Lemony Chickpea Salad

Chickpeas must seriously be one of the greatest items ever to be canned.  They're high in protein/fiber, low in fat, and just so happen to taste pretty freakin' amazing.  Also, the possibilities are endless in the amount of recipes you can come up with using these delicious beans!

This chickpea salad tastes so light and flavorful using fresh herbs, lemon and a hint of red pepper for some added heat.  Oh and I should probably mention this literally takes less than 5 minutes to put together.  I was sold on that fact alone, especially considering how busy I've been these days.  I'm constantly on the hunt for healthy snacks that are easy to make which take little to no effort so that during the week I'm not tempted to grab fast food or something ungodly horrible for me.

This would be a perfect example.

You're welcome.

And with Gold Cup right around the corner (um yeah, this weekend to be exact), I'm bound and determined to slip myself into that skinny little dress I've had hanging in my closet for over 3 months now.

Yes I plan for events well in advance.

Don't judge.

So whether you're looking for a healthy snack idea or just plain love the taste of chickpeas, this recipe is perfect for anyone!  And hey, I'm sure you wouldn't mind losing a pound or two.

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Servings: 4

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Calories: 117

Fat: 4.2 g

Carbs: 16.7 g

Fiber: 3.2 g

Protein: 3.6 g

Old Points: 2.1 pts

Points+: 3 pts

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Here are your ingredients:

Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, crushed red pepper, garlic and parsley.  Toss in chickpeas, cover and allow them to marinate for about 30 minutes at room temperature.  Serve and enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

Also, don't you just love these new linen napkins??  They were such a great find last weekend at Sur la table and are just perfect for the summer!  They also had new red, white and blue napkins for Independence Day that I, of course, also had to have.  I swear I need an entire separate closet just for the random food props I find!

Eh, some day.

   

DIY Photography Boards

Soo one issue I've been having with my photography is the lack of backgrounds to style my food on.  I find myself using the same old cutting boards or simply using the floor of my deck to capture each shot.  I just adore all the amazing photography I see on sites such as Tartelette, Cannelle et Vanille and so many others, so I knew I needed to start somewhere.  Of course I'd love to find the time to scour antique shops looking for rustic tables or pieces of wood, but that can't get pretty pricy, so I decided to just go ahead and make my own!
 

To begin, I started off by collecting a few wooden skids that my boyfriend's uncle had saved for me from his work.  We then pulled the wooden boards off (some were weathered and distressed which made them even better!) and we sanded them down to avoid splinters.  Two by fours would work great too, just go to your local Home Depot or Lowes and they can cut them in half for you right there!

Then once you have your boards, decide what colors you want them to be.  I knew I definitely wanted some white and turquoise backgrounds so I went to Home Depot and asked for the test size paint samples, which is more than enough for what you'll need to paint.

And did I mention they're only $3.00.
Score.     

I also chose to buy cheap disposable foam brushes (only $0.87 each) to use on the wood, but if you have old rollers or even paint brushes already those should work just fine.  You'll also want to buy a trim tray (you can get a pack of 3 for $3.97) to pour some of the paint in and then about a tablespoon of water, or more if necessary, just to water the paint down a bit to give the wood a more rustic look.  This makes the paint thinner and easier to manage.

Then just get a bit of paint on your foam brush and make one long stroke down the board.  Do this a few times until you get the look you want (I like that you can still see some of the brown in it) and then take a paper towel and wipe down the board.  This helps blend the paint and makes the wood look more weathered.

For the white background, I chose to just paint the whole thing white, nothing fancy or watered down.  I also found this fabulous "crackle" paint by Martha Stewart which gave the wood an older feel, just make sure to put a sealer on first!

OH and I absolutely fell in love with this textured metallic paint by Martha Stewart!  It's a bit more expensive, around $6.98, but totally worth it in my opinion.  It's a black paint with some shimmer to it that I just think will look fabulous in photos.  The picture below just doesn't do justice!

