Kale Chips, I Like 'em

Have you ever tried kale chips?  Have you ever wanted to?  I know they sound a little strange and if you're not a fan of leafy green vegetables, they might sound disgusting.  But I'm here to tell you they are good!  I'd seen recipes for them on Pinterest and other sites and had been planning to give them a try, but just kept putting it off.  Last weekend, when I was on Phase 3 of this diet, those wonderful three days when you can have plenty of healthy fats, I decided to give it a shot.  That, and I had some kale in the fridge that needed to be used and I didn't think I could handle it sautéed, again.  

I feel a little silly sharing this recipe, because it's so easy, I could just tell you how to do it in one sentence.  But pictures are nice, don't you think?  I washed my kale and tore it into small pieces, not too small though, because it shrinks when it bakes.  I spread it out on paper towels and let it dry completely. 

I put a couple of glugs (that would be maybe a T. or more) of olive oil in a plastic ziplock bag.  I don't measure very often.  I have some fantastic lemon infused olive oil that a friend gave me for my birthday last year, that I've been rationing, and decided this would be a good time to use a little.  It turned out to be a good call.   I put some sea salt in the bag, along with the oil and kale, and shook, shook, shook  until the kale was coated with the mixture. 

I spread the kale onto a couple of cookie sheets and baked it in a 300 degree oven for about fifteen to twenty minutes.  Watch closely towards the end, so they don't brown.  You want the kale to stay a nice green color.   Browned chips will taste burnt and that is not good!  I know, because I tried some.  Let them cool and your ready to munch.  Potato chips, they're not, but for a healthy, crunchy snack that won't elevate the blood sugar, they're pretty darn good. One word of advice.  Check your teeth before you smile at anyone.

On a Cold, Snowy Day : Daybook Entry

I haven't posted a Daybook entry since last summer and I'm going to try and do better this year, shooting for once a month.  It's an interesting way to take a glimpse of your life on any given day and especially to see how things change (or stay the same) from year to year. 

Outside my window... snow, beautiful snow.  I've been waiting for this and now that it's here, I'm making sure I enjoy it.  This could be it for the winter.  Who knows?  The weather has been so weird.

The dogs love the snow and even though we're having frigid temperatures, they go out and play and then come back in to warm up.  I was surprised to see them running across the frozen pond, a little nervous that they would break the ice and fall in, but it's been really cold here, so I guess it was ok.

I am wearing... jeans, a hoodie and my Merrill shoes ( my best apparel purchase of the season!)

I am listening to... the dryer, making lots of noise.  I think there's some change jingling in there.

I am thankful for... so many things!  A warm house, a wood stove that's been burning nonstop to fight the chill of these cold days and nights, healthy fats (avocados, cashew butter and hummus- more on this later), and a schedule that allows me to enjoy snow days, 

Around the house... I've been slowly getting things back in order from the holidays.  When I put things away this year, I put a lot of thought into what I really loved and wanted to keep and what could go.  Over time, I've accumulated so many decorations and each year, I find, I want to bring out less and less.  Something about the beginning of a new year makes me want to clean drawers and closets and clear clutter.  I've lined my bedroom dresser drawers with the loveliest rose scented paper and some times I just want to open them and sniff.   What a little thing that feels like a luxury.

In the garden... not much going on right now.  The seed catalogues are filling up the mailbox though and it's fun to browse and dream of warmer days and hands in the dirt.  I didn't get my asparagus mulched this fall and with this extremely cold winter, I'm nervous that it might not survive.  Oh, I hope it will be ok, as this will be the year I can cut and eat all I want. The garlic is safely under straw, so I think it will be ok, and I did mulch the strawberries, so I'm crossing my fingers for some sweet fruit this summer.

I'm not a fan of... cleaning bathrooms (which I just finished doing).  I'll do laundry, cook and clean the kitchen, vacuum and mop, and be perfectly ok with it, but I don't think I will ever learn to enjoy cleaning bathrooms.  But I try to do it with a good attitude, mostly.

