Candied Walnuts

A little bit sweet, a little bit salty and oh my word, a little bit spicy. This is how I would describe this yummy snack. I bought raw walnuts not too long ago to make candied walnuts and slowly I used them for other foods and today when cleaning out the cupboard I discovered there was only half a bag left, so I left the cupboard a mess and decided to make these instead. Now this is a very simple recipe, but you would be surprised to know how many people drop a small fortune on teeny bags of already candied walnuts. They are around 5 dollars for a 4 oz bag, where as my 12 oz. bag was only $6.50. Once again, this is very simple and it only takes about 25 minutes to prepare and bake.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

6 oz. walnuts
1 1/2 T. olive oil
1 T. sugar (or 1/4 cup agave)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
cayenne pepper to taste


baking in oven

Place all ingredients in a bowl and coat the walnuts evenly. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

See, easy! You can eat these as a snack, add them to a trail mix or even toss them into a salad.

Kale Chips

I am a snacker, a big snacker; impulsive and often out of control. Usually when I get home from work (mid-afternoon) I have a little snack, which turns into a meal. I try to curb my eating but after working 8 1/2 hours and biking home I am ravenous. My tummy takes over my brain and I become a food zombie roaming the kitchen looking for food and fast! I try to eat things like popcorn, trail mix or granola. I love fruit and veggies but when I am in a snacking craze those are the furthest things from my mind. I have found a way to trick my noggin' into thinking it is getting a salty, greasy snack when indeed I will be eating a healthful snack of kale chips. Kale is full of calcium and considered an anti-inflammatory. While very similar to collard greens it is in fact related to cabbage, another one of my faves.


dinosaur kale

The first time I tried kale, it was raw in a salad and I thought it was a gross chewy mess that I shall avoid for the rest of my days. Then one day for my birthday my friends Ty and Julia brought over bag after bag of kale chips. I was appalled they would bring such a tasteless food to my party, but then was completely surprised when I tried one. These things were better than potato chips! I ignored my guests and wolfed down kale chips all night. Since that day (almost 2 years ago) I have been perfecting my own kale chips. Trying different flavor combinations, the appropriate cook time and what have yous have all lead me to this my, famous "Pizza" kale chips.


tiny chihuahua VS. dino kale

You will need:
I head of kale (any kind, green, red or dinosaur)
2 T. olive oil
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried basil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper


oven ready

To Prepare pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and dry your kale then cut the leaves away from the thick rib center. Place kale chips on a well greased cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle on seasonings and bake for 10-15 minutes. Let cool then enjoy!


yum!