And that's it!  Sooo simple and super cheap!  You could always get fancy and nail the boards together, but I am in NO way a carpenter and decided for my pictures that I would just put the boards together whenever I needed to use them as a background.  And to save costs, paint one color on one side and use the other side for another color!

Easy peasy.

To help y'all out, here's a list of things you'll need:

• Wooden boards - free/$2.45 each
• Test paint samples - $3.00 each
• Foam brushes - $0.87 each
• 3-pack of trim trays - $3.97

Total: $22.93!

 

And that's if you actually pay for the wooden boards.  No need to be fancy, you can find pieces of wood anywhere, trust me!

Voila!

Hope this helps anyone wanting to make their own photography boards!  I'm obviously not a professional by any means and only decided to do what works for me, but I sure am excited to start using them in photos!  Can't wait to show you all how they look!

 

Sweet Cucumber, Red Onion & Dill Salad

Did I mention I love salads?

Especially simple salads that taste perfect on a hot summer's day

and are only 33 calories per serving.

Yes 33, you read correctly, how can you beat that??

Oh and my apologies if I seem a bit distracted today, if you are currently living in the DC area and are in any way a sports fan, then you KNOW life is pretty damn good right now!  Caps just won game 7 in overtime moving onto the second round and the Redskins will soon be welcoming RG3 to the family!  I couldn't be more excited and hoping for a better football season this year than the last couple of years!

Ok now back to food.

This salad is probably one of the easiest things you'll ever make in your life and will sure look pretty on your table this spring.  Just a few ingredients and 5 minutes of your time and you've got yourself one healthy dish.  I used one packet of Truvia to sweeten this up, but go ahead and splurge on the real thing since this salad is so light to begin with.

Don't worry, I won't tell anyone.

So here's to a gorgeous spring ahead and some pretty exciting sporting events.

Now go indulge!

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Servings: 4

Serving Size: 1 cup

Calories: 33

Fat: 0 g

Carbs: 10.2 g

Fiber: 0.3 g

Protein: 3.1 g

Old Points: 0.6 pts

Points+: 1 pt

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Here are your ingredients:

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 packet Truvia (or 2 tsp. sugar)

1/4 tsp. salt

2 English cucumbers, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, sliced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sweetener and salt.  Toss in the cucumbers, red onion and fresh dill.  Cover and chill for about 30 minutes, enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe 

Also, I recently just invaded Home Depot and spent the whole day making my own photography boards so I'd have pretty backgrounds to set my food on.  Lemme tell you, it is super addicting!  I thought the boards turned out really great and can't wait to show you how I made them.

Oh yes, I'm totally hinting at a future post.

Sponsor Spotlight!

Meet Erika.  She is the gorgeous wife and momma behind the fabulous blog Southern Girl's Kitchen!  Inspired by her sweet grandmother, she was taught to cook at a very young age and the love that she puts into every dish is truly evident in each recipe she shares.  Not only did her grandmother teach her how to cook, but she instilled love, laughter and every little thing in between.  Erika's recipes are a must-try and I've been eying these spicy red pepper and jalapeno crab cakes for some time now!  So head on over and check out Miss Erika and her adorable family, I know you'll just love her as much as I do!

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Miss Brianne is the super sweet girl behind the blog For the Love of Food and Eating.  Living in New York City with her fiance and crazy adorable pups, Brianne loves all things food and considers cooking her passion after being inspired by chefs such as Rachel Ray.  She started her blog in the hopes of inspiring others to start cooking themselves and lemme tell you, girlfriend has some good recipes!  Her almond crusted chicken and mini-stuffed peppers are high on my list of things to try!  But don't take my word for it, head on over and check Brianne out for yourself!

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Hope y'all are having a great week so far!  I'm still stretching and recovering after my race a few days ago, guess I didn't realize how out of shape I really was!  It's great motivation though to push myself even harder so that my next race will seem like a breeze (and won't be as painful!)

 

Happy Wednesday loves!

 

 

I did it.

So after months of dreading,
months of training,
despite weeks of being sick...
I did it.

I ran my very FIRST race.

