Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Just thought I would stop into the ol' blog today and share what I had for lunch with you.  I opened up the cupboards today, threw some foods together that I love and this tasty salad was born.  It is light and refreshing and filling at the same time.  The flavor combination was wonderful and the best news is it's only 152 calories per serving.  Yes.  Yes.  YES!

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/8 cup feta cheese
• olive oil, drizzle or about 1 TB
• balsamic vinegar, drizzle or about 1 TB
• 1/2 tsp dried basil, or fresh to taste
• lemon pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Place all ingredients in a bowl and give it a good stir.  Eat right away or allow salad to marinate.

Serves: 4

This salad could not be easier and it's super good for you too!  Check out the nutritional information below - hello protein and vitamins! 

 

 

The nutritional information was determined through the app MyFitnessPal which I have on my iPod.  It's a great app to track your dietary intake, exercise and progress as well as communicate and get encouragement from your friends.  It also lets you put in your own recipes.  I love it.  I need to use it more often.  You'd be surprised at how many calories you actually eat in a day.  My sister-in-law lost a good amount of weight from using it and it has started her on a pathway to healthy living (which she chronicles over at Lemon Living).  I'm not paid to brag about the app.  I just think it's a really good resource for those trying to improve their health habits. If you have the app you can locate this recipe by searching for Mediterranean Chickpea Salad - The Creative Vault.

CLOSED- doTerra essential oils from Lemon Living

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER #10 MARY! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

For over a year now, my sister-in-law, Jill Lemon, has been on a journey for better health.  She's focused on fitness, diet and enhancing her lifestyle.  She's worked hard and it has paid off.  Jill looks amazing but more importantly she feels amazing. 

She's started a new blog called Lemon Living, full of tips and tricks that she has used in her journey to better health and I'm happy to introduce you to that blog, Lemon Living.

In addition to exercise and better eating she has also discovered essential oils as a way to improve her health even more and has become a consultant for doTERRA oils.  Now you need to understand something about Jill, she is not a person who wastes her time and money.  She researches every purchase she makes and doesn't spend time doing things just for the sake of doing them or because it's the next best thing.  So when she told me that she loved these oils and wanted to share them with others I sat up and took notice.  These must be for reals because Jill wouldn't mess around with them if they weren't.

I was skeptical but she sent me a few samples which to my surprise I actually have enjoyed a lot.  There are lots of ways that you can use these oils and they can help with a variety of ailments.  Here are the samples she gave me and my experiences with them -

• Lavender:  I used this on a patch of poison ivy I had on my arm.  My ivy burn was close to healed when I started using the oil so I can't say that it "cured" my burn but it did make that patch's scar clear up a bit quicker than the other patches I had.  My friend Mary also uses this as aroma when she cleans the floors and I plan to put a few drops in my carpet cleaner solution the next time I clean.
• Lemon:  My husband had a major stomach ache a few days ago.  He was complaining about being sick like only a man can do.  I put two drops of lemon oil in a glass of water and made him take a sip.  After only 5 minutes he was back to normal and even he had to admit that it really did make him feel better.  I also plan to add this scent to my homemade cleaning supplies.
• Peppermint:  Jill used to get migraines every day and since she started putting peppermint behind her ears every day.  She hasn't had a migraine since she started doing this.  I had a headache one day and I used the peppermint instead of Advil.  I felt like it worked well.  My daughter also complained of a headache one night.  I put a drop on her forehead and she stopped complaining about the pain and started asking for candy because is smelled so good.  Haha!
• Deep Blue:  This is like a lotion with a mixture of a few different oils in it.  It's supposed to help with things like sore muscles, bruises etc.  I slept funny one night and my shoulder and neck were in so much pain I couldn't move them.  I tried the Deep Blue and the pain was gone and I had mobility within minutes.

These are just a few examples of the uses for these oils there are hundreds more but these are the ones that have helped me in the past few weeks.  I was skeptical at first but I really did like them and will be buying more in the future. You can find what oils are available and their uses HERE.

Now... who wants some free stuff???  I can sense you raising your hands behind those computer screens so let's get on with it.