I'm loving... feeling healthy.  This month I've been on the Fast Metabolism Diet and my body feels completely cleansed of all the holiday indulgences (which I totally loved).  My vegetable crisper has been overflowing and I've been eating a rainbow of delicious foods.  Fruits, lean proteins, healthy fats and a few whole grains compliment all those vegetables and I've been trying really hard not to focus on the things I can't have- like dairy, sugar, wheat, corn, potatoes...  But I feel great!  And my blood sugar is the best it's been in years, so I will try to maintain the healthy habits I've picked up from this diet when I begin to reintroduce some of my regular foods back into my diet.  Dairy comes first, oh how I've missed my milk, yogurt and cheese.

I am reading... Right now I'm finishing up a few books, Boundaries,by Dr. Cloud and Dr. Townsend   has been my nonfiction pick for January and its an excellent book.  It won't be pushed onto a shelf and forgotten when I'm finished, as it's a handbook on relationships that I really need.  I'm reading Serving Victoria by Kate Hubbard , about life in Queen Victoria's Court as seen through the eyes of her servants. The British monarchy is one of my favorite subjects.  I just finished  Between the Lines, by Joseph Fielding McConkie and I loved it.  He's one of my favorite teachers at BYU Education week and as I read his book,  I felt as if I were sitting in one of his classes, except this time I didn't leave with a headache.  Sometimes he gives me a headache because I have to think so hard about what he's teaching.  He doesn't spoon feed, he expects his students to work to gain the knowledge.  I like this about him, even though I know I have to be prepared with my Advil. 

I am creating... a new peachy rose colored scarf.  I'm knitting the seed stitch and it's really pretty.  I also have a new book with twenty dishcloth patterns, for when I need to whip up something quickly.  Sometimes I just need to start and finish a project in a few days and dishcloths fit that requirement. I'm also into a photography project that I'm pretty excited about.  More on that later.

I am learning... about how my body metabolizes food and how I should eat properly.  The diet has been an eyeopener for me.  I'm also learning how to use all the fancy gadgets on my new car.  It takes a while, but each week I pull out my handbook and learn something new.  I've learned how to do a "right twist" in knitting and thanks to some cool websites, I've been learning about the planets, stars and moon phases.  These cold clear nights are great for stargazing.  

From the kitchen... it's all healthy.  I've made soups and roasted vegetables. I've made hummus weekly.  I made a diet friendly spaghetti sauce and tried brown rice pasta (which wasn't bad at all!), I've been having salmon and tuna, chicken and steak.  And I've found a chipotle chicken sausage that is out of this world that I've used in spicy rice bowls and scrambled egg whites with veggies.  I've been a real snob up to this point about chicken sausages, but I've been humbled.  Turkey bacon on the other hand, is simply not fit for consumption.   Sorry, I tried.

30 Day Challenge... my challenge this month has been this diet.  And I'm almost to the end and super glad that I chose this one first.  Not the easiest, but the best way to start off the new year.  You can go here to read more about my 30 Day Challenges this year.

Family news... Dillon and Jantzen have been in NJ recording.  I'm looking forward to hearing their new stuff and watching their last Old North State concert this weekend.  I say that with some sadness, because I've loved the music that band has produced, but I'm sure I'll enjoy the new sound .  Kenzie has moved to Asheville.  She's happy, and I'm happy for her.  But I miss having her around.  It's awfully quiet at my house.

I am pondering... " A quiet heart is content with what God gives.  It is enough.  All is grace.  Our enemy delights in disquieting us. The choice is ours.  It depends on our willingness to see everything in God, receive all from His hand, accept with gratitude the portion and the cup He offers.  The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances."       Elizabeth Elliot    

I am hoping... for a little mini vacation soon.  I need it.

