish, place them in a 350 oven for about 15-20 minutes.  Make sure to toss them around a little while they are baking.  Then, once they are nice and toasty (you should be able to smell them at this point), pull them out and put them in a food processor and blend them up until it's nice and smooth.  You might have to scrape the sides down a few times.  It takes a while, it first becomes like a bread crumbs but just keep blending and you'll get there.  It would also make a great gift, just a small jar of homemade almond butter.  Or, you can just enjoy it yourself, which is what I do obviously.

Tofu "fries"

I love tofu!  I know people hate people who say that, but I'm being completely honest.  I like it plain, sautéed, with sauce, well, it's obviously better with sauce.  This is a delicious, easy and most importantly healthy snack.

Ingredients:
Tofu
Oil (just to spray the tofu, not necessary)

Preheat oven to 350.  Meanwhile cut the tofu into strips.  Gently press a paper towel on the tofu to soak up any liquid you can.  Lay the strips on a baking sheet, making sure the tofu is not touching each other.  Spray the tofu with a little oil and pop it in the oven for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes flip the tofu over and cook the other side for about 15 minutes or until the tofu crisps up a little and the sides are golden brown and delicious.

I served mine with a little sweet chili sauce on the side and it was absolutely delicious!  You could also cut and bake the tofu into cubes to toss in salads or for an easier way to eat them on the go.

Now, go enjoy your tofu fries with a little TV on the side!