I Made a Thing: Kale Chips!

So making kale chips is a surprisingly easy thing to do. I whipped these up last night to munch on while I watched Gordon Ramsey on Netflix. 

All you have to do is take your bunch of kale, (I got Tuscan kale from the Owl's Hollow Farm Stand at work), wash it for Pete's sake, remove the stem (or idk the middle vein part), cut the leaves into small pieces, and throw 'em in a mixing bowl.

I used one tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of soy sauce on mine.  But the options are endless.  Some people just prefer sea salt, but I think garlic salt would taste great too, or lemon pepper, or even some taco seasoning. I can't wait to cook these more and try new flavors.

But anyway, I used my hands (wash them too, nasties!) to toss the kale a bit and massage the oil and soy sauce in.  Then I placed the leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet and cooked them in the oven for ten minutes at 300 degrees, then turned the pan around and cooked them for another ten minutes, and then I let them cool on the counter for about five minutes before digging in. 

Who knew they'd turn out okay?  I have to say that I'm pretty proud of myself, and they taste great!

Five Favorites For Friday YEAH

1. It's no coincidence that three of my five faves are food.  In my attempts to cut calories wherever possible, I've discovered Monk Fruit In The Raw.  

Let me just preface with this: I am totally against artificial sweeteners.  I think they're disgusting and carcinogenic, but this stuff is actually really dang great.  

No calories, and I put a packet into my tea or coffee daily and can't tell much of a difference in taste apart from real sugar.  Plus, it's natural.

I'm not a huge fan of sweets, so I don't use a lot, but it does the job nonetheless.

2. Macaroni + cheese grilled cheese plus a raspberry weiss brew from Trim Tab Brewing Co at Melt with my bff, Rachel

3. Black bean hummus and farmers market broccoli, plus not-farmer's market baby carrots for lunch at work 

4. My sweet boyfriend ordered some stuff from my Free People wishlist to be sent to my apartment! <3

5. AKA the best news of all, Hunter and I got our tickets to go to San Francisco next month.  As a person that rarely ever takes a vacation, I'm so excited.

My Fitness Pal

I am tempted to get all Richard-Simmons on y’all and talk about how bad and awful diets are and how we should just all develop a “healthy lifestyle,” but I’ve actually found a pretty great weight loss tool that works for me:

My Fitness Pal app

I will admit, that diets and calorie counting sometimes go way over my head. But now I am more aware of what I’m putting in my body. Yes, a Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwich meal is around 800 calories, which is about 2/3 of the daily intake that I’m allotted, but switching to a grilled chicken sandwich on a wheat bun and skipping the fries takes you down to 260 calories, and for me, that’s a pretty easy switch.  

It’s kind of like the weight-watchers thing, and I’m naturally so much of a perfectionist, that being on top of my calorie intake has actually been pretty rewarding.

It looks like this (it's mine, don't judge)

I’m also deterred from snacking, because I know that if I eat anything it’ll take a second to log it into My Fitness Pal, and it’s annoying.

I can look up the calories (prior to consumption) on the app to see how much it would cost me to eat a chocolate peanut butter Pop-tart. 

It’s kind of like that old tooth-brushing deterrent.

“I can’t eat or drink anything after I brush my teeth for the night!” 

“I can’t eat anything else after I’ve finished my log for the day on My Fitness Pal!”

Thankfully, most exercise equipment can calculate how many calories you’ve burned, so you can simply log it into your daily intake, and you’re allowed to eat more (yay!). 

It’s really rewarding to see yourself keeping up with your goal, but if you’ve consumed less that 1200 calories by even a little, the app kind of scolds you.

For instance, yesterday, I ate three decently sized meals, and I had like 90 calories left. A message popped up that basically tried to tell me that I’m gonna shrivel up and die if I don’t start eating more.

I understand that some people suffer from eating disorders, and I’m sure that’s what they’re trying to combat, but I honestly think is a little much.

Another thing I don’t like about it is whenever I cook for myself, I use so many ingredients and I have to guestimate, say, how many tablespoons of low-sodium black beans I ate, that it can take a little while to log in a meal. 

I don’t own a scale because I feel like they glare at me, but I do weigh myself at the gym when no one is looking, and I lost seven pounds in my first week of using My Fitness Pal.

Yoga topknot takes no prisoners

I’m making other little changes in my daily life as well.

Sitting in an office chair for around seven hours a day isn’t doing anyone any favors, however, wearing four-inch wedges daily has given me some pretty shapely calves, especially now that I’ve been skipping the elevator. 

I’m really blessed to work for a healthcare company that emphasizes physical fitness and overall health.  So, most of the time, the food in the cafeteria is actually pretty healthy (and delicious), and the salad bar is always fully stocked with whatever you could want. 

We have two gyms at our office, and a free yoga class.  We also have a walk station on each floor, which is a treadmill attached to a computer and a phone, and if you throw on some flats, you can walk while you work!

Of course, you’re going to need to reward yourself weekly, and I usually do that with a lovely deep-dish cheese pizza from an atrocious chain delivery place.  Or I’ll buy myself a lil somthin’ from Free People or Sephora.  It’s the little things, y’all!  You're all beautiful.