Living my faith... I continue to join with friends one day a week to read the Book of Mormon.  It's an interesting group, not one I would have probably chosen myself, but one that teaches me something almost every week.  Unit conferences are in full swing and I'm traveling with my counselors to visit the Primaries in our stake.  This takes a fair amount of time and energy, but is always worth it.  I'm studying the Old Testament, just barely into it, but looking forward to receiving new insights.  I have a leadership training meeting to attend this weekend with Elder Perry (who's visiting in our area) and I know it will be good.  Just anxiously engaged, you know how it is.

A Glimpse of Life in Black and White

I had the nicest visit with my dad and stepmom last week.  Besides eating yummy food and catching up on each other's news, we spent a lot of time right here at the table, scanning old photographs.  I enjoyed this so much and felt like it was time well spent.   Emotions ran high as we laughed at the amusing pictures and felt sadness for those we love who have passed on, leaving tender memories behind.  My dad has tons of family photos and it will take more than a few trips to scan all the ones I would like to have, but we made some real headway on this visit.   Even though he has done a good job of taking care of these photos (and has already scanned a good number of them), some of the oldest are quickly deteriorating.  I feel relieved that many of these are now "saved" on my computer.  And I'm surprised by how nicely even my simple photoshopping program, improved their quality.  

I recently read this book and enjoyed it very much.  I found it so interesting that the content of this fictional story was inspired by old photographs the author found in an antique store.  Old photos really do speak volumes, don't they?  As I looked at my own family photos, I had all kinds of questions popping up in my mind.  Who were these people?  What were their lives like?  What kind of work did they do?  What made them happy and sad?  What were their strengths and weaknesses?  And of course, I'm transported back to a time when many things were much more simple than they are now, but also much more difficult too.  Just wait to you see the pictures I have of my dad vacationing with his family on the New River.  I'm still in awe over them.  Luckily for me, my dad can answer many of  my questions, but there are things he doesn't remember.  It's so important to record thoughts, take lots of pictures and tell stories.  This is family history at it's best.

Want to see some cool old photos?  Lets do a little time travel, back to Yadkin County, NC. where my ancestors built their homes and families.  This is my dad's family line on his father's side, but I have pictures from his mother's family as well.  I'll share those another time.

This is Harbert Sturdivant, and his second wife, Sarah Martin.  He lived to age 87, and was a Civil War veteran.  These were my great, great grandparents and believe it or not, they lived in this house.

This is my great grandfather, Charlie Cornelius Sturdivant and great grandmother, Mary Hager. 

And this is their family, with my grandfather being the sixth in line from the left. 

Great Grandpa Charlie as an older man.  

He built the front part of this house on the family farm and this is where my grandparents lived much of their married lives.  The original log cabin is under that siding and part of this house was used to store liquor during prohibition.  Interesting, huh?

This is Charlie's son, my grandfather, who we affectionately called Big Daddy, 

and my grandmother, who was Nana to us.

 Here they are, goofing off while on vacation. This picture just makes me smile.  My memories of my grandparents are good ones and I always felt peace when in their home.  I think much of that can be credited to my Nana, not because Big Daddy wasn't a good man, but because she was so extraordinarily good.  As an adult, I would pack up my kids and go to Nana's farm for days at a time, just so I could feel her sweet spirit and the peacefulness of being in her home.  It was a respite for me.  And now I'm so glad I did that, not only for myself, but so my kids would have good memories of her as well.  And they do, especially her food.  The woman could create a spread of food that would make any table groan under it's weight.  And she did it pretty much every day.  

 Now, for those vacation pictures I hinted about at the beginning of the post. Folks, these photos take the concept of family camping to a whole new level.  I had the best time listening to the stories behind these. My grandparents and their friends, loaded up their families and went to the New River to camp during the summer.  My dad has fond memories of these vacations.  Can you imagine loading up this and heading out?  I've heard the tale of how they also took live chickens to butcher, so they could have some fine meals while they were "roughing it".  I've always said camping was a lot of work.  I had no idea.

Look at the boys coming out the back...

Just imagine...

Meet Miss Murphy, the outdoor toilet constructed by my Big Daddy.  Can you believe it?  This makes girls camp look a dream vacation.

