Artichokes, Kale chips and a Mango...

I'm back after a short break to visit my sister and her family. We stayed longer than we ever have and had a great time. We swam, went to the movie, enjoyed a nature walk that was not so enjoyable once my nephew H was stung by a bee, and just had fun being together. The girls played dress up while the boys chased each other through the house with nerf bullets flying. They built tents and played with water balloons. My kiddos got to join Hunter in his Cross-Fit class and had a blast! I'm now bugging Rodney to hang us some rings from the ceiling in the garage so the kids can do pull-ups. I got some great ideas on how to make fitness fun for the kids. Thanks Sis for letting us tag along.

Watermelon for breakfast ~ yummy!

Yesterday we went to the grocery store and I thought it would be fun for the kids to pick out a fruit and vege they had never tried before. The catch was they had to at least taste what they picked out; so after much deliberation they agreed on an artichoke and a mango. I picked up some kale; I've been wanting to try making kale chips. The mango was a huge success; they had it for breakfast this morning. The artichoke is still waiting patiently in the fridge (I'll be Googling "how to cook an artichoke" shortly.) As for the kale chips?

This health nut mama thought they were delicious! I have to hand it to the kids, they at least tasted them. I must say, for those of us living a low carb, high fat diet these little chips are perfect for those days when we need something crunchy and a little salty. Not only are they tasty, they are so good for you. Kale is rich in nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and E, fiber, calcium, manganese and loaded with sulfur containing phytonutrients which have been shown to protect against many kinds of cancers including breast and ovarian. The chips are super simple to make; simply wash the leaves, spin in a salad spinner, gently tear the leaves from the stem, place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Cook in a 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes.

I hope you try them and if you do, let me know what you think ~