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Favorite Cheezy Kale Chips

 

Cheesy kale chips

Kale is a leafy green that I try to get into my body at least every other day.  It is the most nutrient dense leafy green and is full of all kinds of cancer fighting phytonutrients.  I use baby kale in my salads & green smoothies, but my favorite way to eat kale is to make kale chips.
I have been making this recipe like crazy lately, and find myself eating the entire pan by myself!  It is a great way to get a large amount of nutrients into the body, and at the same time satisfy any cravings for a salty, cheesy, crispy, crunchy snack.
I LOVE KALE CHIPS!
Here is my favorite way to prepare them:
Olive oil drizzed on baking sheet

Drizzle a little olive oil onto baking sheet.  Use pastry brush to spread out evenly.

Washing kale

Wash kale.  There are 2 types.  Curly & Lacinato.  I like to use lacinato, which is this large, flat type.  If you use curly kale, you can use this same recipe but just toss in a bowl with tongs to coat.

De-veining kale by taking stem out of the middle.

De-vein kale by taking out the tough stem that is in the middle.  It is bitter so make sure to remove it.  I just tear it with my hands.

Tearing kale into pieces.

Tear kale into pieces…or not.  Whatever shape and size you desire.

Trader Joe's ingredients including olive oil and soy sauce

Have ingredients ready.  You will need olive oil, soy sauce (or tamari), any type of grill seasoning, pepper, & nutritional yeast (or Parmesan cheese for non-vegans).

Olive oil over washed kale

Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over washed kale.  Can use a pastry brush to coat…I just use my fingers!

Soy sauce on kale.
Then drizzle with a 1/2 tablespoon – 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.  Use pastry brush or fingers to coat leaves.
Nutritional yeast on kale leaves.

Sprinkle with nutritional yeast (or parm cheese) until coated to your liking.  I use about 2-3 tablespoons for this batch.  I just eyeball it.

Grill seasoning on kale chips
Add about a teaspoon of grill seasoning –or any seasoning you like.  Curry is good, Italian seasoning is good, but my fav is Trader Joes 21 Seasoning Salute.  I used about half of what is in my palm in the pic.
Cheesy kale chips

After adding seasoning, use the pastry brush or your fingers to spread all together onto the leaves.  Basically you are just wetting the seasonings with the oil and soy sauce.  Nothing fancy, it does not need to be perfect.

Baked cheesy kale chips
Bake at 250 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until crispy.  Watch closely.  The time between crispy and burnt is just a couple minutes.  I can usually tell when it is done by my nose.  It smells really yummy when it is crisped up and done. If it is crispy, it is done.  Break into pieces and enjoy.  Can also crumble and use on soups and to top salads.
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Process of making cheezy kale chips.
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Cheezy Kale Chips
3-4 large kale leaves
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2-1 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari)
2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast or Parmesan cheese
1/2-1 tsp grill seasoning
pepper to taste
Wash kale leaves.  Take large vein out of center of kale.  Spread about 1 tablespoon olive oil onto pan. Lay kale leaves down on pan in single layer.  Drizzle remaining olive oil onto kale, just enough to coat each leaf.  Use pastry brush or fingers to spread onto leaves.  Do the same with the soy sauce. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast or Parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle with seasoning and pepper, then spread seasonings into the oil and sauce using your fingers or pastry brush.  Bake 250 degrees or 15-20 minutes or until crispy.
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Have you ever made kale chips?
What are your favorite seasonings?
Books/ Healthy Eating/ How-Tos/ RECIPES

19 Favorite Food Rules For Healthy Eating

Cover for Michael Pollan's book: "Food Rules"

by Micheal Pollan
 
I am a fan of Micheal Pollan. 
 
He was the first one that I have read who was able to take the incredibly complicated question of
 
 “What Should I Eat?”
 
 and answer:
 
“Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

“Eat food and avoid edible food like substances.”
 
 I read his first book, In Defense Of Food, a year ago and just really jived with it.   I was so happy to see that he came out with a short, easy to read, manual that expands on the answer. 
 
Each page gives a simple tip on what to eat.  I read the book in 30 minutes and loved it.

New Nostalgia yellow logo "Rules for Healthy Eating"

 

 
Here are some of my most favorite rules from the book:
 
#2 Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
 
(for example–neon colored tubes of flavored gel called Go-GURT!)
 
 
 
#3 Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry
 
(ethoxylated diglycerides??)
 
 
 
#4 Avoid food products that contain high-fructose corn syrup
 
(it is a reliable marker for a food product that has been highly processed)
 
 
 
#5 Avoid foods that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top three ingredients.
 
(exception to this rule, are “special occasion” foods–see Rule 60)
 
 
#6 Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients.
 
