Tasty Tuesday!

Oven-Roasted Kale

Ingredients

• 2 bunches kale
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 2 to 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse kale and pat dry thoroughly. Remove and discard thick ribs and roughly chop leaves. Pat leaves dry again. Toss with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet. Kale does not need to be in a single layer, as it will shrink in volume as it cooks. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so, until leaves are tender, crisp on edges and slightly browned. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Blood Blood Blood!

Today there was a Red Cross blood drive at one of our clinics and I thought that I would use it as a public service announcement.
Did you know that:

• Every 2 seconds someone in the US needs blood
  
• There are about 14 million blood transfusions given every year
• An car crash victim can require as many as 100 units of blood
• Less than 38% of the US population is eligible to donate blood - so check yourself, maybe you're one of the few that can save a life!
• The demand for blood donations grows faster than donations
• One donation can save as many as 3 people!

Go donate blood today!

Tasty Tuesday!

Shaved Fennel Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 fennel bulb, shaved paper thin with a mandoline or meat slicer
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 Tbsp chopped flat-leafed parsley
• 2 Tbsp shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions

Mix all ingredients together.

Serves 2-3

Tasty Tuesday!

Tasty Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 T + 1.5 t olive oil
• 3/4 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 bottle dry white wine
• 1/4 lb lentils
• 16 oz. vegetable broth
• 1 t Italian seasoning
• 1/2 t dried parsley
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1.5 t dried onion
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine olive oil, onion, and garlic in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are nice and golden brown.
2. Add white wine, and brign to boil. Lower heat to medium/low and cook for 10 minutes
3. Stir in lentils, vegetable stock, seasonings, dry onion and parsley
4. Bring to simmer on high, and reduce to medium low to simmer until the lentils are cooked. The lentils should cook in about 1.5 hours.
   
5. Season with salt and pepper or additional spices.
   

Happy New Year!

Well, it was bound to happen - the calendar has turned over one more leaf and a new year is upon us. Since it is a well known, though much hated, tradition to make resolutions for the new year, I decided to give it a try too. Maybe this blog will help keep me on track!

People tend to have such anxiety about these resolutions, and keeping them, that it's really surprising to me that year after year we still try and set these unattainable goals for ourselves. But, why? Just so we can let ourselves down? I am not wise or reflective when I say this - everyone and their mom has said this before. However, I suppose this is sort of a prelude to my resolutions this year. They are brief, and vague, but hold a deeper meaning for me, so hopefully I will not be so bummed at the end of the year that I didn't read enough, or didn't travel enough or did "____" enough, because I hope that there will be no limits that I set for myself, just something to reach for, and live by.

Dear 2011,

This is what I propose to you, and I hope that you will be generous enough to help me succeed.

This year I will be kinder to myself. I will love and accept who I am, if only for a moment.

I hope that this year I will listen before shouting.

This year, I will play with my friends' children, and love them unconditionally.

I will read more, and I will tell you all about it. You know who you are.

I will take a good photo. An amazing photo, perhaps. One that will rival the others that I hold so dear.

I hope that the timing belt crack will last at least another 30k.

This year I will see some more of the World.

I will continue to follow my dreams and my passions, and I will not sacrifice them for money or comforts.

I will try to break a sweat, at least once every 3 days. Though I'd love to aim for every day.

I will do my best to care and help. I will not let myself be lazy, at least most of the time.

I will follow my intuition, not my calculations, at least once a week.

Perhaps, I will finally do something daring.


I will climb another mountain.

I will stop (or start?) looking before leaping.

Maybe this means that I will succeed. Maybe, I will have to reflect on my stupid idealism with a weathered and skeptical eye next year. Or, maybe it doesn't even matter, and I will just laugh.

I don't know.

Check in with me in 2012.