This week we'll explore versatile chickpeas and easy, healthy muffins made right in the blender. We'll also delve into why Greenland should be treasured (instead of exploited) and a book about community.

Eat Colorfully

Seasonal Ingredient Spotlight

Since we're still in the depths of winter (at least in Vermont), this week I figured we'd explore a pantry superstar: chickpeas. These powerful legumes are high in protein and fiber, are easily incorporated into a wide variety of dishes, and are usually only a dollar or two per can (and less than that if you buy dried beans).

In this ode to chickpeas, let's explore some of the many things you can do with them.

• Use them in hummus (of course). I have a huge number of hummus recipes on my blog for you to explore. If you're new to homemade hummus, I'd start with this basic lemon hummus (omit the toppings to keep it simple). If you're already a hummus pro, check out some of my fun variations like this Green Goddess Hummus or this sunshine-hued Golden Turmeric Hummus.
• Mix them into salads. This could include any sort of green salad, grain salad, bean salad, etc. One of my favorites is this Vegan Waldorf Chickpea Salad which is easy, comforting, nostalgic, and high in protein.
• Make them into croutons. Just rinse them, pat them dry, and toss them with a dash of olive oil and whatever spices you're in the mood for. Then toast them under the broiler, tossing frequently, until crispy. They're great as a crunchy component on top of salads and soups.
• Make chickpea blondies. Yes it's true! My absolute favorite baked goodies in the entire world are these Tahini Chickpea Blondies. They're vegan, grain-free, high in protein, and you'll never know the chickpeas are there.
• Use them as a base for no-bake treats. If you're looking for a fun dessert, these No-Bake Whole Food Birthday Cake Bars are a blast. Chickpeas play a starring role, creating a cheesecake-like filling that's plant-based, creamy, and decadent.

Which of these ways have you enjoyed chickpeas? I'm guessing you've probably made hummus and used them in salads. But have you tried them as croutons? Have you tried them in desserts?? If not, prepare to be amazed! These magical little legumes can truly do anything.

What I'm Loving Right Now

These cold February weekends are perfect for baking, don't you think? Personally speaking, I like to bake a nourishing, high-protein treat that my husband and I can then pack with our lunches throughout the week. Recently I've been baking a lot of blender muffins, which made me realize... are you guys familiar with blender muffins?

Like the name implies, blender muffins are made right in the blender. They're convenient, fast, and minimize dirty dishes. Additionally, because you're enlisting the help of the blender, you can use whole oats as the flour element. There's no need to buy pricey oat flour or dirty a separate kitchen gadget to grind your own oat flour. You'll just dump everything into the blender to create a smooth batter, stir in any mix-ins by hand, and bake.

I actually have three different blender muffin recipes on my blog. If you love classics, check out these Vegan Morning Glory Blender Muffins, which are bursting with a nourishing combination of carrots, zucchini, and blueberries. If you're looking for something chocolatey, you'll love these Vegan Mocha Banana Blender Muffins. If you're craving an indulgent (yet still healthy) treat, then these Peanut Butter Banana Blender Muffins (stuffed with a dollop of peanut butter!) are for you.

Live Colorfully

In the Natural World

Greenland has been all over the news lately. Personally, I find it crushing that our president thinks the US can buy Greenland, an island with its own people, its own culture, and its own identity. I'm actually a PhD research scientist in my "day job" and I study glaciers and climate change. I've done five expeditions to Greenland; it's a place I know intimately, so I wanted to share more about it.

In one word, Greenland is humbling. It's incredibly beautiful, filled with rugged landscapes, sweeping glaciers, and enormous icebergs. It's also incredibly big, wild, dangerous, and daunting; it's a place that very quickly puts our small human lives into perspective. I felt a sense of reverence while walking, living, and camping on that untouched landscape. I used to get dropped by a helicopter for weeks at remote field sites and often wondered if I was the first human to walk there.

Greenland is awesome in its power. Nature is raw there, which makes daily life exceedingly difficult, especially at remote sites. Getting my tent flattened in 100 mph winds, getting stranded for days when it was too foggy for the helicopter to get my team, literally crawling across the tundra because it was too windy to stand, and sleeping (or rather lying awake) every night wondering if a polar bear would smell us were routine occurrences, especially in the far northern part of the island. It really makes you realize that humans are inconsequential on this big, untamed Earth.

Greenland is spectacularly disorienting. There's no sense of scale (since there are no trees), so it's impossible to tell how far away anything is. There's no sense of time (since during the summer the sun is high in the sky 24 hours a day). Although I cherished my experiences there, I was often exhausted, hurt, hungry, and scared. The developed world feels very far away when your hair is rotting and falling out, your feet are rotting, you haven't eaten anything fresh for weeks, and you share your sleeping bag every night with a polar bear gun and your pee bottle. It's a place that can certainly mess with your identity and your emotions.

There are also places in Greenland that are caring, nurturing, and welcoming. I was incredibly fortunate to be able to spend time in a few small fishing villages and was always amazed at the beauty of the colorful little houses amongst the bare rock and the kindness of the people. Greenlanders have a very deep sense of cultural heritage and a deep connection with the Earth that is sadly rare.

In short, and this is coming from someone who spent considerable time there, Greenland is not a commodity to be bought and sold, nor is it a buffet of resources to exploit. It's one of the few truly wild landscapes we have left on this planet and we'd be wise to protect and respect it.

What I'm Reading

If you're looking for an interesting, thoughtful, and compelling read, I highly recommend The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. I just finished it this past week and loved it from beginning to end.

The Briar Club is a story of women living in a Washington DC boarding house in the 1950's. It explores each woman's story, and thereby explores many of the cultural and societal issues of that decade. Ultimately, although it deals with some complex issues, it's actually a book about friendship and community. Kate Quinn is a really creative writer and always manages to weave personal stories with history in an elegant way.

Interested in some others from the same author? I've also read The Rose Code (which I talked about in this newsletter issue from last summer), The Alice Network, and The Diamond Eye, and I'm currently on our library's wait list for The Huntress. Remember that you can always browse my favorite book list if you need some ideas.

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Thanks for joining me for this issue of Eat Colorfully, Live Colorfully! I'd love to hear from you, so please feel free to reply with questions, thoughts, or requests. If you missed a previous issue, you can view all my newsletters here. Have a great week!