Kale – I’ve had it before and I don’t “love” it. In salad, it’s what I would describe as a scratchy food. I know that’s a weird way to describe it, but that’s what comes to my mind when someone mentions kale and salad together in a sentence. I like kale chips, but you need a ton to make a family serving, now that it’s just hubs and I – I may make those too when we have a need for a chip-like treat. Can I possibly make kale taste better, so we can enjoy it?
I’m trying to clean up hubs and my eating habits. Again, we are in our second-half and with that comes all sorts of new issues. I’ve dealt with weight issues since about six weeks after the birth of my son. I suppose dealt isn’t a good word – battled would be a better way to describe it.
The doctor told me I must get on birth control. I was about 5 pounds (2.27 kg) shy of my pre-pregnancy weight at that point in time. So I started the pill as we weren’t ready to have another baby at that point. Well, in the matter of 6 weeks time – I gained 50 pounds (22.68 kg). I didn’t change my eating, I didn’t go on a binge of any sort – I simply started taking the pill. I don’t care what anyone tells me, that choice did something wacky to my hormones and I have battled the weight ever since then and each pregnancy things seemed to get a little worse.
I did the Weight Watchers, vegetarian, juicing, very low carb, I mean I feel like I tried everything. The very low-carb worked best for me, and it’s admittedly very restrictive. It likely worked best for me because I do come from a carb-sensitive family, but it did NOT completely correct the issue, ever. So after battling for so many years, I just kinda gave up to be honest. Shame on me. But it’s the truth and I want to be completely truthful in telling my story.
So here I am, over 50, and I am sick of myself. My hubs has been dealing with some digestion issues, and I am just tired of not feeling my best. I am on a quest to make our second-half our healthiest while enjoying special times. Even if that means I never get to my perfect weight again (what is that anyway??) – I am okay with it, I just want to be the best me that I am capable of being, while enjoying special occasions.
Why do I say that? Because when I did the low-carb diet, I was so strict for 3 years that I missed out on some fun times. I’m not going to tell you that food isn’t meant to be fun at times – I believe it is and when we cut ourselves off from that FOREVER – it creates stress. However, 99% of the time I intend to keep us on the healthy path. I need to help hubs with his issues and hopefully lessen the ones I deal with at the same time.
So, we are starting to change over to whole, natural, found-in-nature foods to start. I won’t be perfect, he definitely won’t be! I know that, and I am okay with it, I want a lifestyle not a prison sentence. I plan to tweak things as we travel this path to see what helps and what doesn’t. I will share and be honest as we do that.
That has led me to find the best sources of foods that I can. For veggies, a farmer’s market is truly the best, but that’s not always an option at different times of the year I recently found Misfits Market – this is fun!
Use my code to get 25% off your first order: COOKWME-OC4PCJ.
Right now they have two options, a smaller box, The Mischief and a larger box, The Madness. I selected the smaller box because there are only two of us. You currently can’t select what you receive, so it forces you to try new things. FUN! We got our first box and what was in it? Well, lots of goodies, apples, mangoes, green onions, red onions, squash, potatoes, tomatoes and….KALE. 😒Uh-oh….
Well, I decided I would make a salad with it, and give it another go. I really prefer fast and simple recipes and since it’s fall, I like to eat in season as well. So here it is: Sweet & Crunchy Fall Kale Salad!
Sweet & Crunchy Fall Kale Salad
Equipment
- large bowl
- colander
- slicing tool
- measuring spoon
- measuring cup
- citrus juicer
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Kale
- 2 Apples
- 3 T Avocado Oil
- 1 t Salt
- 1 t Pepper
- 6 ounces Feta Cheese Crumbled
- 1/2 C Pumpkin Seeds Salted
Instructions
- Wash the kale and apples well and dry off. Tear off the kale leaves from the stems into bite size pieces and place in your large bowl. With washed hands, rub the kale until the leaves darken - this takes a few minutes but it's worth the effort. (Remember I said my description of kale is scratchy?)You can slice or julienne the apples (use whatever tool you have) and add to the large bowl.In a small bowl, mix your avocado oil, lemon juice (squeezed fresh or you can use the bottled), salt & pepper until well mixed.Drizzle over the kale and apples. Toss to coat everything.Add the feta cheese and pumpkin seeds and toss again.
Notes
So what are my thoughts on this kale salad?
It is wonderful! It’s fresh, it’s different, a little sweet, a little tang and it’s healthy! Guess what – no “scratchy” sensation either. I have to be honest, I thought the hubs would grumble due to it being kale and feta cheese, but he took the first bowl and came back for seconds without me ASKING him to. Seriously friends, that’s big! 😂
We kept the leftovers and it was even better the next day.
Where to Buy:
I have a few different manual food graters, etc…this one is nice!
To try new veggies – I recommend Misfits Market, everything is certified organic and GMO-free.
Use my code to get 25% off your first order: COOKWME-OC4PCJ.
Currently, you select a box size and you get whatever they put in the box for the week. They are working towards allowing you to select what you want, but I enjoy being surprised and getting the chance to try new things. As well, they are hoping to go nationwide eventually, at the time of this writing they are in several states, but not all of them. They do have a wait list if you want to be informed when they are available in your state.
If you try the recipe, please do let me know if you like it or what did you do to make it your own?! 🥗
Questions? Contact Me.
Say Hello to Something Beautiful (every single day),
