Kale Chips

I made kale chips tonight. This was my second time with a few changes that I'll note in the recipe. Before I get there, let me describe kale.

Many of you may be asking, "What exactly is kale?" I know I did the first time I heard about it. Kale is a highly nutritious green vegetable that is called a superfood. It has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. And if that isn't enough, kale contains indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells. Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium.

So in my quest to learn how to do things with this wonder veggie, I made my way to my local produce section and discovered there are many different varieties of kale. Some of it is curly and coarse, while other types have smooth leaves.

I found curly, coarse kale to be chewy with thick stalks. (Not my favorite, but to each his own.) As of tonight, I've decided I prefer the smooth leaves as they are easier to eat. I think it is all a matter of preference.

So let's say you have a hankering for a salty potato chip. You could grab a bag and beg for forgiveness later. OR you could grab some kale chips and not feel one tig of guilt. You see, one cup of kale chips equals about 45-60 calories, 3-7 grams of carbs, 1-3 fat grams and 1-4 grams of protein.

How do you get kale chips? Well, if you have a thick wallet and a store like Whole Foods nearby like I do - you could buy them pre-made. OR you could easily make them.

Here's the recipe:

• Preheat oven to 350-375 degrees.
• Cover your cookie sheet with parchment paper*.
• Thoroughly wash, dry** and shred one bunch of kale. (Be sure to remove the stalks.)
• Wisk together two tbsp. apple cider vinegar, one tbsp. olive oil and some sea salt.
• Fill a large ziploc bag with with the shredded leaves.
• Pour mixture into baggie filled with leaves.
• Shake the leaves and mixture around, ensuring to get them all moist.
• Pour one layer of leaves from baggie onto parchment covered cookie sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• Use spatula to turn leaves over and cook for a few more minutes until crispy.
• Repeat process until you use all the leaves.
• Enjoy!

*Parchment paper is a key. I tried tin foil before and it didn't work quite as well.
**I bought my first salad spinner and found it to be the best tool for washing and drying the leaves.

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Do You Know How Much He Loves You?

For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should have Eternal life and not perish. John 3:16

I learned this Bible verse as a child. And throughout the years I have seen it posted on banners at football games and quoted on billboards along the roadside.

This verse is a common thing that people encounter all the time. But have you ever paused long enough to think about what it means?

I look at this way…

God, the creator of the universe and everything in it, loved the world.

The world –meaning He loves you and me, and everyone.

Gave His only Son to come to earth as a human and fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament. His Son, Jesus, grew up and lived among us.

Then, at the age of 33, Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead three days later.

Why? He was a symbolic sacrifice for us to demonstrate how much God, our Father and creator, loves us.

Think about that for a moment. God loved us SO much that He would sacrifice His only Son to show us how much He loves us. Let that sink in and think about how GREAT that sacrifice is and what it says.

Now here’s the catch. This sacrifice was made so that whoever believes in it should have everlasting life.

This means that if you believe with all your heart and soul that God did this for us, you will go to heaven when you die and live there for eternity.

But it is more than just believing. You see the demons believe in this sacrifice and know that it is true – but they live for themselves, doing whatever they please.

To have assurance of eternal life with the Lord in heaven one must believe in Jesus and His resurrection AND build a personal relationship with Him.

So let me ask you… if you were to die today, can you honestly say that you’d go to heaven?

If you’re not sure, let me encourage you to pause and ask the Lord to come into your heart and reveal Himself to you. If you really mean it, He will and I promise you that your life will be changed forever.

Related articles

• A Personal Relationship? (inspiration-point.org)
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He Is With Me Wherever I Go...

I was driving in a sea of cars to an off-site meeting at the end of a long workday. Traffic was heavy, as it seems to consistently be in the Charleston area these days. As my SUV traveled the route I needed to take, I grew frustrated that I would not make it to my meeting on time.

To take my mind off the current situation, I reached for my scripture cards. My self-made stack is comprised of index cards that I keep in the center console of my car. Each card contains a scripture verse that has spoken to me at some point in time. And wouldn’t you know it; the first card on the top of the stack contained just the right verse that I needed for that moment in time. 

It read: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

As my car slowly navigated the path before it, I reflected on the verse. The magnitude of its meaning struck me to my core. God is with me wherever I go. He is with ME – right there in the sea of cars.

Not only is He with me. But He is with all of His children who call Him Abba Father and friend. He is with my mom in South Florida. He’s with my girlfriends Lisa and Maddie in Texas. He’s with my "sister" Michelle in Japan. He’s with my "brother" Matt in Israel. He’s with us all at the same time, helping us navigate life.