(another sign that it is a highly processed food)
 
 
 
#7 Avoid food products with the word “lite” or the terms “low-fat” or “non-fat” in their names.
 
( Refined carbs can make you fat.  Sugar makes you fat.  Many low-fat or no-fat products boost the sugar and salt to make up for the flavor lost when removing fat)
 
 
 
#10 Avoid foods that are pretending to be something they are not.
 
(imitation butter-aka-margarine-is the classic example.  Artificial sweeteners..)
 
 
 
#11 Eat only foods that will eventually rot.
 
(real food is alive food…therefore it should eventually die)
 
 
 
#12 Eat foods made from ingredients that you can picture in their raw state or growing in nature.
 
(read ingredients on a package of Twinkies or Pringles and imagine what those look like raw or where they grow…ya can’t!)
 
 
 
#19 If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.
 
 
 
#22 Eat mostly plants, especially leaves
 
(antioxidants, fiber, omega- 3 fatty acids, energy dense!)
 
 
 
#23 Treat meat as flavoring or special occasion food.
 
(become a “flexitarian”–someone who eats meat only a couple times a week)
 
 
 
#25 Eat your colors!
 
(colors from nature are full of polyphenols, flavonioids, carotenoid, which all fight disease!)
 
 
 
#34 Sweeten and salt your food yourself.
 
(you will find you are consuming a fraction as much sugar and salt as you otherwise would–example oatmeal–buy plain not flavored, sweetened or colored!)
 
 
 
#36 Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk.
 
(ha..like that one.  It’s kind of a “duh”)
 
 
 
#37 “The whiter the bread, the sooner you will be dead”
 
(I expand on that here)
 
 
 
#39 Eat all the junk food you want, as long as you cook it yourself.
 
(if you made all the french fries you ate, you would eat them much less often!  Too much work!)
 
 
 
#57 Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does
 
(Gas stations have become processed corn station.  Ethanol outside and high-fructose corn syrup inside!)
 
 
 
#60 Treat treats as treats.
 
(special occasion food is great as long as every day is not a special occasion.  Save them for weekends or for true special occasions!)
 
 
 
Food Rules: An Eater's Manual
 
 
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
 
by Micheal Pollan

 

GF, Vegan & Raw/ Healthy Eating/ Meals/ RECIPES/ Sides

A Quick Lunch Salad & How To Keep Your Salads Interesting

Sometimes reaching my goal of getting leafy greens into my body everyday can get boring.  Especially in a salad form!  I have made it my mission to find ways to motivate myself to keep up the salads and buy ingredients to take them from boring to delicious!  
Here are 2 key ways I do this:
1. I use a mandolin to slice my veggies, then store them in mason jars.  Cut em’ once, store them for the week.  
2. Splurge on ingredients that make compliment greens and make them delicious. A couple ways I do this with seasoned/ glazed nuts & sesame sticks.  I have even been known to crush wheat crackers and sprinkle on top for a little bit of crunch.  I also like to do it with fruit, from dried cranberries to sliced apples & clementines.
Sliced colorful veggies including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and carrots
A mandolin is the best and fastest way I have found to slice veggies.

Sliced colorful veggies

Add beans for protein…or hard-boiled eggs.

Sweet and spicy pecans from Trader Joes
Splurge on the extras.  These Sweet & Spicy Pecans from Trader Joes are amazing, and I also love their sesame sticks. It may add a few extra calories, but to me it is so worth it when I think of all those flavonoids, anti-oxidants & vitamins I am getting from the veggies.
Coming soon—>How to make your own salad dressing using no oils, only the natural oils from nuts!
More Ways To Get Your Greens From New Nostalgia:
Salads/Salad Dressings:
Cooked Greens
Smoothies & Juices

GF, Vegan & Raw/ Healthy Eating/ RECIPES/ Sides

Sauteed Green Beans With Honey Almonds

Sautee green beans with honey almonds
 

Anytime I can get all 3 of my girls to happily eat a green vegetable is a very exciting time for me.  I know you Moms know what I mean.  Just getting them to eat vegetables is hard, but GREEN vegetables?  AND a green vegetable they all 3 like?  Impossible.  
Until…
I discovered their love of fresh green beans.  They don’t like soggy canned beans…and I don’t blame them!  They are ok with frozen.  But they all LOVE fresh and eat them like a snack.  
This recipe is very simple.  It just uses beans, garlic, butter (I use Earth Balance), salt, pepper & sliced honey roasted almonds from Trader Joes.  These almonds are a dream in this recipe and add just a hint of sweetness.  I’ve even cooked up a batch and put a big bowl out on the table as an after school snack.  
Enjoy!
Sauteed Green Beans With Honey Almonds 
1 lb. fresh green beans, ends popped or sliced off
2 tsp butter (or olive oil, or Earth Balance for vegans)
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup sliced almonds, honey roasted preferably
salt and pepper to taste
Heat a sauce pan or skillet on medium heat with olive oil or butter. Add garlic and cook for 60 seconds. Add green beans and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until crisp tender.  Do not overcook! Add almonds. Season with salt & pepper.