Excuse my lack of make-up

And it was the most amazing feeling in the world!!  I woke up at 4:00 AM the day of (since I really didn't get much sleep the night before) and nervously got my running clothes on and drove over to meet my friend Jamie to begin our morning of the race.  We had about a 20 minute bus ride into the city where the race would begin and all I could think of were the thousands of runners signed up that were more relaxed, more athletic and a hell of a lot more prepared than I was!

 Not only was I nervous that I hadn't ran more than 5 miles ever in my life (this was a 10 mile race folks) but it was rainy and about 45 degrees out!  I honestly wasn't sure if my body could physically do this, but I knew I just wanted to cross that finish line.

We waited in the cold rain for what seemed like hours for the race to begin and then were called to line up at the starting line. There were almost 5,000 people in this race and all I could think of was "Kelly do NOT be the last person to finish!"  The booming sound of the gun went off and my stomach about jumped straight into my throat.

We had officially started.

The first two miles were a breeze and even the third mile was okay.  Fourth mile I started wondering, what the hell am I doing?!  We eventually pushed our way through and at around mile 9, I was in so much pain that I didn't know how my wet blistered feet were going to make it to the finish line.

Oh and did I mention the last mile was through Old Town Alexandria where people were all watching in the streets cheering us on?  Yeah I definitely didn't want people to see me walking!!  As soon as I saw the finish line and heard the music blaring from the speakers, I found this incredible adrenaline rush that helped me sprint (or possibly hobble) straight to the finish line.

This was the best feeling in the world!

This experience was unlike anything I've ever been through and the fact that I finished was probably one of the proudest moments of my life.  No I definitely wasn't the fastest and I'm certainly not the most athletic, but I had a lot of firsts that day and I wouldn't change one thing!

Except maybe the whole rainy part.

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Also!  The winner of the Shine Project Giveaway is Miss Kristina from one of my favorite baking blogs Whipped!  Congratulations darlin, I'll shoot you over an email right now!!  Thanks again to everyone who entered!!

 

Sponsor Spotlight!

Soo my race is this weekend and to say I'm nervous would be a serious understatement.  Sure I can run 3 miles easy, I've even pushed myself for 5 or 6 miles and been okay...but 10 miles!  I'll probably die.  My training was completely ruined by pneumonia, but alas I refuse to drop out.  Oh and did I mention we're supposed to have a torrential downpour??

FML.

Wish me luck though, I'll definitely be making the best of it!  Don't worry that concludes my minor meltdown and on the upside I have two gorgeous ladies to introduce to y'all today!

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Meet Jenna.  She's the writer behind the blog The Life of the Wife and probably one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet!  As someone every girl can relate to, she invites you into her adorable life as a wife, momma and best friend, sharing the things she is most passionate about, as well as a delicious recipe every now and then.  So if you're looking for that lil pick-me-up today, head on over to her blog because Jenna is guaranteed to make you smile!

Blog | Twitter | Bloglovin

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Krista, of the The Not So Desperate Chef Wife, is your typical southern girl-next-door with a passion for cooking and design.  Born and raised in North Carolina, Miss Krista shares everything from her love of gardening (she has a degree in horticulture design y'all!), fun projects around the house and, of course, super delicious recipes!  And you know how I know they're so good??  Well she just so happened to have married a Sous Chef!  Lucky girl, I tell ya.  So head on over and check out Krista's lovely blog, you'll just love the passion she and her hubby have for cooking and the fact they share that passion together!

Blog | Twitter | Facebook

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Aren't they just darling??  Two wifeys guaranteed to be your newest addiction.  And remember, if you're interested in sponsoring Eat Yourself Skinny, I happily take new sponsors anytime during the month!  Check out my sponsor page for more details or email me at cook.skinny@gmail.com, I'd love to have you!

Happy Friday!

 

Orange Chipotle-Spiced Pecan Mix

Sometimes you just need a good snack.

Not one that requires a ton of prep

or an extensive amount of washing, peeling, and cutting.

You see where I'm going with this.

