Name: Artichoke & Chickpea Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 can of garbanzo beans; 170 g of steamed artichoke hearts (10 pieces); 2 TBSP fresh parsley; 2 TBSP grated parmesan cheese; 1 TBSP olive oil; Salt to taste

Happy Hump Day!

Today I want to share a couple of things that I’m loving this week:

#1 – My new Oakley sunglasses

I stopped by the mall yesterday to do my last Christmas return and wound up getting a new pair of sunglasses. I have super sensitive eyes and have always relied on high-quality sunglasses to help protect my peepers when I’m outside. This is my first pair of Oakleys. I like them because they’re sporty but also good for everyday wear, and they’re also polarized, which I think is really neat. I tried them out today during a lunchtime walk around my neighborhood trail with Harley. She wanted no part in taking photos with me…

…though I certainly tried:

#2 – My gym: Last night I did a group class at my neighborhood’s gym for the first time in quite awhile. I didn’t know if the class, called Body Shock, would be my style, but I wound up working up a really good sweat and having a nice workout. It reminded me that nighttime classes are an option whenever my days get too hectic to include a workout. It’s great to have a gym in my complex that I can easily walk to. I’ve certainly taken advantage of it in the years that I’ve lived here!

#3 – My food processor: Around the beginning of December, my food processor totally conked out on me. Knowing that it was an expensive kitchen appliance that I use often, I brought it to a store to see if they could fix it for me. The appliance doctor (as I like to call him) had my food processor for about a month, but I’m happy to report that it’s back in action. I promptly made hummus, which I’ve been enjoying all week long. Today I had some for lunch with cheese, crackers, a kiwi and pistachios:

Speaking of chickpeas…

#4 – Today I’m loving this salad:

I found packaged steamed artichoke hearts at Trader Joe’s recently and nabbed em. Since I’ve really been diggin’ chickpeas lately, I decided to pair the two foods together for a simple, healthy meal.