Kale Chips

I created a smoothie for my son that not only has fruit but I also “sneak” in other ingredients to give it a boost of other healthy benefits. He often asks “What did you sneak in today”?

There is something in the air during the autumn in New England. The days cool and crisp, the leaves are turning and apples are in season. You may have a friend or neighbor that happens to have an apple tree or two in their yard and they may be inundated with apples!!  Even if you don’t have a friend who is giving away apples, they are quite easy to come by with the several local orchards, never one too far away. Even grocery stores tend to carry apples from local orchards.

Soups are a staple in our house. In the cooler months of the fall and winter, I make at least 2 soups a week. Fortunately for me, my family loves soup. Admittedly, I will make big batches to try to cover a few meals during a busy week and for the kids to take soup to school (when they were IN school!) for lunch. All great soups start with a homemade bone broth. It really is fairly simple, economical and you can accomplish it quite easily and it’s sooo good for you!

I can’t tell you how many puzzled looks I get when I tell people I use lard in my everyday cooking. I like to let people know that lard has gotten a bad rap in the past 75+ years.  The perception is slowly turning the corner into it becoming a “healthy” and an acceptable cooking fat again.

If you grow kale in your garden you may find that you are looking for ways to use it. Baby kale can be thrown into a smoothie without the taste being too strong but mature kale can be strong tasting especially for younger kids or if you’re just not used to it. The nutrients in kale are fantastic. One way to get our young friends to try it is to make kale chips. I make them a few times a week in the summer when the kale is growing in abundance and the kids do enjoy them, as do the adults.