Kale Chips — they really are good

Kale chips recipes pop up pretty frequently in my online reading. When you have an allergic kid, you are always looking for alternative snacks. So, this week, I finally got around to my inaugural batch. For some reason, I thought it would be time consuming, but it actually was a snap. And, believe it or not, they are quite good. My daughter’s favorite snack right now is toasted seaweed snacks and I am buying the health food store out of them nearly every week. I thought these would be right up her alley. They turned out so well, I took them them into school for my weekly garden classes. Out of 45 kids, I had only 5 that didn’t think they were awesome. In fact, I handed out the rest of them at the end of the day as the kids went outside. I sure hope some of them make them at home.

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Here is what I did:I used kitchen shears to cut the kale leaves into chunks and remove the tough central stalk. I put them in a bowl and drizzled on enough EVOO to coat, then I sprinkled with sea salt, lemon juice, and paprika. Once they are tossed in the oil and spices, spread them on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350. So easy! Keep in mind that you are really drying them out and they are going to shrink quite a bit. So don’t think it is too much kale.

I am going to experiment with spices and see if Swiss chard will work as well. This recipe idea is one I will use over and over and kale is in season right now. It’s available in big beautiful bunches at the farmer’s market.

Kid Cooperation (and lack of)

Water for the goats

it isn't always easy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lily certainly does not spend all her time skipping in the grass tending her chickens and goats (but it is a nice daydream).  Getting her to cooperate is often a chore,  just like any other child.  She does not always want to put on her barn boots and go out, but she is almost always in a better mood post-barn than pre-barn.

In an especially foul mood this week while transitioning back into the social pressures of preschool, you can see the attitude she flashed at me in the barn with the chickens.  A few minutes later she is working hard and taking pride in her ability to care of her goats’ water needs.  She spent about 20 minutes this week pulling little burrs out of the goat’s coats.  Quite a bit of patience for a 5-year-old.

She may grumble a fair bit and does not enjoy the “have to’s” in life, but she is so at home outside.  I take pride in that.  She has found the baby goats like freshly brown and falling tulip tree leaves.  She patiently collects them and hand feeds them to the goats.  Before handing one over, she saw a slug on it and showed it to me.  I told her the goats wouldn’t like that, but I bet she knew who would.  Right away, she said: “my chickens!”  She put it in the pail and on the way back to the house, tossed it in the chicken yard.  Bertha scooped it right up. That’s my girl!