Health benefits of Green beans (source)

  • Fresh green beans are very low in calories (31 kcal per 100 g of raw beans) and contain no saturated fat. Nevertheless, the lean vegetables are a very good source of vitamins, minerals, and plant derived micronutrients.
  • They are very rich source of dietary fiber (9% per100g RDA) which acts as a bulk laxative that helps to protect the mucous membrane of the colon by decreasing its exposure time to toxic substances as well as by binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon. Adequate amount of fiber has also been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels by decreasing reabsorption of cholesterol-binding bile acids in the colon.
  • Green beans contain excellent levels of vitamin A, and health promoting flavonoid poly phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin and ß-carotene in good amounts. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.
  • Zea-xanthin, an important dietary carotenoid in the beans, selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it thought to provide antioxidant and protective UV light filtering functions. It is, therefore, green beans offer some protection in preventing age-related macular disease (ARMD) in the elderly.
  • Snap beans are a good source of folates. 100 g fresh beans provide 37 µg or 9% of folates. Folate along with vitamin B-12 is one of the essential components of DNA synthesis and cell division. Good folate diet when given during preconception periods and during pregnancy helps prevent neural-tube defects among the offspring.
  • They also contain good amounts of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), thiamin (vitamin B-1), and vitamin-C. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals.
  • In addition, beans contain healthy amounts of minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and potassium, which are very essential for body metabolism. Manganese is a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.

FAMILY/ Healthy Eating/ HOME/ Homemaking/ Meals/ Parenting/ RECIPES

14 Healthy School Lunch Recipes Your Kids Will Love

 

How do I  know your kids will love these? Because mine do!  With summer break coming to an end, I decided to gather my favorite recipes to add to my girls school lunch boxes.  I will refer to this list often, to keep me out of the “peanut butter and jelly sandwich” rut.  Even if I do give them a pb & j sandwich, at least they will have some interesting and yummy sides!

Heavenly Hummus Sandwich
The apples and sweet dried cranberries make this sandwich kid friendly.
Udon noodles with sesame seeds and peas
The clementine juice in these noodles give a hint of sweetness.  We never have leftovers when I make these noodles.  Can be eaten hot or cold.
orange homemade fruit roll up
These are so easy to make and very versatile.  Use what fruit you have on hand, especially those that are starting to go soft.
chocolate peanut butter chia pudding with raspberries
This can be breakfast, lunch or snack.  It has wholesome oats in it and the amazing superfood, chia.  Chia has great fiber, protein and more omega’s than flax!  They are flavorless and help thicken  this pudding.
slieced applesauce bread
This bread is simple and delicious.  Uses ingredients that we always have on hand.
Peanut butter banana chia seed roll ups
Another great way to use those chia seeds!  These are protein filled thanks to the peanut butter and chia.
Whole wheat banana honey muffins
These muffins are so moist and this recipe makes a ton of them!  I freeze at least half.  You will love this recipe.
Crockpot apple sauce in mason jars
Great fall recipe, but really we make it all year long.  Just grab an extra bag of apples when you are at the store, throw them in the crockpot, and enjoy the amazing scent this recipe gives the entire house!
These are delicious and have gone viral on Pinterest, with many raving about the recipe.  It is a must try!  You will love knowing there are no preservatives and less salt in your kids crackers!
Black bean soup with spoon
This soup is perfect for a lunch box thermos.  It is a breeze to whip together the night before.  It is one of my MOST easy recipes, and has lots of great fiber and protein.
Crunch roasted chickpeas
I’m amazed at how a simple bean can become a healthy crunchy snack with just minutes in the oven.  Use these in place of chips!  Much more healthy & full of nutrition.
Lunch box smoothies
My girls LOVE when I put these in their lunches.  I take them straight from the freezer and by lunch time they have thawed perfectly.  I love knowing they are getting such nutritious berries and fruit in their lunches.
Cheesy Kale chips
These are actually vegan, but get a cheezy flavor from nutritional yeast.  Nutritional yeast is packed with vitamin B12 and is a popular ingredient in the vegan world, often used in place of Parmesan cheese.  These kale chips are a weekly staple in our home.  So nutritious. So delicious!
Orzo and roasted fall vegetables
My girls beg me to make this recipe.  They love the little bits of pasta, and the amazing flavor comes from roasted veggies that have been chopped so small that the girls have no idea that they are eating kale and a load of other veggies.  Winning!

