Friday, January 31, 2014

Baby, It's Cold Outside...

Because of the Arctic blast... Polar vortex... converging clippers... or whatever else our local forecasters are tagging the extreme weather this month, the few estate sales that were brave enough to schedule in January have cancelled in back-to-back weekends... leaving me not only fretting over my shop inventory, but with a large dose of cabin fever as well... My home remedy?


(Just one selection from the glorious PBS House Series.)  A most excellent way to spend a day indoors. 

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Kale... It's What's For Dinner...

Since it's snowing and bitterly cold here... I decided to fire up the oven and give my poor furnace a little help in keeping my nearly hundred-year-old homestead if not cozy, at least moderately warm.  I haven't baked in earnest since the Holidays and I REALLY wanted to make (well, basically just eat) these...



If you're feeling brave, you can find the recipe here... http://cookiesandcups.com/peanut-butter-cup-crack-brownies/  Don't say I didn't warn you once you get there though.
 
But since I just started Phase One of the South Beach Diet (only 48 hours ago, actually) in my quest to eradicate all the damage of the three previous months of my "Eat With Abandon Holiday Food Fest."  I decided to behave and was reduced to this....


yes... kale chips... a perfect substitute... kale chips...brownies brownies...kale chips interchangeable, yes?  Oh well, here's the recipe... which I am sure you want... as opposed to those brownies... 
 
Take one bunch of kale... wash... dry... remove large stems... tear into largish pieces (they shrink somewhat while baking) toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and any other odd assorted spice that strikes your fancy (I used onion powder).  Bake 14 to 16 minutes in a 275 degree oven.  I baked mine on perforated pizza pans (so I didn't have to flip -- too much work)... Others have used cookie sheets and parchment paper and given the chips one turn while baking.  Remove from oven... enjoy...
 
I cannot wait for Phase Two... I'm just certain those brownies could manage to make their way over to the Beach...