Light Kale Salad

What a week it has been.  It’s not quite 8pm and I’m hoping I can summon enough energy to stay awake for the next hour.  We spent the last two nights celebrating the release of our latest album as Emily Haavik & the 35s.  The Duluth show was Friday at Blacklist and last night we were down in Minneapolis at the Aster Cafe.  Both venues were so fun and full of wonderful people.  The Aster is a beautiful, intimate space with gorgeous views of the city.  There were so many friends and strangers crammed in there, it may have driven the staff a little crazy.  But the whole night felt like a true celebration.  It was a quick drive down and back, but I’m so grateful we were able to have an album release in two cities so dear to our hearts.

If you don’t know, Emily Haavik & the 35s is comprised of many of my closest friends and my husband!  Emily and I have known each other as long as we can remember.  Every time we play together it feels sacred.  Lifelong friends are always a treasure and being able to make music together feels like such a gift.  We’ve become a pretty good team, I’d say, and we’re really proud of how that is reflected in this album.  

I’m sharing yet another kale recipe.  I’m not sick of kale salad yet, and I hope you’re not either!  This salad is a great little side salad or you can add some protein to it and have it for a meal.  Add some craisins and, all of a sudden, you have a holiday-themed dish. :)

Light Kale Salad

10 minutes, serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 small bunch of kale, chopped small (about 8 cups)

1 c shredded carrots

1/4 c sunflower seeds

1 T chopped cilantro

3 T olive oil

1 T rice vinegar

1 T dijon mustard

1/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1/8 t garlic powder

Directions:

  1. Place kale, carrots, sunflower seeds, and cilantro in large bowl.

  2. In small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

  3. Pour the dressing over the greens and toss everything well to combine.

  4. Serve as is for a side salad or add some protein to make it a meal!

Matcha Balls

I’ve been a little absent around here lately.  The short story is that I’ve been really tired.  The long story is pretty long.  Here’s a little bit of the details…

I transitioned from being a stay-at-home mom to a working mom this past year.  I have been home full time with my kids for the past 5 years and recently started a full time job.  It has been a HUGE adjustment to say the least.  I’ve had to wrestle with a lot of emotions and thoughts about parenting, who I am as a mom, who I am as an individual, our family, and more.  It’s been a huge adjustment for me physically.  I was tired as a SAHM in many ways, primarily mentally and emotionally.  Some days were awesome and some I thought I was going insane.  My new tired is similar but different.  My job as a school counselor has been extremely demanding and, by the time I get home, I’m ready to collapse.  That, of course, isn’t an option, so instead I power through, trying my best to be fully present in the evening hours I have with my family.  It’s much harder to prep a good dinner, tackle laundry and other household chores, and find any break for myself.  It’s harder to stay connected with friends because work and family feel all-consuming.  Of course, there is good too.  I like my job and it’s been a fun change to be back in that setting.  It’s a good feeling to work this job and, in many ways, it helped me get through the long days of winter when being a SAHM was always the most painful.  But, man, it’s been hard.  I’ve had to focus on keeping myself and my family well and that meant cutting back on a lot of things.  Most changes in life have an adjustment period and I know I won’t feel this tired forever.  I’m glad I now have increased understanding into the world of moms and parenting.  Being a parent is tiring, no matter what.  I envied aspects of the life of working moms when I was a SAHM, and now I miss a lot of the perks of being a SAHM.  (Not having to wear pants is a big one).  I hope that, instead of wasting time comparing situations and assessing how others have this or that easier than me, I can extend grace and compassion to all my parent friends, knowing that we’re all tired, we all have boogers somewhere on our clothes, we’re all worried about something small and something really big, and we all can do this parenting this so much better when we are supporting each other.

I jumped aboard the matcha train.  These matcha balls are a delicious treat/energy boost to keep in the fridge for when you need it most!

Matcha Balls

makes about 15

Ingredients:

1 c walnuts

3/4 c shredded coconut, unsweetened

1 c chopped dates

1/2 t matcha powder

1/4 t ginger powder

For “topping”

1/4 c shredded coconut, unsweetened

1/8 t matcha powder

 

Directions:

  1. Put all ingredients in blender and blend until everything is chopped fine.  You will have to use a tamper, or something similar, to make sure everything is evenly chopped.  (If your blender doesn’t do this well, process the ingredients individually and combine them in a bowl)
  2. Mix the 1/4 c shredded coconut and matcha in a small bowl
  3. Shape the mixture in the blender into small balls, roll each ball in the coconut mixture and set on a plate so they are not stacked.
  4. Refrigerate to cool, then they can be stacked and refrigerated to store.