Tasty Treat Tuesday- Roasted Chickpeas

The days are getting shorter and walk times are too! Normally Sweetheart and I take Max on 2-3 miles of formal walk a day but late last week it got really really cold. We decided to forgo the standard trail walk in favor of something a little closer to the warm car. We ended up at a local park with tennis courts and baseball diamonds. These are the best spots to exercise Max when we can't do the long walk. They're enclosed, fairly clean and well lit. What more could you ask for? What? You want video proof? Here's the Maxster at the baseball field. He'll chase but rolling in the grass is way too enticing to ignore.

Sooner than I want, it will be too cold or dark to do much walking and indoor activities will become our life. Indoor activities means I need lots of small treats of lower value. Even better if the treats are shelf-stable and cheap. With that, I bring you Roasted Chickpeas. These remind me of soy nuts or peanuts but are infinitely customizeable for your dog and take 2 minutes to prep and about 45 minutes in the oven.

Baked Chickpea Treats

1 can of Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
Some kind of oil spray (veggie, olive, canola, etc.)
Seasonings if you want them.

• Drain the chickpeas and rinse them well.
• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the beans out onto the parchment  in a single layer
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until the outsides are starting to dry but the peas are still slightly squishy.
• Remove the chickpeas from the oven and lightly spray with your oil spray. Roll the chick peas around to coat them in the oil. 
• If you're adding seasoning like garlic powder, cinnamon or sea salt, do that right after the oil is sprayed.
• Return the tray to the oven for another 15-20 minutes until the chickpeas are crispy through the middle. 
• Let the chickpeas cool on the baking sheet and store them in a plastic bag away from humidity on the counter. If you bag the chickpeas before they're cool, condensation will build up and make the treats soft but you can return them to the oven for 10 minutes or so to re-crisp them. 

This week we're adding our voice to the blog hop at Kols Notes for Tasty Tuesday. Check them out for many more treat ideas!