Good Food Friday: Perfect Kale Chips

Heard of them? Maybe... Tried them? You should! I love kale unconditionally but kale chips? How could I not at least try. So while the recipe is nothing new or original (basically just olive oil, salt and your favorite kale) I just wanted to let you know that indeed the recipe deserves the attention it is getting. Easily successful if you have a watchful eye. Here is how it goes...

Sigh... kale at sunset. Beautiful, huh?

Gather a bunch of kale. Like tons. This stuff cooks down so if you want enough to serve more than yourself and another lucky soul get two grocery store bunches. If you are growing it in your backyard, get about twenty stems.

Rip the leafy parts off the hard stems. Big pieces, about the size of my palm worked for me. Toss them in a large bowl to accumulate.

Drizzle with olive oil. Start with a little and use a rubber spatula to scrape and toss the kale with the oil. The goal here is to get all the kale lightly glistening with oil and not so much that they are greasy. I know, it's a fine line, you will find what works. Sprinkle with a bit of salt. (Some recipes here get fun and add garlic or cheese or spices. I've tried cheese and was mildly disappointed so I'm just going to keep it simple.)

Distribute kale evenly on many baking sheets. This batch of mine took four. Yes four. Seems like a lot but by the time it was said and done I ended up with a medium sized mixing bowl of kale chips.

Place kale in a preheated 250* oven. After 15 minutes pull them out and check them. Chip by chip and leaf by leaf. Pull off the ones that are already firm and crispy or just about there (they will hold their shape when picked up basically). Then there will be some that are still very soft and flexible. These require a couple more minutes in the oven. Condense the kale on your baking sheets (by this time I was down to two) and stick them back in the oven for 5 more minutes.

So there you have it. Very specific directions of how to succeed. I think the greatest improvement of this version and most others is the lower oven temperature. Much less risk of the super crumbly over cooked kale chips. And don't worry about if some do get too crispy. Save them to crumble and sprinkle on soups or salads. Nothing goes to waste.

(Insert picture of gorgeous kale chips being gobbled by curious guests...)

Sorry no finished product picture. It's becoming an unfortunate habit of mine. Taking too many before and during photos and having no proof of end results. But trust me, they look like every other kale chip photo out there. Just fewer burnt ones... and I'd be willing to bet that this recipe alone could convert you to become one of the unconditional lovers of all thing kale!

Random Strangers

Today was one of those days where someone unexpectedly stops by to "see our chickens." Obviously they saw them, but chicken keeping enthusiasts have to see them up close and personal. We welcome them. My husband started the chatting (which he LOVES) about the yard, hens, and coop. Tells the poor soul we live off the land, which we so don't, and really draws them in. It is like a fish story. Gary gets better with the telling. I can't say I blame him. Don't we all have ideas in our head about what we want our yards and property to turn out being? I have to say though. The coop and rabbit area are certainly starting to look like something worth showing off.

Our guest told us the many chicken breeds he has tried while I was wondering what happened to them all. He picked up a tip or two, such as, if your hens don't lay in your nest boxes they aren't very private. Hens like private. His nest boxes were so big his goats curled up in them. There's your sign. Apparently, his last batch of hens roosted up in some sort of tree house and all were lost to a wild animal. Gary also shared with him that clipping wings can be useful. Although on three acres I wouldn't bother. All in all our guest admired our property and on a parting note encouraged us to keep goats. "You have perfect goat property," he said.

Now Berea... what do you think? Can I keep goats. I will get the small ones that are hardly larger then some of my neighbor's dogs. It won't really be a bother will it?

Beat the Heat

It's hot. I know we don't have it as bad as other parts of the country but upper 90's with humidity is quite a jump from the 70's and low 80's that Ohio summers usually have. I secretly love it. Yes, I love the heat. But the kids and Blake? Um... not so much... here are a couple of ways we have been beating the heat.

The beach. It never seems quite as hot there, am I wrong? And with two beaches only a five minute drive from our blue house, we have no excuse.

Books. Inside. Many trips to the local library.

Ice cream. Sure it is messy but that is what summer is for.

Evening walks and bike rides at the dam. It is two miles out and two miles back of concrete. Living in the country, concrete is sort of a treat.

And you can't beat a sunset on the lake. Awesome, as in worthy of awe...

All in all we are really enjoying this weather and what feels like only a handful of nice sunny days we get a year. How about you? What are you doing to make sure summer doesn't pass you by?

My Piano Mantle

I always wanted a mantle. You know, the focal point of the family room where you display pretty and meaningful things. The setup would change according to the seasons and looking at it would make me happy.

Well, while I do have a fireplace, the wood meant to become my beloved mantle remains in the garage. Sigh. But I do have a piano. It is kind of the center of our home, with little hands running over the keys or slightly more experienced musicians teaching younger siblings. So it became my mantle. I decorated it for spring/summer and can't help but smile as I walk past.

Each piece is a found item from around the house. The circle is a paper wreath I made a while back paired with white birch logs. My brother gave me the wood when one of his gardening clients had the beautiful tree taken down. The kids found the abandoned bird nest and it pops up here and there around the house. To me birds and nests symbolize family.

The vase is the complimentary type, cheap waxy glass so I took an afternoon and coiled twine around it. Drops of hot glue keep the roping place every couple rotations. I like to see varied height so I head downstairs and dug through piles of old books to match my colors. This time it was yellows and greens.

I have one colored mason jar in blue green, a perfect spot for a bouquet of wildflower or pretty weeds. The framed sheet music is a song Blake wrote for me for my 20th birthday. The tiny teal pot holds a small mound of moss.

When this sunny season comes to an end, I will turn to my "mantle" to reflect the new weather and again I will scour this place to find items to group with my new color scheme. Maybe blues, or rust colors... I never know until the very afternoon I decide to take this one down.

But I must say this has been one of my favs. Glad I could share it with you.

Q: What's for supper...

A: Vegetables.

I love vegetables. More specifically the ones I just picked in my very own garden, grown from tiny seeds. In the summer, my go-to supper is always stir-fry, basically veggies over rice. I'll place the food on the table and my husband will smile and the kids we immediately begin bargaining. How much do I have to eat to get my dessert? If I eat all my zucchini can I leave the mushrooms? What are these slimy green things? Then there is the baby.

A rice monster.

The best thing about growing your own food is there is always something to eat. Sounds logic, but to really think about it makes me feel thankful, safe and grounded. A quick trip into the garden can round up snacks (snap peas, edemame or kale chips) and ideas for treats even refreshing beverages (ever try lime basil-aid?) Sure beet greens may not make my six year old's top ten favorite foods but he will eat them and his belly will be full and he will grow and play. He will do the same on hot dogs and cheese curls too but something happens when kids eat the food they help plant, tend, harvest and prepare. They experiment. They talk. They learn. A garden is magic.

My garden: snap peas, snow peas, peas, peppers,

zucchini, beet greens, onion greens and kale

The market: yellow squash (dollar basket) and carrots

Rice: organic brown rice (bulk)