We usually juice kale and put it in our smoothies.  We decided to plant some this year in our garden and it has turned out quite well.  It produces a TON without any work.  We have kale coming out of our ears!
        My hubby found a recipe for kale chips.  They turned out pretty well, actually better than I was expecting.  To me, they have kind of a cabbage taste, which I like anyway.  They are really easy too and only take 20 minutes.  The first batch we did had way too much olive oil and salt.  The olive oil kept it from crisping up.  The second batch was much better with less oil and salt and when you eat them, they pretty much disintegrate in your mouth.  It is a weird feeling, but I don't mind eating them because I am getting in some more vegetables!

Found on: Food Network

• 1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes. Serve as finger food.

This was delicious!!  I wasn't so sure when I saw the recipe.  I used to buy a box of couscous a few years ago and wanted to try it on my own.  I have not been able to find a recipe that gives it as much flavor as those boxes though.  This recipe actually made it taste great!  It tasted like bruschetta.  YUM!  I love couscous for the fact that it is done in 5 minutes.  Literally!  My kids ate it really well and it is just light and fluffy.  A great alternative to pasta or rice in your meal.  This is definitely not enough for a meal though, more of a side.  But, with 3 kids, some days this would be enough and others like today, it was not.  You never know how kids are going to eat from day to day.  And now, 2 hours later, my hubby and I are eating pizza :)  I even added 2 cooked, chopped chicken breasts!  I will double this next time and add another vegetable other than peas as a side.

Found on:  Munchin with Munchkin

Sundried Tomato and Garlic Couscous

¾ cup couscous

1 cup water

3 tbsp. olive oil, divided

2 green onions, finely chopped (I think I ended up using 3)
¼ cup sundried tomatoes (I didn't have any of these but had some fresh tomatoes so used about 1 medium sized tomato)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil (I used about 1 Tbs. FRESH basil)
1 tsp. onion powder (Mine is onion salt so I omitted the salt below)

2 tbsp. lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, bring one cup of water to a boil. Add one tablespoon of olive oil and ½ teaspoon of salt to the water. Stir in couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes.

In a small skillet, heat remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add green onions and sundried tomatoes; sauté for about two minutes. Add garlic and continue to sauté until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds to one minute.

Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in the sundried tomato mixture. Sprinkle with oregano, basil and onion powder. Drizzle the couscous with lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm or cold.

Serves 2-4

A friend let me pick her blackberries the other day and I decided to make jam with them!  I LOVE homemade jam.  I have never attempted blackberry before, so was excited to try.  My hubby found a container of Ball Pectin at the store that is for low or no sugar recipes, which is what I wanted.  And I found this recipe online.  It turned out great and was a nice topping for my berry pancakes!

Found on: Fresh Preserving

Makes about 4 to 5 (8 oz) half pints
Refrigerate for up to three-weeks or freeze to enjoy for a year.

You will need:
3 cups crushed blackberries (4 pints)
1-3/4 cups unsweetened cranberry-raspberry or apple juice (I used 100% Apple)
3 Tbsp Ball^® RealFruit™ Low or No-Sugar Needed Pectin
Up to 3 cups sugar, 1-1/2 cups SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granular, 3/4 to 1 cup honey, or desired amount of other artificial sweeteners (optional)  (I used 3/4 C Agave nectar)
4 to 5 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands (I used the plastic freezer containers)

Directions:
1.) GRADUALLY add pectin into cranberry-raspberry or apple juice until dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. 
2.) IMMEDIATELY add prepared blackberries into hot pectin mixture. Stir vigorously for 1 minute. Stir in sugar, SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granular, other artificial sweetener, or honey according to the directions above. 
3.) LADLE freezer jam into clean freezer jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Apply caps and let jam stand in refrigerator until set, but no longer than 24 hours. Serve immediately, refrigerate up to 3 weeks, or freeze up to 1 year.

My neighbor gave me some fresh basil and it needed to get used.  I decided on some fresh pesto!  I haven't made it in a long time and couldn't remember the old recipe.  So here is one that looked the same and it tasted great!  Pesto is great on warm pasta and sandwiches and so much more.  I only had 1 cup basil so I cut everything in half.  I wanted to freeze it to use for later so I put small amounts in ice cube trays and will freeze, then put in a ziploc bag to pop one out for whenever I need one!  With this amount, I was able to get 8 ice cubes full.

Found on: Simply Recipes

Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Special equipment needed: A food processor

Method

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.
Yield: Makes 1 cup.