{From My Kitchen} Easy Kale Chips!!

I know, I know----you are thinking, "what in the WORLD are Kale Chips?" I was thinking the same thing! Ha, ha! Just stick with me......I won't steer you wrong!

I am always searching for more healthful options for our family. Especially when it comes to snacking or packing lunches for our homeschool adventures. I have to be honest, I usually don't do the grocery shopping. My husband is an expert grocery shopper!! I can always trust him with the list and he brings home just what we need (and nothing else, which saves us a lot of money, too:)! 

But, I do LOVE grocery shopping!! So, whenever I can run into Trader Joe's, I jump at the chance!

I came across a bag of Kale and remembered reading recipes for kale chips and decided it was time to give it a try!

3 simple things-some salt, kale and olive oil. That's it. I like simple:)

 Wash and thoroughly dry the kale. Break the leaves into pieces and remove any of the large stem pieces.

 Pour it into a bowl and drizzle with a very small amount of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle a LITTLE salt on it. Em sprinkled just a bit too much on ours. I also read where you can put soy sauce on it instead of salt and that was good as well!!

Spread the prepared kale out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

 Bake on 350 for 8-10 minutes and it will darken and shrivel up a bit.

 It has a crispy texture similar to potato chips!

A wonderful and healthy snack option for your family!

 All of the girls loved them! Do you see how fast the bowl went? I had to make a second batch! LOL.

Here's where Elle and Em were claiming the last of the kale chips. Need I say more? They were a huge success and something we will make regularly! 

Blessings,

Aria:)

The Girls' 1st Race!

Fitness is a large part of my life. It has been for the past 10 years or so when I lost almost 40 pounds!

I would love to pass along to our girls the love of exercise and teach them to love being healthy and physically active.  

{Note: I do NOT want to teach my kids that being "SKINNY" equates to being healthy. I will probably never be skinny/model thin and that is perfectly fine with me!}

So, when the girls' gym coach told us about the Red Nose Race, we signed up right away! Our city had a hugely popular adult marathon and some local businesses sponsored a smaller race for the kids to participate in the same weekend. 

 Warming up before the race. It was a cool morning, but turned out to be a nice, fall day!

 Elle at the starting line.

 Our family:)

 My husband ran with Ce Ce and I ran with Em. For some reason, she didn't feel like running with the bigger kids.

 Elle crossing the finish!

Our little athletes:-)

What ways do you incorporate fitness into your lives?

We would LOVE to hear about it!

Blessings,

Aria:)

Mini Pumpkin Pies {From My Kitchen}

We are studying pumpkins in homeschool, so you know that means cooking up some pumpkins in the kitchen, LOL:)

I wanted to make a healthier version of this recipe and so I experimented with a few different recipes and added in my own twists. 

So, here is what I came up with. 

Mini pumpkin pies with homemade whipped topping.

I knew that they wouldn't look nearly as cute as the original, but they are a lot healthier and they taste ah-mazing!!

I started out making this whole grain pie crust. They are more brown than traditional crust, but they are full of flavor, crunch and really were good for being "healthier." 

{much better than the store bought pie crusts}

 I ground up the oatmeal and then tossed in the rest of the ingredients for the pie crust in my food processor.

The trick for rolling out this type of dough---use parchment paper sprayed with canola oil or waxed paper would work, too.

The girls had fun cutting out the pumpkin shapes and playing with the leftover dough!

Then, I used the recipe on the can of organic pumpkin I had.I reduced the sugar because I knew I would lop some whipped cream on top of the pies:)

Filled the crusts to the top in the muffin tins and baked for 15 minutes on 425 and then for about 20 more minutes on 350.  Let them cool.

While the mini pumpkin pies were baking, the big girls decided to "look outside at the rain." {They had a very busy school day today}.

 Awwwwww, I love these kids:) {Yes, our 5 yr old still naps daily-she NEEDS them!} Our family motto is "you are never too old for a nap!" LOL.

Well, if you love cool whip, you will ADORE this next simple recipe!!

Homemade Whipped Cream

 Seriously, never buy cool whip again---it is so easy and so much better!

All you need is heavy whipping cream, vanilla and confectioners' sugar. That's it!

{In the picture, you may notice the bowl is fogging up. It is best to cool your bowl and whisk in the fridge for 15 minutes prior to making the whipping topping.}

Pour 1 cup of cream into the cold bowl. Whisk until peaks almost form. It should be thick and creamy, but not "light and fluffy" yet. 

 

 This is when I add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 2 tablespoons of confectioners' sugar.

 Continue to whisk until peaks form and put into the fridge to set up.

 Since the big girls were taking a nap, the baby got to be my taste tester, lol.

 She approved:)

 

 Hubby and the girls LOVED the pies! They are so good!

We will probably make another batch around Thanksgiving and hand them out to neighbors and friends/family. 

What fall flavors do you have coming out of your kitchen? What are some favorite recipes you can share with us?

Blessings,

Aria:)

Homeschool Highlights 2

Here is a re-cap of some of the other homeschool adventures we have had recently.

 Elle sorting pompons and graphing them for a math lesson.

 Studying money.

 Elle LOVES to pretend she is a doctor!!! Poor Em was just trying to read a book. She had no idea she needed surgery that day;-)!

 The girls love to eat any food on a stick, lol. It's their latest "fad."

 One of our Bible Memory verses. This one is such an encouraging one!

 Elle working on Phonics worksheets.

 Elle working on flash cards for language arts.

 Such a happy little learner:)

 I made a game up called "hide the heart." I just put a little heart under a cup and switched them around to let the girls guess where it was hidden. 

Simple. Effective. FUN.

 We played another round of "Sink or Float." The girls made predictions as to what items they thought would sink or float.

I LOVE it when the girls have FUN while learning!

Fun finger painting.

 We attended a local church's fall festival.

 Pony rides!

 Ce Ce had fun in the bounce house.

Ce Ce wasn't too sure about the huge rabbit, LOL.

We went to a farm with a pumpkin patch. Trying to enjoy the last of the warm days here!

 Elle was reticent to try this at first, but once she got started, her confidence grew and she had a ball!

 We loved seeing camels out in the middle of nowhere:)

 

 This was, by far, the girls' favorite activity at the farm. It was an old wagon FILLED with dried corn kernels. One HUGE sensory table, LOL.  The would've stayed in there all night if we could have let them! We met another homeschooling family there who lives right around the corner from us!!! What a blessing!

 We enjoyed a nice picnic lunch.

 Me and my girls:)

Life is good.

Blessings,

Aria:)