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!

Busy Mom's Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Fall in Duluth is a magical time. Watching the woods slowly change from summer to winter is therapeutic. We drove along Lake Superior over the Bayfield, WI this past weekend. The drive there is one of my favorite parts of the trip. Our Bayfield routine always starts with a stop downtown for coffee. What used to be Big Water Coffee is now Kickapoo. The shop is bright, clean, and inviting. The coffee is awesome, third wave, makes you want to drink it all day kind of stuff. We brought it out to a pier and watched the ferry go by. I love looking at Lake Superior from a different angle. I feel so familiar with the Lake Superior of Duluth. Going elsewhere reminds me just how vast it really is.

We picnicked in an apple orchard, attempted to pick our own apples (they were mostly gone), and ended up buying a few bags to bring home. We also picked up some cider and hard cider from Bayfield Apple Company. Their’s is my absolute favorite hard cider. It’s so refreshing and not too sweet.

We journeyed back to Duluth in the afternoon, early enough to be home for dinner. On the way home I fantasized about how I should decorate our house for fall. I just want everything to look like the colorful forest and smell like apples now. And soup making is a must for our house to smell like fall.

I am a big fan of crockpot meals. Now that I am a full time working mama, crockpot meals help keep me sane. I made this recipe extremely easy. No sautéing anything before adding it, no additional steps or pans you need to make messy. This is a soup recipe for the busy mom (or dad) who wants a delicious, satisfying homemade meal with minimal work and very few dishes to clean up. That is a winning combo in my book.

Busy Mom’s Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Serves 6, 8 hours

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

3-4 frozen chicken breasts

1 c rinsed, uncooked wild rice

6 c chicken stock

1 1/2 t salt

1 1/2 T butter

1/4 c heavy cream (optional)

pepper, to taste

Directions:

Place diced onion, celery, carrots, wild rice, chicken, and chicken stock in a slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Use two forks to shred the chicken.

Add the salt, butter, and cream (optional) and stir until fully incorporated.

Add pepper, if desired.