Kale: The Queen of Greens

We have a Taco Bell right next to the grocery store.  Every time I buy groceries I can hear it taunting me, "You could just have a burrito for $1.29!  And you don't even have to make it!"  On one hand, it's awesome that I can buy a burrito for less than it would cost me to make it at home.  And on the other hand, it's terrifying that I can buy a burrito for less than it would cost me to make it at home.  What do they put in that stuff, anyway?

With that said, it's hard to be healthy on a budget, especially when fast food is readily available and cheaper than the grocery store.  And yet, I can't help but think that what's helping my pocket book short term could be hurting my body in the long run.  When you look at it that way, a bundle of kale and a bag of nuts is a lot cheaper and a lot more fun than a triple bypass.

Kale, also known as The Queen of Greens, is a powerhouse of nutrition.  Kale ranges anywhere from $0.75-$2.50 per bunch, is plentiful, and easy to find year round.  Kale is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, thus boosting immune function, firming your skin, fighting free radicals,  enhancing reproductive and heart health, and maintaining strong bones, among other glorious benefits.  Now, I'd call that a pretty sexy veggie.

my kale salad

Kale Salad
6 cups raw kale--un-chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup blanched almonds or walnuts
1/4 cup raisins or cranberries
1/2 cup raw basil, un-chopped
dash of salt.
1. In a food processor, chop kale and basil
2. Place kale and basil in a bowl and add parmesan, olive oil, salt, nuts, and raisins/cranberries





Kale Pesto
1 cup kale
1 cup basil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
2 or 3 garlic cloves

Blend all ingredients in the food processor and put on pasta, bread, or veggies.

Carla's Spicy Kale
6 cups of kale
1/2 cup chopped red onions
Butter or Oil
2 garlic cloves
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup beer
1/4 cup hot sauce
1/2 cup water

1. Satee butter, onions, and garlic
2. After the onions begin to brown, add kale
3. pour in liquid.
4. Stir over heat until kale is barely wilted (it will continue to cook after you take it off the heat)
5. Serve over beans, rice, or just eat it by itself.

Garlic Kale
Place your fat of choice and 3 garlic cloves in the skillet.  Add a dash of salt.  Cook until the garlic begins to turn brown.  Add kale and cook until kale leaves barely begin to darken.

If you have any good kale recipes please share!

Gee, Brandon. Your wife is so snotty.

Whilst on a transcontinental treck, Meagan
and I found this book at a thrift store.  
We had finished it by Nebraska.
It was the best, most awful book I've ever read.
And it is highly recommended.  

Had I listened to my own advice I wouldn’t have had the time to write this blog.  “What was this grand mistake you made? And can I make it?” you might wonder.  Well, friends, I can tell you right now, it’s not the key to more time in your day.  I wore my body down, ate brownies instead of broccoli, and denied I was getting ill instead of facing the truth and fighting that nasty virus with my righteous proteins and a few Zzzz’s.  Yes.  The bad guy won.  And I paid big time.  And by big time I mean I’ve been in bed for almost a week now and still sound like a man.   Not fancy.  In fact, the fanciest part of my week was when I was hunched over a pot of boiling water because my lungs were closing and I realized that some women pay good money to have their pores opened like this (and, naturally, a facial ensued).  

If you work for a big company, chances are good that you look forward to your sick days--they’re like paid vacations where you get to watch movies and eat chicken noodle soup.  However, if you’re like me (and I am assuming you are because we fancy poor girls have a tendency to work for mom and pops that only pay you when you show up to work--and little at that), you are your own benefactor on a sick day.  Few work days may be spared.   And that’s the price you pay for the beautiful life you live.  

So, the best way to avoid sick days is not to get sick.  You can do this by drinking plenty of water, getting 8 hours of sleep every night (preferably, between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am--not kidding.  It’s most bodies’ natural, healthy rhythm), exercising, eating your veggies, proteins, fruits, good fats, and proper carbs; and shying away from sugar, alcohol, coffee, dairies, and any grains your body may have an aversion to.  Simple? Yes.  Easy? No. Possible? Possibly.  This proves especially difficult for a fancy girl who rarely turns down the opportunity to live and be marry, who, had she her druthers, would treat herself to wine and artisan cheeses daily, who begins every day with a cup of her favorite, locally roasted, single origin coffee and a breakfast cookie, and dreams about a bar full of olive varietals.  I mean, really, why have an island when you can have the world?  Consequently, sometimes all of the fun you’ve had just ends in a big, snotty mess.  And this is the price you pay for the beautiful life you live.

