Kale Salad and Wraps

For the last several months, I buy a bunch of kale every time I am at the grocery store. I make one and only one thing with it- kale salad. My daughter eats this salad by the bowlful. She cannot get enough of it. I certainly do not eat it by the bowlful but have loved it as an addition to all sorts of meals. 

This is one salad where you use the best kitchen tools in the world- your own two hands. Thoroughly wash hands and then use them to coax the kale fibers to break down into a tasty salad.  

Washed kale piled 
into the biggest bowl I own

Massaged Kale Salad

1. Take 1 bunch kale (generally, I use curly kale.) and strip the leaves off the kale stems. The idea is to remove the tough, lower part of the stem. Tender stems are OK to keep.
2. Wash the kale leaves thoroughly 
3. Dry the leaves in a salad spinner 
4. Give them a rough chop
5. Place kale leaves in a large bowl
6. Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp. olive oil
7. Using clean hands, massage the kale leaves, squeezing them by the handful for 5 minutes or so. The kale gets glossy and reduces in volume (see pics). 
8. Store kale salad in the fridge. 

Kale salad

Kale wraps: I made these wraps as a "car dinner" for my sister and nephew as they rode home from the airport. It was just a combo of whatever I had in the fridge but turned out very tasty. 

• Spinach tortillas
• Pesto
• Kale salad
• Fresh mozzarella
• Fresh tomato
• Pickled pepperoncini

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December always feels like the busiest month of the year. And we don't even have any of the family obligations around the holidays that most of my friends do! Whatever I do, I choose to do. This time of year, there are opportunities to help out the community in small ways. It is the kind of shopping I love most- picking out a child's wish list and being their Secret Santa by buying lego sets and other goodies. Buying a few sets of new holiday pajamas for kids in need. 

There are many other things on the to-do list: making treats with my kids for their stalls in the holiday market. Putting together a few gifts for coworkers and the kids' teachers. A door decorating contest at work! I'd love to make cookie boxes for a few close friends and neighbors but this year time is just slipping right out of my hands. 

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Bittersweet news about our sweet dog Duncan: He celebrated his 11th birthday on Sunday with a pupcake and a small party with one of his doggy friends. He enjoyed it so much. But he is clearly declining. The hospice vet stopped by again yesterday, we had a serious discussion and scheduled a euthanasia date in a couple of weeks.