kale chips

It was a quarter past 8 this morning as I stood in front of the self-check-out register at Fred Meyers, quickly scanning and weighing my items in order to get to work by 8:30.

The self-checkout master at Freddy’s came around the corner (we’re friends now since I go there all-the-time) and I asked him if he knew the code for the bunch of Kale I just pulled from my basket.

Of course he did - he knows all the specials codes!

From the next register over, another self checker also on her way to work from my assessment, shoots over in my direction “Do you made kale chips with your kale?’’

Did she seriously just read my mind?

Of course I was making kale chips with my kale, what better way is there? Really?

I love popcorn, and so does my friend Bethany. But recently, Bethany decided to go Paleo. She’s healthy. Me… ehh… I try. But, unfortunately for Bethany, popcorn on the Paleo diet is a big no no, so tonight she is coming over to my house and I’m going to make her Kale chips, because to me it’s kinda like popcorn, only green, and better!

Okay, off to make my kale chips. You should too; all that crunchy, salty, hit of oil in your mouth goodness!

You will feel like you’re doing something wrong, but of course, you’re not.

 

Kale Chips

Ingredients:
One bunch of Kale – wash and torn into bite sized pieces
Drizzle of olive oil
Dash of seasoned salt

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Place kale pieces on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with seasoned salt. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the chips start to turn brown. Watch that they don’t burn. Serve warm.

mirror monday: do i really believe

I just finished reading The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. What an inspiring story! The Ten Boom family lived in Holland during World War II, and became part of the underground movement hiding Jews from the Nazi and orchestrating the safe passage of so many Jews into hiding all over the country.

Eventually Corrie and her sister Betsie were discovered for their work in the underground movement and arrested. They were thrown in prison and eventually transferred to two different concentration camps. Throughout it all their faith in God remained unwavering.

Upon arriving at one of the concentration camps each women was ordered to strip naked and leave all their clothes and possessions behind. In addition to a sweater, and a small bottle of vitamin drops, Corrie and Betsie had a small precious Bible they had been carrying with them.

Each woman was given a thin prison dress to wear, nothing else. Although they were told to leave everything behind, Corrie and her sister refused to let go of the precious Word of God that they clung to so dearly. Although she risked being beaten or shot, Corrie smuggled the Bible, along with the sweater and vitamins underneath her prison dress. When inspection time came each women was thoroughly patted down one by one in a long line of women. Corrie who held the Word of God under her dress was miraculously skipped each time. No other explanation but a miracle of God can be given for how this happened.

I can tell you that when I look in the mirror, I do not see a person with the faith that Corrie and Bestie had. In a way, I'm jealous. Their faith in God was all they had. The truth is, the same God that saved Corrie and Betsie from being brutally beaten or killed by the guards is the same powerful God that wants to work in my life. Do I really believe that? I don't act like I believe that. I have 1000 different things distracting me at any given moment from iphone Apps to Nordstrom catalogues to the comforts of my own home, my favorite TV shows and my daily routine that I'm flat out missing out on experiencing the power of God in my life.

Stuff.

How pathetic.

How cunning of the evil one.

My goal: to be less consumed with stuff and more consumed with what God is doing and how He wants me to join with Him in the miraculous things He is doing!




top: garage sale | vest: Nike | leggings: Favuer | necklace: Favuer 

food: chopped winter salad with butternut squash, apple, and feta

I made this last amazing butternut squash salad for dinner last night. I'm so excited that it was a hit and look forward to it becoming a regular guest in our household!

Butternut squash is, as I'm sure I've said before and will undoubtedly say again, one of my favorite things ever. So, when I say this recipe for a quick and easy salad in last months issue of Real Simple, I knew it wouldn't be long before I tried it out!

There is so much going on in this dish you just have to try it for yourself! First of all there is the feta / kalamata olive combo which in and of itself is one of my personal favs. All that salty goodness adds so much flavor to this dish. Then there is the tart apple to balance out the feta cheese and chickpeas. Radicchio, which I personally never had before, was great and added a ton of fun color to the dish. And then, the star of the show, in my opinion, the roasted butternut squash! Oh, and I can't forget the dill dressing which was the easiest thing I have ever made! The dill was a perfect herb for this dish!

Chopped Winter Salad with Butternut Squash, Apple and Feta (from Real Simple)

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 small head radicchio leaves town
• 1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 4 ounces Feta cheese
• 1 tart apple (I used Granny Smith)
• 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash with 1 tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until tender, 25 to 30 minutes; let cool slightly.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, dill, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the squash, radicchio, chickpeas, Feta, apple, and olives and toss to combine.