Greetings and I hope you all had a nice long weekend, for those of you (NOT me) that had yesterday off in honor of Martin Luther King Day! When I was a kid, I always referred to said day as Martin Luther “the King” Day because for some reason, that was how it had always sounded in my head. It’s funny when I remember it now because I didn’t yet grasp the enormity of who this man was when I was six, but now that I know what he did and who he was, we really should be referring to his as a King! No?! I’ve had this quote written in my journal for decades now and it still empowers me when life throws curveballs in my way. 

“If you can’t fly then run, If you can’t run then walk, If you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” MLK, Jr. 

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So I’m headed back to the Midwest on Thursday to attend a funeral but there’s a silver lining: my best friend (since 1992!) Lynn recently moved to St. Louis, Missouri and she’s picking me up and we’ll do our thing, just like old times. Hard to believe we haven’t seen in each other in over three years but with a solid friendship like ours, we don’t need to see each other everyday to keep the friendship moving. Amen to that! I’m excited to have some alone time on the plane to read and write and some extra time in between layovers to enjoy the local wine! Another silver lining if you will. I don’t like buying airport food so I spent the day in the kitchen creating a new pesto recipe that I can use as a dip for crackers and veggies while traveling.

Instead of just basil, I decided to jazz this pesto up with some kale! With kale having the reputation of the ultimate superfood, you can’t go wrong adding it into salads, dinner sides, egg bakes and more! At just 33 calories, one cup of raw kale has nearly 3 grams of protein, 2.5 grams of fiber, Vitamins A, C and K, and the list goes on but I won’t. I make my own kale “potato” chips at home too and it’s a healthy spin on an unhealthy snack. I’ve included this easy Kale Egg Bake recipe below that I made for me, myself and I this morning after a lovely yoga practice followed by a cycle class at the gym! What better way to reward yourself than with a meal that’s fresh, green and clean?!

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Kale Egg Bake- serves one 

Ingredients:

-1 cup chopped kale, remove stems

-2 eggs, beaten

-3 mushrooms, chopped

-1/2 red onion, chopped

-3 cloves garlic, chopped finely

-1 T cheese

-olive oil

-salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Wash the kale and peel the leaves off of the stems. Chop it up along with your other veggies and place aside.

 

2. In a large sauté pan, add some olive oil and toss in the onion and the mushrooms. When they start to brown, then toss in the kale.

 

3. Let the kale cook for no more than 2 minutes. Take everything off the heat.

4. Place the veggies in a small dish…I used this 5×7 baking pan.

5. Beat the eggs and add the mixture on top of the veggies. Sprinkle a little cheese and let bake for 15 minutes.

  

6. Add your favorite condiment and enjoy! Easy peesy, fresh and clean!

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Kale Pesto- makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

-1 cup kale, remove stems

-1/2 cup olive oil

-1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

-1/2 cup water

-3 cloves garlic, chopped finely

-juice from 1/2 lime

-1 tsp salt

-1 handful fresh basil and parsley (from my garden!)

-2 tsp sesame seeds

-1 tsp Herbs Provence

Directions:

1. Wash the kale and peel the leaves away from the stems.

2. Add everything into a large blender and set on high until the mixture is creamy.

3. Use on pastas, or as a dip with veggies, a salad dressing, or even a spread for your sandwich!

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Before I go today (and for the remainder of the week) we should most definitely talk books! My book club/wine club met this weekend to discuss Gillian Flynn’s novel Sharp Objects which was equally awesome and gruesome at the same time! I’m so glad one of the girls suggested it! I am currently reading The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters that is set in London, 1922 and as far as I can tell, is a train wreck in the making. This book was reviewed on NPR and it sounded too good to resist! It’s one of the books that you know something really, really, really bad is going to happen at any moment…chills down my spine, if you know what I mean. And because I’m traveling this week, I may actually pull out my Kindle and use it. I do adore that little guy but there’s nothing like the feel, smell and weight of a good book on your lap!

National Reading Day is this Saturday! Take an hour for yourself and dive into a good book!