It’s no secret. I’m absolutely crazy for kale. I blend it into smoothies, chop it into salads, and dehydrate it into kale chips all the time. That’s why I’m so excited to have my hands on a copy of Hallie Klecker’s new ebook Crazy for Kale. Hallie, author of Daily Bites, creates delicious recipes that are clean, refreshing, and so good for you. And what could be better for you than kale?

I couldn’t be more excited to have 40 new gluten-free, dairy-free recipes that are packed with my favorite green! Of the 40 recipes, 33 are grain-free/paleo, and 31 are vegan or have vegan options. So this is a perfect cookbook for our family.

Here are just a few of Hallie’s kale recipes that I will be making soon:

• Orange Greensicle Smoothie
• Kale Salad with Goji Berries & Maple Roasted Almonds
• Sweet Potato & Kale Balls
• Lemon Sesame Kale Chips
• Avocado Kale Slaw
• Chocolate Buckwheat Brownies – Yes, there’s kale even in her desserts!

Check out what these kale experts had to say about Hallie’s book. Some of them even shared their own kale recipes:

• Elana of Elana’s Pantry
• Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten Free
• Tessa the Domestic Diva  - And check out her divine Vegan Kale Pesto!
• Johnna of In Johnna’s Kitchen – Her Kale Artichoke Dip looks insane.
• Alta of Tasty Eats at Home - This Lemony Kale Salad with Candied Black Walnuts? Yum!
• Ricki of Diet, Dessert & Dogs
• Kim at Cook it Allergy Free – Kims shares Dehydrated Kale to sprinkle on…everything!
• Lexie of Lexie’s Kitchen – Creamy Kale Mashed Potatoes! How creative!

Merry Christmas family and friends! We are enjoying a quiet Christmas this year. Listening to Christmas music, decorating our Charlie Brown Christmas tree, watching Christmas movies, caroling, evenings with friends, snuggling with Max. Max does quiet Christmas really well.

Last year we traveled to visit my mom. While I’m missing her this Christmas, I love that traditional family recipes can bridge the miles. I wanted to share one of mom’s favorite gluten-free Christmas dessert recipes with you called Berries on a Cloud. There are a few preparation steps that need to be taken days ahead. If I hadn’t been so behind on my Christmas shopping you would have had this recipe last week! Sorry.  Just think how you’re extra ahead for Christmas 2013!

Berries on a Cloud is a perfect one-dish dessert for a crowd. Prepare the three layers one day at a time.

Slice and serve.

Don’t look for anything healthy in this recipe. Just enjoy the beautiful Christmas color and the light, fluffy decadence!

Berries on a Cloud

from Heather’s mom

Merengue Layer Ingredients:

• 6 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 c. sugar

Cream Cheese Layer Ingredients:

• 8 oz. softened cream cheese
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 8 oz. cool whip
• 1 c. mini marshmallows

Berry Topping Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz. can cherry pie filling
• 2 12-oz packages of frozen raspberries, thawed
• 1/4 c. water

Directions:

Day 1

1.  Preheat oven to 275.

2.  Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt to soft peaks.

3.  Add 1 3/4 c. sugar and beat until stiff.

4.  Lightly grease 9×13 pan.  Spread egg white mixture in the bottom of the pan.

5.  Bake for 1 hour at 275.  Turn oven off and leave for 8 hours or overnight.

Day 2

6.  Cream together cream cheese, 1 c. sugar, and vanilla.

7.  Add cool whip and mini marshmallows and refrigerate overnight.

8.  Spread cream cheese mixture over the merengue.

Day 3

9.  Puree 1 package of thawed raspberries with 1/4 cup water.

10.  Strain berry puree through a fine-meshed sieve to remove the seeds.

11.  Mix cherry pie filling, 1 package of thawed raspberries, and pureed raspberries.

12.  Spread berry mixture over the cream cheese layer.

13.  Cut and serve.

Serves 12-14

Have a merry Christmas!

