ONE

I have so many excuses to explain my absence.  Wedding showers, bachelorette parties, and travel are all at play but the most important thing of all is…

My nina is ONE!

My fam came to hang in Davis since I didn’t get my act together for a real party of any kind.  It was gorgeous weather so we grilled and ate outside.  Spring is here and summer is around the corner and I couldn’t be more excited.

Kyle got home early enough to man the BBQ.  I had salmon and organic chicken thighs all prepped to go.  We played in the yard until V was ready to get her birthday “cupcake” on.  It was really an almond & coconut flour flax applesauce muffin.

I made a batch of two and wasn’t expecting anything remarkable but in the end both kiddos loved them and now I’m kicking myself for not writing the recipe down as I made it.  I can try to replicate with a normal batch later.

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl.

After she went to zzzz we all ate dinner outside.  There was brown rice too, which apparently got cut from the photo shoot.

P loooooves him some kale salad.  He also ate more protein than I (both chicken and fish) and then requested extra slivered almonds once his salad was donezo.

Now lemme tell you about this kale salad. The dressing is the highlight, which is why it’s so simple.  A good dressing is all you need for making greens amazing winners in my opinion.  Ok, they are pretty legit on their own too.  But not everyone agrees with me on that, I am sure.

Shaved Kale and Brussels Lemon Salad [vegan, gluten free, soy free, dairy free]

Lemon Vinaigrette ingredients:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons garlic or shallot infused olive oil
• 2 tablespoons whole grain dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• juice and zest of one large lemon (we used a Meyer from the backyard)
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2-1 tablespoon maple syrup (honey is great too, but will no longer be vegan)

Salad ingredients:

• 2-3 large bunches of kale stemmed and chopped (~2 pounds)
• 2 pounds shaved brussels sprouts (don’t remove your finger with the mandolin like I almost did)
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds (or pepitas to make nut free)

Directions:

Whisk dressing together until emulsified.

Add greens in large handfuls at a time and massage to break down the fibers so they wilt and soften a bit.

Add almonds and serve.

Notes:

To make in advance, massage 90% of the greens with the dressing and refrigerate until serving time and then add the final 10% (so there’s still a bit of crunch).