Other Random Thoughts

Spotted in the parking lot of the post office: a truck bearing the name Bland Landscaping Design. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but a Doing Business As might be in order here.  


Making egg salad with these:

The best method I've found for cooking eggs comes from America's Test Kitchen (recipe is premium content, basic recap below). Use the oldest eggs you have, they'll peel easier.

1. PLACE eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in single layer. ADD cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. HEAT over high heat just to boiling. REMOVE from burner. COVER pan.
2. LET EGGS STAND in hot water about 15 minutes for large eggs (12 minutes for medium eggs; 18 minutes for extra large).
3. With slotted spoon drop into sink of cold water with tray of ice cubes added. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Working around this:

Back to work tomorrow after five days off (including Saturday and Sunday). 

Heard on the radio recently that Americans have the least amount of vacation days (14) and most of us don't take all of them. The French on average get 37 vacation days and take 35 of them. Plus they have a 35 hour work week (I think they still do.). 
Vive la France!


Oh and I'm going to make baked kale chips with the kale from the CSA on Saturday (kale, broccoli, snap peas and eggs this week).


The eggs are amazing. BIG golden yellow yolks. 


Eggs from hens raised on pasture show 4 to 6 times as much vitamin D as typical supermarket eggs. 
• 1⁄3 less cholesterol• 1⁄4 less saturated fat• 2⁄3 more vitamin A• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids• 3 times more vitamin E• 7 times more beta carotene 

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/eggs.aspx#ixzz1NrvwyxZU

Baked Kale Chips

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic 
3 large handfuls lacinato kale, torn into shreds
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparing to bake. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Combine the salt, smoked paprika, and garlic in a small bowl.

Wash the kale. Rinse the kale leaves, then put them in a salad spinner and spin until the green becomes a blur. Round and round, spinning and spinning — let the kale dry. After it comes out, dry it even more with paper towels. Those leaves should be bone dry.

Oiling the kale. Put the kale leaves in a large bowl. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Massage the oil into the leaves. You might need more. You might have larger hands than I do. Use your judgment.

Bake the chips. Arrange the kale chips onto the sheet tray and slide it into the oven. Bake until the leaves are crisp to the touch but still a dark green. (When they turn brown, they turn bitter.) Check at the 12-minute mark, to be sure.

Remove them from the oven. Sprinkle with the garlic smoked paprika salt.

Let them cool a bit. Eat.

Found the recipe on this blog: Gluten Free Girl and the Chef  The smoked paprika intrigues me (and I happen to have some). 

Here's a simpler recipe here: http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/surprises-shockers-and-swaps-baked-kale-recipe