The Big Bad K

Yesterday I did something terrifying...

I ate kale. 

Oh you delicious leafy green vegetable! Why was I so afraid of you??

I want to start juicing and kale is something that everyone says you MUST put in your juices. Well, I didn't want to just juice it in and ruin a whole quart of juice with a single leaf so I figured I'd better taste it first. 

As I was shopping with my sister three days ago, I noticed that kale was on sale! Being the adventurous eater I am, I decided to buy a whole stalk. It cost me one hard-earned nickel, folks.  That's right $0.05!! You might be wondering "Gee, what could you do with a single stalk of kale?"

Chips. 

Yupp! I washed my kale and tossed it in coconut oil, then ground a teensy bit of salt and pepper over them.  I baked them on my stone for a few minutes and sprinkled them with Parmesan cheese when they came out. I was nervous to taste the first one but once I did, I ate all of them and wished for more! I over did the salt a bit, next time I think I'll mix the salt into the oil before I toss the kale in. What? Next time?? YES! They were that good!

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Crunchy Kale Chips

2 T. Coconut oil, room temperature (ie, liquid)

1/8 t. Salt

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

2 T. Parmesan "dust" (ie, shelf stable Parmesan)

1/2 lb. kale

Wash kale and remove the leaves from the ribs. Tear leaves into "chip sized" pieces if necessary. In a medium bowl, stir salt into coconut oil. Add kale and gently toss until evenly coated with the salty oil. Place leaves on a baking sheet and grind fresh pepper over them. Bake 7 minute, then turn and bake another 7 minutes. Allow to cool and top with Parmesan cheese. Try to share. Yum!

Sleeping Is Hard Work

It is 4:57 am. 

This is what we're doing. 

Ugh. 

Ever since our first night home with Anastasia I have been a hardcore we-do-not-play-at-night mom. Tonight, Anastasia woke up around 2:30 am (coincidentally this is also the time her dad came to bed... I'm just saying). So for about 1 hour we lay in bed listening to her blabber, wondering when it would stop. Around 3:30 ish, blabber turns into WAAAHHH so I get up, change her diaper and rock her to sleep. Success! Lay her down in her crib. Still asleep! Success! Raise the side of the crib and leave her room. STILL ASLEEP! TOTAL SUCCESS! 

Folks, I lay in bed for a blissful 8 minutes before she woke up again. Blissful, I tell you. I got up to rescue my weeping baby and she started laughing because she was so thrilled to see me. Rascal. Well, I tried to calm her without picking her up, which was fruitless, so I picked her up and cradled her to rock her back to sleep. No such luck. 40 minutes later, mommy gives up. 

Anastasia, you win this time. Just please take a nap before we have to leave for breakfast. Please!

Diligent and Industrious

I was born stubborn. As a kid, no matter how many times I got in trouble for the same thing, I kept doing it. My mom likes to tell a story about my first night in a toddler bed. When she put me to bed she told me that if I got out, she would spank me. Of course I got out. We both knew I was being disobedient and she spanked me like she had warned. Back in bed, moments after she closed my bedroom door for the second time, I opened it to find her waiting for me in the hallway. She knew I was stubborn. She spanked me 43 times that night before I learned to stay in my bed! 

As an adult, I have learned that stubbornness is just symptom of a larger problem. Depravity. Due to the fall, we are sinful, wicked people from the start. This week, Ana's stubborn side has come out swinging and my prayer life just got a LOT more serious. Nap time is a nightmare! All of my fail-safe sleeping baby techniques have failed! No matter what I do, her eyes stay wide open. 

Thankfully, my parents turned my stubbornness into something useful and beneficial: diligence. They are similar things, just with different purpose. Stubbornness is a determination to get things done MY WAY. Diligence is a determination to GET THINGS DONE. I'm so grateful that my parents saw my strong will and helped me grow to make it a good thing. 

My prayer for Ana has quickly become that I will help her to become a diligent, industrious person. 

Side note! My name actually means Industrious or Diligent! How appropriate :)