Kale chips

I usually don't post two days in a row, but I had to share this stupidly simple recipe for kale chips. I used the kale that I'm growing in my garden for the first time.

This healthy snack was gobbled up by my kids and me within 15 minutes.

If you can, use organic kale. It's number eight on the Dirty Dozen list for pestacide use.

Preheat the oven to 350. Take one head of kale and remove leaves. Wash and dry thoroughly. In a large bowl, massage kale leaves with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season lightly with sea salt and spread out in one layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes, or until crisp. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

The final result is a very light and crispy chip that tastes incredible. Be careful, though, the chips can be messy because of how flaky they are. My kids ate these straight off the cooled baking sheet and asked for more right away. We'll be having fun this summer experiementing with different flavors, like adding nutritional yeast, tahini, soy, chipotle, cajun, etc. Enjoy!

Vegan tortilla soup

My husband and I are big fans of tortilla soup. I've tried to make it several times, but it never seemed to taste right. I finally found the winning recipe that my mom emailed me from a book called The 30-Minute Vegan: Over 175 Quick, Delicious, and Healthy Recipes for Everyday Cooking. Even if you're not vegan, there are plenty of flavorful and adaptable recipes that the whole family will love. For example, I add cooked chicken and shredded cheese to my husband's bowl to round his meal out. 

I've made it several times since the first try and it's always been a hit with the whole family. It also freezes well. I make two batches at a time to make sure I have plenty on hand. 

Mexican Tortilla Soup

1 tbs olive oil

1 cup yellow onion, chopped into medium dice

1 Anaheim or Jalapeno Chile, seeded and sliced thinly

4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

1 15oz can diced tomatoes, preferable fire-roasted

1 15oz can black or pinto beans, drained

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

2 cups water or vegetable stock

2 tbs soy sauce

1/2 medium size avocado cubed

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

In a medium size pot, sauté the olive oil, onion, Anaheim pepper and garlic over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes, beans, chili powder, cumin, water and soy sauce. Cover and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes or so while you prepare the avocado and cilantro. 


Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a handful of tortillas and a sprinkling of avocado and cilantro.

Fresh tomatoes, basil and asparagus

Since the weather has warmed up, I've curiously found my appetite waning a bit. Curiously because I have a huge appetite and usually have food on my mind during most of my waking moments.

A couple of weeks ago, I had ordered some patio garden containers from VP Farms on 76th Street, and when I went to pick them up, I also bought a couple of heirloom tomatoes and fresh Michigan asparagus. They looked too good to sit on my countertop, so I sliced up the tomato and steamed the asparagus. My patio pots contained, among many other things, three gorgeous basil plants, so I plucked off a few leaves and sliced those up. A drizzle of olive oil, a few turns of freshly cracked pepper and a sprinkle of feta cheese, and I had a very filling and simple - yet light - lunch.

My garden is now complete. I have four pots of lettuce (pictures coming soon), one large tomato pot, one pot of just basil (fresh pesto, anyone??), and a pot of cilantro, parsley and oregano. In the ground I have broccoli, collard greens, melon, beans, kale, cucumbers and snow peas. I have no idea what I'm doing with any of them, so we shall see what happens.

Grilled pesto and parmesan sandwich

I love sandwiches, and grilled sandwiches are some of my favorites. Here's a very simple recipe for a grilled pesto and parmesan sandwich that can be made in minutes.

2 slices whole grain bread (the crustier, the better!)

1-2 tablespoons of pesto

1 tablespoon shredded parmesan cheese

2-3 slices of tomato

1 small handful of flavorful lettuce

1 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter - please, no margarine!!)

Slather on the coconut oil and assemble sandwich, leaving out the lettuce. Place on griddle pan until the bread is browned on both sides. Add lettuce to the grilled sandwich and enjoy!

Variations: Try adding grilled chicken, portobello mushroom,

Walnut, gorgonzola and cranberry salad made with lettuce from VP Farms in Caledonia

Spring is just around the corner! That means local farmers markets, roadside produce stands and greenhouses are going to start popping up all over the place. This is my favorite time of year!

One such place that opened a couple of weeks ago is VP Farms on 76th Street in Caledonia. Local home of the Vertical Garden Kit, VP Farms focuses on proving fresh fruits and vegetables as well as helping people grow their own using innovative methods of growing.

Since they also supply local restaurants with their produce, including The Green Well Gastro Pub and Bisto Bella Vita, picking up some fresh lettuce to make my favorite simple go-to salad from them is always a good bet.

Here's the recipe:

2 cups lettuce

1 tablespoon gorgonzola cheese

1 tablespoon cranberries

1-2 tablespoons raspberry balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon raw walnuts

1 tablespoon olive oil (I use a sprayer and spray the top layer of the salad)

Mix together and enjoy! This is a very versatile salad, and you can pretty much throw anything in there that you want. I've added: avocado, grilled tilapia, dulse flakes, sugar peas, red pepper slices, chicken - the possibilties are endless.

Walnut and avocado fettuccine

I'm always on the lookout for new recipes. When a friend told me she was doing a fast through her church that calls for avoiding meat, poultry, fish, dairy, caffeine, yeast, sugar and things with preservatives, I was very interested in whatever recipes she tried. She shared this very simple Avocado and Walnut Fettucini that was so delicious that I had it for lunch and dinner last night.

