Kale

Lately we have been enjoying some simple recipes with kale. One of my friends from church helped me figure out the kale chips; she's a pro.

Kale Chips

lots of kale (it cooks down)
olive oil
salt

Heat oven to about 350. Coat kale with a light layer of olive oil (I get my hands in there and really massage the kale leaves). Spread out in shallow layers on roasting pan (I use a cookie sheet covered with foil). Sprinkle with salt, and check every 10 minutes until they get crispy at the edges. Sometimes I turn on the broiler for a few minutes to help with the moisture. Sometimes I don't!

Kale Salad

Chop up kale into whatever size bites you want! Coat with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt. Can add in things like minced garlic and pepper. Go crazy.


When the weather warms a bit I want to try some kind of green smoothie using kale and fruit.

Dance Party!

One of my favorite lines from my son last night during our family Valentine's dance party: "this is the cheese grater"! Yes folks, my son can dance like a cheese grater. The kid has serious moves - totally blackmail material for later in life!

Maybe the dance party was a result of the sugar high? It's hard to stick to a diet when there are Valentine's cookies, Valentine's chocolate, Valentine's brownies, etc. lurking in the house!

I'm thinking a daily dance party is in order to burn calories. You are invited!

Poetry for the Middle of the Week

Every morning after a few chores
There's really nothing that I like more
Than to fill the filter and clean the pot
And make some coffee which I like a lot.

This morning it looks like the flavor
Will be vanilla - perfect to savor.
Let's go, Wednesday, bring it on;
Lots to do before the sun is gone.

Coffee will help me enjoy the time
Making Valentine's - won't they be fine!
Someday my children will join in the fun
But for now, making coffee for one.

Analyze This

See if you can draw a connection between these two problems: I don't return my Netflix DVD's, and I never return library books on time. In a lot of other areas, I keep up with schedules and deadlines and calender things; but these two return-places do not do well by me.

As a further twist, I always remember to renew my library books online. So, I have the books for one month with no problems. It's after the one month of "freedom" that I fall by the wayside.

I actually was relieved today to check my library account online and see that my fine total is $9.25. I thought it was much higher than that!

Quiet Day at Home

School is pretty much done for the day, so the kids are creating Valentine's. I gave them a stack of patterned paper, ribbon, stickers, stamps, glue, etc. and told them to have at it! It has been the activity for the week actually.

Me? I knit a bit on Big Fish's scarf for his upcoming birthday, and now I'm going to sit at my spinning wheel for at least 15 minutes! Yeah!

Snippet

Yesterday morning I went to change the baby's diaper when she woke up. I unzipped her sleeper and did a double take. There was no diaper there! My mind started racing, "Did I even put a diaper on her? Did she go the whole night without a diaper? Is her bed a soaking mess?"

Upon further investigation (and cleanup) it was discovered that her diaper had worked itself into the foot of her sleeper! It must have been a morning occurrence because she was not completely soaked. Her um, err, "droppings" were of the solid nature, so a quick little sink bath made for a fresh baby.

Leave it to the 4th child to provide this new location for a diaper. I have not had that happen before!