Oven-Roasted Chickpeas (Fitness Friday 1/16/13)

I’m a salty snack person. I can’t keep any kind of chips or cheese puffs or pseudo-healthy salty snack foods in the house, because I will eat them all. Immediately. So I generally whip something healthy up from my fridge or pantry to satisfy my salt craving. Kale chips are a favorite, but they aren’t very filling. This year I finally discovered oven-roasted chickpeas (garbanzo beans). Okay, I know these have been around for a while, but I just found out about them this summer!

For my rendition of oven-roasted chickpeas, I just drain and rinse one can’s worth of chickpeas, and place them in a bowl. I set the oven to 425° while drying the chickpeas with a paper towel. Then I pour about a teaspoon of olive oil into the chickpeas, and mix them all around. I spoon the chickpeas flat onto a cookie sheet, in a single layer. Now it’s time for seasonings! Sometimes I just use salt, other times salt + smoked paprika. I also like my roasted chickpeas with cumin or Old Bay seasoning. I roast the chickpeas for approximately 25 minutes, until the outsides are crispy. I also rotate the cookie sheet half way through roasting.

Oven-roasted chickpeas on My Life: A Work in Progress

Mmmmm tasty and healthy! I’ve kept to simple seasonings so far, but TheKitchn.com has an interesting compilation titled “15 More Ways to Flavor Roasted Chickpeas.” Some of the flavor combinations sound delicious, and I plan to try all of them.

Have you tried oven-roasted chickpeas? What’s your favorite seasoning combination? Do you have any favorite salty snacks that are healthy?

Fitness Friday Jill Conyers buttonFITNESS FRIDAY STATS:

Last week I posted my measurements, before photos, and my goals. I plan to update my measurements (and maybe photos) once a month. My goals are still the same!

I slacked off this week with working out. Baby J went through this thing where he woke up several times a night, screaming or crying. Sometimes it was 45 minutes to an hour long. I don’t know if his teeth were hurting him or if he was having night terrors, but I was just really tired this week…still am tired. It’s also been cold, so I haven’t really wanted to bundle Baby J up to go run. These are all excuses, I know. I need to suck it up, and just get out there.

As of writing this post Thursday night, I’ve only run once, for about two miles. There was some hill running in there, so that was good, but I REALLY, REALLY need to pick up the training, or I’ll never be ready for my half marathon in April. The plan is to run today and tomorrow. Today’s run should be at least 6 miles, but we’ll see. I’m most likely running alone, other than Baby J of course. When I run alone, it’s really hard for me to stay focused and motivated. At the very least, I will do a walk/run/walk/run today until I reach 6. I WILL do it.

*Update* I ran the 6 today! I think it was actually 7. I had a few quick stops to adjust Baby J’s gloves and one bathroom break, but I did run the entire distance. Woohoo! I’m feeling encouraged.

Now it’s your turn. As I’ve been saying, I’d love to have you join in, whether you blog or not. You don’t have to have any crazy goals like run a triathlon (but if you do, that’s very cool!). Your goal can be something as simple as determining to walk an extra 30 minutes a week throughout January. Start with a small, quickly-attainable goal. That will help you give you confidence and motivation to meet the next!

Did you meet your fitness goals this week? What are your goals?
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Review: Armpocket Ultimate Armband

Armpocket The Ultimate Armband- Read about it on My Life: A Work in Progress

I’m incredibly excited about today’s review! The folks at Armpocket agreed to send me one of their armbands (model i-25 in “Splash”) to review.

In the past, I’ve used a few different armbands, some better than others. None of them, however, were as comfortable as the Armpocket and there was never room for any storage once my phone or iPod was in these other armbands.

The Armpocket was designed by runners who understand that people and their cell phones are not one-size fits all. Not only are there several models of the Armpocket available, you can even choose the strap size to fit your arm! And the multiple colors and patterns are awesome. No generic colors here!