The original recipe calls for:

12 oz. whole wheat pasta

4 Tbs. olive oil

2 tsp. garlic, minced

1/4 c lemon juice

10 sun dried tomatoes

1 cup chopped green peppers

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 diced avocados

Boil pasta according to directions. I found a great brand at Meijer that cooks up in just four minutes called Al Dente Pasta Co.'s Whole Wheat Blend Plus Flax Roasted Garlic Fettuccine.

While pasta is boiling, whisk oil, lemon and garlic together and add to a large serving bowl. Add remaining ingredients, then add pasta and toss well. That's it!

For the bowl pictured above, I omitted the green peppers because I didn't have any.

Caramel apple wrap recipe

My kids were famished after helping me clean the house, so I pulled something together I call the Caramel Apple Wrap. All of the ingredients (except for one) are healthy and combined make a very yummy snack for kids.

Take a whole grain wrap and spread with 1-2 tablespoons of raw honey and 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter (make your own, learn how to here!). Add 1/2 of a sliced apple and sprinkle with 10 or so chocolate chips. Then wrap and sprinkle with cinnamon.

My kids downed these within 15 minutes, and said that they were "Deee-licious!

How a raw food diet changed my eating habits in 14 days

On Jan. 16 I began a 14-Day Raw Food Challenge that was created by a husband/wife team that I freelance for. Week 1 consisted of blended soups and smoothies and week 2 consisted of adding a raw chewable meal for dinner. I didn't make it through all the recipes and I did cheat here and there, but I learned a lot about hunger and mindless eating. I used to think I was hungry all the time, so I'd find myself mindlessly eating all the time, mostly on processed foods (from the health food store, of course!). Once I started fueling my body with the nutrients it needed, I noticed that my hunger regulated itself and I didn't mindlessly eat. I lost a couple of pounds (that are still gone!) and I feel healthy and light.

I look at food in a different light now, including what I feed my kids. They need to eat more vegetables, so I try and make meals appealing with a lot of variety. For dinner the other night, I wanted them to have a spinach salad, so I pulled one together using organic croutons, strawberries and blueberries, some shredded cabbage and some parmesan cheese. I used a bit of ranch dressing and the kids ate it up! No, it wasn't raw, but both kids happily gobbled up a cup of spinach and a half a cup of cabbage in one sitting. That is success to me!

Turn those stinky socks into a cold/flu remedy!

Although I usually share my experiences with food and young children here, I couldn’t resist sharing this natural remedy for the cold/flu. If you have kids, you know how they seem to be a germ magnet. I spoke with Lisa Miller of Lisa Miller Wellness and she shared a simple remedy you can do at home with your child to help ease the yuckiness of the cold or flu.

It’s called “Magic” Sock Therapy. And, no, the “magic” of the socks aren’t their stinkiness – make sure to use a clean pair of white cotton socks. Submerge them under really hot water for a few minutes and then wring them out. Put them over your child’s feet and then cover up with some wool socks.

After the socks cool off, repeat the above steps (using the same pair of cotton socks) for one to five hours, or until you’re well. The socks pull congestion through your head, down your body and through your feet. Make sure to bundle up well with some warm clothing and/or a blanket, because as the socks cool off, you’ll start to get chilly.

You can use this on yourself as well, and Lisa advised that it was best to do at night.

Protect your brain with this granola recipe and start the new year out right

I recently read a book called Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry is Destroying Our Brains and Harming Our Children, by Carol Simontacchi. This book is an amazing and scary read. Amazon.com says "according to [author and] certified clinical nutritionist Carol Simontacci, the food industries that give us packaged, processed, artifically flavored, chemical-ridden, artifically colored, nutrient-stripped psuedo foods such as sodas, processed soups, sugared cereals, and fiberless bread 'wontonly destroy our bodies and our brains, all in the name of profit.' We Americans (adults and children) eat 200 pounds of sugar and artificial sweeteners each year ... The reason, according to the author, is that we're starving our brains with lack of nutrition."

Not only does this contribute to obesity, but it also causes mood swings, depression, violent behavior, ADD/ADHD and anxiety, among many other things. If you have a New Year's Resolution to eat healthier, or if you have an unexplained health issue, you might want to pick up a copy of this book. It may lead to an "ah-ha!" moment for you and start you on the path to wellness.

Thankfully, the author does not just leave the reader hanging with the scary statistics. She also offers up some healthful recipes that are heavy on flavor and nutrition and low in sugar and artificial anything. One of my favorites is a homemade granola recipe to help fill the nutritional void that many of us experience.

I've personally made this more than several times. It's great for breakfast with a little bit of rice milk or as an afternoon snack.

Granola with Fruit and Nuts:

4c rolled oats

2c oat bran

1c raw sesame seeds

2c raw sunflower seeds

1c unsweetened coconut flakes

1c almonds, chopped

1c walnuts, chopped

1c raisins

1c dried apricots, diced

1c dried papaya or figs, diced

1/2c olive oil

1/4c honey

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large roasting pan, mix together the oats and oat bran, seeds, flakes and nuts. Over a low flame, heat the oil and honey together until the mixture is very thin and easily poured. Drizzle the oil and honey mixture over the dry ingredients, mixing constantly, until all the pieces are coated evenly. Bake the granola, stirring thoroughly every 15 minutes or so, until lightly browned, 45-60 minutes.

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Meanwhile, prepare the fruit. When the granola is baked and cooled slightly, mix the fruit with the granola and stir thoroughly to mix. After the granola is completely cooled, store in food storage bags or plastic containers in the refrigerator.

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net.