My inner kindergartener loves a good nap and depends on snack time to get me through the day. While I’ve pretty much mastered the art of trail mix and love a crunchy rice cake with nut butter, I thought it might be time to try a few new things. And, I’m trying to steer away from sweet things this week just because I do that sometimes. So I’m cutting back on dried and fresh fruit and other sweet things.

So today I made Blue Corn Paper Bag Popcorn; Ginger Sesame Roasted Chickpeas and Dill Carrot Chips. It took about an hour to make all three snacks, which I am happily munching on as I type this post.

I got the blue corn popcorn on my trip to New Mexico. Yellow popcorn works great too. If you haven’t made paper bag popcorn, it’s so easy. Just put popcorn kernels in a paper lunch sack, add a little oil and stick it in the microwave. I stopped buying microwave popcorn a while ago because it has a lot of funky chemicals in it. My kids can do this no problem.

Paper Bag Popcorn

1/3 cup popcorn kernels

1/2 tsp coconut oil

Salt to taste

Place popcorn kernels in brown paper bag. Add oil. Microwave on popcorn setting. Remove when corn stops popping. Add salt if desired.

I’ve seen the roasted chickpea thing floating around Pinterest and other places and have been wanting to make it. This is such an easy snack to make and really satisfying.  And if there are any leftover, I will probably be sticking these yummy babies on tomorrow’s salad.

Ginger Sesame Roasted Chickpeas

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp freshly grated ginger or 1/2 tsp ginger powder

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425F. Place chickpeas on a double thickness of paper towels. Top with another paper towel to soak up excess water. Rub outer layer off and discard. Scatter chickpeas on a baking sheet. Drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce. Add fresh ginger and garlic. Toss to coat. (I used my hands, because it’s fun.) Season with salt and pepper. Roast 20-30 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time. Will turn golden brown and become crunchy on the outside. Remove from oven and let cool. Serve.

I made beet chips a few months ago, so I’m not really breaking new ground here. But, I’ve never made carrot chips before and I’m here to tell you that they are awesome. I used my Benriner slice, but with a very sharp knife you could probably cut thin slices for this recipe.

Dilly Carrot Chips

4 large carrots, peeled

1 tsp coconut oil

1/4-1/2 tsp dried dill

1/2 tsp onion powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425F. Slice carrots on the diagonal about 1/8 inch thick using a mandoline slicer. Place carrot chips on a baking sheet and drizzle with coconut oil. Add dill and onion powder and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast about 20 minutes, turning chips halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven and serve warm or room temperature.