Don't knock it until you've tried it!

 

     I'm sure some of you have heard about a new healthy food snack...baked kale chips. I like kale. It isn't always available in my small town, but when I find it, I often buy it and throw it into soup, much like fresh spinach. I just couldn't imagine making "chips" out of it.

 

     Last weekend, we went to a food co-op that I had heard of in Champaign-Urbana. Common Ground felt to me like a small Trader Joe's. It had a wonderful produce section, a salad bar, fresh pizza, organic meats and wonderful packaged foods...many of which are being grown locally. I bought 2 kinds of kale, a curly leaf and what I think was Dino kale. I decided I was going to give the "chip" thing a try.

     You can find several recipes for this process, several different temperture settings and several people who will claim the kale was bitter or burned. I used a bit of trial and error with both kinds of kale and had no bitterness with either. I also didn't burn a single leaf. We both actually really loved the finished product and at only 56 calories a cup...it makes a great snack. I actually made my second batch last night and wanted to see how it would hold up overnight before posting...it is fine in a ziploc bag, still very crisp.

 

     I had friends ask what this tastes like. Well, it isn't Lay's Potato Chips with good old fashioned onion dip. But, how many of us can afford those calories and fats? The kale chips are very light, slightly salty and crisp. You could easily eat an entire bunch of kale (which makes about 2-3 cups) in one sitting. It doesn't taste at all "green" or grassy, and certainly not bitter.

 

     To make one batch of kale chips you only need three ingredients:

one bunch kale, olive oil and season salt

 

     Tear the kale leaves off the stalks. I found that if I just pulled from one end it stripped most of the leaves off. Discard the stalks. Tear the leaves into pieces. Wash the kale leaves and dry them. Mine were not completely dry when I made the chips. Put the leaves on a cookie sheet and drizzle with 2 T. of olive oil and toss to cover leaves. Sprinkle with a little season salt (or seasoning of your choice). Put the cookie sheet in a 250 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. I found that 30 minutes was good with my oven. Remove from the oven and toss the chips. You will notice if they are all dry and crispy or if some are still soggy. Mine were still a bit soggy both times, so I put them back in the oven, turned off the heat and let them remain there until the oven cooled (about 45 minutes). At that time they were all dry and crispy. That's it. Just watch them closely as they will burn if your oven is too hot or you forget them! Enjoy!

 

     I am joining Michael @ Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday

 

California Casserole-Foodie Friday

     Several years ago a friend brought a covered dish to a potluck. I loved it, but I wasn't sure what I was eating. I'm one of those people who can taste something and usually tell all or at least most of the ingredients...but, I just wasn't sure with this one. I have prepared this many times and my family loves it. Don't be thrown by the ingredients, they really do taste good together.

Ingredients:

1 can shoe peg corn, drained

1 can French cut green beans, drained (I bought regular green beans by mistake, they worked just fine but I do prefer the French cut in this recipe)

1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained (my friend chops hers, I don't)

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion (optional-I don't use it)

1 can cream of celery soup

8 oz. sour cream

1 tube Ritz Crackers, crushed

1 stick butter, melted

     Mix together soup and sour cream. Fold in corn, green beans, water chestnuts, celery and onion. Put in greased baking pan. Crush the Ritz Crackers and mix with the melted butter. Sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes-uncovered.

     Most of you probably know how easy it is to crush crackers in a Ziploc bag. I use my grandmother's old rolling pin, but a glass turned on it's side would also work. I melt my butter and pour it into the bag of crushed crackers, mix it all up and dump it on the casserole.

     I'm going to do a little venting now. I live in a small town, where we are lucky to have a large family owned grocery store. It isn't quite as big as a city grocery, but it is very nice and the butcher will cut your meat and the manager knows your name. I buy all of my meat, produce and most of my groceries there. We also have a WalMart Superstore very convenient to my house. I do pick up canned goods, paper products etc. at WalMart. In recent months, WalMart has been changing the shelves over to their generic white-label brand. In the above picture, you will see the cream of celery soup from WalMart. I wanted Campbell's, it wasn't available. I've never liked generic food and I don't like WalMart taking away the option of "real" food. The cream of celery was runny when I opened it...and gray. I threw it away and my husband ran to our "good" store for Campbell's. I also threw away the sour cream you see in the picture (also from WalMart) bought that day and the consistency of milk when I opened it. I have noticed that more and more, the brands that I use are not on the shelves at WalMart, and the space is being taken over by the white packaging. Anyone else notice this?

I am linking today with Michael @ Designs by Gollum.

It is the place to go for the best food in all of Blogland.

A Family Favorite-Old Fashioned Corn Pudding (Easy)

I have had this recipe since I was first married. It is one of those easy "go to" recipes that goes well with anything. It has the texture of a custard, is slightly sweet and is best served the day you make it. You can reheat it and it will still taste good, but it isn't pretty!

Ingredients:
3 eggs beaten (I use a whisk or a fork)
1/4 cup sugar
1 T. flour
1 cup milk (I use skim)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 can cream style corn
4 T. butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a baking dish (9x9, round or fluted) while mixing remaining ingredients. Add flour to sugar and whisk into eggs. Add milk, salt and cream corn and stir. Pour melted butter into corn mixture, leaving just enough in the pan to grease it. Stir. Bake 50 to 60 minutes until mixture is set and top is browned.

Beating the eggs

All the ingredients in greased pan

Ready to serve. This dish is best served on the table in the dish you bake it in, particularly if you are having guests. It isn't all that pretty on the plate, and can get a little bit watery as it sits.

With glazed pork chops and spinach salad