Recipe: Kale Salad

I jumped on the super duper trendy bandwagon of kale awhile back. I am not always the best about eating my veggies, and kale is super healthy. I did not realize though that many (if not most), eat kale cooked, as I had been eating it exclusively raw. While totally ok to do so, I don't think I will ever go back. Slightly wilting the kale first makes it super tender, and as a side bonus it also becomes the most vivid shade of green.

Doing it is simple - I put a fairly deep pan on the stove on medium, and add a little water. Then put in the raw, washed kale (it is ok if it is wet, and in fact probably works better at allowing the kale to slightly cook a bit faster).

For me, if the pan is already hot, it takes maybe 60-90 seconds for all of the leaves to turn the richest green you have ever seen.That is when I usually take it off the heat and transfer into a bowl to cool. I usually do two big batches like the ones in the picture for about three salads worth.

After that, all you need to do is let it cool, add whatever to it you like, and eat. I roasted up some yellow squash to go into it, just roasted for 40 minutes in a baking pan with olive oil and some Mrs. Dash (I try to avoid adding salt, as most dressings offer plenty of flavor). Then I mixed it with some chipotle ranch dressing because obviously this was looking way too healthy. I still have enough salad for about two more salads, and I will likely roast up some broccoli tomorrow to add into it too. Other toppings I enjoy are hard boiled egg, grilled chicken, artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms, shredded/crumbled cheese...pretty much anything that can go on a salad. Plus, easily portable too, and is likely to become a feature in the student teaching lunchbox. Nomnom.

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I'm taking it back to the old school cuz I'm an old fool who's so cool!

90s hip hop is amazing, and I miss it every time I turn on the radio on to a Top 40 station nowadays. I find all the best people agree with me on that.

Who remembers LiveJournal? Or Xanga? I know I am dating myself even by knowing what those blogging platforms are. I used to have a xanga I was pretty dedicated to for awhile, and because this blog isn't really "themed" or any of that trendy nonsense people are doing these days, it will probably be pretty reminiscent of that kind of style. I am going to post when I like, which will probably be when I have time. I have time for the next three weeks. Then I begin student teaching and if my adviser is to be believed, my life will functionally end for 15 weeks. We shall see.

Right now, I have been spending the summer reviving myself after my breakup, learning to cook, and purging. Purging a lot of negativity to make space for new possibilities as well as purging old crap I no longer need in my physical space so there is room for maximum revamp. So far, I have been semi successful in both. My tidbit for this morning is this: if you haven't touched it in a year, time to reevaluate if you need it in your life. This goes for clothes, kitchenware, pretty much any object you own. I personally have found this to be very effective in reducing the overall clutter in my apartment, and I use the things I own so much more.

Bonus, works for fake friends on Facebook too. Life tip: if you are in fake friend overload and need a culling, try unfriending anyone you wouldn't wish "Happy Birthday" to every day for a year. Takes about five seconds of your time, gives you a much more personal Facebook experience, and I have multiple friends (real ones) who swear by this.

Maybe it is just me, but I see no benefit in having uselessness around me. Choosing to only be around people and things I appreciate and enjoy, when I can help it, was one big revamp step I didn't even realize I had taken a few years ago. Now it is even more important as I go into dating. And maintain my stance that hashtagging is a useless and bizarre trend I will not be partaking in.