Jill from Lemon Living is offering one lucky reader a doTERRA Introduction to Essential Oils Kit valued at $26.67.  The giveaway is open to anyone in the US or Canada.

The doTERRA Introduction to Essential Oils Kit includes:

- an introductory audio CD and booklet

- 5 ml of Lavender

- 5 ml of Lemon

- 5 ml of Peppermint

Here's how you enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post about essential oils.  Have you used them before?  What's your favorite?  Are you skeptical?  Do you have an ailment you hope they can fix?  Do you make homemade soaps or lotions that could benefit from some delicious scent?  Just leave a comment about anything and you're entered.
• BONUS ENTRIES just leave a separate comment for each one that you do to be entered multiple times.  That's up to 8 chances to win!
• Follow Lemon Living Blog
• Follow Lemon Living on Facebook
• Follow Lemon Living on Pinterest
• Make a doTerra purchase from Lemon Living
• Follow The Creative Vault Blog
• Follow The Creative Vault on Pinterest
• Share this giveaway (pin it, facebook, email, google+, etc.)

The giveaway will be open for one week and a winner will be announced on Monday the 13th.

Thanks Jill for the awesome prize!  Don't forget to visit her blog, Lemon Living and say hello!

 

Crockpot Chicken Chili

Looking for something inexpensive, easy and delicious for dinner?  Don't worry - I gotcha.

I made this dish for a freezer meal group I'm a part of.  You can read more about how it works HERE.  I ended up making seven meals which I put together in gallon sized Ziploc's and froze flat.  Nice and compact for storing in the freezer.

This chili is really flavorful and has just the right amount of spices that everyone will love.  It's great as a chili but also works well in tortillas as tacos.  It would make a good chili to put on top hot dogs or nachos.  Assembling the meal is simple and cooking it is even easier.  Flick a switch on your crockpot and walk away.  What's easier than that?!?

Here's how it's done -

Ingredients

• 1 large chicken breast
• 1 c. salsa (I used Pace )
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 cup water
• 2 cans chili beans in sauce
• 1 Tb. oregano
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions

If making freezer meals - place all ingredients into Ziploc bag and freeze.  When ready to cook remove from bag and place in crockpot (frozen or thawed).  Cook on high for 4 hours until chicken easily shreds with a fork.


Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Herb Bread and Butternut Squash Soup

Isn't Fall the best?

It's a season that brings new weather, new clothes, new sights and smells and my favorite, new food!

Today I'm excited to share with you some of my Thanksgiving favorites.  Many people like to stick with the same old tried and true recipes for Thanksgiving dinner and I'll admit that I love the feeling of a familiar dish, but sometimes it really makes the meal when you try something new.

When I was in culinary arts school I declared Thanksgiving that year to be "Fancy Thanksgiving".  I made my family a five course meal made entirely of dishes we had never tried before.  It was adventerous and delicious and we all enjoyed it.  That was the year I created this tasty Butternut Squash Soup.

Just because it was part of "Fancy Thanksgiving" doesn't mean it was difficult to make.  In fact, this is one of the easiest, most flavorful and healthy soups I've ever made.

 

 Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

- 2 Tb Country Crock
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 Tb brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- Optional garnish: cream, parsley, roasted squash seeds

Instructions:

1.  Over medium heat, melt Country Crock in large pot.

2.  Add carrots, onion, garlic and cook until soft but not brown.
3.  Add squash, stock, sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice to pot.
4.  Turn soup to high heat and bring to a boil.  Once it is boiling, turn down to medium and cook until squash is soft enough to put a fork in and have it come out easily, about 20 minutes.
5.  Blend soup mixture completly with a food processor or blender.  **Be very careful because the soup will be hot.  Allowing soup to cool before hand is a good idea to avoid burns.
6.  Reheat soup of necessary and garnish with a swirl of cream, parsley or roasted squash seeds.

Over the years, Thanksgiving dinner has evolved to fit our growing family.  With a bread loving husband and two bread loving children, on the menu this year is a new one for us, Slow Cooker Herb Bread.  With all the things I have going on it will be nice to whip up this simple bread in my slow cooker and save the room in my oven for more important things like turkey.

