Cleanse Day 2: Kale Chips to the Rescue!

Well, we have successfully made it to Day 2 of the Conscious Cleanse.

We're fully immersed, and I have to say we're doing pretty well. The meals have all been pretty tasty. It's the in-between times we need to better prepare for. This is somewhat of a revelation, I have to say. I feel like Ted and I eat pretty healthy meals around here, but it's easy to ignore those "snacks" we choose to pick up between breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

You know what I'm talking about.

That chocolate croissant with the morning latte. That late morning can of Coke. That bag of pretzels that shows up on your desk around 2:00. That post-school-dismissal gorging on birthday leftovers in the teacher's lounge....

I wasn't really counting any of those when I thought about my daily diet.

So now that I can't just pick up whatever is handy to eat when I'm hungry, I'm thinking a lot about my former snacking choices.

Honestly, though, a carrot stick does not sound like a satisfying snack. And I can only eat so many healthy nuts. So yesterday and today I've mostly just been gritting my teeth through the hunger between meals.

But I shall go hungry no longer! For I have discovered KALE CHIPS.

First of all, I LOVE kale. I could eat it everyday. Especially the lacinato, or dinosaur, kale. It's dark green and chewy and so much more satisfying than a cold salad. I usually just flash fry it in a pan with some olive oil and garlic. Yum.

Second, the great thing about kale is that it can be made into chips! No joke. I've never actually made them before, but I've had them at The Kitchen Next Door in Boulder, and in my opinion they're just as satisfying as potato chips (and a lot healthier).

I sort of lied in that last sentence... I had never made them.... until today! In fact, I am snacking on them right now...

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Turns out they are very easy to make. Just strip the lacinato kale off the stems, wash it, and let it dry completely (you want crispy chips, not chewy kale bites).

Then mix up 1 Tbs lime juice, 1-2 Tbs olive oil, and 1/4 tsp sea salt.

Cut the kale up into chip-sized pieces and put them in a big bowl. Pour the lime/oil mixture over the kale and gently rub it all over the leaves. You want them all to be covered evenly.

Finally, bake them in the oven on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees, and you've got kale chips!

The one thing I learned during this process (besides how to make kale chips) is that you can't have any overlapping leaves when you bake them. They won't get crispy. They'll still be delicious, but if you want crispy chips, I would recommend baking them in two batches to give the kale plenty of room to spread out.

So now that I have discovered how easy these are to make, I will be that lady at the grocery store with 8 bunches of kale in my basket. And everyone else will wonder what they're missing. Except you. :)

¡Viva la kale chip!