I bet your asking yourself why on earth would anyone go through all that, to go on vacation.  Well, it was a beautiful place to get away from day to day life.  Although, for my nana, I expect it was no vacation.  Yes, she was a good woman.

Here are a couple of ways you could get across the river.  I guess you could swim too.   

I can't end this without a few pictures of the fourth generation of the Sturdivant line, my sweet daddy.  That's him on the left with his brother Bill.

Birthday time.  I think it's interesting that birthday pictures were taken outside.  I forgot to ask him why.  Today, we would take birthday cake pictures around the table.   

And you thought selfies were a new fad.  Dad was doing this a long time ago!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Healthy fats.  I love them.  Unhealthy fats, well I like them just fine too and that's part of the reason I'm on a diet right now.  But this great diet I'm on, (read more about it here and here) allows me to enjoy some healthy fats each week.  By Friday, I'm dreaming of olive oil, avocados, salmon and hummus.  I do love hummus and the best I've ever had was in Israel.  Gosh, that was good hummus.  I suppose it's a good thing I liked it, because it was served with pretty much every meal.  

You can buy some really good hummus in the stores these days, but it's so easy to make yourself, that I rarely do.  I like to have control over my ingredients and the quantity that I make.  Do I want to make a little, or a lot?  And, it's much less expensive to make your own, even after you buy the tahini, which isn't cheap, but lasts a long time and will make lots of hummus. 

These are the ingredients that I used to make this roasted red pepper hummus.  You can omit the peppers if you'd rather have the plain version, or you could add other ingredients in place of the pepper, like spinach or olives.  There are lots of possibilities and this basic recipe is fun to experiment with.

I drained and rinsed the garbanzo beans (also known as chick peas) and put them into the food processor.

I juiced several lemons,

and rough chopped my garlic.  The food processor will do most of the work here.

Tahini is a sesame seed paste, having the consistency of a natural peanut butter. The oils will separate and you'll have to stir before using. This goes into the bowl with the other ingredients.

I used one and a half peppers, again, just rough chopping.  Then I  blended it all up in the food processor, adding a little drizzle of olive oil at the very end.  It seems to give the hummus a creamier texture, which I like.

Ta-dah!  So Yummy...

Hummus

1 -16oz. can of drained and rinsed chickpeas

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

3 T. tahini

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

salt to taste

 drizzle of olive oil

Puree until smooth, adding olive oil at the end.

Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.  More juice?

More garlic? More salt?  However you like it.

Serve with veggies, on wraps, or with warm pita bread.

All delicious options.

How to Improve Your Life with a 30 Day Challenge

In August of 2012, I attended BYU Education week. This is something I love to do as often as I can. ( You can go here to find out why I keep going back, year after year.)  Upon returning home, I have pages of notes, book titles to add to my "must read" list and thoughts constantly swarming around in my brain, about all the great things I learned.  But how much of that do I retain, after six months or longer?  Not as much as I would like.  I have, however, remembered and applied much of what I learned in one of the classes that I took.  Sister Jennifer Brinkerhoff Platt taught a class  entitled, "Seeing Yourself as You Really Are, and As You Really Can Be", and much of the content of that class is in this book.  I've enjoyed the book, but the class was so much better.  Sister Platt was entertaining and cute as a button and I often find myself thinking back to those four hours in her class and the things she taught.  At the beginning of one of her classes she showed this TED talk, entitled 30 Day Challenges.  It's only 3 minutes long, so go ahead and watch it. You won't be sorry.   

Wasn't that great?  Are you motivated to try something new?  In the past few years I've tried a number of 30 Day Challenges from everything to practicing the piano, knitting, taking pictures, exercising, speaking positive words and reading the scriptures.  I agree with the speaker when he said, "You can do almost anything for 30 days."  And even if I wasn't completely successful at accomplishing my goal for the full 30 days each time, the way I see it, any attempt at improvement is movement in the right direction.  And 30 days will pass whether we set a goal or not, so why not set a goal and work on it?