This bread is dense and chewy but also has a nice crunchy crust.  Making it in the slow cooker eliminates all the time and hassle of homemade bread but doesn't comprimise the taste.

Slow Cooker Herb Bread 

Ingredients:

- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 Tb sugar
- 1 Tb melted Country Crock
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3-5 cups flour
- chopped fresh herbs; basil, chive rosemary etc.
- additional Country Crock and cornmeal for greasing the slow cooker

Instructions:

1.  Place water and yeast in mixer.  Stir until yeast is disolved.

2.  Add sugar, salt, Country Crock, milk and herbs and stir.  Depending on the amount of herb you want in your bread should determine how much you use.  The herb will shrink up in the bread so the more the merrier.
3.  Add the flour a 1/2 cup at a time until bread pulls away from the sides of mixer and is no longer sticky.
4.  Using a paper towel take about a tablesoon of Country Crock and grease the bottom and sides of the slow cooker.  Sprinkle cornmeal on top of the greased dish.  This will prevent the bread from sticking.  You can also use parchment paper.  See image below.

5.  Place round ball of dough in slow cooker and cook on low for about 2 hours or on high for 1 hour.  The dough will spread out and rise to fit the slow cooker.  For a taller bread than pictured here, use a smaller slow cooker.

6.  The bread will look like it is not cooked but it is.  To determine if your bread is done, remove the slow cooker lid and thump the top of the bread.  It should make a thumping sound and be firm to the thouch.
7.  Remove the bread from the slow cooker and place on a cookie sheet.  Put on the bottom rack of the oven and cook under the broiler for about 5 minutes.  This will firm up the crust and give it a nice golden, crunchy texture.

To serve with your soup, slice a thin piece of bread and spead Country Crock on both sides.  Over meduim heat, place bread in frying pan and heat until crunchy and golden.

So there you have it!  Two new delicious Fall dishes and two new reasons to use Country Crock. 

Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you to Good to Know & Unilever Spreads for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Freezer Quesadillas & Recipe for Crock Pot Veggie Black Beans

Yesterday I told you all about our Freezer Meal Club.  Today I'm going to share with you a little about the freezer quesadillas that I contributed.

These aren't just any ol' quesadilla.  Inside each little tortilla sandwich is a generous portion of beef brisket, veggies, black beans and cheese.

The brisket I seasoned with lemon pepper and cooked in my crock pot until it was tender and falling apart.  I then chooped it up in small little bits.  The cheese is shredded four cheese Mexican blend and I'll give you my Veggie Black Bean recipe in just a minute.

First let me explain how I made these for the freezer.  I assembled the quesidillas just like I normally would in this order - tortilla, cheese, beef, beans, more cheese, tortilla.  I then attempted to flash freeze them by putting them on a baking pan and letting them freeze for a bit before putting them in bags.  Since I was making 49 of these I just wasn't able to so I stacked the quesadillas on top of each other and put them in freezer bags.  It turns out they didn't stick together like I thought they would so I will skip the flash freeze step next time. 

To reheat I simply take out a quesidalla and microwave for about 3 minutes or I bake in the oven at 350F for about 7.  I prefer the oven method because the tortilla is crispy but both work well.

I really enjoyed having hearty quesadillas on hand and plan to make a few every time I have leftover meat.  It's been great having a go to meal that that the whole family enjoys.  I also love that I can make it however I want.  This particular batch also has spinach, carrot and onion which gives it a little bit more of a healthy factor and since the kids can't tell, mom wins!

 

Crock Pot Veggie Black Beans

 

 

Ingredients:

 

- 1 lb bag of dried black beans, rinsed

- 7 cups water

- 1 chicken bullion cube

- 1 onion, finely chopped

- 1 box frozen chopped spinach

- 2 carrots, very finely chopped

- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

- oregano, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cilantro, salt

 

Instructions:

 

1.  In large crock pot add black beans, bullion and water. {You don't need to soak them overnight}  Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

2.  Add veggies {I used the veggies above because that's what I had on hand.  Any veggies you have will work.} and cook for an additional 2-3 hours until beans and veggies are tender.

