Homemade Crispy Kale Chips

 After my many years of struggling with my weight loss goals, I have finally learned one thing....deprivation is detrimental. My unhealthy eating and dieting comes directly from my mother. As a teenager we would regularly go on the "Tuna Fish Diet", "The Soup Diet", or even do an hour of aerobics followed by a large baked potato SMOTHERED in cheese and sour cream....something wasn't working. If these "diets" and methods were the key to losing weight then we would both certainly be skinny. Don't get me wrong we would occasionally see some success and would lose 5-10 pounds only to pack them back on and repeat the process. I carried these yo-yo diets throughout my twenties until I finally figured out what the major problem was....I was depriving myself INSTEAD of building healthy eating habits. If you want to learn more, be sure to follow my website http://www.frugalfitfamily.com

Finally, now - I KNOW BETTER! I learned how to eat and more importantly, how to feed my body with healthier FRESHER foods. I have become addicted to making it to the local Farmers Market as often as I can. They have the best of the best when it comes to local foods and goods made by the people in your neighborhood who can tell you EXACTLY what is in it!

This week, I was again inspired by produce from  "Our Harvest Cooperative"  from the greater Cincinnati, Ohio area who not only grows amazing fruits and veggies but also mixes up some mean culinary concoctions while doing great works all at the same time! They provide foods like salsas, granolas, farm fresh eggs, and more all sustainably grown by local folks! Learn more about them by visiting their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OurHarvestCoop and also by checking out their website www.ourharvest.coop . They also provide amazing produce boxes and as someone who loves produce...I can tell you, their stuff is AMAZING!

I crave sweet and salty ALL THE TIME. I had always heard that kale chips were a great substitute for potato chips but I never believed the hype. If I am playing the honesty card, I will admit that they don't taste EXACTLY like potato chips. Kale Chips have their own unique flavor but they are EXCELLENT. They feed your craving for crunchy and salty and are hard to stop eating! They take only about 20 minutes to make and a whole batch of them costs less than $2.00! If you try to buy these babies at the Health Food Store, they will set you back about $8 for a small package!

These kale chips aren't just for dieters! Baked kale is featured on many popular food and cooking shows as an appetizer, garnish, and side dish. You can jazz them up however you want to make them your own.



Yes, Still Green BUT GREAT!

Cook Time

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 10 min

Ready in: 20 min

Yields: about 4-6 servings depending on the head of kale

Ingredients

• 1 bunch Kale
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• to taste optional seasonings like chili powder, salt, red pepper flakes, curry, etc.

Easy to Make!

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray (you can use parchment paper if you have it)
2. Remove thick stems from kale. Wash kale thoroughly under cool running water (kale tends to have particles of dirt trapped in the crevices so wash well). Cut the clean kale into 1 inch pieces.
3. Toss kale pieces in the olive oil and salt (and any additional seasonings you choose)
4. Place kale on cookie sheet in a thin layer and bake for about 10 minutes. You will look for the edges to get a bit brown but not burned.
5. Remove from sheet when cool and START SNACKING!

Make them your own!

There are so many ways to experiment with this recipe. I suggest to first try them as the recipe states and then get crazy! I tend to like mine a bit over cooked with some chili powder.

I WISH I KNEW WHAT MY FIRST BATCH WAS LIKE! I tasted one "chip" from my first batch when my children hijacked the whole bowl. I will say that they are the type of kids who would choose an apple over potato chips and are constantly asking if what they are eating is "healthy". I would like to think that this is because I have taught them better than I was taught as a child....... but you never know, it could have more to do with the amount of children's media regarding healthy diets. I choose parental influence:) Either way, these kale chips were a hit with us ALL!

Enjoy and please let me know of any variations you try and LOVE!


So, what will inspire you this week at the Farmers' Market? Stay tuned to see what inspires me each week at the West Chester, Ohio Farmers Market! You can follow the market on Facebook by clicking HERE.

The Summer Market will take place on Center Pointe Drive between the roundabout and Mid Pointe library from 9 am to 1 pm every Saturday http://westchesterohiofarmersmarket.org/ has more information and details about dates and vendors!

GO OUT, SHOP LOCAL,  AND GET INSPIRED!

 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe and will continue to follow my site Frugal Fit Family! You can follow me on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to the minute with my favorite recipes, organic living tips, and DIY green beauty potions!