Food

Garlic Pepper Kale Chips

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Garlic Pepper Kale Chips

Are any of you huge snackers like me? I find myself reaching for a snack several times through out the day. Most snacks that I crave and that are quick and easy to grab are not healthy. In order to try to make a healthier choice when I get that urge for a snack, I try to have several healthy options prepared so that I don’t reach for those unhealthy snacks. One of the snacks that I try to keep on hand is these delicious garlic pepper kale chips. They are not only super easy to make but they are a healthy snack alternative that is also delicious. (Find another healthy snack option here)

Garlic Pepper Kale Chips

These kale chips are so easy to make and only require 3 ingredients. You will only need one bunch of kale leaves, olive oil, and your seasoning of choice ( I used a garlic pepper seasoning). Start by preheating the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Next you will want to wash your kale leaves and make sure to dry them as completely as you can. Leaving the kale wet will leave your kale chips soggy instead of allowing them to crisp up.

Garlic Pepper Kale Chips

Once you have thoroughly dried the kale leaves, rip the leaves in the size of a chip, making sure to remove the thick stems. When tearing the kale, keep in mind that they kale will shrink in size when cooking.  Next you will want to lay the kale pieces on an unlined baking sheet. Using 2-3 tsp of olive oil, lightly coat the kale pieces. It may not seem like much olive oil but using too much will cause the kale to become soggy. I used a basting brush to coat the kale with olive oil to prevent from using too much. After lightly coating the kale in olive oil, sprinkle your seasoning of choice over the kale. I used one of my favorite seasonings, garlic pepper. I use it on everything.

Garlic Pepper Kale Chips

Now put the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Allow the kale to cook for 10 minutes and then flip the pieces of kale over so that the other side gets crisped as well. Allow the kale chips to cook for another 10-15 minutes. After removing from the oven, let the kale chips sit for 3-5 minutes to crisp up further. Now you get to enjoy your kale chips! You can create so many different variations of kale chips by simply changing the seasoning you use. My favorite flavor that I have made is the garlic pepper kale chips I describe here but I have also tried a sea salt version as well. If you give kale chips a try, I would love to hear what seasonings you use.

Garlic Pepper Kale Chips

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Garlic Pepper Kale Chips

Ingredients

  • 1 Bunch of kale
  • 2-3 tsps. of olive oil
  • garlic pepper seasoning to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degress Fahrenheit
  2. Thoroughly wash and dry the kale.
  3. Rip the leaves in the size of a chip, making sure to remove the thick stems. (When tearing the kale, keep in mind that they kale will shrink in size when cooking.) 
  4. Next lay the kale pieces on an unlined baking sheet.
  5. Using 2-3 tsp of olive oil, lightly coat the kale pieces.
  6. After lightly coating the kale in olive oil, sprinkle your seasoning of choice over the kale. I used one of my favorite seasonings, garlic pepper. .
https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/garlic-pepper-kale-chips/

 

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Food

Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots

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Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots

Do you ever feel like you’re in a cooking rut? I definitely feel that way sometimes. It seems that when we are busy I tend to put little thought into meal prep and instead cook the quickest and easiest thing, which usually results in a fairly boring meal. I really enjoy being creative in the kitchen but it often requires a little more time and some planning beforehand. A lot of times I use all my creative juices on the protein of the dish and the sides are an afterthought, which usually means a roasted or steamed vegetable.

Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots

I decided I wanted to steer away from our regular vegetables and try one that we don’t usually eat, carrots. I love raw carrots but have never really been a fan of cooked carrots. I wanted to give them a chance to make it into my favorites by cooking them with a little extra flavor. I chose to roast my carrots in balsamic vinegar and honey and have officially converted to a fan of cooked carrots. Below I will describe how I made these delicious honey balsamic roasted carrots.

Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots

Toss 1 pound of baby carrots in 1 1/2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. (I used the tricolor carrots because I think they photograph better and half of being a blogger is having pretty food that tastes good.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread the coated carrots out on the pan. Bake the carrots in the oven for forty minutes. Once finished cooking, you can season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley and a little more honey.

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Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots

Ingredients

  • 1 lb baby carrots
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • * optional- salt, pepper, parsley and honey to garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
  2. Toss the baby carrots in 1 1/2 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp. of olive oil, and 1 tbsp. of honey
  3. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread the coated carrots out on the pan
  4. Bake the carrots for 40 minutes
  5. Once finished cooking, you can garnish with salt, pepper, parsley, and more honey
https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/honey-balsamic-roasted-carrots/

Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots

These honey balsamic roasted carrots have officially been added into our dinner routine and have been a welcomed addition. What are some of your favorite side dishes to fix? I would love to hear new recipes that I could give a try. If you feel you are in a cooking rut try this cauliflower cornbread recipe, or this roasted acorn squash recipe.

 

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Food

Protein Popsicle

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I’ve shared a popsicle recipe on the blog before and figured it was about time for another. While it may be September and everyone is discussing fall and cooler temperatures, it still feels very much like summer here in Georgia. Creating popsicles with my Zoku Quick Pop Maker is super easy and fun. You simply freeze the pop maker and when you are ready to make your popsicles you pour the mixture in and watch it freeze before your eyes. It only takes around 8-10 minutes for it to completely freeze. The fact that it freezes the popsicles so quickly makes it convenient to fix when you’ve got a sweet tooth craving. No more having to place the mixture back in the freezer and waiting for the popsicle to freeze completely. The removal of the popsicles and the clean up process is also easy which is just another plus. I can’t recommend the Zoku Quick Pop Maker enough if you in the market for a good popsicle mold/maker.

proteinpopsicle7I shared a fruity popsicle recipe on the blog a few weeks ago but decided to try something a little different this time. I typically drink protein following my workouts but wanted to find a way to create a protein packed popsicle that I could have after workouts instead. I used only 5 ingredients to create a healthy chocolate protein popsicle.

proteinpopsicle8

 

I added one scoop of the Quest Chocolate Milkshake Protein, 1 tsp of agave, 2 tsp of cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, and 1 cup of chocolate unsweetened almond milk. I blended all ingredients until thoroughly mixed and then slowly poured mixture into the Zoku Quick Pop Maker. Within 8-10 minutes the popsicles are completely frozen and ready to be removed and enjoyed.

proteinpopsicle5

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Protein Popsicle

Ingredients

  • one scoop of the Quest Chocolate Milkshake Protein
  • 1 tsp of agave
  • 2 tsp of cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
  • 1 cup of chocolate unsweetened almond milk

Instructions

  1. Mix Quest chocolate milkshake protein, agave, cocoa powder, chia seeds, and chocolate unsweetened almond milk into blender
  2. Blend ingredients until they are completely mixed.
  3. Pour mixture into popsicle molds and wait until frozen solid
  4. Remove popsicles and enjoy
https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/protein-popsicle/

proteinpopsicle3

 

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