Sometimes you just need to grab a bag of nuts and satisfy those hunger cravings!  And I'm totally ok with these being spicy.  In fact, I'm pretty sure chipotle chili peppers always make any dish better.  These are completely simple to make, all you need is an hour for the baking time and you've got a snack that is sure to last you all week!

I seriously love this mix so much,
I'm definitely trying this with roasted chickpeas next!

Now lemme tell you.  Working out after being out of commission for 3 weeks is completely exhilarating, but also very painful!  I am SO sore today, but the feeling just motivates me even more.  I missed working out so much, and you can bet my booty missed it even more!

This weekend is my 15k race and although I'm still running it, I'm disappointed that I'm not as prepared for it as I had wanted to be.  After getting bronchitis that turned into pneumonia, my lungs couldn't handle any running whatsoever and it's still sort of painful even now.  But I refuse to back out so I'm just going to have fun with it!

Wish me luck though,
I'll sure need it!!!

This pecan mix makes a great party snack or do what I did and throw them in a mason jar, tie some twine around it in a bow and share with your family!

I seriously can't get enough of mason jars
and I would use them for everything if I could!

I think you'll really love this sweet, spicy, and salty combination, the flavors just went SO well together!  Plus I think you'll really impress the men in your family, which is never a bad thing.  

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Servings: 10

Serving Size: 1/4 cup

Calories: 91

Fat: 7.7 g

Carbs: 4.8 g

Fiber: 0.8 g

Protein: 1.2 g

Old Points: 2.3 pts

Points+: 3 pts

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Here are your ingredients:

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

1 Tbsp grated orange rind

1 Tbsp fresh orange juice

1 large egg white

2 cups pecan halves

1 Tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground chipotle chili pepper

Cooking spray

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.  Whisk together orange zest, orange juice and large egg white in a medium bowl.  Stir in pecans, coating well.  In a separate bowl, combine sugar, salt and chili pepper; add to pecan mixture and toss well.  Spread mixture in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 225 for one hour, stirring occasionally.  Remove from oven and cool completely.  Stir in cranberries and enjoy!  Can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe  

Now to announce the winner of the Lee La La $40 Shop Credit Giveaway!

(Drum roll please...)

Congratulations Miss Andi!  I will email you shortly with all the details!  Thanks again to everyone who entered.  Just because you didn't win doesn't mean you have to miss out on her gorgeous items!  Check out her fabulous shop Lee La La, I promise there is something for everyone!!

Hope y'all are having a great week so far!

The Shine Project Giveaway!

Happy Monday dahhhlings!
Hope you're ready for what I have in store
for y'all today.

Ashley, the gorgeous face behind The Shine Project, is absolutely one of the sweetest most amazing people I've had the pleasure of getting to know!  Her mission is to help students from inner city schools achieve their dreams and have the ability to attend college by raising money through various outlets on her blog.  She has a true passion for helping others and her Change 4 Change Campaign absolutely touched my heart!  I'd say the SHINE Project is pretty much the perfect title for this incredible act of kindness!

But I'll let her explain it to you a little more.

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I believe that all of us possess talents, skills, and abilities that can
be used to literally change the world. 
I believe that stepping out of your comfort zone to do hard things
is what gives meaning and happiness to life.

This is what The Shine Project is all about:
Going out of your comfort zone
to bring light to those who need hope.
The Shine Project emulates love, sacrifice, and
CHANGE.

 The Shine Project's purpose is to inspire you to live the highest quality of life obtainable,
and to motivate you to join our efforts in making this world a better place.
We have many events set up around the country, and would love for you to get involved!

The Shine Scholarship Project is a non-profit that was created by TSP
to put our beliefs in action.
Its mission is to improve the lives of at-risk teens through service, education, and family involvement. 
 
We do service projects with inner city students every other week to teach them
the leadership skills that are necessary for them to succeed.
The money we raise goes to sending these leaders to college, so they can give back to society.
 
You can read more about how to get involved HERE.

Our next stop is Salt Lake City, Utah on May 26th,
and we'd love for you to get involved! Event info HERE.

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Amazing right??