However, if you feel your body is shutting down there are a few, cheap things you can do to stave off that nasty illness.  The more of these you do, the better.  If you’re on a major budget, just purchase the alliums and lemons. 

1. Remember, the first step to recovery is recognition.  To be honest, this is the one I have the most trouble with.  I will deny I am becoming ill until I am in bed and very sick.  I’m like the little kid who hides from his dad by covering his eyes.  
2. After the initial recognition has been made, drop everything you’re doing and run to the store.  Grab the following: 2 onions, a clove of garlic, dark leafy greens, lemons, chicken drumsticks, broth (msg free), and noodles or rice.
3. When you return home, you’ll want a cookie because your body is exhausted and wants a quick pick-me-up from the sugar.  Don’t do it.  That cookie will land you in bed all week.  Instead, shun the cookies and bread and pull out an onion.
4. Cut off the top of the onion and hollow out the middle.  Fill the inside with water and place in the stove.  Turn the oven to 350 (it does not need to preheat) and bake for 15 minutes.  Drink the onion water.
5. Next, eat an entire clove of garlic. (you can swallow it whole if you are able or chop it up into manageable pieces.
6. After your garlic, if you are able, go to bed immediately and sleep for as long as you can.
7. When you awake, make hot lemon water, using an entire lemon.  Drink this and eat the seeds.
8. Drink a lot of water.  A lot.  
9. If you are up to it, make chicken soup.  
10. If you’re still hungry eat your dark, leafy greens
11. Then repeat steps 5-8 as many times as needed, with a minimum of 3 times per day.  
12. Go live your life because you’re better!!!!!!!!

Brag on my Bragg

Yes, this ad is real (found on barnbaby).  Little did they
know, they could have just used apple cider vinegar

Making healthy choices can be expensive.  I hate how short ingredient lists mean bigger prices.  And it's terrifying to think that the food once produced by farmers and chefs is now the work of scientists.  Though some may be tempted to scoff at my boutique grocery shopping (fancy is as fancy does), I find that my body and mind are satisfied when I'm feeding my body things that are good for it.

This is why I love apple cider vinegar.  It's an inexpensive cure-all, which frees up some cash so I can buy things like fennel and an El Rey, coursly conched, 72% chocolate bar.  When buying apple cider vinegar, make sure you buy the one that says "from the mother" or "with the mother."  You also want to buy the bottle that has all of the stuff at the bottom.  I always buy Bragg.  

Apple cider vinegar is--you guessed it--fermented apple cider.  Apple cider vinegar contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron, among other minerals and elements that your body needs to survive.  It has been known to cure stomach problems, dandruff and other yeast problems, sore throats, and mold in your house (note, due to the high acidity content, apple cider vinegar is not for everyone).

Following are a few links on how to use apple cider vinegar:

daily health

dandruff 
acid reflux
yeast infection
sore throat
weight loss
acne
sinus infection
chest cold

The 90's are Over; Let's Eat Sweet Potatoes.

and if you're really enthusiastic about your sweet
potatoes you can buy this print here

First of all, I would like to give a giant thank you Colleen Wandel, owner of Say Ooh, for giving this fancy girl's blog a make-over. In addition to giving this blog a new face, this lovely lady also makes beautiful "pretty-enhancers" made from vintage lace, nightgowns, buttons, and feathers.  Be sure to stop by her shop and delight your fancy.

So, now that we've gone to Colleen's shop and browsed her pretty-enhancers, I am going to talk about a pretty-enhancer that you can eat.  Sweet potatoes.  When the 90's told us to stop eating potatoes, many of us lumped sweet potatoes into the same category and cut them out of our diets, only bringing them to the table on Thanksgiving.  Well, I'm here to tell you that we needn't pay heed to the 90's any longer.  Keep Weezer in your hearts and discard the rest--no more peace signs, no more giant cell phones, and no more strange diet fads that tell you not to eat sweet potatoes.  Not only are sweet potatoes good for you, make you look good, and taste so yummy, but they're only $0.69 per pound, which means we can afford them.