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Other posts on School Lunches from New Nostalgia:
School Lunch Plan: No More Baggies & A Free School Lunch Planner

Drinks/ Healthy Eating/ HOME/ RECIPES/ Simplifying

Easy Iced Tea Concentrate Made In A Mason Jar!

Easy iced tea concentrate in a mason jar
 

I have a super easy way to make Iced Tea that does not include boiling water or sitting it in the sun all day, and uses a mason jar — which we all know I love!

Just take a jar, put in 4 tea bags, fill it to the top, screw on the lid and put it in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, take the bags out and give them a little squeeze over the jar.  Voila’…you now have iced tea concentrate! 

 When you want a glass of tea, pour about 1 part concentrate to 3 parts water into a glass of ice and stir. I adjust the amount of concentrate depending on how weak or strong that particular brand of tea is.

Here is the blog that I got the idea from, there are a bunch of comments regarding specific measurements if you are someone who likes more details.

*the picture above was taken before the jar sat overnight.  The concentrate gets much more, well, concentrated:)


I plan on adding some fresh mint leaves or lemon balm from my garden for even more flavor.  Herbs are incredibly good for you so this is a great way to take advantage of their health benefits.

GF, Vegan & Raw/ Healthy Eating/ How-Tos/ RECIPES

Do You Sprout?

Sprouted lentils

Sprouting is one of the cheapest, simplest and most nutritious foods you can eat. My favourite things to sprout are lentils, buckwheat, quinoa & mung beans. These have never failed me.
 
I know lots of people that do not sprout nuts and seeds simply because they think its too hard and don’t know where to start.
 
Well why sprout you may ask? 
 
Soaking softens the skin and begins the sprouting process, also soaking makes it so much easier for your body to digest the grains or seeds. Gas causing enzymes in legumes are released into the soaked water. (make sure to discard the soaking water)
 
When you sprout it truly increases the amount of nutrients in the food compared to the dried grain/nut/legume. When you sprout the vitamins minerals and protein increase.
And also the calories and carbohydrate content decrease. So its a win win all around. 
 
So now I’ve told you how super nutrient dense and good for you sprouting is, let’s find out how to do it.
 
What you will need:
 
~ Organic grain or legume of choice
~ A sterile large glass bottle with some fine mesh cloth to cover, or nut milk bag or sprouting jar
~Filtered water for soaking
 
So lets get started.
 
Soak your grain or legume in a large glass bowl or jar with heaps of filtered water. Cover and let sit on bench overnight. If you remember, its best to change thesoaked water at least once or twice. But this is not crucial.
 
The next morning you will need to drain the grains or legumes and rinse well. Drain the water away. Place them into your sprouting jar you have chosen to use pop a breathable cover over the top. You can use an elastic band to hold in place and set up on an angle to make sure all the water strains away. If you buy a  proper sprouting jar it will have an attachment that lets the jar sit up on an angle. 
 
These are mung bean sprouts soaked then rinsed and ready to sprout.
 
Bean sprouts
Now all you need to do is repeat the rinsing every 8 hours making sure to drain well each time. 
 
What I usually do is this:
 
 ~First rinse in the morning, then do another that night. 
~Repeat again in the morning and again at night. 
 
On the second or third day of doing this you will see gorgeous little sprouts growing. You can keep doing this process until you get the sprouts the length you like. It should take no longer than a few days. Once done do a final rinse and very good drain and store in the fridge. They will last around 3 days in the fridge.
 
These are mung bean sprouts after 3 days ready to eat or you could leave them another day if you like.
 
Mung bean sprouts
Here is some sprouted buckwheat. So easy to do and they grow the cutest little tails. I then dehydrate the buckwheat  till it goes crunchy and add it raw cereals.
 
Its great to add texture and crunch to the top of a smoothie. I also make my own buckwheat flour by grinding the buckwheat  up in coffee grinder. Then I have wonderful sprouted buckwheat flour ready to use in cooking.
 
Lentils and mung bean sprouts
Lentils and mung bean sprouts are great to snack they are crunchy and delicious. Throw them in salads on top of raw crackers and even in a green smoothie!
 
Mixed sprouted salad.
 
Mixed sprouted salad with almonds
 
Mixed sprouted salad
Mixed sprouted salad recipe
 
A selection of mixed sprouts and legumes
Mix in some  crunchy almonds (soaked and dehydrated if you can)
A generous drizzle of organic olive oil or organic flax seed oil
Pinch of Himalayan salt
Cracked pepper
Generous sprinkle of cumin powder
Generous sprinkle of cinnamon
Generous sprinkle of garlic powder
Generous drizzle of coconut nectar or maple syrup for sweetness
Generous sprinkle of kelp seasoning granules (optional)
Squeeze of lemon juice
Mix well and enjoy. Best eaten straight away.

 

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