KALE CHIPS

We were eating Wasabi Seaweed Snacks this week and the taste of seaweed is not our favorite but super healthy. A healthy snack to make yourself. This is so easy and very good for you. A good way to eat a lot of kale. Kale is a belly fat blast. Kale will help reduce belly fat.

Tear leaves into one inch pieces off washed kale stems. The stems are too thick to toast.
Rinse kale leaves, use a salad spinneror towel dry them really good.

                        Then place in bowl and toss with olive oil and sea salt.

Place on a baking sheet and spread them out. You do not want them on top of each other. However, they will be overlapping a bit since the leaves are curly.

                             Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Remove the crispy kale and put the softer leaves back into the oven for only a minute or two. They will cook fast. I prefer them a little softer than too crispy, You might not like that burnt taste.

Delish snack instead of an unhealthy one.

                                Even the kids will like them. Enjoy and eat right away, they do no save well.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH LASAGNA

PUREE THE ROASTED SQUASH WITH EGGS & SPICES

USE BUTTERNUT SQUASH

USE OVEN READY LASAGNA NOODLES

LAYER WITH COTTAGE CHEESE AND ROASTED SQUASH

TOP WITH MOZZARELLA

THE COMPLETED LASAGNA

MADE SOME MUSHROOM RISOTTO TO GO WITH IT.

SERVED WITH SAUTEED GREEN BEANS AND ALMONDS

Roasted Butternut Lasagna:

Slice and peel & de seed one large butternut squash enough to cover a large baking sheet.

drizzle olive oil,garlic powder salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for 30-40 min. until tender.

Remove and cool

Roasted squash

2 eggs
two heaping TBSP sour cream
salt pepper
1 garlic clove
1 tsp sage
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup cream or milk (consistency should be like a creamy soup) add water if needed to thin it a bit if it seems too thick.
layer:
Butternut mixture first then oven ready lasagna noodles (i use the whole box and break them to make them fit. one layer right to left, next layer top to bottom. so it holds the casserole together better.
and ricotta or cottage cheese (I used small curd low fat cottage cheese, the whole tub.) I would have used ricotta if I had some.
1 layer of shredded mozzarella cheese in middle
alternate layers
mozzarella over the top(fresh Parmesan would taste good too.)
bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes covered with lid or foil.
My lasagna was a little dry to make sure you have a lot of the butternut puree mixture and drizzle a couple of TBSP of water over it when you check it if it seems dry.

Process in food processor: 

In 8x8 or square casserole dish

test noodles with a knife to make sure they are done. Check it half way through the cooking time to make sure its not too dry.

AN APPLE A DAY-PIE AND SAUCE

Apples have negative calories!! You burn more calories eating a raw apple than there are in the actual apple. 

I love fall! The colors, the leaves burning and the smell of them drying. We went camping in October and the woods were beautiful. I love sleeping with the window open in the fall and squeezing my cold pillow all night. I love fall apples, pears, grapes, squash, pumpkins. I love making soups and one pot meals. Roasting vegetables and going to the farmers markets. I love taking pictures of fall.

We got our apples from Shipshewanna this year. Apples in Michigan were just too expensive. 

I have made three apple pie, two pumpkin pies, and apple sauce twice now. Here is how I do it.

WASH YOUR APPLES

IF YOU HAVE A FOOD MILL.......NO NEED TO PEEL OR REMOVE THE CORE, JUST CUT IN HALF

OOPS....HERE'S SOME APPLES PIES GOING IN THE OVEN

COOK YOUR APPLE HALVES IN WATER UNTIL THEY ARE SOFT. REMEMBER IF YOU HAVE A FOOD MILL, THERE IS NO NEED TO PEEL OR CORE THEM.

CHOOSE YOUR FOOD MILL SIZE....SMALL FOR SUPER CREAMY BABY FOOD APPLE SAUCE. MEDIUM FOR REGULAR APPLE SAUCE (THIS IS THE ONE I USED) LARGER HOLES FOR A CHUNKY APPLE SAUCE BUT THE SEED MIGHT GET THROUGH.

FOOD MILL, STRAIN COOKED APPLES AND PUT THEM HOT INTO THE FOOD GRINDER.

GRIND APPLES INTO PAN. THROW AWAY THE SKINS

IT LOOKS SO GOOD

ADD CINNAMON AND SUGAR

PLACE INTO CANNING JARS, LET IT COOL.

COVER JARS AND FREEZE.

HERE IS MY PIE. IT HAS A HOMEMADE CRUST AND A GRANOLA, BROWN SUGAR TOPPING.