According to Alexander Page at Stuff You Should Know, one sweet potato can give you 40% of your daily intake of vitamin E.  Vitamin E both repairs and protects your skin.  Alexander Page says it so nicely that I'm just going to give you his explanation:

"Antioxidants are agents that neutralize the oxidant effect of free radicals, which are molecules that damage collagen and cause skin dryness, fine lines and wrinkles [source: Bouchez]. A simple chemistry lesson can explain how vitamin E does this. The atoms that comprise your body try to maintain an even number of electrons -- that's what makes them stable. If an atom has an uneven number of electrons, it will steal an electron from another atom to become stable. When your skin takes a beating from outside factors, such as the sun's ultraviolet rays, your body can produce free radicals. Free radicals are atoms with an uneven number of electrons, and when they form inside your body, they steal electrons from healthy cells like the ones that make up your skin. This can cause a damaging chain reaction, and that's where antioxidants like vitamin E come in [source: Rice]." [Alexander Page, Stuff You Should Know].


So, what I'm saying is that those of us who can't afford La Prairie's $1500 skin care line just need to go ahead and fork out 69 cents on a pound of sweet potatoes.

In addition to repairing your skin, sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotine and vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.

I usually just bake my sweet potatoes, then dress them with some butter and cinnamon (preheat oven to 400 F, wrap your potatoes in foil, poke a few holes in them with a fork, and bake for about 40 min).  However, if we're feeling fancy, there are a few ways we can dress our potatoes for a meal worth talking about.

Following are 10 fancy and tasty sweet potato recipes:

1. Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans and Chili Dressing
2. Curried Sweet Potatoes
3. Sweet Potato Casserole
4. Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks
5. Sweet Potato Mash
6. Sweet Potato Dauphinoise
7. Jamaican Sweet Potato Pone
8. Cuban Sweet Potato Salad
9. Spicy Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup
10. Baked Sweet Potato Falafel 

Organic Gardening by a Friendly Farmer

I'm working at the Harvest Market Garden. It is a part of UT's  organic program. There are 6 of us interns and we run a one acre garden and sell the produce at a weekly farmers market on campus. My farm dream is to have a homestead to produce food that is healthy for people as well as for the land. I want to heal the land and heal people with the food I grow. Organic, small-scale farming (what I do) is a great gender equalizer, I think, because it is mostly a matter of stamina - not sheer muscle power. The strength it takes to make it through a 12 hour day of harvesting, when it's 95 degrees, is quite different from the strength it takes to bench press 350pounds. I enjoy being on equal ground with the fellows I work with and feeling strong in what I do.

  

I'm working at the Harvest Market Garden. It is a part of UT's 

organic program. There are 6 of us interns and we run a one acre garden and sell the produce at a weekly farmers market on campus.

My farm dream is to have a homestead to produce food that is healthy for people as well as for the land. I want to heal the land and heal people with the food I grow.

Organic, small-scale farming (what I do) is a great gender equalizer, I think, because it is mostly a matter of stamina - not sheer muscle power. The strength it takes to make it through a 12 hour day of harvesting, when it's 95 degrees, is quite different from the strength it takes to bench press 350pounds. I enjoy being on equal ground with the fellows I work with and feeling strong in what I do.

If fancy loves anything it’s fresh.  Which is why Kirsten Eisele, who is currently working with The Harvest Market Garden in Knoxville, has written a little piece for us on budget organic gardening.  Kirsten has also agreed to help out with a little Q&A on budget organic gardening.  This girl knows her stuff.  Ask her anything in the comments below and she’ll answer.  

"Greetings, fancy ladies! I am a fancy girl who gets her hands dirty at different farms across middle and east Tennessee. Last year I had the privilege of living in a house where the owners had established a perennial herb garden and was 

completely won over to the joy of cooking with fresh herbs.

Fresh herbs are essential to every fancy girl’s kitchen. They lend that extra edge of flavor to any dish, whether a simple spaghetti sauce or a crusty loaf of rosemary bread.

The only problem with fresh herbs is that they cost a whole lot if you have to rely on the grocery store to get them. You’ll pay about $3 to buy a tiny package of probably not-so-fresh herbs that will go bad quickly if you don’t use them immediately

The solution? Grow your own! Most herbs are notoriously easy to grow. They will grow in the ground, in a pot, indoors, outdoors, on the roof, in the backyard. 

Starting from seed is my recommendation. It may take a bit longer for you to get the lovely-smelling plants you desire, but it will be worth the wait.

You’ll get the best value by purchasing an assorted seed packet. Individual seed packets cost about $2/each and can be bought at your local hardware store or farmers co-op.

http://www.amazon.com/Custom-Collection-Varieties-Quality-Seeds/dp/B0042AIYH0/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1307643807&sr=1-2

Many herbs are either perennials, such as rosemary and sage, or self-seed easily, such as dill. Put a bit of effort into setting up your garden and with luck you will be literally reaping the rewards for years to come.

