Baked Kale Chips

Today I'm sharing an unpublished blog post from June 9, 2022. It is a blog draft long forgotten in the sorrow of that year. I'm sharing it with you today, four years later, with a heart full of gratitude and love for my dear husband, and our home in Alaska.

***

Still haven't discovered the joys of kale?  Well then, you probably haven't discovered baked kale chips!  Kale chips are a crispy, salty, veggie snack that are healthy, and delicious.

This bunch of kale came from my greenhouse, where I have an abundance of kale growing that I add to many recipes, including smoothies and kale pasta. But today, I'm using this bowl of kale to make baked kale chips.

To make, start by pulling off all the kale leaves from the thick stems. Then, in a large bowl, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the kale; and mix together with your hands.

Lay the kale out onto a cookie sheet, or two, and sprinkle with salt.

Set the oven to 300 degrees, and put the kale in the oven immediately.  When the oven is preheated to 300 degrees, turn the oven off, and check on the baking kale chips to see if they're baked and crispy.  If not, leave them in the warm oven for another 5-10 minutes, until desired crispiness. This baking method slowly bakes the kale by not overheating the delicate leaves.

Enjoy!

My Quaker Spiritual Path

 

Hello Friends, and welcome back to my blog,

Today I wanted to share something that I have not shared on my blog before, but is an important part of my everyday life - my Quaker faith and practice.

Let your lives preach.

- George Fox

To begin, here's a brief history and introduction of the Quakers. The Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, was founded by George Fox in 17th century England. In 1682, due to religious persecution in England, William Penn established an American Quaker colony in Pennsylvania. Ironically, these Quakers would later be persecuted again by the Puritans.

 The early Quakers, and conservative Quakers today, believe they are personally guided by the Light of Christ Jesus in their largely silent (unprogrammed) meetings. But vocal ministry from individuals in the meeting is given, as the Holy Spirit or Inward Light of God leads.

 Quakers typically have no paid clergy or require tithing, and children are welcome in their meetings for worship. Although, some meetings today provide a separate First Day (Sunday) School for children, and may have some paid clergy (programmed meetings). But all Quakers today, whether conservative, liberal, or evangelical, strive to live according to the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship, which are outward expressions of their inward faith.

 I've been a Quaker for almost 30 years, and for 24 of those years, as an "isolated" or "solitary" Quaker. An isolated Quaker means that I do not live near a local Quaker meeting for worship, so I worship alone, seeking spiritual guidance from the Holy Spirit through prayer, the Bible, and Quaker books and other online resources.

A few favorite Quaker books.

In addition to daily prayer, and reading my Bible and other spiritual books, the online Advices in The Book of Discipline of Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative), has been very helpful on my path. Quaker Advices are a directive, and not a set of rules.

 Here are several Advices from The Book of Discipline of Ohio Yearly Meeting, 2008:

- Carefully maintain truthfulness and sincerity in your conduct, and encourage the same in your families. In your style of living, in your dress, and in the furniture of your houses, choose what is simple, useful, and good.

- Be vigilant in reading of the Bible and other spiritually helpful writings. Gather daily in your families for worship. Such times have a special value in bringing little children especially into the experience of united worship, and so preparing them for the larger meetings for worship, as they learn in the silence to bow to the power of God. 

- Follow steadfastly after all that is pure and lovely and of good report. Be prayerful. Be watchful. Be humble. Let no failure discourage you. When temptation comes, make it an opportunity to gain new strength by standing fast, that you may enter into that life of gladness and victory to which all are called.

- Seek for all your children that full development of God's gifts which true education can bring about. Remember that the service to which we are called needs healthy bodies, trained minds, high ideals, and an understanding of the laws and purposes of God. Give your best to the study of the Bible, and the understanding of the Christian faith. Be open-minded, ready constantly to receive new light.

A complete list of Advices can be found at www.OhioYearlyMeeting.org. 

***

Until next time,

 Peace and blessings, 

Kim

Be patterns, be examples, in all countries, places, islands, nations, wherever you come, that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them: then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in every one.

- George Fox, 1656

My Easy-Bake Oven

Are you old enough to remember the classic 1960's turquoise Easy-Bake Oven?  The first toy oven that transformed a little cake batter into a cute, child-size cake using two,100-watt lightbulbs?!

I've been sorting through old family photos, and found this one of my little brother and I playing with my Easy-Bake Oven in our family's 1960's California kitchen, complete with salmon-pink walls, plastic tablecloth, and plastic dining chairs. The eat-in kitchen also featured knotty pine cabinets that were popular at the time.

