Kale Chips

I am a chip fanatic...who doesn't love a good crunch?! I've been really in to kale chips lately because they are guilt free, super crunchy and packed with nutrients.  If you haven't had them try my favorite version:

Ingredients

3-4 leaves of kale

1 tsp Lemon pepper seasoning

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 tsp sesame seeds

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375. Melt the coconut oil in a large glass bowl in the microwave for 30min. or in a small saucepan on the stove. Tear the leaves off the kale stems and add them to the bowl. Tear the larger pieces down to chip size. Using your hands, coat the kale with the coconut oil. Transfer the kale to a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning or another seasoning of your choice. For a spicy version add some red pepper flakes. 1/4 tsp should do the trick. Lastly sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Bake in the oven for 6 min. Remove and stir around on the pan. Return to the oven for 2-4 min. Remove from the oven and let cool. They will crisp as they cool. Store in a non air tight container to keep them crisp. Ours usually don't last that long!!

Easter Dinner

Easter is on of my favorite holidays because it's the day Jesus rose from the dead! He defeated sin and death just for us! How amazing is that? Here is how we celebrated:

Sweet potato casserole is an old Z family holiday favorite. I did my best to recreate it in a healthier way. 

Ingredients:

3 giant sweet potatoes

1/2 stick of butter

1/4 cup coconut milk (native forest is the canned brand I use)

1/2tbs cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup honey

Topping:

1/4 cup almonds

Drizzle of honey

1tbs butter

Directions:

Enlist a handsome husband to peel sweet potatoes. Cut sweet potatoes into large chunks and boil in a large pot until soft. Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Mash the potatoes and mix in all ingredients until well combined. Transfer to a baking dish. For the topping, toast the almonds in butter in a skillet on the stove stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Add the toasted almonds as the topping and drizzle with honey. Bake at 350 for 15min. Serves 6-8

We don't eat many green beans around here, but when we do we wrap them in bacon. 

Ingredients:

1lb uncured bacon

2 bags of frozen whole green beans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375* Cut the bacon in half to make double the strips. Stretch the bacon and lay 10-12 green beans on a strip. Wrap the bacon around the green beans and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes until bacon is cooked thoroughly. Serves 6-8

We enjoyed these sides with a yummy ham. I wish I could say it was uncured but our tiny town doesn't have that option. I guess we need to order one next time!