When life gets busy, sometimes certain things have to give. As is usually the case, life has picked up its usual pace here, and I've found myself being hurled through my days at an almost breakneck speed as I juggle the myriad of responsibilities that fill the day.

Life is full and back to business! This would explain the over one week since I've posted as I found myself, back from my glorious holiday having depleted my (somewhat) regular stockpile of recipes at the ready, and photos to go with them as well. As any food blogger knows, this is surely not ideal as our other life priorities take over and we wait patiently to have once again that much desired & highly therapeutic creative space to play. Amen.

I wanted to take a moment to welcome any new readers and thank you all for your kind & thoughtful comments from last weeks post. I try not to get too personal too often, but when I do it always feels true, and to hear from you all in such a supportive way makes it all just seem that much more right. I certainly didn't start this blog just to talk about food, and if there is one thing we can all fall asleep at night knowing is that we are all a part of this beautiful thing called humanity, and we all need and crave the same things.

Thank you for letting your own lights shine, and being out there spreading inspiration, creativity, support and helping hands throughout this broad and beautiful world. Every little bit helps, and you all inspire me every day. Love. xx

This recipe was used in our last Not So Fast cooking class, and to great acclaim as we introduced the first try of chickpeas to kids who either thought they didn't like them, or have never tried them at all!

The cooking method is easy, and I borrowed it straight from How Sweet It Is...the best cooking method for roasted chickpeas I've tried yet. Here, I dressed them up with a little grated lemon zest to mirror the 'crispy ceci' served at a favorite local restaurant of mine, but as most of you good home cooks know, you can do anything you like here.

Soy sauce, oregano, parmesan, cayenne, paprika, cinnamon....the sky is the limit! Easy delicious protein that is as cheap as it is delicious. And if you cook your own you are doing even better :)

Lemon Zest Roasted Chickpeas:

Adapted from How Sweet It is

• (2) cups cooked chickpeas
• (1-2) tbsp olive oil
• sea salt to taste (about 1/4 tsp)
• OPTIONAL: black pepper, paprika, oregano, pizza spices, garlic powder
• (1) lemon for grating the zest

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place chickpeas on a paper towel and pat as dry as you can. Try to remove any loose skins and place on a baking sheet that has been lightly rubbed with about (2) tbsp olive oil. Roll around to coat. Sprinkle with optional spices or seasonings of your choice and toss well to coat, making sure chickpeas are in a single layer.

Bake for 15 minutes, toss well and flip, then bake for about 15 minutes more, until crisp and crunchy looking. Remove from the oven and transfer to a bowl. Add the grated lemon zest if using and toss into the hot chickpeas and allow to cool. Serve these as an appetizer before dinner in place of nuts or bread. They are sure to delight any guest, regardless of dietary preference or restrictions. Kids love them, adults love them. They are a win in every sense of the word!

Additional ideas could be to toss them with pasta, or to top any green salad. They would also be fantastic tossed into a quinoa salad. The sky really is the limit here! Keep them at room temperature in a sealed bag and never in the fridge as they will turn soft. Unless you like them that way, in which case do as you wish!