Chips & Dips

Happy Friday!  This morning, I was a bit slow to wake up, but there's nothing a little liquid energy can't fix!  I brewed up a big cup of coffee, added some cream and sugar, then put the green monster in motion.  This time, I changed it up a little.

1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach, torn
1 1/2 tbsp ground flaxseed
2 tsp almond butter
1 banana, sliced
1/2 cup peach slices
1 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk
A dash of vanilla extract

Mix in the blender until homogeneous.

Since I didn't have any frozen fruit/vegetables in it this time, I blended in a few ice cubes at the end.  Delicious! Not as intense as it is with berries.

Tonight, it was time to get creative.  I had a bag of whole wheat flatbread/pita that was about to go to waste/go moldy if I didn't act fast.  With some inspiration from my new Cooking Light cookbook, I tried D.I.Y. pita chips.  How had I never thought of this before?  First of all, pita chips are overpriced.  Plus, it can be difficult for me to finish a whole bag of pitas on my own.  It was so easy, too.

Here's what to do:

Preheat oven to 350.  Cut each pita into 8 triangles.  Arrange on a baking sheet.  Brush the wedges lightly with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and whatever other spices you'd like.  Bake until crispy.  NOTE: The bread I used wasn't typical pita bread - it didn't separate into two layers.  Otherwise, I would have pulled the layers apart and baked for a much shorter time.  My thick chips baked about 20 min. (they were probably done at 15 min. though).

I made some guacamole to go with the chips as well.  I mashed one (slightly underripe... oops!) avocado and mixed in chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. 

The Usual Suspects

Of course, some hummus got in on the dippage too.

The Parting Shot

I think hummus complements pita chips much better than guacamole does, but desperate times call for desperate measures. 

Hope everyone has a fantastic Friday night!