He is omnipresent and there to help us if only we’ll reach out to Him. He’s not just in church on Sunday; or only there for us during a crisis. He is there for us ALL the time. All we have to do is seek Him and talk to Him. That’s what He wants – a personal relationship with us. He wants to be part of everything we do; everything – not just in our times of need.

Of course, reality struck me that many people have no idea that they can have a personal relationship with our living, loving Lord. They see Him as a distant being that is disconnected from their world. 

My prayer is that if you’re reading this and you don’t have a personal relationship with Him that you will call out to Him and ask Him to reveal His spirit to you. If you do, I promise you that He will. The Word says it all… “the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” All you have to do is fellowship with Him – regularly, daily.

By the way, before I knew it… I arrived at my destination. Not only was I on time, but I had a song in my heart because I knew that He was with me – even when I was frustrated about being stuck in traffic.

He is with me wherever I go. Is He with you?

Playing in The Kitchen

I love to cook and am continually discovering different ways to make my vegetarian lifestyle more interesting. Following recipes is not really my thing. I use them as idea starters but I typically end up making it up as I go along.

Last week's crock pot of vegetarian soup worked well and served me at various mealtimes throughout the week. So, tonight I decided to give the crock pot another workout.

Here's a photo of my creation before it is thoroughly cooked down. The contents include:

• Two cans kidney beans - drained and washed
• Two cans diced tomatoes w/ basil, oregano and onions
• One leek - fleshy part washed and diced
• Spinach leaves - washed and drained
• Onion - chopped
• Mushrooms - diced
• 1 Tbs. Garlic Diced
• Two cups of vegetable broth
• Two cups of water
•  Sea Salt

As I type this, the aromas of this latest creation are wafting upstairs from the kitchen. I can't wait to taste it tomorrow night for dinner. And per Johnny Cercopely's - my Cooper River scuba diving/boat captain friend - FB suggestion, I just may add some cornbread to round it out. Stay tuned for an update...

Oooo Girl!

I was standing in a check-out line and happened to notice the woman behind me. Her hairstyle was over-the-top – literally and figuratively. It was fun and splashy! The top of her head looked kinda like Pebbles from the Flintstones but more modern and hip.

So, I looked at the woman – who was a bit older than me – and said, “Your hair is cool!” And she responded, “Ooooo, girl! It sure is!” I was humorously taken aback by her self-assurance and replied, “I like your confidence.”

Her college-aged daughter turned to her mother and whispered something. The mother quickly looked at me with a jolt of surprise and laughed before saying, “Ooooo, girl, I thought you said it was cold in here.”

Joyous' comment: This really happened to me last week. If you know me at all, I tend to look for the humor in most things. And this was pretty darn funny. Guess you had to be there, aye!? :-)

Savory Goodness

Image via WikipediaI just made my first-ever vegetarian soup from scratch. I didn't follow a recipe, so I do not have a name for it. I just put things in the crock pot and let it cook overnight. When I served it (to myself) tonight, I added a tig of cooked rice. The result was savory goodness.

I don't measure things, so I'll have to give approximate quantities. Here's what I put together:

• 2 cans of Navy Beans - drained and rinsed
• 1 Leek - chopped
• 1 container of vegetable broth
• garlic - chopped
• onion - chopped
• red pepper - chopped
• spinach leaves - washed and drained
• salt - to taste
• pepper - to taste

Cook overnight in a crock pot on low. Serve as soup, with rice or with cornbread. However you eat it, you'll be sure to enjoy it.

He Blows Me Away

Have you ever had everything lined up to go in one direction, only to have it do a 180 in less than 24 hours? That is what happened to me this week. Jer. 33:3

As you know, I had everything lined up so I could relocate to Florida. My household was packed. The handyman had come to do some work on my rental townhouse. I had the lawn spiffed up. The movers were secured for Wed., March 2. I was lining up a maid service to clean after everything was out of here. I had secured a storage unit to put my belongings in. I had my final visit with my doctor. I scheduled lunches with people to say goodbye. Things were moving forward. Josh. 1:9

All the while, I continued to pray that God would direct my paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

And he did direct my paths… just in a different direction. 

At the end of last week, someone I knew very well reached out to me. He wanted to discuss me helping his company build out their external communication efforts. This contact was totally unexpected and way outside the realm of what I ever thought God would do. (Yes, there is more to this story.) Job 23:14

The bottom line is that I’m not moving. God provided exactly what I needed and I am staying in Charleston for four more months… maybe more. Job 22:28

Jer. 33:3: Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.