KALE CHIPS

This past summer, my friend Penny invited Honeybee and I over for a little dinner and board games. Being an avid board game player (Taboo; Catch Phrase; Balderdash), I accepted with enthusiasm.

Penny, not her real name, is a very accomplished Yoga instructor and musician. She's also cautious about what she eats. Naturally health conscience, her diet appears to have a holistic slant. She's incredibly knowledgeable of 'smart foods' and frequently shares dietary ideas that can have powerful effects in other areas of your life ... and yet, I still choose to hang out with her. No, seriously, she's lovely, funny and sharp. She's also great at board games. 


Although I'm not a slob, I can't say that I'm the kind of person that seeks out the healthiest options in grocery stores (my box of Special K cereal often rests in the shopping carriage right on top of some pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream).

So, I naturally had a "What the eff is that?" expression on my face when Penny 'splayed out a large platter of homemade Kale Chips in the middle of the game table. (See Picture)

I had never seen anything green offered as a game night snack, barring an occasional overly seasoned Hint of Lime Tostido. As much as I looked forward to the calories I wouldn't be ingesting, I was puzzled by the other folks at the party. Smiles, when they weren't stuffing their faces, all around.

Honeybee was enjoying them thoroughly (his leg shakes when he's happy, much like Goofy in Walt Disney cartoons).

"Hun, you have to try one," he said. "You will like them."

He's usually right, so I picked one up. Even in my hand, I wasn't quite sure, as some edges were crispy, and other areas of the "chip" were soggy. It just felt wrong. I was expecting the chip to taste like a broccoli flavored Triscuit, which would've made me unhappy.

I bit in. Chewy, crunchy, healthy, salty, tangy deliciousness filled my mouth. I couldn't believe it. I am a salt junkie, but that wasn't the prominent flavor. It was the addictive texture - a little something for everyone. Penny is a great cook, so individual results will most likely vary.

But wait there's more ... Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium ... and yes, I cut and pasted that from wikipedia.

Here's a recipe from allrecipes(dot)com. Super easy to make! Try it!

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.

1. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. 
2. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. 
3. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
4. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.                 

Enjoy!

SIXPOINT 'THE CRISP' BEER

I'm not much of a drinker.  I blame (and thank) my dad, may he rest in peace.  


When I was a kid, and I'm speaking of a time when I was in the single digits of my life, my dad would give me "sips" of beer. Sometimes a can. Even back when I was eight, I knew that Budweiser he was drinking was crap. (My dad was a drunk on a budget, basically.)


Anyway, sips here, sips there. This wasn't BudLight by the way, so yes, not only was I getting buzzed at the age of eight, I was accumulating oodles of unnecessary carbs.  I must state that my parents were divorced at this time, so my mom is in no way accountable for my underage drinking nor my caloric intake. 


All those sips add up, and by the time I could drink legally, I was a little burnt out on beer. The taste of it actually nauseated me. Many, many, many years later, when I moved to NYC, I realize that, "hey, this city is effing expensive ... and beer is always the cheapest thing on the chalk boards of the dives I'm going to. I guess I should rethink this relationship."


So I experimented, with my beloved Honeybee (a german) as my guide. I now have two favorite beers, which of course, dear readers, are both a tad pricey. I love the Belgian beer Duvel, which is just flat our expensive unless you buy it at Trader Joe's, and I love Brooklyn, NY's own Sixpoint Crisp.


Both of these beers are super-fizzy, have a lovely light freshness to them, and don't cause me to bloat. They're both rather highbrow (Duvel comes corked; Crisp comes in packs of four, not six), so if you're ever on a date, or a drinking business meeting, step it up and order one of these puppies. 


You'll get all the fizzy buzz without any of the fatty bloat. For more on Sixpoint, here's their info:  http://sixpoint.com/

COCONUT WATER

It's all the rage, allegedly. Yet another "water-like" beverage that has only slightly more benefits than drinking actual water. Have you tried this ... stuff? 