Parts of the Armpocket are even made from recycled plastic bottles, which is really cool. =D The back mesh fabric and strap edges are from a sustainable bamboo rayon that is moisture-wicking and resistant to bacteria and mildew. A layer of memory foam is in between the mesh fabric and outer water-resistant fabric, making the Armpocket truly comfortable to wear.

There are little slits at the bottom (or top, depending on how you wear it) of the Armpocket for you to feed headphone wires through too.

Depending on the model, there are little storage compartments inside the Armpocket, so you can carry your essentials all together in one place.

Armpocket Inside
Courtesy Photo showing inside an Armpocket

I love the storage idea for several reasons. When I had a gym membership, I used to carry my keys, small wallet, and my phone w/ headphones. Add to that my water bottle and sometimes a hand towel, and my hands were always full. It was awkward placing my stuff on the floor or in that little bottle holder on a machine.

Now that I run outside, it’s nice to carry essentials with me, in one spot. I’ve never felt comfortable leaving my wallet or IDs in the car. And as a busy mom, I often go from the track or trail, straight to the grocery store or elsewhere. In my Armpocket, I can fit my house key, car key with remote, mailbox key, several ID/debit/credit cards, a couple bills of cash, ChapStick, a pack of face blotters, and of course my iPhone 4s in its Lifeproof case.

It’s surprisingly comfortable to wear thanks to the memory foam. I figured that because of the Armpocket’s size, it would be a little heavy, but after a few minutes, I don’t notice it. In fact, last night I wore it for a run and forgot it was on! I had a moment of panic in the car when I couldn’t remember where my wallet or phone was; then I realized I was wearing my Armpocket! It’s definitely something I plan to wear during races, especially since I can even fit a gel pack in there.

The only thing I don’t like about the Armpocket is that between my Lifeproof case screen and the screen on the Armpocket, it’s almost impossible to see a text message, etc., on my phone. My phone screen is just really dark at that point. I don’t usually run while listening to music, because either I’m running with a friend and chatting or I’m running alone and paranoid about my situational awareness, BUT…if I were planning on listening to music, I’d have to set my phone to shuffle through a playlist and then just let it be. Manually selecting and skipping songs won’t be an option, since I can’t see the screen that well. The other option would be to forego the Lifeproof case and just put my caseless phone in the Armpocket, because then I can see the phone screen fine.

By the way, I can operate my phone through both the Armpocket and Lifeproof screens at the same time, so the touch-capability is still functional.

Overall, I love my Armpocket and can’t imagine there’s a better case out there! If you’re a gym rat, runner, cyclist, walker, or anything in between, I recommend checking the Armpocket out at the links below:

Armpocket.com | Armpocket on Facebook | Armpocket on Twitter

Armpocket small button

And remember, right now you can win your own Armpocket! Click HERE to find the giveaway.

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Giveaway: Bowflex Boost #fitness tracker, 1/16-1/30

Sponsored by:  Bowflex Boost 
Co-Hosted by:  Natural Hair Latina WEMAKE7 and Mom Elite
As the new year is in full swing, Bowflex wants to help you to stay on track with their resolutions to lose weight and get fit this year!  The new Bowflex Boost makes it easier than ever to stay motivated and active. Read Momma Lew’s full review here to find out all about this great new fitness product.

 

This is such an awesome giveaway! I don’t have a fitness tracker, but I’ve wanted one for a while now. It’s a great way to stay motivated when you’re getting out there and being active, since you can actually see what you’re accomplishing. By the way, if being more active, weight loss, or overall fitness are any of your goals this year, check out Fitness Friday. -Elisebet

 

How would you like to win your own Bowflex Boost?  One reader will win their own, ARV: $49.99 + free app.  To enter, follow the steps in the Rafflecopter widget below. Giveaway is open to US Residents, 18+, one entry per household.  Ends 1/30 at 11:59pm EST.  
Good luck & thank you for entering!
Momma Lew and My Life: A Work in Progress are not responsible for prize shipment.  This blog received no compensation for this review and giveaway. 
 
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