sorry for the usual deb delay LOL
the sweet roasted chickpeas "Cinnamon sugar rattle snacks":
2tsp sugar
1tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp salt
1 x 15oz can chickpeas rinsed and drained
preheat oven to 350F (180C) Combine sugar, cin. and salt in a bowl and add chickpeas. toss until well coated. spread on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 55-60 min shaking sheet andmixing occasionally until chickpeas are crisp and "rattle" on the pan
posting the brainy brownies too as they have been a huge hit and are stil fresh in a sealed container in the fridge. i froze a few too and will report back on how they defrost and taste when we need them in a week.
SNEAKY CHEF BRAINY BROWNIES:
Makes about 30 kid-sized brownies
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Purple Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe below)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Flour Blend (equal parts whole wheat, wheat germ, and white flour)
1/4 cup rolled oats, ground in a food processor
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Butter or non-stick cooking spray
Optional extra boost: 1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. (this is 180C)
Butter or spray only the bottom, not the sides, of a 13-by- 9-inch or 9-inch square baking pan.
Melt the butter and chocolate chips together in a double boiler or metal bowl over simmering water (or in a microwave, checking every 15 seconds). Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool a bit. Meanwhile, in another bowl, stir together the eggs, vanilla, sugar, and Purple Puree. Combine this purple egg mixture with the cooled chocolate mixture.
In a mixing bowl, stir together Flour Blend, cocoa powder, oats, and salt. Add this to the chocolate mixture and blend thoroughly. Mix in the chopped walnuts, if using, then pour the entire mixture into the baking pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in pan before cutting the brownies and use a plastic or butter knife. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. (i did not and it did not need anything else)
Keeps for a week in the refrigerator, covered tightly.
Sneaky Chef Make-Ahead Recipe: Purple Puree
3 cups raw baby spinach leaves (1 cup frozen chopped spinach, or frozen chopped collard greens)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (no syrup or sugar added)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoons water
If using raw spinach, thoroughly wash it, even if the package says “prewashed.” Bring spinach or collards and water to boil in a medium pot. Turn heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. If using frozen blueberries, quickly rinse them under cold water to thaw a little, and then drain.
Fill the bowl of your food processor with the blueberries and cooked spinach, (or collards) along with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of water, and puree on high until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push top contents to bottom. If necessary, use a second tablespoon of water to make a fairly smooth puree.
This amount of spinach and blueberries makes only about 1 cup of puree. Double the recipe if you want to store another cup of the puree. It will store in the refrigerator up to 2 days, or you can freeze 1/4 cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.
Siesta... - those animal crackers are the crackers i plan to make. i need protein things for school that alex might like (very picky - but loves crackers) and these have chickpeas, 2 kinds of cheese plus wheat germ in the flour blend! i would feel comfortable sending a bunch if she likes them