roasted chickpeas, dressing, + cuteness

I had a lunch date yesterday.

And now you’re going to relive it with me.

Salad buffet – So fun, so easy, so delicious.  Unless of course your guest hates vegetables.  Luckily, both of my guests love their veggies.

Maple Roasted Chickpeas – Make them riiight now.  Or tomorrow.  But soon.  These are my favorite roasted chickpeas to date! 

Print this!

Maple Roasted Chickpeas

• 1 cup chickpeas
• 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil, melted
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 – 1/4 tsp cayenne [opt]

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place all ingredients on a baking sheet and mix around until the chickpeas are evenly coated.
3. Bake for 20-25min until golden brown [or darker if preferred].

notes: You can sub any high heat oil instead of coconut, but the coconut does add a little nuttiness to the flavor.

Sweet + Spicy.  Just how I like it.

Katie + her adorable daughter were my lovely guests.  Katie was trying out my little photography spot and couldn’t believe that’s where I take all my photos.  It’s literally crammed in between our kitchen table, a window, and a huge vertical bike rack.

Kombucha Frostie – Come again?  Uh yah, you heard me right.  The amazingly creative Gena, came up with this winner of a recipe.  You take a Kombucha [homemade or store bought] and blend it with banana, frozen fruit, and a little lime juice and then you have the most delicious smoothie-frostie-slushy drink you’ve ever tasted.

I could not get over how refreshing + flavorful these were.  Definitely going to be on repeat all summer long. 

[gingerberry kombucha, banana, blackberries, and lime juice]

The youngest foodie I’ve ever met – This girl has good taste.  She munched on everything in her mom’s salad bowl while we talked non-stop. 

Can’t handle the cuteness.  The dogs were a fan of Adrienne as well, as she left them quite a few tasty surprises on the floor.

Salad dressing!  Another to add to the recipe collection. 

Print this!

Maple Vinaigrette

• 6 Tbsp sunflower oil
• 4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 Tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp brown mustard
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Blend on high until well combined.
2. Keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

notes: Sub extra virgin olive oil, almond oil, walnut oil, etc. for the sunflower oil if needed.

Blueberry Pecan Cornbread – I have a feeling this is going to be made weekly.

Foodie face!

Dakota is like static cling to babies.  It’s quite adorable.  Luckily, neither Baby A or Katie minded.

Walks around the neighborhood.  Always more fun with friends.

Peek-a-boo!  The cutest thing I ever did see.

A glowing mama + her happy little girl.  Truly a joy to be around them both.  You can see the love instantly.  Just take a look for yourself!

   

What did I tell ya??  So much love!

A sunset bike ride with Chris was the icing on the cake to this already fabulous day.

Now go make those chickpeas + dressing and have a relaxing weekend.

Ashley

Comments

[holly]

thee.frickin.cutest.

[Kelly @ No Sugar Sweet Life]

What a fun lunch date! I love all your salad toppings - so colorful and healthy :) And yes, the cuteness of baby girl is overwhelming. Thanks for sharing all the pics!!

[Katie]

ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosshhh.

I love you and had the bessssst time yesterday. Lunch was amazing, your dogs were fantastic, the walk was beautiful, and I'm so happy to be janking the playground pictures off of your site. Thank you for taking them!! Happy Friday, friend.


Ashley--> I had the best time as well!!! You are so very welcome!

[Brittany @ Delights and Delectables]

How precious!! I just love Katie and her sweet family!! The food look delicious too. What a perfect day friend!

[Kelsey]

I'm breaking out of my Windsor lock down, breaking into your house and getting that cornbread!!!! Watch out.

[Kelly]

What a fun day! I love Katie and these pictures are amazing!! You are such a talent Ashley!


Ashley--> Thank you, Kelly. It's easy when the subjects are so adorable!

[Claire @ Live and Love to Eat]

Ohmygosh, I didn't think Baby A could get any cuter - I love the photos of Katie and her together! :)

[Katie @ Blonde Ambition]

Such beautiful photos! I love all the healthy grown-up things that Katie feeds Baby A. She is totally a baby Foodie!

[Sam @ Fit for my Fork]

Aww, how adorable! A little foodie-in-training! I am so looking forward to finally trying Kombucha when I get back to Canada. Great idea to put it in a smoothie!

