Tonight we held the final meeting of the Chickpea Lovers Club 🙁
As you may know, Rose (the only other member of CLC) is moving to Pennsylvania and I am moving to California. For a short time we were in the same state with the same passion for chickpeas, but unfortunately this time has come to an end.
I am horrible with change or good-byes so this makes my heart very sad. But, I am very thankful for our friendship and the time we had together. We went to dinner with Quinn tonight as a last chance to hang out before she leaves town.
We walked to Clyde’s and ate outside – it was great to be able to stroll and chat.
I started with a strawberry salad with goat cheese and granola. Um, seriously – that combination of ingredients? I could not pass that up.
I ordered the crab cake sandwich for dinner. 
I am making a blatant effort to eat crab cakes every time I can! I am going to miss crab cakes when I move!!! I ordered fruit instead of fries so I could use the tartar sauce generously (another new obsession). 
I was going to pass over lunch, but I’m made a tempeh sandwich that was super dee-lish. So, here’s a picture for fun 🙂
Snacks/BLTs:
– trail mix
– few crackers with LC cheese
– handful cereal
– Vitatop for dessert <3
Health News – Chia Cake? This article says chia gel can replace eggs in recipes! I know you can also use “flax eggs”, but I’m partial to chia seeds for some reason.
Question: What healthy baking substitutes do you use?
Me: I’m all about using applesauce instead of oil. Unfortunately, Ben can totally taste this change and hates it 🙁 I also have been using stevia or Splenda more depending on what I have around.
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I like applesauce and/or yogurt as a fat replacement. I also love pumpkin and have even used butternut squash too.
Maryland crabcakes are THE BEST!!!! Whenever I’m in MD, PA or DE, I always try to order them.
I definitely don’t see crab cakes on the menu much where I live in CA. Kind of a bummer, I actually really enjoy a good crab cake when I can get one!
I use yogurt or applesauce instead of oil, flax eggs instead of eggs and every now and again the WW diet coke can trick.
Ahhhh – now your crab cake order makes even more sense! It was so fun dining with you ladies! I’m sad you’re both leaving 🙁
Yes, I’m totally obsessed with crab cakes right now! I will miss them and DD iced coffee the most 🙂
How do you like tempeh?!! I just tried it for the first time (I baked it with Caitlin of HTP’s “Tempting tempeh” recipe) and it was so gross! The texture was really dry and it tasted weird!
So the question is (lol) what do you do to it in a tempeh sandwich so that it makes you happy rather than sad?
I actually love tempeh, but this flavor is weird in a sandwich. I think just getting another flavor would make me happy 🙂
I like using apple sauce for oil too — but canned pumpkin works really well too! The issue with apple sauce/pumpkin is that it doesn’t work as well in cookies since it makes them so cakey. Boo!
I find myself spending more and more time here lately. Thanks for your blog. =)
I am LOVING that salad combo…what a unique idea!! That would even be super easy to recreate at home, which I plan to do soon now 🙂
Tartar sauce! My fave. Ever have tartar sauce and french fries? OMG. Guilty pleasure. mmm.
I always substitute applesauce for oil when I make muffins. That way I can eat them more often bc they are totally healthy! I tried this with a cookie recipe, and it did not work as well. You can’t even tell with muffins, though!
Monica ur food is out of this world crazy!! SO YUMMY! hey if theres a chickpea club, I WANT IT! xoxo
Thanks Kelsey 🙂 And you’re welcome in the club!
I want to join the Chickpea Lovers Club! I ate them at two meals today; I think that makes me a qualified chickpea lover.
Three of my favorite bloggers at the same meal??? I’m so jealous!
*shudder* I stay FAR away from Splenda. Luckily, stevia isn’t scary to me! I do use that sometimes.
Applesauce has actually improved all of my baked goods. I’m always having people ask me to bake them my banana bread because they say it is moister than any they have ever tried. I tell them APPLESAUCE!!
I’m really proud of how I slimmed down a fatty fat hazelnut cheesecake ice cream recipe using greek yogurt, low-fat cream cheese, and half whole milk. But I think my favorite baking substitute is flax eggs. If only they would scramble quite like they bake…
Good byes are hard, even when you’re moving somewhere that will make you happy.
If I’m baking for just me and my family I substitute applesauce for butter and generally decrease the amount of sugar, but just a smidge. I think most quick breads, like banana and pumpkin call for way too much sugar. That’s an easy modification. Oh, and I usually use 1/2 whole wheat/ 1/2 white flour and sometimes I use egg substitute, if I have it on hand.
If I bake for my husband’s co workers or for a bake sale, I use all butter, full fat cream cheese, white flour and white sugar.