Yowsahs. I had no idea that we were suppose to get so much snow last night! 
Ok, bad choice of words. “So much” in Boston does not mean a few inches of snow. “So much” means, like, a foot or more. Even still, I was surprised to wake up to a Winter Wonderland this morning.
Reason #575 why I don’t like snow:
It actually didn’t take me very long to dig out my car (thanks to light, fluffy snow) and get to Body Pump on time.
Workout
Today’s Body Pump class was really fun because the instructor mixed up the music and played a bunch of songs from old releases. I like Body Pump 75 just fine, but I am SO ready for the new one! (My gym is debuting 76 the weekend of our marathon!)
Track highlights from this morning’s class:
- Back: What Do You Want from Me – Cascada (BP 68)
- Triceps: Hooke Me Up – Veronicas (BP 68)
- Shoulders: Thunderstruck – Hinder (BP 70)
- Abs: Sweet Home Al (Main Version) – BAMA (BP 59)
Lunch
As soon as I got home, I broke out the next cookbook in my Cookbook Challenge and started to make lunch.
I received the Williams-Sonoma Bride & Groom Entertaining cookbook for our wedding more than two years ago and have yet to make a single recipe from it. But, that’s exactly the point of my Cookbook Challenge, isn’t it? 
Flipping through the cookbook, a recipe for Chickpea Salad with Mint immediately caught my attention. It sounded tasty and easy to make, but (as usual) I did my own thing and came up with a different version of the recipe.
Chickpea Salad with Mint
Ingredients:
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; mix well.
- Refrigerate and serve cold.
So many interesting flavors! Love it!
I paired my Chickpea Salad with some Sweet Potato Friestossed in olive oil, ground flaxseed meal, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
De-lic-ious meal!
Busy afternoon ahead, but most of it is fun stuff! 
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
That chickpea salad looks awesome! I love making bean salads like that with anything I have on hand. Plus adding oven fries always helps!
Right there with ya on the Boston snow. I couldn’t believe that I was digging my car out at 6am. First time using the shovel is always the most painful.
I have a cookbook called the Bride and Groom Cookbook and it has some great recipes in it. Simple, tasty stuff. I really like it!
Oooh love the look of that chickpea sala! Bookmarked!
And I’m finding the snow a real pain as well! But a white Christmas will be nice!
I hope we get a white Christmas here!
We only got 2 inches and it’s already melted
Sad the storm didn’t come more inwards.
i can’t believe what little snow we’ve gotten here in St. Louis and in my home state of Michigan! i’m almost a little jealous
Not a flake here in Western Mass. although we keep hearing that it’s coming. My four year old would love to see snow for Christmas. Your chickpea salad looks great. Enjoy!
It didn’t snow at all in Philly!! I’m still hoping for a White Christmas though
One of my goals for the next month is to try a BodyPump class at my gym, they always sound so fun!
Seeing the snow makes me glad I left Boston and moved to Florida. Warm and sunny today!
I am craving chickpeas so bad! Roasted, sauteed, baked, chilled, blended (a la hummus)..yum!
Yumm your lunch looks amazing!! I hear ya on the snow shoveling. I have to scrape my car when i head to the gym at 5am and that’s half the workout right there!! Have a great afternoon Tina!
How strong is the mint? That looks good but the bf won’t eat food if it’s really minty…
oooo.. . .I hate cleaning my car off! I told my husband the next place we move I want a garage! Your lunch look delicious!
I’m so glad to hear you found a recipe you enjoyed in that cookbook. I just bought one of the cookbooks from that same series for my boyfriend’s sister for Christmas. Enjoy your snow, we have gotten lots of it here in Chicago! It’s definitely going to be a white Christmas.
i so wish i could try body pump! it always sounds so fun!
Oh Oh! That recipe looks awesome! I am always looking for ways to change up my chickpeas.
I have the same cookbook and have never used it! I think the New Year may be bringing a cookbook challenge of my own…
Do they not mix up the bodypump tracks very often at your gym? When we do a new launch we teach the new release for about 2 weeks and then we have free reign to mix & match from any release we own. I like that.
I haven’t watched the video for 76 yet, but I’ve looked through the choreography notes & it looks intense, especially for the small muscle groups! The music is pretty awesome too!
If we got that snow in Atlanta, everything would be shut down! It’s funny how it is so different in other parts of the country! Lunch looks perfect! Those fries!!! YUM!
oh my – that snow is CRAZY!!!
I just took my first power pump (my town’s version) class today. It was incredible!
looks like a fabulous lunch!
Your lunch looks awesome!
i know how much of a pain snow can be, but it sure looks pretty!
I love your cookbook challenge–I feel guilty walking by my bookshelf where I keep cookbooks. They look so lonely, I might have to do something like this soon enough.
Ooooo looks great
THANK YOU Gina!!!
*Tina (sorry, fingers are tired and lazy)
I absolutely despise and cleaning of the car! Glad it didn’t take long.
You should come up to Alaska to see what “so much” snow really means! We get about an average of 70 inches in one winter in Anchorage, AK.
I live in Minnesota. We’ve gotten close to 30″ of snow (17″ in one day) in December alone. Do you want some?
That chickpea salad looks fabulous! I’ve used coriander, parsley, thyme, and basil in legume salads before, but never mint
This meal looks good! I would never think to pair chickpeas with mint! And then to pair that with sweet potato fries. MMMM…
I love the idea of sweet potato fries with flaxseed meal!
Digging my car out from the snow is the worst! Mine was buried under 3 feet of it last week!
I’ve wanted that cookbook for a while now. That looks really good!
Mmmm…made the chickpea salad tonight and even threw in some sweet potato fries with it…FABulous dinner! Thanks for the idea
{ 2 trackbacks }