3.  Add seasoning according to taste.  I uase about 1-3 tsp of each. 

 

 

 

Hope you enjoy these very flavorful and very healthy black beans!  I know we do!  The veggies blend so perfectly with the beans and seasonings your kids will never even know they're there!

 



Freezer Meal Club

It's been a while since I mentioned food on here.  I can assure you it's not for lack of eating.

 

I am I really excited to tell you about a new group some friends of mine started.  The idea is brilliant (I wish I'd thought of it myself) and I want to share it with you in case you want to start one too.

 

Several weeks ago, a good friend of mine came to me asked if I was interested in being in a freezer meal group.  It would consist of several friends that would create freezer meals and then get together and share them with each other.  The idea is to have a variety of meals available in the freezer so dinner time is easier.  Plus it's just fun to get together.

 

Here's how it worked:

 

We had a group of 7 women.  Each of those women made 7 meals that were able to feed at least 7 people for a total of 49 total servings.  That way we would have a meal for each day of the week.  The reason for the portion size was because some families had 3 people and some had 7 so at least 7 portions was most ideal.  For my family of 4 it meant that we would have dinner and then leftovers the next day.  The meals would be a main dish and would just have the main components {for example if you bring Asian stir fry you don't need to provide the rice, etc.}. 

 

We picked a trade day and met together at lunch time.  For lunch we each brought our prepared freezer meals and some of our freezer meal cooked and ready to eat.  We sampled each of the dishes and talked about what we brought and gave our advice for reheating and possible side dishes.  I was wonderful to share great food together and then leave with a weeks worth of meals.

I am not very experienced in the world of freezer meals and I have only made a casserole once in my life {true story} so I was very nervous and wasn't sure what to bring so I went with what I know and that is Mexican food.  I made 49 beef brisket, black bean and veggie quesadillas.  I liked the idea of something that you could pull out one at a time and heat up for lunches or quick meals on the go.

The other meals were:  Lasagna, chili, creamy chicken enchiladas, creamy basil and chicken pasta and poppy seed ham & cheese melts.  {One friend wasn't able to make it at the last minute so we were short a meal but that just meant that we got double of what we brought so we were still covered for the full week}.

So basically I made 49 beef black bean and veggie quesadillas.  I portioned them out so that each bag had 7 quesadillas.  On swap day I brought 6 bags of quesadillas {I left the 7th bag, my bag, at home} and a plate of cooked quesadillas.  We tasted each others food over a nice lunch and at the end I left with a pan or bag of each of the dishes I listed above. 

Over the past month I have been pulling out the dishes to cook for dinner.  Most just required reheating in the oven or even microwave.  For our family size most dishes provided us with a dinner, lunch for my husband the next day and then dinner again the next night.  The ham & cheese melts and my own quesadillas were packaged in a such a way that my husband would pull one out and take it to work for his lunches.

Before the swap I was stressed out and nervous.  I didn't know what to bring and I was worried about making so many portions of food, but afterward I was so happy we did it.  It was very simple to make a large amount of freezer meals since the meals were all the same.  It wasn't like some crazy freezer cooking day where you make a million different meals and have a billion different ingredients.  I'd guess that the time I invested in it {minus actual cooking time} would be about 2-3 hours and I've gotten nearly 2 weeks worth of food in return.  I felt like there was a wonderful variety of delicious foods and I of course loved the social aspect of the whole thing.  It's been fun to call my friends and say, "We had your chili tonight!  It was wonderful!"

We haven't discussed yet if we will continue with the group {we wanted to test it out first} but I have to say, I really enjoyed it and am working hard at finding more great recipes that I can use if we do it again.  Either way I am totally on the freezer meal train.  My life has been so much simpler this month.  I haven't even called my mom crying once!  Haha! 

You can check out my Food Inspiration board on Pinterest to see some of the recipes I've been looking at for the future as well as my Stuff I've Actually Made from Pinterest board {complete with reviews}.  Tomorrow I'll be back with my recipe for Crock Pot Black Beans and Veggies and tell you how I prepped the quesidillas for the freezer.

So I have to know - what do you think?  Have you done a Freezer Meal Club before?  How did it work for you?  Do you do freezer meal days or are you cooking a whole meal every night?  Feel free to link some of your favorite freezer meal recipes and share your tips on making dinner work for you and your family.  I'd love to learn more!