Readers, dish!

• What’s your favorite Christmas dessert?
• Are you having a quiet or busy Christmas?

It’s the end of Paleo Week, and as promised I have a wonderful giveaway for you! I’m giving away one copy of the famed cookbook Eat Like a Dinosaur by the Paleo Parents. Before I tell you about the book, let me tell you where this is coming from.

I have this strange habit.  I sign up for a challenge, accomplish it, and then stop. Cold turkey.

On Memorial Day weekend, I ran a marathon.  A FULL marathon.  My FIRST marathon.  That was FOUR months ago.  I haven’t run outside since crossing that finish line…well, except to see who just fell off the monkey bars at recess.  Three years ago, I finished an Olympic length triathlon.  I swam, I biked, I ran.  But after finishing that event, the bike sat in the garage, and I don’t think I’ve entered a lap pool since.  While I haven’t miss the pool, I felt badly for my poor bike.

I even loaned it out to a few people for a few races. It’s a great bike, and it seemed such a shame to have it sit collecting cobwebs. But me? I was content to teach spin classes. Inside.

I have no idea why a finish line holds such a sense of finality for me.  Not just for the day. Not just for the season. But for quite a long time. I tell myself that it’s because I pour myself into my training. By the time the event arrives, I’m ready to be done, and I’m ready for something else. During the last few weeks of training, I dream of yoga or lying on a beach somewhere. Maybe I just don’t have the drive of a true athlete.

But I’m happy to say that I’m finally back to riding my bike.  And I owe it all to my friend, Julie. Julie is an inspiration to me. She is currently training for her second century ride. (Yes, that’s 100 miles. My butt bones can’t even imagine 100 miles in a saddle.) And she has sweetly put on the brakes to allow me to keep up with her for portions of her training rides. I am LOVING it!  Despite the soreness, I love riding in the cool of the early morning, knocking off 30-40 miles before church on a Sunday. It has become the highlight of my week.

What does this have to do with acorn squash?

Nothing really, but as Julie and I ride the rolling hills of the Nachez Trace, I find that our conversation always seems to come back to food.  Recently, Julie asked me if I liked acorn squash. My mind instantly went back to the squash memories of my childhood.  The kind that involved the phrase “you will not leave the table until…” But while grocery shopping later that afternoon, the pile of acorn, butternut, and spaghetti squash just looked so fresh and inviting. The gourds smiled at me and said, “This is Fall.  Enjoy me.” Okay, maybe I needed a little sugar after that long ride.

But I loved the acorn squash. And I think you will too. Stuffed with a sweet apple and spinach filling, this squash dish ushered in the season of Fall.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

by Heather

Ingredients:

• 2 acorn squashes
• 1 green apple
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 T. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 4 c. spinach
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 2 T. grade B maple syrup
• 1/2 c. pine nuts

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375.

2.  Cut 2 acorn squashes in half, remove the seeds, and place the squash face down on a jelly roll pan covered with foil.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Then turn them over and cook for another 30 minutes.

3.  Core and chop apples and toss the apple pieces in lemon juice to keep them from browning.

4.  Heat olive oil in a large pan on medium heat.  Add minced garlic and stir for 2 minutes.

5.  Add onions and apples and sprinkle with nutmeg.  Cook for 5 minutes.

6.  Add spinach, and cook until the spinach wilts.

7.  Season with sea salt, add maple syrup, and remove from heat.

8.  Toast pinenuts in a toaster oven, or wait until the squash is cooked and toast them in the oven.

9.  Remove squash after it’s cooked, stuff each half with apple spinach mixture, and sprinkle with pinenuts.

Serves 4

Thanks, Julie, for your inspiration!  Both physically and in the kitchen!

Readers, dish!

• Do you like acorn squash?
• How do you deal with physical challenges?
• Do you enjoy running or biking?
• What’s your favorite finish line memory?