Kale is the bomb!!

My first adventure with kale

It's a little embarrassing to admit that I had never purchased kale before the Summer of 2014. At first, I played it very safe. I made kale smoothies hiding it with sugar and frozen fruit. I got a little adventurous with kale chips, but then I read an article about kale being bad if you had thyroid problems. I was having my thyroid tested so I pretty much gave up kale. I decided that Spinach would be safer. After getting the results that my thyroid was normal and joining Protective Diet, I'm happy to report that I'm eating kale again.

Trying kale a second time

This time, I'm find that I like kale in different recipes. For example, I now eat and enjoy kale for breakfast. It makes for a quick and different breakfast when I need a change from oats. I always have cooked potatoes on hand. I heat up the potatoes in the oven while I shower. I then chop up my potatoes into little pieces and mix up my kale and Protective Diet Daily Dressing in a bowl. It's a warm tasty treat for a Michigan winter morning.

Keeping cooked potatoes always on hand

This is a trick I learned either in December or January. I cook up 5-6 potatoes at a time in my Instant Pot; then store them in my fridge. I'm able to add them to salads  to bulk them up or just have them handy for a snack. (I just eat them cold at my desk or on my commute home.) Potatoes are so economical to buy, easy to find at my local grocery stores and easy to add to my diet. Potatoes are often on sale, so I pick up the bag that is on sale that week. I've gone thru a lot of potatoes since the beginning of the year. I haven't kept track of the number of pounds, but I know it has been a lot.

Oats, Oats, Oats

I've always loved oats. In fact, if I had oats as a child they were a special treat. I wasn't raised eating oatmeal in the morning. My mom doesn't like oatmeal, thus we never tried oatmeal. I was probably 12 when I first tried oatmeal at my grandma's house. I really liked it there, so I went home and told my mom. She bought us a package and made it really thick and gross. I never ate oatmeal again at home.

After leaving home, I ate oatmeal occasionally. It was usually the pre-flavored oatmeal in the little packages. It was probably only 3 years ago that I first tried steel cut oats and realized I really like those also.

It amazes me that oats are so healthy and taste so good. I read an article on www.whfoods.com talking about all the health benefits below and much more.

• Good source of copper, biotin, vitamin B1, magnesium, dietary fiber, chromium, zinc, and protein.Lower Cholesterol Levels
• High Fiber
• Enhanced Immune Response to Infection
• Stabilize Blood Sugar
• Health promoting activity equal to or even higher than that of fruit and vegetables

Yes, it maybe a little boring, but I eat oats almost every day. If oats are on sale, I pick up 4lbs+ from the bulk food section.

Here's some ways I eat my oats:

• Steel Cut oats (cooked on stove or Instant Pot) with frozen fruit (usually blueberries)
• Cooked Old Fashioned oats with frozen blueberries, frozen mixed fruit or bananas (sometimes I add some vanilla)
• Homemade Granola
• Cooked Old Fashioned oats with baked apples (or applesauce), cinnamon and nutmeg
• Soaked Overnight oats with chia seeds and soymilk. In the morning, I add banana slices or frozen fruit.
• Chocolate Bird Seed P.D. Premium Recipe

Do you eat oats? How do you eat your oats?

It's the first day of March

Finally, we are getting closer to Spring. Here in Michigan it's 28 degrees today. That's actually very warm. Last week, we had days that didn't get above zero. I'm happy the days are longer and that Spring is not far now.

This type of Michigan weather makes for perfect days to stay in and cook healthy delicious food. I don't feel guilty staying in my kitchen and not going outside. Plus, with having the oven on, it warms up the house. It's eleven am and I've started on a couple things I can eat this week.

Here's what I am working on in my kitchen:

• Protective Diet Chia Jam (I'll use for my oatmeal this week)
• Veggie Broth (cooking a very basic broth in my Instant Pot- onions, leeks, carrots and celery)
• Dried Chick Peas are soaking (I'll cook these up in my Instant Pot when my broth is done.)
• Protective Diet Chocolate Bird Seed

I think I'll make P.D. Chickpea Cucumber Salad later today. I'll look to see what other recipes look good, so I can make up my lunch for tomorrow. Hope you are staying warm and enjoying March 1st wherever you are.

If you are new to Protective Diet, you have to create a login to see her yummy recipes. She has two types of recipes on the site: free and premium. I invite you to create a free login on the Protective Diet site to try her free healthy recipes. I'm confident that you will love them like me.

How do I start out my day?

Most days I start out my day with oats. I eat either rolled oats or steel cut oats. I love that oats are heart healthy. I need something that will fill me up, so I can make it to lunch without my belly growling at my desk.

One easy way to cook my steel cut oats is by using my Instant Pot (which I LOVE!!!).

I find the biggest pain of cooking oats is watching it on the stove or microwave to make sure it doesn't boil over. I've solved this by using my Instant Pot. I put my oats in and leave it. I continue on with my morning tasks without having to babysit my oats.

Today, I'm trying a new method I found on Protective Diet. Julie has a Steel Cut Oats Recipe for the stove top. I invite you to give this a try also. I'm going to add in Mixed Berry Chia Seed jam with my oats. I can't wait.

How do you start your day?

Until next time. . .