Cran-Apple Spinach Salad

I want you to taste this salad.  It's so yummy.  I've had something similar to this before and I did my best to recreate it and it was a success.  The rich dressing, crunchy spiced nuts, salty feta and sweet apples and cranberries combine to create a delicious flavorful salad.  Perfect for any occasion.

Ingredients:

1 bag spinach
1 cup Craisins
1-2 Galla Apples, diced
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
1/2 cup cinnamon and sugar spiced pecans
1/3 bottle Briannas Poppy Seed dressing

Directions:

1. Place spinach, Craisins, and apple in bowl
2. Toss with salad dressing.
3. Top with feta cheese and pecans.
4. Serve right away.

Grilled Corn Salsa

I had some leftover grilled corn from dinner the other day and knew it needed to be made into a salsa because everything is better with salsa.  I mean, Jerry Seinfeld had an entire episode dedicated to it!

Grilling corn is super simple.  Just lay your corn (husks and all) on the grill.  Rotate occasionally.  I don't even bother to soak them or remove the little strings because there is enough moisture in the husk already and the strings either singe off or they are super easy to remove after it's been cooked.  I do however trim off the floppy outsides of the husk.  No sense in starting a fire with unnecessary extra husk.

It tasted great with tacos and quesadillas.  The sweetness of the corn made it perfect. 

Want the super simple recipe??  Here it is. 

Ingredients:

• 1- 1.5 ears of grilled corn kernels
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• olive oil
• lemon juice
• salt
• chili powder

Directions:

1. Combine first four ingredients in a bowl.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.
3. Season with salt and chili powder.

Roasted Tapatio Chick Peas

A few weeks ago I made these salt and vinegar chick peas from Oh She Glows.  I found the recipe on Pinterest.  They are amazing.  This is the kind of snack that calls to me at all hours of the day and night, begging to be eaten.  Since then I've been experimenting with different flavors and the best one by a landslide is Tapatio flavor!

Now, I haven't decided on who I'm going to vote for for president yet but I'm considering this guy -

Tapatio is the greatest thing ever invented.

I have a confession:

I eat a liter of this hot sauce every month.

{Cardiologists around the world are having strokes as they read this.}

I just can't help myself, its so delicious it belongs on everything.  And I mean everything.  If it makes you feel better, I've cut down.  I used to eat 2 liters a month.

Ready for the simple recipe??

Ingredients:

• 1 can chick peas, drained
• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• 1-2 tsp Tapatio hot sauce

Directions:

1. Place chick peas in a baking dish (9x9 works well)
2. Drizzle with olive oil and stir until all pieces are coated.
3. Bake in oven at 400 F for 30 minutes, stirring the chick peas occasionally to make sure they don't burn on one side.
4. Remove from oven and sprinkle with hot sauce, stir to make sure that the sauce coats the chick peas evenly.
5. Place back in oven and cook additional 10-15 minutes until dark golden brown.
6. Remove from oven again and toss more sauce on them.  They will be very hot and the sauce should bake right onto them without having to put them back into the oven.
7. Let cool and enjoy!
*** All ovens vary.  If they do not look like they are crisping up enough cook for longer.  But be aware that as they cool they will become slightly more crunchy. 

These are so crunchy, flavorful, and delicious with just the perfect amount of spice.  I store them in a container in my cupboard and it makes for a great snack packed with protein and of course, Tapatio!

Mango Salsa

Are you ready for an easy, fresh, delicious, chunky salsa to go with well... anything?

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh mango, diced  {Go HERE for How To Cut A Mango tutorial}
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 c. chopped cilantro
• 1-2 Tb. olive oil
• 1-2 Tb. lemon juice
• salt
• chili powder

Directions:

1. Place first 4 ingredients in bowl.
2. Drizzle with oil and lemon juice.
3. Season with salt and chili powder to taste.

Told you it was easy.

You can put this on anything or everything. 

It's also yummy to just eat straight out of the bowl!

