sludge

Heyyyyy How’s your day going? Mine has been cuhrazy busy, but bueno I LOVED reading your food memories this morning <3 Keep ‘em coming.. and I’ll keep dreaming about fluffy cake and gooey cinnamon rolls from your stories.

I found some time to cook this afternoon

Kale chips:

(Using *this recipe* –if ya don’t have a dehydrator, just put the kale chips on cookie sheets in the oven on the lowest setting and the door slightly ajar)

Whenever we go to Whole Foods, I emerge from the produce section with giant bushels of organic kale and a goofy smile on my face- we don’t have it in Valdosta!

I looooove kale. It’s so good massaged in salads, in chip form, just not in smoothies (I think kale smoothies are stanky).

Marinara sauce:

Is it homemade or a la jar??

Shhhhh

Usually I make my own marinara with San Marzano tomatoes. When time doesn’t allow, I roll with this cheater sauce and promise, no one can tell the difference

All ya do is sweat out a sweet onion (small diced) and a few garlic cloves (or 5) in a little olive oil on medium heat for 5 minutes.

 

Add a splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar- this is the secret. A little acidity brightens up the sauce and takes away the jar taste

Season with sea salt, pepper, red chili flakes (optional) and dried oregano.

Next, add two jars of your favorite marinara sauce.

2 T (ish) each of chopped fresh basil and parsley

And a generous pinch of white sugar

Perfection:

Serve with pasta of choice- mung bean (or zucchini) pasta for me, and whole grain for the Pilot

I saved a cupful for my pasta tonight and put the rest in the slow cooker, along with these mozzarella-stuffed organic meatballs for that one guy I live with

Snackage:

Butterfinger smoothie!

Because I’m a goober and made a typo this morning: for the glass straw promo you get FOUR straws- not two! It’s an even better deal that I thought

*Click here* to get your own glass straws- if you order Tina’s stainless steel straws too, coupon code “TinaGina” gets 10% off

I’m heading back to work and then pasta, stuffed mushroom and asparagus dinner when I get back.

Have a lovely night!
xoxo,

Gina

Something to read:10 Foods to Boost Brain Power

Something to watch: These videos from the Coalition of Angry Kids. Some of it’s a little harsh but I thought it was really interesting because a lot of times, kids don’t have a choice about what they’re eating. They’re given fast food to eat and their inactive parents set unhealthy examples for them… what do you guys think?

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