So one of the ways Miss Ashley earns money for these kids is by making these super cute Shine necklaces and t-shirts!  Each item sold goes towards her Shine Scholarship Fund and is so brilliant because by wearing these sweet tokens of charitable kindness you are then passing the word onto others.  She hand-makes these all on her own in her own spare time.  I wear my Shine necklace all the time!

Here!  Check out how cute they are!

Oh and don't forget about these adorable Shine t-shirts!

Here's the best part!  Ashley, being the giving doll that she is, has graciously offered to give away a necklace AND a Shine t-shirt to one lucky reader!

Here's here how to

ENTER

**You must be a Google Friend Connect follower of my blog**

Additional entries:

Follow The Shine Project here

Follow The Shine Project on Twitter here

Become a fan of The Shine Project on Facebook here 

Tell me your favorite item from her shop here

Follow me on Twitter here 

Like me on Facebook here 

Follow me on Pinterest here

 

Tweet: "I just entered to win Ashley's @TheShineProject Giveaway on @EatUrselfSkinny http://bit.ly/IPsWjG!"

All separate comments please.

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Winner will be announced this Friday, April 20th so don't miss out! 

All I ask is that the winner (and non-winners) spread this charitable project with people they know as well!

You can also check out her shop here and get your own necklace or purchase one for a friend if you'd like, this is all for a great cause!  Good luck friends and thank you SO much for stopping by!

  

Claire

Today's post is really special.

Anytime I'm talking about my "friends", I either have to clarify between my blogging friends and my real-life friends.  Well Claire from The Realistic Nutritionist just so happens to be BOTH of them and what an amazing person she is!

 We also might literally be the same person.

Claire was one of the first people I met when I started blogging and we connected instantly through our passion for cooking and healthy living.  Our relationship began with daily comments on each others blogs, which quickly upgraded to endless emails and then eventually resorted to texting and gchat.  It was in that time we realized we were practically neighbors!

Miss Claire is super talented, not only as a fabulous cook and gifted photographer, but she is also a writer and recipe creator for the online magazine SheKnows!  Vegan One-Pot Stir Fry and Vegan Gumbo are just a few of the delicious recipes you'll find on her site, she seriously rocks!

8 ounces rice noodles
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 organic green bell pepper, rinsed and chopped
1 organic yellow pepper, rinsed and chopped
1 cup broccoli slaw
1/4 cup unsalted peanuts
1 tablespoon vegan protein powder (optional)
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hot red pepper paste (optional)
Liberal dashes of salt and pepper 

Directions:

 Place dry rice noodles in a large mixing bowl. Cover with warm water and let sit for 10 minutes to soften.  Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large wok on medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until just softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and peppers and cook until soft and lightly browned, about 4 more minutes. Add broccoli slaw, peanuts, protein powder and soy sauce. Heat another 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in noodles and hot pepper paste until paste is fully mixed in.  Add liberal dashes of salt and pepper and serve warm!

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3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 medium carrots, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced and chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
2 stalks celery (plus leaves), chopped
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (not drained)
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups cooked brown rice
 

Directions:

In a large pot, cook onions until soft, about three minutes. Add garlic, mushrooms, carrots, zucchini and celery, cook until soft, about six more minutes. Pour broth, water and wine over mixture. Add bay leaf and seasoning.  Cover (partially) and simmer for 30 minutes.  Once mixture is done, discard bay leaf and serve over rice and enjoy!

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Don't those just look delish?!

For more yummy recipes, check out her blog ASAP!  Trust me, you're missing out.  Also, the lovely Claire is currently undergoing a whole new bloggy makeover and will be launching her new site next month!  I've personally seen a little preview and lemme tell you, it's amazing.  To kick off this exciting venture, she's currently accepting new sponsors and would love to have you!  So if you're looking to bump up the traffic on your site, girlfriend can help you out!

Love you friend!!

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 Also, you can find me today over on Laura's super fab blog A Healthy Jalapeno so make sure to stop by and say hi!

Happy Friday lovelies!!!