So, I’ve been buying kale whenever I go grocery shopping lately. Because I’ve been feeling like I buy the same old vegetables all the time: the lettuce, the peppers, the tomatoes, the carrots, the frozen broccoli, the spinach, and, if I’m feeling adventurous, the cucumber….ahem.

Also, I’ve heard that DARK leafy green vegetables are WHERE IT’S AT — and not just your usual spinach and lettuce. It’s all about the COLLARDS and the KALES. Packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, they are! So, I’m starting with kale.

I’ve been buying it weekly for several weeks now, and it always just rots in my fridge because I’m too lazy to take on the KALE ADVENTURE. But, this week, I was determined to use my beautiful bunch of organic kale….

KALE CHIPS!!!!!!!!!

Kale chips, Gorgeouses. They are FABULOUS. They’re crispy and tasty and, WHO CARES WHAT I HAVE TO SAY when I have THIS EVIDENCE:

Monkey, aka PICKIEST-EATER-ON-THE-PLANET, LOVED her “chips”! Need I say more….

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

1. Remove the stems from the kale.

2. Cut or tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.

3. Toss leaves with oil, salt, and pepper — making sure all are covered.

4. Place the leaves in a single layer on a lined/lightly greased baking sheet.

5. Place in the oven for anywhere from 4 to 15 minutes (every recipe I’ve seen says something different, but I baked mine for about 12 minutes). Time really varies here — depending on how wet your leaves are, how big you make them, etc.. Just make sure the kale becomes crispy but not burned. Serve immediately and ENJOY!

As I get closer and closer to vegan status, I’m finding myself buying all sorts of great vegetarian/vegan cookbooks (COUGHsupportmybookbuyinghabit HERE!COUGH…). My latest find is Edith Rothschild’s Nutrilicious.

This book is ADORABLE. It’s written by Jewish GREAT-GRANDMOTHER. And, even though it calls itself “Kosher,” it’s great for everyone. I mean, I’m not even Kosher, and I LOVE it. It’s seriously PACKED with great information and health tips — and some THUPER sweet poems! And, for you non-vegans out there who would like to incorporate more vegetarian meals into their week (please do!), the book does include a few (free-range!) egg and fish recipes.

The recipes I’ve tried so far have been delish — not only for me, but for my non-veg hubby and kids. Here are two of them that we’ve totally enjoyed.

SUMMER SALAD SUPREME (p. 78)

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2):

2 cups shredded packed romaine lettuce
1 large orange or 2 tangerines, peeled and chopped (1/2-inch pieces)
1 small grapefruit, peeled and chopped (1/2-inch pieces)
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp NUTTY-EDITH CRUNCH (this is another great recipe on p. 181 of the book, but I just ground raw almonds and walnuts together in a coffee grinder, and it was WICKED ‘LICIOUS! A kind of paste formed that mixed GORGEOUSLY with the oil and lemon juice….. If you don’t want to do it my way, the author suggests that you use sunflower seeds if you don’t feel like making the NUTTY-EDITH CRUNCH)
1 - 2 tsp flaxseed oil
A small handful of organic golden raisins or dried organic cranberries.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine all the ingredients in medium bowl, toss well, and ENJOY!

BENEFITS (qtd. directly from book):

What’s supreme about this salad? It’s as refreshing as a cool breeze on a hot summer day. I eat it all year ’round, whenever I need a light lunch and some vitamin C. Whenever we combine fruit with salad greens, we slow down the absorption of sugars from the fruit into our bodies. This enables us to keep our energy level up longer and prevents us from getting hungry again too soon.

JOKE (qtd. directly from book): “If life hands you a lemon, squeeze it into your salads.”

QUICK APPLE TREAT (p. 224)

INGREDIENTS (Serves 1):

1 medium sweet apple (I might even add some cheaty little blueberries or raisins to this!)
2 tbsp sugar-free jam or organic apple butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Peel the apple, cut it into 8 or more wedges, and discard core.
2. Place the jam or apple butter in a medium-sized skillet and heat at Medium-High, until bubbly.
3. Stir in the apple slices, turn heat down to LOW, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, turning the apples over once.
4. ENJOY!

BENEFITS (qtd. directly from book):

This takes much less time than making applesauce, baked apples or apple pie and quickly fills a sweet tooth.

Avoid Six White Foods!!!!!
White sugar, White Flour, White Rice, White Chocolate, Salt and Milk.

Cheaty HIGHLY recommends this cookbook if not only because it’s singlehandedly brought me back to WHOLE FOOD — in the real sense of the term. It’s made my kitchen a warm and exciting place to cook in again.

It’s a love-hate relationship. I LOVE that friggin’ Starbucks-Soy-No-Water Chai-Tea Latte perhaps more than I love myself — well, at least, more than I love my own body because, MAN, my body HATES that thing. HAAAATES! Oh, but my soul…or, erm, my sugar-addicted tastebuds, blood cells, LOVE.

Anyway. I went for my third appointment with Lori, my holistic nutritionist, this afternoon, and I finally told her about my little addiction….

She googled it right in front of me to see exactly what the nutritional breakdown of this EVIL drink is. And, when she found it? Her face. HER FACE was enough to turn me right off chais FOREVER (here’s hoping)…. It was a look of… of… of… HORROR!!! and… and… and… DISGUST!

And, it didn’t end. She kept talking about the chai, and checking and rechecking the breakdown IN UTTER DISBELIEF (no, I know I tend to exaggerate and get over-dramatic about stuff, but I’m being totally FACTUAL right now), with that same look of HORROR and DISGUST on her face!

Then, she said the one thing that — aside from that unforgettable look of HORROR and DISGUST – should turn me off of the chai FOREVER. She said…she said…, “It’s like a……..COKE!”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You don’t understand. I am the ANTI-COKE. I hate it. It’s like GUM to me. I will NEVER TOUCH it. It’s like a CIGARETTE. The DEFINITION OF UNHEALTHY. It’s everything I don’t want to be! Heh. Now, I’m as good as DRINKING IT? EVERY DAY?

WOAAAAHHH!

Needless to say, I will not be drinking this…this…Coke anymore.

I AM NOT A COKE ADDICT!

The LOVELY Karen (who co-designed our FAB site!) has also been trying to help me shake this HORRID chai-tea latte habit. She sent me this recipe she found in the Women’s Health Training Guide, which I hope to try SOON, and I thought I’d share it with you. CHECK IT!

Chai Latte Hot Cereal

1 1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
1/2 water
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
3/4 cup rolled mulitgrain cereal (like Mother’s 100% Natural)
4 tsp honey
1/2 cup fresh raspberries

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup soy milk, water & spices to boil over medium-high heat.

2. Stir in cereal. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until cereal is tender but still chewy and liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in remaining soy milk and honey. Divide cereal between 2 bowls and top with raspberries.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutritional Info:
235 calories
1 g fat (0g saturated)
74 mg sodium
45 g carbohydrates
6 g fiber
8 g protein

Mmmm…. YUM! THANK YOU, KAREN! MWAH!

Guess who’s coming to right for us REALLY REALLY SOON! Like, NEXT WEEK, like — if she can get her PREGGERS SELF up to the task! LORI THE NUTRITIONIST!

To start, she’ll be answering SARAH’s question about ENERGY BARS, has a HOT TIP about making the best QUINOA, and MORE to motivate, inspire and inform us! So, look forward to that!

If you have questions for the nutritionist, please send them to me here!