Here's how the Cutts Family {that's us} likes it:

On top of grilled steak tacos

~

Red leaf lettuce salad topped with Siesta Chicken and Mango Salsa

~

As a side to bacon wrapped BBQ baked chicken with basmatti rice

~

Plain ol' chips and salsa

 

How To Cut Up A Mango

Sometimes I get sad when people say they love mango's but they can't figure out how to cup them up {because of that huge weird seed in the middle} so they don't ever get them.  Mango's are so delicious!  Don't deny yourself mango's anymore!  I will show you how to slice and dice to your hearts delight.

Step 1:  First things first - get a ripe Mango.  Too hard and the flavor won't be ripe.  Too soft and it will taste fine but will be stringy.  Pick one that is firm but still has a little give when you squeeze it.

Step two:  Turn your mango up so that the pointy tip is pointing toward the sky. Carefully {Don't cut yourself!} place the knife slightly off center and slowly cut downward {I use a slight sawing motion when I cut} following as close to the seed as you can.

 Should look like this when you are done.  See the seed on the one on the left?

Step 3:  Do the same thing you did in step 2 but with the other side.

And it now looks like this.  The seed is on the left.

Step 4:  Do the same thing you did in step 2 & 3 with the skinny sides around the seed. 

Step 5:  Don't let the seed go to waste.  For doing all the hard work you are now to reward yourself by scraping that baby clean.  You can use your teeth for that part.  See?  I even have some mango stuck in mine.  Go to town.

Step 6:  Being careful not to slice through the skin, score lines in the mango horizontally, then vertically.

Step 7:  Push on the back of the mango and flip it inside out.

Step 8:  Use your knife to shave off pieces into a bowl.  I cut it once and then cut it again just closer to the skin the second time.  This part will all depend on what size you want your pieces.

Step 9:  For the smaller pieces, score it the same way but you can lay these flat and fillet the skin off the mango.



Now you can stop being afraid of mangoes and embrace them in all of their deliciousness!

_______________________

I always put my mangoes in my super tasty, super fresh, super simple Mango Salsa. 

Be sure to go HERE to get the recipe.

South of The Border Chicken and Vegetable Soup

A simple, hearty and healthy soup. 

This soup is so yummy and the only way I can get vegetables into my 3 year old.

I created this soup for Christmas Eve one year and have been enjoying it ever since.  In fact, even though its 100 degrees outside I think I'm going to make a bowl of soup.  No amount of temperature can keep me from enjoying a good bowl of soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 can cooked chicken breast
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 can water
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 3-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 carrot, small chop
• 1 stick celery, cut in half lengthwise and chopped
• corn from one cob or 1/4 cup kernels
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1-2 Tb. olive oil
• salt
• lemon pepper
• cumin powder
• chili powder
• cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. In pot, heat olive oil.  Saute onion, garlic, carrot and celery until soft.
2. Add tomato.  Saute additional 3-5 minutes.
3. Add tomato sauce, broth, chicken and water.  Cook until boiling.
4. Add spices according to taste.
5. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream or tortilla chips.

Serves approx. 4

Fat Free Potato Chips

This is my new favorite snack.  I crave these constantly.

And guess what??

Just 75 calories.

Yeah,  you heard me.  75 calories.  0 grams of fat.  100% delicious.

The naturalness of these chips is what makes them so good.  They are done in the microwave so anyone can make these.  So simple.  So good.  Another tasty variation is to use sweet potato instead of regular potato.

Ingredients:

• Potato
• Pan spray
• Salt

Directions:

 Step 1:  Slice potato as thin as possible.

 Step 2:  Spay a large plate with pan spray and lay potato slices onto plate.  Sprinkle with salt.


Step 3:  Since all microwaves are different I can't just give you a time to cook them.  You need to play around a little until you find out what works for your microwave.  I cook mine starting at 6 minutes.  I then add minutes as I need to (usually 2 minutes at a time) according to how the potatoes look.  You know when they are ready when they start to crisp up and get a golden brown look to them like in the first picture.  Potatoes will get crunchier as they cool so color is a major factor in determining doneness.

Serve with a dip of your choice or eat alone.  Serving size is one potato.  Calorie information taken from My Fitness, calculations using My Recipe.