The Day We Conquered Kale

Last week, I got a bag of Nature Green’s Kale Greens and said I was going to try to make Kale chips.

For some reason, I thought Kale would be really challenging to work with at home. I’m a southern girl, but I left the art of cooking collards and greens to my mother because she does it well!

With light trepidation, I went on Pinterest, got some inspiration, and got to fixing!

Fix-It Fran’s Kale Chips:
-1 bag, Nature Green, Kale Greens
-Sugar (3 Tbsp.)
-Garlic Powder (1/2 tsp.)
-Cayenne Powder (A pinch–optional)
-Mustard Powder (1/8 tsp.)
-Parmesan Cheese (6 Tbsp.)
-Olive Oil (I used an all natural spray–a light drizzle should be fine)

First Batch:
For the first batch, I set the oven to 325°F. Gathered my ingredients and tossed the kale in olive oil. I incorporated about half of the dry ingredients into the kale-olive oil mix and reserved the rest to sprinkle on afterward.

Next, I lined a cookie sheet with parchment paper and arranged the kale in an even layer. I read a few recipes that warned of overlapping leaves creating a “steaming” environment, but I didn’t have that problem. Just make sure your greens are as dry as possible before tossing them in oil.

The kale browned in under 10 minutes and I was rather pleased with the results. I sprinkled on more of my seasoning mix and still had some left over (the first batch only used a quarter of the bag).

Since the Kale came pre-cut, there were some tiny pieces that weren’t really “chip worthy.” However, those chips are PERFECT for a make-shift Gremolata

I thought I was done for the day, but then the Husboo requested more….

Mind you, this was a new “health nut” recipe, so I was happy to make another batch. 

Second Batch:
For the second batch, I set the oven to 315° and used the convection mode while repeating the steps I used for the first batch.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a convection oven, I just wanted to see if it would make a difference. I think it was easier to monitor the chips without them browning too quickly, but there was no drastic difference from the first batch.

image

The final batch

image

Chips from the first batch

image

Kale chips

As always, recipes go according to taste. If you’re not a garlic/cayenne pepper/parmesan fan, this may not be the recipe for you–but there’s hope!

Just substitute the ingredient you’d prefer. This is was my first attempt to write down one of my recipes. Hopefully it makes sense. Leave a comment below if you have any questions and I’ll respond ASAP.

You can also check out my Cooking with Kale Pinterest board for other ideas.

Until next time– Go fix something! 🙂

Married, Approaching 30, Childless and Content

I love kids. Especially young kids (toddlers), but I don’t want ANY….right now.

Still, I have STRUGGLED with this.

Partner that with the conversation I experience almost daily: “Are you married? (Yes). Do you have kids (No). ****Insert confused/shocked/lost puppy/blank stare here****

Continue reading

Repost: I’m Letting My Wife Go

Great post. Very true for myself and the Husboo. #marriagematters #teamBHenry #GreatBlog #Repost

“Marriage is a union, to be sure, but it’s a union that should liberate, not incarcerate. Real love shouldn’t limit a person’s potential, it should expand it….”

Seth Adam Smith's avatarSeth Adam Smith

I’m sure it may come as a shock to some people, but I let my wife go. It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do, but it was the right thing for the both of us.

Kim and Seth WeddingNo, we’re not getting a divorce and no, we’re not separating. Truth be told, the practice of “letting go” has actually brought us closer together. But in order to understand what I mean by “letting go,” you must first understand that Kim and I are two very different people.

In fact, the differences between us were Kim’s primary concern with us getting married. “Seth, a fish may love a bird,” she said. “But where would they live?”

I smiled at the comparison because it’s fairly accurate.

Kim and I are incredibly different people. She’s the oldest in her family; I’m the youngest in mine. She’s very responsible; I’m…very much not. She…

View original post 515 more words

What’s in a Name?

Early Cooking

Cooking in the Campus Apartments at UNC-Chapel Hill.

As far as I can recall, “Fix-It With Fran” was born in 2008 (The timestamped photo supports that theory).

At some point during my grad school career, my office administrator started calling me “Fix-It Fran.”  Every time something happened in the office, particularly with plants, she jokingly said, “It’s time for Fix-It With Fran.”

Continue reading