Remembering the excitement of making those not-quite-cooked, but oh-so-delicious-to-us little cakes with my sweet brother is a beautiful family memory that I'll always remember, and cherish. 

Children are a Blessing

Children are a blessing

and a gift from God. - Psalm 127:3

❤️

Wishing you a new year filled with peace and love,

Kim

Favorite Autumn Recipes

Today I'm re-sharing a few favorite autumn recipes from my blog. Most of these recipes, and photos, go all the way back to 2014, and carry with them not just flavor, but family history, stories, and love. And in this season especially, I'm reminded that gathering around the table with those we love is a gift as rich as the foods we share.

May your table be filled with the blessings of love, comfort, and warmth always,

Kim

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Pumpkin Crumble Cake

Sweet Potato Fries with Spicy Mayo Sauce

Baby Quilts

Oh, hello!

It's been quite awhile since I've checked into my blog. I've been working on two baby quilts for my youngest granddaughters who are both now almost 3-years old! I had planned to make these quilts long before now, but God had other plans.

I've been quilting for about 17 years now, but I still consider myself a beginner quilter. LOL! You can see below that my corners do not line up perfectly, after all these years...

These quilts are just simple, cot-sized, patchwork quilts made up of 6-inch blocks. I machine-quilted both quilts, instead of tying them with embroidery floss. I also added blocks cut from my dear husband's favorite t-shirts in remembrance of him. He would have loved to have met these 

two sweet little granddaughters of ours.

Both granddaughters love pink, so a pink fabric is either on the front, or the back of each quilt...

My Alaska granddaughter's quilt includes my husband's sage green t-shirt, and fabrics with blueberries, flowers, and hearts...

And my Minnesota granddaughter's quilt includes my husband's salmon-colored t-shirt, and fabrics with bunnies, flowers, and hearts...

They're not perfect, but they're soft and cozy, and made with so much love.

Until next time,

Peace and blessings, 

Kim

Balsamic Vinaigrette and Braiding Sweetgrass

Hello, and welcome back to my blog.

I'm currently at my desert home in Nevada enjoying the warm spring weather, and a daily salad topped with my favorite homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette. To make, just whisk all the ingredients in a jar, drizzle over your favorite salad, and enjoy.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp stone-ground mustard

***

It's been almost three years since I lost my dear husband, who I still miss very much. But I've been trying to embrace this new chapter of my life, which still seems so foreign to me, and find peace and beauty in every day. Reading a good book in the warm sunshine under a bright blue sky is a favorite pastime.

 Right now I'm reading "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a gift from my youngest son and daughter-in-law. Braiding Sweetgrass is a beautiful book about the science of plants, and the history and stories of Native Americans and their reverence of the earth. I'm enjoying this book very much.

Until next time, I hope you have a warm and sunny spring,

Kim

***

"Even a wounded world is feeding us.

Even a wounded world holds us,

giving us moments of wonder and joy.

I choose joy over despair. Not because

I have my head in the sand, but because

joy is what the earth gives me daily

and I must return the gift."

- Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass 

Vegan Chocolate Birthday Cake

Hello, and welcome back to my blog.

Today I'm blogging from Juneau, Alaska where it's cold and clear, and beautiful. Look at the wind whipping the snow off the mountaintops... brrr!

I've been trying to eat a healthy WFPB vegan diet for several years now, but when an occasion calls for something sweet and special, I have a few go-to vegan recipes that are delicious and a treat.

One of those recipes is a vegan chocolate cake that I like to make for birthday parties. It's so good and chocolatty-rich, that you really can't tell that it's plant-based. There are several steps to making this cake, and it can be made in one day, but I find it simpler to make over two days. I bake the cake one day, then I make the chocolate filling and frosting the next day, or the day of the party.

This year, I made it for my middle son and his little family, who had never had it before. They enjoyed it so much!

My sweet little 2-year old granddaughter loved singing happy birthday to her Dada, and helping him blow out the candles.

Until next time, have a sweet and beautiful winter,

Kim

Vegan Chocolate Birthday Cake

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups All-purpose flour

1/2 cup Cocoa powder

2 tsp. Baking powder

1 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. Salt

1/4 cup Vegan butter (I used Miyoko's)

1 1/4 Granulated Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

2 Tbsp. Brewed coffee

1 1/2 cups Plant milk (I used Almond)

1 1/2 tsp. Apple cider vinegar

Chocolate Filling Ingredients:

1 cup Coconut milk - full fat

3 Tbsp. Maple syrup

2 oz. Dark Chocolate

Chocolate Topping Ingredients:

9oz. Tub Vegan Coconut Whipped Topping (I used So Delicious)

