Hello everyone! It’s been some time since my last blog post and I decided it’s about time to get back to blogging! Check back here soon for more posts about easy diy, crafts, recipes and more! While I’m busy getting ideas together, feel free to share any ideas on what you would l
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If you’re looking for a healthy alternative to greasy fried snacks, give this recipe a try! These Spicy Roasted Chickpeas are healthy and irresistible! This recipe has only 4 ingredients and was easy to make. I found the recipe on SnackGirl.com and decided that one can of beans wasn’t enough so I doubled the recipe. Although the cayenne pepper gives the roasted beans a good kick, I would like to experiment with chili power and other spices in the future.
Ingredients: 
2 – 15.5 oz. cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt (to taste)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Mix the chickpeas in a bowl with oil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Spread the chickpeas in an even layer on the baking sheet.
3. Roast the chickpeas in the oven for 15 minutes. Shake or stir the chickpeas in the pan and return the pan to the oven for another 15 minutes until brown and crunchy. Enjoy!
I made these Creamed Spinach Pastry Cups this Christmas and they turned out to be a tasty little appetizer. I found the recipe on MyRecipes. The frozen pastry cups were easy to make, and I love the low-fat cream cheese! For my variation, I used Pepperidge Farm Pastry Cups instead of Athens, which might be smaller than what’s called for. Although I used more of the pastry cups, there was no spinach mixture left over. To save on cost I used shredded Parmesan cheese instead of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Ingredients: 
2 Pkgs. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Cups (24 ct.)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
12 oz. baby spinach (coarsely chopped)
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
3 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese (for topping)
Directions:
1. Prepare the puff pastry cups according to package directions.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. Cook garlic 1 minute or until fragrant.
3. Coarsely chop spinach. Add half of chopped spinach to pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until wilted, stirring frequently. Add remaining spinach and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until wilted, stirring frequently. Sprinkle mixture with salt and toss. 
4. Stir in heavy whipping cream and cream cheese. Cook for one minute or until cheese is melted. Remove pan from heat.
5. Spoon about 1 tsp. spinach mixture into each pastry shell. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese and serve!
What a better way to cool off on a hot day than an icy popsicle? Even better, a popsicle that you made yourself? Well, you don’t need any fancy ingredients for these two recipes and you can pick your favorite flavor! These are very simple recipes, don’t require much preparation. I chose these with hot days in mind! One recipe is shown using store-bought popsicle molds. The other recipe uses paper cups with a plastic spoon or wooden popsicle stick.
For this recipe, I chose cherry flavored Kool-Aid. You can use any flavor you like. Also, the amount of Kool-Aid and the number of popsicles you make is up to you!
Ingredients and Tools: 
Kool-Aid – any flavor
popsicle molds
pitcher
spoon
Directions:
Step 1:
Mix up the Kool-Aid in the pitcher according to the package instructions. For the picture shown above, I made 1 quart of cherry flavored Kool-Aid. I had enough to fill each mold and a little left over.
Step 2:
Fill each mold with Kool-Aid, leaving about 1/2″ at the top. Replace tops of the molds.
Step 3:
Place in freezer on a level surface and freeze for about 4 – 5 hours. Enjoy!
For the next recipe, you can choose any flavor combination of pop and juice you like. Here, I used pineapple-orange juice and 7-Up for a citrus flavor. I also used 9 oz. paper cups. You may choose to use smaller cups to cut down on freezing time. The amount of ingredients you need also depends on the number and size of the popsicle.
Ingredients and Tools: 
Fruit Juice – flavor of your choice
Pop – flavor of your choice
baking pan or tray
aluminum foil
plastic spoons or wooden popsicle sticks
paper cups – 9 oz.
bowl
Directions:
Step 1:
Measure out equal parts juice and pop. Mix them together in a bowl. Here I made 6 popsicles in 9 oz. cups. I mixed together 3 cups juice and 3 cups pop.
Step 2:
Use a scoop or ladle to fill each cup with your liquid mixture. Leave about 1/2″ or more of room at the top.
Step 3:
Gently tear pieces of aluminum foil large enough to fit over the top of each cup. Mold each piece over the top of each cup to create a guide for inserting the spoon. The aluminum foil will hold the wooden stick or plastic spoon in place until the liquid is frozen.
Step 4:
If you are using plastic spoons, remove the aluminum foil from the cup and insert the handle of the plastic spoon up through the middle of the foil. If you are using wooden sticks, you can insert the wooden sticks through the middle of either the top or the bottom of the foil. Replace the foil with stick or spoon back onto the cup and into the liquid.
Step 5:
Carefully place all filled cups with spoons or sticks on your tray or baking dish. This is so you can carry the liquid-filled cups to the freezer. Also keep in mind that the tray or baking dish will need to fit into your freezer. Place the tray or dish in the freezer
Step 6:
Allow the popsicles at least 5 – 6 hours to freeze for larger sizes. Once frozen, run warm water over the paper cup to remove the popsicle from the cup. Enjoy!
Two Savvy Cents 