The cheapest soil prep is good hard work, if you have a home where your herbs will be permanent. Dig up the spot where you're going to put the plants 

Here's a link to a recipe for homemade organic pest sprays. Super easy to make and earth-friendly. Though usually, the best organic form of pest control is to use two fingers to squish the offending bug!

Two Homemade Sprays for Fighting Aphids organicgardening.about.comThese two homemade organic sprays have a proven track record of effectiveness when it comes to getting rid of aphids.

Interested in an indoor garden? Check out this resource for information on growing different kinds of herbs.

http://www.indoorherbgarden.org/indoorgardeningtips.html

Interested in an outdoor garden? In our mild climate, perennial herbs can survive the winter and thrive during warm weather.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4933292_plant-outdoor-herb-garden.html

Please comment with any additional questions and I’d be happy to do a follow up Q and A post!

Your friendly farmer, 

Kirsten"

Monday giveaway: a SCOBY of your very own

Kombucha: the fancy way to stay healthy.  Ok, so I realize this is the newest health fad.  However, I've been drinking this stuff for a month and my energy levels have nearly doubled.  Unfortunately, at 5 bucks a pop, I can't afford it.  This is why I make my own.

Buying Kombucha vs. Making It: being fancy and poor isn't all glamour.

You'll need the following:
filtered water (don't use distilled), 4 tea bags (either black or green tea.  No herbal teas, ladies), a giant pickle jar (if you don't want to spend the $5 on a jar, go down to your local deli and ask them for one of their left over jars), cheese cloth, 1 cup of sugar, 1 c. kombucha, and a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast).

1. Place tea and sugar into a separate bowl. Pour 1 quart of boiling water over tea bags and sugar and let sit until room temp.

2. Pour tea/sugar/water into your giant pickle jar

3. Pour 2-3 more quarts of water into the mixture

4. Pour in 1 c. of kombucha and place your SCOBY on the top with the dark side facing down.

5. Cover with cheese cloth and allow to sit, untampered.

6. Your kombucha will be finished when it is fizzy (5- 10 days).

7. Bottle and refrigerate.

8. Drink 1 cup every day.  You can also mix kombucha with your favorite fruit juice (I mix mine with lemon juice)

Ok, now for the fun part.  I have in my possession an extra SCOBY, which I will give to one lucky lady.  I want to hear about a fancy poor moment you had this week.  I'll draw a name at random from the comments below.

Pretty Skin!!!

I want to dance with vanity and still have the gumption to stand when it's over.  And I want to have good skin doing it.  Unfortunately, my favorite products (i.e. the orange sugar exfoliant by Fresh) cost upward of $50.  I thank my mother, my grandmother, and my Aunt Patti for my expensive taste.  However, it can't be helped. My taste may be expensive, but who says you have to spend a fortune on goodness?

this is a portrait of Erzsebet Bathory, the Countess

    who bathed in the blood of young maidens to retain her youth. 

Little did she know she could have used a sugar scrub.

I love the Fresh products because they are comprised, primarily, of things I can buy at my neighborhood grocery.  But since I can buy the ingredients at my grocery then I should just make it myself, right?  And the answer is yes.  After a short trip to the grocery, all you'll need is a bowl, a spoon, and a pretty little air tight container that you love to open and close (I'll admit, I do love the sound the Fresh container makes when you close it--the glass is so thick that the sound it makes is most substantial and satisfying.  Do you know what I mean?)

Granted, my Fresh exfoliant that I love so has many more ingredients, so know we're not making the exact scrub.  But this exfoliant works like a charm.   Use it one to 2 times per week.




1 tablespoon cane sugar
2 teaspoons of oil (try olive, avocado, macadamia, sesame, jojoba, or coconut oil. you may have to try a couple before you find the right oil for your skin)
1 teaspoon of orange juice
Citrus zest
(the citrus is optional for those of us with dry skin.  If you do leave the citrus out, add another t of oil.  However, if your skin is extra dry, throw some oats and honey into the mix.  Wear it for 10 minutes--eat it if you'd like).


Wet your face with a warm cloth.  Gently message the face with your sugar scrub.  Let it sit for 4-5 minutes.  Then rinse and moisturize (I moisturize with olive oil).  Pretty skin!!!!