1/3 cup Cocoa powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together vegan butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and coffee and beat together. Set aside.
4. In a separate small bowl, combine the plant milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir, and let sit for a minute until it slightly thickens.
5. Then begin adding the dry and liquid ingredients into the butter ingredients, alternating between the two until all the ingredients are combined.
6. Pour into a prepared 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes.
7. While the cake is baking, make the chocolate filling. In a small sauce pan, heat the coconut milk on medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Add the maple syrup and mix together. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes until mixture reduces by almost half. Stir in dark chocolate, and mix until melted. Simmer for a minute or two until mixture thickens a little. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Assembling the Cake

1. Once cake is baked, let cool for 20-30 minutes. Then poke holes in the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon.
2. Pour the chocolate filling mixture over the whole cake filling all the holes. Let cool for at least 2 hours.
3. Once the cake is completely cool, in a mixing bowl, mix the vegan whipped topping and cocoa powder until blended. Spread topping over cake evenly.
4. Sprinkle with chopped dark chocolate (optional).
5. Refrigerate until serving.

Recipe adapted from rabbitandwolves.com

From Summer to Fall

Hello, and welcome back to my blog.

My summer passed by so quickly, and now it's hard to believe it's suddenly Fall.

A summer day in Alaska.

I had a beautiful but busy summer traveling between Nevada, Alaska, and Minnesota visiting my family.

In July, my youngest son and daughter-in-law were married in a lovely outdoor wedding in Minnesota. My three little granddaughters were such cute flower girls!

The wedding brought family from far and wide who I hadn't seen since the passing of my dear husband in 2022. It was all so touching, and beautiful.

~~~

Autumn is my favorite season, and this year, I'm spending it at my desert home where it is hot and dry.

When I first started my blog, way back in 2014 (has it really been 10 years!), I devoted the entire month of October to my favorite pumpkin recipes. One of those recipes, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread, is still one I look forward to making every Autumn. It's simple to make, delicious, vegan, and easily adaptable if I've run out of an ingredient, or two.

Yum!

This loaf was made with all-purpose flour, oat fiber, coconut brown sugar, Miyoko's Plant-Based Butter, and unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

~~~

Until next time, have a beautiful and peaceful Autumn,

Kim

Cookies and Granddaughters

Hello, and welcome back to my blog.

Remember way back in 2020 when I shared my easy 4-ingredient vegan peanut butter cookie recipe, and wrote that this would be the first recipe I would make with my granddaughter? Well, I finally had the opportunity to make these cookies with not only my oldest little granddaughter,  but her baby sister too!

I doubled the ingredients so we could make bigger cookies, and more of them!

Here's the recipe for a double batch of

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies - 15 cookies

Ingredients:

2 flax eggs (2Tbsp flaxseed meal plus 6 Tbsp water)

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together flax eggs, let sit for 5 minutes.
2. In another larger bowl, mix together flour and brown sugar.
3. Add peanut butter, and combine until mixture is crumbly.
4. Add thickened flax egg, and combine.
5. Roll dough with hands into balls, then flatten with fork.
6. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Keep an eye on them, they can burn very quickly!

In the Wild of Changing Things

 Let July be July,

and let August be August.

And let yourself

just be

even in

the uncertainty.

You don't have to fix everything.

You don't have to solve everything.

And you can still find peace

and grow

in the wild of changing things.

~ Morgan Harper Nichols

Going Home

His house was perfect,

whether you liked food, or sleep, or work,

or story-telling, or singing,

or just sitting and thinking, best,

or a pleasant mixture of them all.

- J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit

Smiling Again

Hello Dear Readers,

After my husband passed away suddenly last June, there was a time when I thought I could never smile or laugh again. But God had other plans for me. He blessed me with these two beautiful baby granddaughters later that year. They have brought the smiles and laughter, and pure joy back into my life. They are such a precious blessing.

I also wondered if I would continue posting on my blog, or even keep it.  I thought, what was the point? I'm no longer living full-time in Alaska, or cooking much anymore. But after looking back at all my posts of not only recipes, but the beautiful memories and stories of the last nine years, I decided I just couldn't give it up.

So dear readers, the stories and recipes on my blog may look a little different moving forward, but the beauty and love of family-life will remain the same. I'll be back again soon.

Love,

Kim

~~~

He will give you beauty for ashes,

the oil of joy for mourning,

the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

~ Isaiah 61:3

My Beloved Husband

Look for me

I'm here

In the glint of your eyes and the lilt of your laugh

Close your eyes there I am

where the lights glow soft and warm

In the quiet moments where your thoughts drift

And your dreams late late at night

Look for me

In those moments when you think you're alone

and you take a deep breath and wonder

"Where have you gone?"

I'm here by your side holding your hand

loving you as I always have and will

forever more

~ Tara Shannon

My Beloved Husband

October, 1952 - June, 2022

~~~

God gave us memories so that we might have roses in December.

