2012 Aspirations + Some Recipes

A few of my goals for 2012:

1. Read through the entire bible. I've started this plan several times but always end up abandoning it by August....or March. But THIS is the year.

2. Update this blog at least once a month. I enjoy using this outlet not only to keep friends and family informed about our lives, but because it also serves as my own little diary of sorts.

3. Try new recipes. Now that I'll be working soon, I won't have the constant worry of, "OK this paper is due on Friday" and "I should review for this class" hanging over my head which means (theoretically) I'll have more free time.

4. Keep in contact with my friends on a more consistent basis. I do love you guys and I don't want "I'm busy" to keep us from continuing our friendships til the end of time.

There are more things I'd like to do but these are the biggies for this year. 

Today I want to share with you a few simple recipes I've made in the past couple weeks:

Baked Kale Chips

Salty....is my sweet tooth. I tend to gravitate toward the pretzels, pickles, salami, etc versus the oreos and ice cream. I've heard about the wonder that is "kale chips" for quite some time now, but have just ventured into making them. And now that I have....I'm not sure why I waited so long. They are a healthy and delicious alternative to all the processed salty snacks that I love.

Better than a bag full of potato chips

Prep Time/Bake Time:

Ingredients:
1 bunch of kale
1 TBS of olive oil or Pam olive oil spray
1 TBS kosher salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. 
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale. Drizzle kale with olive oil (or spray with pam) and sprinkle with salt. 
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

Bruschetta

I brought this to two different parties over the holidays and it was a big hit at both. This is a pretty easy recipe but takes a bit of time to prepare. It's a very fresh appetizer even if you don't like tomatoes! This recipe is from allrecipes.com. This is enough for about 4-5 people.

Prep Time/Ready to go time

20-30 minutes/ 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

3 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
2 TBS chopped fresh chives
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 TBS minced fresh basil
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1 french loaf bread

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl combine tomatoes, parsley, chives, garlic, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, allowing flavors to meld before serving. 

2. Preheat of to 450 degrees. Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven, so you may need to do these in batches depending on the size of your oven. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.

3. I usually keep the tomato mix in the bowl and let people serve themselves. It gives people control of the portion size and also prevents the bread from getting soggy. 

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

My personal favorite from this seasons appetizer choices. WARNING: these are addicting. But delicious, super easy, and great for a crowd.

The almonds roasting...YUM!

Prep Time/Ready to Go Time

10 minutes/1 hr 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 egg white
1 tsp cold water
4 cups whole almonds
1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Lightly grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.
2. Lightly beat the egg white; add water and vanilla and beat until frothy but not stiff. Add the nuts, and stir until well coated. Mix the sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the nuts. Toss to coat, and spread evenly on the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until golden. Allow to cool, then store nuts in airtight containers.

I hope this helps you when you need something savory and easy for your next get together!