kale

Green Smoothie and Notes for the New Year

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January is usually a time of reflection for me.  I don’t write resolutions or bold new goals, but I take stock of where I am; what is important to me, what I learned the previous year, what I want to accomplish this year.  I try and recalibrate and renew, not start again or rebuild, but build on what I learned already.  Last year was crazy…I could not have anticpated what 2015 brought in my life. It was an incredible time of growth, uncertainty, sacrifice, joy and life.  I learned to follow what really makes my heart race and say yes.

I love to use words to describe the seasons in life….2014 was a year of BRAVE, 2015 became ABLE then REST.  2016 is still REST but also feels like INSPIRE.  I learned how important rest and reflection are in my life and the need to create a rhythm that fosters growth.  That’s my intention for this year and that rhythm will include more self care, time to work on relationships, being present in small moments, time to encourage and inspire and intentional yeses/permission to say no.  For me, self care looks like eating well, exercising daily, tea and a good book, walks outdoors and sitting on park benches.  Taking this time for self care and rest will give me the energy to inspire and be inspired.

 

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Walks in the Winter…

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Small Moments….

 

This smoothie is a great way to start your day and pack in some healthy fruits and vegetables!

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk or coconut water

1/3 cup pineapple

1/2 pear

1/2 frozen banana

1 cup kale or spinach

Blend in a high powered blender and enjoy!!

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Sausage, Lentil and Kale Soup and Being Still

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As fall sets in, I am embracing the change in weather, the colors, the crisp cool air with autumn rituals of picturesque walks, warm drinks and sun filled windows that only fall can bring.  Fall is a time when things slow down. When the world is so loud, it’s nice to slow down and just be still and listen. That’s what fall has become for me, a season of being still.  Recently I started a ritual of just sitting in a park or outdoors once a week for 15 minutes and just being still…not trying to get in a quick walk, not catching up on emails or some reading, but just time to be still and present and take in what’s around me.  Some people are able to get this quiet time in the morning, but not me.  As soon as I get up, no matter what time, kids are right behind me and my day has started.  So I schedule it in my day just once a week.  It grounds me, it gets me ready to think well and feel deeply.  Maybe someday I will actually do this everyday, but for now in this season, 15 minutes in my week is what I have. Since starting this practice, I found that I’m taking bits and pieces of each day to be more present as a result of this intentional time.

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Usually I have a recipe I want to share, then I write a post.  But this time I started writing and I wasn’t inspired by the recipe I was going to share.  But today I was inspired to make this beautiful soup and feel good about sharing it!! It has wonderfully layered flavors and tastes amazing! I still have some kale left in my garden, the last lonely crop that loves the crisp cold air!  And this soup is perfect accompanied by being still and taking in your surroundings and enjoying the loveliness that only fall can bring!

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1 lb Sausage, casing removed (I used apple turkey sausage, but any sausage will do!)

1 onion, diced

1 large carrot, shredded

fresh rosemary, chopped (or dried or use other fresh herbs if you have them)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp cumin

1 bundle of kale, stems removed, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

4 cups of chicken stock

2 cups of water

1/2 cup of red wine (optional)

1 3/4 cup of lentils

In a dutch oven, brown the sausage in olive oil.  Add the onion, garlic and carrot until tender (salt and pepper at this stage). Pour in about a half cup of red wine and reduce by half (this is optional, but makes another layer of flavor).  Add the herbs, diced tomatoes, water, chicken stock and lentils.  Salt and pepper again and simmer for 35-45 minutes until the lentils are tender.  Add the kale in the last 10 minutes of cooking.  Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil and balsamic vinegar and enjoy!

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Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette, Meyer Lemon Spicy Pecans and Massaged Kale Salad

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I rarely have unexpected spare time on my hands.  It’s always fun to see what activities I turn to when I do.  More often than not, I end up in the kitchen.  This day, my youngest took a nap, which never happens.  She never really napped which pretty much reduced my spare time in the past few years to little to none.  I had some amazing Meyer lemons and pecans that my brother and sister-in-law brought with them from Texas when they visited in January.  A huge perk of them visiting in the dead of winter!!  Fresh Meyer lemons from her parents trees…in their yard.  They are so good!  And the pecans…don’t even get me started.  They are the best pecans I’ve ever had.  So I went to work on some recipes to incorporate both.  I made the Meyer lemon spicy pecans and Meyer lemon vinaigrette to top a yummy kale salad.

MEYER LEMON SPICY PECANS

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Ingredients:

2.5 cups whole pecans

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp honey

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp curry powder

zest of 1/2 Meyer lemon

2 tbsp Meyer lemon juice

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground red pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all of the ingredients (except the pecans) in a microwave safe bowl or saucepan. Heat the ingredients until melted and stir to incorporate.  Add the pecans and stir until they are coated.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet (with sides) and spread out in a single layer.  Bake in the oven for 10 min, stir and bake another 10 minutes.  Let cool completely.

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MEYER LEMON VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1/2 Meyer lemon

zest of 1/2 Meyer lemon

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp white vinegar

1 small shallot, minced

pinch of salt

Place all of the ingredients in a glass jar and shake!

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Next a make a massaged kale salad.  Rip the desired amount of kale into bite sized pieces.  Drizzle with olive oil and massage and knead with your hands until it’s bright green and soft in texture.  For your salad, use pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, the spicy pecans and the vinaigrette.  You can also use orange slices, blueberries or avacado and add feta or goat cheese if desired!!  The variations are endless!

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Massaged Kale Salad

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It’s Labor Day and the unofficial end of summer.  I LOVE summer for so many reasons, but for me it can be a time of indulgence.  Vacation and summer is synonymous with seasonal favorites and tasting the local cuisine when traveling.  From the ice cream at the beach to the fresh blueberry pie in Maine, I had my share of indulgence this summer. The summer “vacation” mentality along with the fact that I am training for a marathon and logging a lot of hours running per week (which makes me very hungry) has not helped with the overindulgence!  I don’t believe in total deprivation. I believe there is a season for enjoying these treats and giving yourself grace when you’ve had more than you intended 🙂 But there is also a season for being more strict and taking in real, healthy foods and saying no to the sugar and treats that can weigh you down.  Now that school is back and September is here, it’s time to get back to clean eating.  I feel so much better when I eat real food and little to no sugar and wheat. I feel more energized and focused.  With my marathon only 6 short weeks away, I need to be more strict about how I am fueling my body.  I made this salad to have for lunches this week and have planned out a couple of dinners and snacks for the week so I can stay on track.

I love this salad because it is so versatile and easy!  It will take you minutes to whip up.  Use the ingredients listed or use what you have on hand and make it your own.  Add some chickpeas, chicken or avocado to make it more substantial.   The key to making a kale salad delicious is to massage the kale with olive oil. Don’t skip this step, it makes it so much better!

Ingredients:

4 cups of kale, ribs removed and chopped and massaged with olive oil

olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 carrot, shredded

drizzle of honey

dried cranberries

raw pumpkin seeds, toasted

 

Toast the raw pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant and slightly browned (watch is carefully, they can burn very quickly).

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Rip the kale from ribs, chop and place in a bowl.  Drizzle the kale with olive oil and massage and “knead” the kale with the olive oil for a few minutes.  This gives a less chewy texture and less harsh and bitter taste to the kale.  Massaging the kale makes a huge difference!  Add the lemon juice, a drizzle of honey, the grated carrot, toasted pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries and mix to incorporate.  This is a great side salad or lunch and it keeps in the refrigerator for days.  Add more olive oil, honey and lemon juice as needed after refrigerated.