~ Sir James M. Barrie

Love is . . .

Love is patient,

Love is kind,

It always protects,

always trusts,

always hopes,

 always perseveres.

Love never fails.

~ 1 Corinthians 13:4,7-8

~~~

Today is a beautiful Alaskan sunny day; very much like the day last September that my middle son and daughter-in-law were married.  They had a lovely little wedding at the Shrine of St. Therese in Juneau.  Because of Covid-19, only immediate family members were invited to the ceremony.  But even so, the ceremony couldn't have been more beautiful, or more touching.  My two-year-old granddaughter was the flower girl, and my daughter-in-law's little nephew was the ring bearer.  They were so cute!

Here we are after the ceremony, sans Extratufs. ☺

It was such a happy day; and a day we'll all cherish and remember.

The Greenhouse

 

Hello, and welcome back to my blog.  Last summer my husband built this wonderful greenhouse near the back of our house.  It has two long raised ground beds, and plenty of room to grow our favorite veggies.

I planted all my seeds in April, and this Blue Curled Scotch Kale was the first veggie I was able to harvest.  It's been growing so well!  I've been making Kale Pasta, and putting it in Breakfast Smoothies all summer long.

I think these Parissienne Carrots are just about the cutest little carrots I've ever seen!  They're full-grown at 3 inches long, fat, and delicious.  The pelletted seeds would make a fun and easy vegetable for a child to grow.

 I should have transplanted these Green Bush Zucchini outside as soon as it was warm enough, because right now, they are huge!  They're taking up an entire corner of the greenhouse, and are encroaching on my little basil plants.  I planted six seeds,  and they're producing 3-5 large zucchini per plant.  It looks like I'll be giving some away, making a Mexican Lasagne or two, and coming up with a good zucchini bread recipe, that freezes well.

These Waltham 29 Broccoli are mostly growing enormous leaves!  I think it's too warm in the greenhouse for them, and like the zucchini, I should have transplanted them outside sooner.  I will next year.

When I come inside the house from the greenhouse, I pass through my flower garden.  This pretty purple flower is a type of Bellflower.  My husband likes to tie these 6-foot tall flowers upright when I'm not looking . . . I prefer them like this, growing wild and free.

Well, thank you for coming along with me on my little ramble through my greenhouse and garden.  Come again soon!

~~~

The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.

~ Louisa May Alcott

Installing New Butcher Block Countertops

Hello, and welcome back to my blog.

I've always loved the natural look and warmth of butcher block countertops.  So when our middle son offered to help my husband and I replace our old laminate countertops with butcher block this Spring, we couldn't refuse!  He also helped us install a new single-basin stainless steel sink, faucet, and wood backsplash.  He was a big help to us that week, and we couldn't have done it without him, or our youngest son, who hauled the heavy 10 foot counters by skiff last winter, from the City dock to our house on the beach.

We ordered the unfinished countertops online from Home Depot.  The instructions that came with the countertops advised sealing them on both sides with 4 coats of butcher block oil, or other food-safe sealant, before installing.  We used Howard Butcher Block Conditioner for this step.  We thought the butcher block conditioner (a mixture of mineral oil, beeswax, and carnauba wax), would darken up the maple wood.  It did, but only slightly . . .

They were pretty, but too light.  We really wanted darker countertops that would blend in with the existing wood tones we had in our kitchen.  So, we decided to go ahead and finish the other elements of the project, including cutting the hole for the sink while we had our son's help, and worry about the counter color later.  At least they were sealed, and now we could use them.

 So after a few weeks of online research, my husband and I decided to add food-safe Real Milk Paint Dark Tung Oil to the Howard Butcher Block Conditioner to darken the countertops.  We mixed a ratio of 25% dark tung oil to 75% butcher block conditioner.  Then we applied 3 coats of this mixture onto the countertops, letting each coat soak in, then buffing off the excess, with a soft, dry cloth . . .

Much better!  They're still light, but the warmer tones of the wood grain have been brought out, blending in better with our heart pine wood floors, oak cabinets, and adjacent livingroom . . .

 Water and liquid beads up on the matte-finish surface, which has made dish soap and water clean-up simple.  For maintenance, we plan on wiping our butcher block conditioner mixture onto the countertops every month or so, to keep the wood protected, and from drying out.

Let me know if you have any comments or questions.  I'd love to hear from you!

Kim