IT GOES FAST!!

MAKING CARMEL APPLES

CARAMEL APPLES 

ANY TOPPINGS CAN BE USED

CHOPPED UNSALTED ALMONDS AND PUMPKIN DECORATING CANDIES

YUMMY RED DELICIOUS APPLES AND CARAMEL KIT

KEEP STIRRING AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS UNTIL CARAMEL IS THICK

COAT APPLES AND IMMEDIATELY SPRINKLE TOPPINGS ON. WE ALSO ADDED A BIT OF COARSE SEA SALT SINCE THE ALMONDS WERE UNSALTED.

REFRIGERATE AND THEN WRAP APPLES WITH WAX PAPER AND TIE INDIVIDUALLY
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A KIT, USE THIS SIMPLE RECIPE AND CRAFT STICKS.

1 cup butter (no substitutes)
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
8 -10 wooden sticks
8 -10 medium tart apples

http://www.food.com/recipe/kittencals-caramel-apples-73274

COOKING DRY BEANS

IT IS SO MUCH CHEAPER TO PURCHASE DRIED BEANS AND COOK THEM YOURSELF. PLUS YOU KNOW WHAT IS IN THEM. "JUST BEANS" ! I LIKE TO BUY BLACK BEANS, GARBANZO BEANS, WHITE NAVY AND PINTO BEANS DRIED. 

SOAK BEANS OVER NIGHT IN COLD WATER RIGHT IN THE PAN YOU WILL COOK THEM IN. DO NOT ADD SALT OR SEASONING. ADDING SALT CAN CAUSE THE BEANS TO NEVER GET TENDER..MY HUSBAND HATES UNDER COOKED BEANS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOU CAN ADD WHOLE GARLIC CLOVES.

IN THE MORNING DRAIN BEANS AND PUT FRESH WATER ON THEM AGAIN AND BEGIN COOKING THEM ON HIGH HEAT. WHEN THEY BEGIN TO BOIL, TURN THEM DOWN TO A MED-LOW SIMMER. COOK FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS UNTIL THEY ARE TENDER. DO NOT SEASON OR SALT THE BEANS !!! YOU CAN DO THAT WHEN YOU USE THEM IN YOUR RECIPES.
COOL AND FREEZE THE BEANS IN CONTAINERS OR FREEZER BAGS UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO USE THEM.

VEGETARIAN CHILI

 YOU KNOW THAT CORN BREAD I MADE THE OTHER DAY? WELL ...WE STILL HAVE SOME AND WE NEED TO EAT IT UP. THERE IS NOTHING MORE SATISFYING THAN CHILI ON CORN BREAD ON A CHILI DAY.

GET THAT FOOD PROCESSOR OUT

THE COLORS ARE SO PRETTY

 FIRST CHOP IN A FOOD PROCESSOR

1/2 ONION
6 MILD PEPPERS OF YOUR CHOOSING (I USED 4 BANANA PEPPERS, 4 CHERRY PEPPERS, 3 BELL PEPPERS.
REMOVE THE STEM AND SEEDS.
(MAYBE THROW IN A HOT PEPPER OR TWO) I DIDN'T HAVE ANY SO I ADDED THE CRUSHED RED PEPPER.
2 GARLIC CLOVES
4 ROMA TOMATOES OR ANY TOMATOES

BLEND UNTIL FINELY CHOPPED 

 SAUTE ON STOVE, IN OLIVE OIL FOR ABOUT 10 MIN.
ADD SPICES

1 TSP CUMIN
1 TSP ONION POWDER
1 TSP CHILI POWDER
1 TSP SEA SALT
1/2 TSP GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1/2 TSP RED CHILI FLAKES FOR HEAT IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY USED HOT PEPPERS
1 CAN DICED TOMATOES

 ADD HALF 2 LITER BOTTLE OF TOMATO JUICE, V8, OR VEGETABLE JUICE....ABOUT 4 CUPS AND 1 LITER OF WATER. ABOUT 4 CUPS

ADD COOKED PINTO, BLACK, OR NAVY BEANS LAST. (I USED THE FRESH BEANS I JUST COOKED THIS MORNING) APPROX 2-4 CUPS.

LET CHILI SIMMER ON LOW FOR ABOUT 1/2 HOUR

ADD SOUR CREAM, QUE SO CHEESE OR CHEDDAR CHEESE ON TOP.

SERVE OVER CORN BREAD.

USE FRESH TOMATOES IF POSSIBLE

TOP WITH JALAPENOS AND ENJOY