Sunday lunch.

It's good to be back home and back in my own kitchen.  I am pretty sure I gained a teeny bit of weight while on vacation.  Yes, I understand that I am supposed to be gaining weight as I progress in this wonderful world of pregnancy, but I think I may have added a teeny bit of vacation weight to that baby weight.  Oh well.  All I can do is watch what I eat from this point on, right?  Right.

Since my appetite is ridiculously ferocious right now, I really need to have healthy snacks on hand to satisfy my urge to munch.  While shopping at Whole Foods this morning, I was looking at all the fruits and vegetables thinking about what would be both a healthy and tasty snack.  I love me some salty potato chips but the calorie and fat content of just a few handfuls is ridiculous.  I need an alternative!!  I have heard about healthy homemade kale chips and how delicious they are so I decided to make some of my own.  Oh man.  They were so good.  And so easy.  And they totally curbed my salty potato chip craving.  Here's the recipe.

Crispy Kale Chips with Lemon

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Tear 3 or 4 large stalks of washed and dried kale into bite-sized pieces (leave the stalks out)
• In a large bowl, dress lightly with olive oil so the leaves are barely coated
• Using a pinch or two of Kosher or sea salt, lightly salt kale pieces 
• Lay kale pieces on parchment-lined baking sheet so that none are overlapping (if making a big batch, you may have to use 2 baking sheets)
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until kale is crispy but still green in color
• Dress with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a touch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Enjoy.  Share, if you must.

Seriously.  They are so light and crispy they practically melt in your mouth.  I am not kidding.  I made just enough for Lee and I to have with our lunch but I wish I would've made more.  Two things, though.  First, add a bit less salt than you think.  I over-salted mine a bit, but they were still delicious.  And second, the original recipe says to cook them for 12-15 minutes which I found to be way too long.  Maybe my oven runs hot but after 10-12 minutes, my kale chips were definitely done.

Good thing I still have a ton of kale left.  I think I'll go make some more of those chips now.   

And one more thing.  We have a small jungle outside our bedroom window and the trees have finally made the change into vibrant fall colors.  The bright yellow leaves reflect through our window and brighten the entire room.  It is so wonderful. 

Do you have any healthy and salty recipes I can make to curb my potato chip cravings?  The kale chips definitely did the trick.  I think I'll make some homemade hummus next to have with carrot and celery sticks.