I have, and I won't spend much time discussing it. It tastes like something your dentist would make you rinse with just before oral surgery. Milky, dense and "warm," even when the package is ice cold, which is just weird. After a particularly long bike ride on Governor's Island recently, I still couldn't make it through my Zico mini-bottle.

Even more recently, my friend Matt really wanted to try it (ignoring my testimonial). His reasoning? "It's supposed to be so good for you." So is church, but you don't see me choking that crap down either. 

Stick with water for hydration, and bananas for potassium. If do you happen to love the taste of Coconut Water ... by all means, pleeeeeease let me know why. Again, the TASTE, not what it "does" for you. Go on, tell me how "delicious" it is. 

DOMINO'S PIZZA

I realize that what I'm about to write may alienate some readers, as well as encourage some to make a relatively unhealthy dietary choice. This is a gamble I'm willing to take. 


Recently, Honeybee and I were at home, exhausted and starving, a combination that often leads to horrific choices ending with pints of Ben & Jerry's Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream. Anyway, after a couple of not-so-hot edible experiences with some other local pizza places, we decided to order from that beloved 90's delivery staple, Domino's. 

Hoping to "Avoid the Noid" (and risk being seen in public), we ordered online.

Wow. The entire online ordering experience with Domino's was a cheese-filled breeze. Excellent, actually. Easy to order, and their website enthusiastically detailed the process for us. At one point, the website even informed us that "Luigi" (not his real name) was "boxing" our pizza. It's that specific. 

The pizza itself was delicious, with ingredients that tasted as fresh as anything I'd tasted recently from other delivered endeavors. 

Log on, order up and bon appetit! ... I'm serious. Click For Domino's

"THE VIEW"

Dear Readers, 

You may have been wondering where I've been for the past few months. I've been all over the place, truly. The Poconos, New England, Europe ... but mostly, I've been working my tail off at my "job job." Not my first choice for summer fun, but such is life. 

Because I've been so busy with work, it forced me to make some hard decisions about the free time I was left with. I felt forced to hold a mirror to my eating, sleeping and exercise habits, and I realized that I'm an ice-creaming eating, sleep-deprived, fat ass. 

This self-inventory did not stop there though. I checked my DVR listings off and on during this time and was shocked at how many episodes of The View I was expected to catch up on. Could that much time have truly passed? But I dove in to a couple of episodes anyway ... and decided that I was giving up on "The View."

It should be said here that I used to L-O-V-E The View, from the Meredith Viera days onward. (Yes, including Rosie's time - like it or not - she's what took the show into a whole new direction with her passionate political views. I loved her.) The way the ladies would spar and discuss the political climate was often informative and exhilarating - except for Sherri Shepherd, who can barely keep her flash cards in order, let alone give commentary on them. 

The reason I'm giving up on the show is that it has become painfully clear that they are simply unable (or afraid) to give any type of real commentary on celebrity news. Whether it's Charlie Sheen, Tracy Morgan or Lindsay Lohan, you can almost predict the lame sound bites to come ...

Joy:  (Enter joke here that with will inexplicably loop in Sarah Palin.)

Sherrie:  "Do the kids know?" "Was his wife there?" "Did anyone see her do it?" (Do your research, please.)

Elizabeth:  "What do I tell MY KIDS about this?" (Yes, you poor thing. Sorry, I can never imagine her at a loss for words.)

Whoopi:  "Everyone makes mistakes." (Yes, but not all of them involve hookers, grand larceny, racial slurs and threats of violence.)

Barbara:  "What a tragedy for all involved." (In fairness, Barbara often is the most feisty - so I won't judge.) 

YAWN. I realize that The View relies on celebs as guests, so I'm confused as to why the show brings up these types of topics in the first place? They all walk such a rehearsed tight rope whenever celeb topics come up - it's mind-numbing to watch, as if they're "giving a pass" to celebrity behavior and/or condoning it. 

They should just stick with politics, economy, health and news of the day - sans celeb stories. Otherwise, all the safe responses suggest that out of that five-woman panel, there's not one true backbone.