[Lori]

Beautiful pictures. You are so talented! Hey, are the chickpeas already cooked, or dry? I'm assuming cooked, but I just wanted to make sure as I've never baked them before. Thanks! :)


Ashley--> Cooked for sure! I don't want you to break any teeth! :) It takes soaking overnight and then cooking on the stove for about 1.5hrs before chickpeas are edible. You can also soak them and then cook in a slower cooker if you want to cook from their raw form.

[Lauren]

I love spicy roasted chickpeas and dessert hummus, so I imagine I'll love these!

[Lauren @ Oatmeal after Spinning]

Wow- what beautiful photos!! Katie's baby's expressions are priceless!
And the food- whoa! You've definitely convinced me to make the Kombucha Frostie! I was talking about your cornbread last night when I was out at dinner- I need to get to making it asap!


Ashley--> You must try both!!

[Sarah]

Awesome pictures of Katy and Baby A! Those chickpeas sound amazing. I'll have to add them to the list of recipes from your site that I want to make.

[Lindsay @ Lindsay's List]

jealous.
to.
the.
max.
love you girls.

[Andrea]

Love those pictures you took of Katie and her precious daughter! And now I'm craving some roasted chickpeas!

[Christina]

Love all the wonderful pics! Looks like you guys had fun. And obviously Baby A is loving the food! :)

[Ally's Sweet & Savory Eats]

I have been reading Katie's blog forever...and thankfully she brought us to yours!

Ashley--> Thanks for stopping by to say hello!

[Katie @ Talk Less, Say More]

Looks like a super fun lunch date! :)

[Ananda]

Faaaaan-tastic photos Ashley! Good work!!!

[Gina @ Running to the Kitchen]

So flipping cute. Kinda jealous you girls live so close to each other!

Ashley--> Come back soon!

[Christine]

Great photos! I've been reading your blog for awhile, and I've known Katie for most of my life, so it's really cool to get to see you guys together! That lunch looks awesome too - YUM!

[Kristina]

Hi Ashley! I'm your newest follower, so happy I just found your blog! Your pictures are all absolutely stunning! And bookmarking those maple roasted chickpeas for later :) The flavor sounds awesome!

Ashley--> Thank you for the compliments and for saying hello. :)

[Julie @ Two Saucy Sisters]

Awee that baby is so cute! And those chickpeas and salad look delicious - sweet and spicey is one of my favourite combos too! :)

[Laura (Blogging Over Thyme)]

Lots of beautiful photos in this post! You captured them both so well!

[Nicole @ 'Just Live It']

Oh my goodness, such precious, adorable pics!

[Molly]

That's the most expressive baby I've ever seen! Those eyebrows, man ... Great photos :) Also -- been meaning to ask your expert advice: I recently bought some really tasty locally-made chipotle garlic balsamic; what do you think would be a good dish to use that in? Stir-fry veggies and as a salad dressing is good, but I feel it has the potential for bigger and better things ...

Ashley--> Hmmm, I'm stumped! I'm sure you could use it in a marinade for tofu or chicken!

[Zoe]

I made the blueberry and pecan cornbread today and it was wonderful. I haven't had to for years and I really enjoyed it. Thank you :-)

Ashley--> I appreciate you letting me know and am glad you enjoyed it!

[Grace (Graceful Eats)]

YUM! Can I just say I would love to eat at your house??? Lol, looks amazing as always, Ashley - you're such a good friend! And those photos of Katie and Baby A are simply stunning. Can't wait to try the salad and cornbread recipe.

P.S. I made your fruit summer guacamole for my graduation party (minus the jalapoes, bc I wanted to keep it on the sweet side). It. Was. A. Hit. It was the only dish that was completely GONE at the end of the night - and I had a mom make me promise I would make + bring it to her party next week! Love every single one of your recipes...Keep up the fabulous work! :)

Ashley--> You're welcome over anytime. ;) I'm SO EXCITED to hear the guacamole was a hit!!

[janetha [m&m]]

ummm.. best photographer + best subjects= BEST EVER

[Lori]

I just wanted to let you know that this meal is on our summer meal rotation in my family. My two boys LOVE the salad with the chickpeas. This is the absolute perfect summer time meal. Thanks for sharing!!

Ashley--> Awesome!! So happy to hear. Chickpeas are a favorite of mine!

[Kathleen]

Can the chickpeas be stored at room temp or do they need to be refrigerated?

[Ashley]

@Kathleen - Hmmm, I don't think they would go bad if you left them out for a day but I would store them in the fridge if you're trying to keep them longer. They're great to eat cold on salad or you can reheat them in a pan for a few minutes over medium heat.