I've decided that this year my 30 Day Challenges will revolve around becoming a healthier me.  I know January is the month that everyone is making such resolutions, but I'm hoping this will carry over into February and beyond. Some months will be more difficult than others (like getting eight hours of sleep is going to be a lot more fun than training for a 5K), but I'm hoping that each month I'll learn something that will help me be just a little healthier and happier.   

Now, for my first 30 Day Challenge of the year, I've chosen to try and shed some holiday weight.  I don't regret all that yummy food I ate, because the holidays only come once a year and food is a big part of that celebration for us.  But, I am having a hard time getting my pants buttoned, so I need to deal with this, and pronto.  I like to be able to breathe, you know?  So here's my plan for becoming a thinner me - I'm following the Fast Metabolism Diet.  I'm not big on diets in general, but a girl's gotta do what she's gotta do, right?  I'm a week into this one and actually feeling pretty good about things.  Here are the reasons I chose this plan:

* It's healthy and scientifically based to help reset your metabolism.

* No weird diet foods, just "real" food, eaten at specific times.

* The plan is 28 days long, so it fits perfectly with my challenge

* I've watched others around me shrink while on this plan.  It works! 

I'll keep you posted about my progress.  I hope to have good things to report at the end of the month.  One nice thing that has already come out of this challenge, is that I have learned to make a most excellent roasted red pepper hummus.  Stop back by in a few days for the recipe.  

*I'd love to hear about your goals for the new year.

Starting My Second Gratitude Journal

Three years ago, I decided to start counting blessings.  Inspired by Ann and her book,  I bought this little journal in which to name them one by one.

In December of  2013, I jotted down # 3815 on the last page and closed the book.  I'm pretty excited that I actually completed this journal, all the way to the end!   I have a bad habit of starting journals and then getting bored with them before I finish.  But not this time.  This exercise of counting blessings has become a way of life for me, a good habit.

At the beginning of this year, I started writing in my second gratitude journal.  I've decided to start over with #1 and keep counting until I come to the last page.  A line or two a day is all it takes. And even though I like to set the goal of counting 1000 blessings, the number isn't what's important.  It just reminds me of how numerous my blessings really are.  There's something wonderful that happens when you make the time to record the things for which you're grateful.  Little things, big things, and everything in between are gifts and when you stop to write those down you begin to realize how much you are loved by God, who is the giver of all good gifts.  This is what has happened for me.  Even with the wonderful life that I have, I find that I often battle

discontent, and my gratitude journal is the best tool I've found for fighting against that.        

Keeping this journal has been like being on a never ending treasure hunt.

I feel as though I'm more observant of everything around me.  I take the time to notice the beauties of nature, something I didn't do so well before - always too busy!  Counting blessings slows me down and I like that.  It opens up my tunnel vision.   I'm paying more attention to people and relationships and appreciating even the smallest encounters.

I am reminded that even on the worst of days, life is still very good.  That's what my gratitude journal teaches me.  I'm thankful for that lesson!

 A Few of December's Blessings

- scooting around town in a new car that perfectly meets my needs

-a tearful conversation with a friend who "gets me"

- a completed project

- the smell of bacon sizzling in a pan

- making carrot cake and remembering my mom

- Christmas visiting

- cut out cookies and sprinkles

-reading Christmas stories

- the Holy Family carved in wood

- watching Jantzen climb the tree to get mistletoe for his mom

- the scent of pine

- lovingly unpacking each ornament, along with sweet memories

- gifts of warmth from Mark

- Christmas jammies

- watching the Nutcracker with Kenzie

- a clean house and clean dogs, on the same day!

- observing Advent and lighting candles

- a box of "cherry goodness" from a far away friend

- watching my Amaryllis grow

- going to the movies with friends

- hanging the stockings

-Christmas brunch with the kids

- primary children kneeling in front of a manger

-  new insights from Luke 2

- Christmas greetings pulled from the mailbox

- visits by the fireplace with people I love

- my annual gift of a Snowbaby ornament, in Micah's memory

"When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude." G.K. Chesterton