Spaghetti Squash with Buttery Kale

I tried spaghetti squash a few years ago but didn't really know what to do with it.  It has recently become a huge craze, and now, thanks to Pinterest, there are lots of yummy recipes out there!

I'm giving this funny squash a second chance, and we're off to a good start!  I made a stir fry a couple weeks ago and knew I wanted to try a few other variations.

I also have started making zoodles-- zucchini noodles!  I'll share more about that in the future, but I promise they tie in to my spaghetti squash post!

I asked my instagram friends for zoodle recipes, and I got some good ones that I've pinned for later.  Ramona sent me a recipe for butternut squash noodles with kale.  It looked soooo good!  The problem was I didn't have butternut squash on hand…or a few other needed ingredients.  I did have a spaghetti squash in the fridge that needed to be used asap.  I decided to adapt the recipe to fit what I had in the fridge and pantry.  Deliciousness was born.

Spaghetti Squash with Buttery Kale

adapted from Snixy Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

1 bag of frozen kale

6 tbsp. butter

nutmeg

1/2 cup sunflower kernels

1/8 cup of goat cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Cut spaghetti squash in half, brush with olive oil, and cook for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.  Let cool.  I let it cool in the fridge overnight.  Once cooled, shred the squash with a fork.  It will look a bit like spaghetti!
• Toast the sunflower kernels in a dry, hot pan.  Set aside.
• Melt the butter and add a sprinkle of nutmeg.  Once the butter foams and starts to brown, pour into a large bowl.
• Pour the frozen kale in the skillet.  Cook through, adding a bit of water if needed.  Salt if desired.  Pour the cooked kale in the bowl with the butter and stir to coat the kale.
• Put the cooked spaghetti squash "noodles" in the skillet and cook until warmed through.
• Add the buttered kale, goat cheese, and cheddar cheese.  Stir together and cook until cheese is melted.
• Stir the sunflower kernels throughout the squash and kale mixture.
• Serve warm!

How do you like to cook spaghetti squash?  Gimme those recipes!

Insta-Recipes 2.0

Here's another round of recipes I've posted to Instagram!

I have been loving some flavored tea!  My favorite combination for the last few months has been brewing two bags of black tea with two to four (yes, four!) bags of peach tea.  Leave the peach tea bags in, and the flavor will get stronger the longer it sits.

A Beautiful Mess did it again with a spring roll recipe and dipping sauce that is oh, so good!

Smoothie: banana, cashew milk, almond butter…mmm mmm

Roast some chickpeas and then toss in vanilla, cinnamon, and pinch of sugar

Cut a head of lettuce into quarters for each serving.  Add purple onion, tomatoes, strawberries, avocado, Mini Babybel cheese, vinegrette, and leftover brussells sprout salad if you have any ;)

Banana Berry Butter Smoothie: banana, strawberries, cashew milk, almond butter

Okay, okay….here's one more from A Beautiful Mess.  This spaghetti squash stir fry is soooo good!

I love a good veggie recipe if you have any to share!

*Insta-recipe posts are inspired by dishes I throw together and post on my personal Instagram account.

Blue Kite Update

When I closed Blue Kite Boutique in mid-August of last year, I had no real idea of what would become of it down the road.  I originally thought I would go to all online sales after taking a few months of maternity leave.  I planned on selling clothes and my handmade items along with a few other handmade items from vendors that I worked with at the store.  This was the plan.  It’s what seemed logical and desirable at the time.

My daughter was born in October, and from that day forward (really much earlier than that), I knew I had made the right decision to stay home with her.  I have not missed my store one bit, and I think that’s confirmation that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.  I loved having a store, but I did not love working almost every single weekend for two years.  My husband and I finally have Saturdays together again (that don’t include him sitting at a counter eating lunch in between helping customers).  I think it is so crucial for us to have that time again, especially now that we have a daughter.

I have to be honest in that I never planned on having a brick and mortar store.  My original plan for Blue Kite was much different.  The store thing came to be along the way, and I’m so glad it did.  I learned so much, met so many people, and was able to experience the fun adventure of having my own store.  I still have a dream for what could be with Blue Kite.  My original idea is still in the back of my head, waiting for the right time if that time should ever come.  I’m learning to never say never to what might be and to not write plans in concrete.

When I was praying over what direction to go with the store legally, financially, and physically, it all pointed to me resting for awhile.  If you’ve never owned a business, let me let you in on a little secret-- the government requires a lot of taxes out of you!  In order to just keep the business open, I have to pay yearly taxes to a few different government offices.  That’s required even if I don’t sell a single penny’s worth!  I couldn’t justify working and selling enough just to pay those taxes every year.  There are so many other legal and financial requirements I won’t bore you with that helped me make the decision not to continue the business for now.

I’m not sad not to have the store.  Being at home with my baby and having more time with my husband is the best thing ever.  My only sadness was coming from feeling like I might disappoint others or seem like I was giving up.  I had to come to a realization that it doesn’t matter what others think as long as I’m doing what God is telling me to do, what my husband and I feel like is best for our family, and what gives me peace (all of that falls into place when you listen to what God says).  I struggled with making an announcement, because what if I change my mind in a year or so?  Well, we’ll take that road when we get there.  I really couldn’t take the plunge to tell everyone my decision until I saw a video (you can view at the bottom of this post) of Joanna Gaines (from HGTV) telling her story.  It was such a familiar feeling!  Now, I’m not saying I think I’m going to have the fame and TV show and all that she has!  What I’m saying if that we never know what the future holds.  I might have a store again someday.  I might just spend the rest of my days working at home, and that sounds just as fantastic!

Thank you for being so supportive for the two years the store was open.  I am amazed at the friendships that were made.  Through your giving at the store, you helped raise money to help people all over the world and here at home.  You also helped me and my family live a dream for two years.  Colin and I thank you so much and hope you’ll say hi if we see you around town!

Love, Marla

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Insta-Recipes

I love to cook and have been trying lots of new recipes lately.  I post some of them on my Instagram account, recipes I come up with and some from other people.  My account is private to family and close friends.  With so much of my life out there for all to see (here, twitter, etc.), it's the one place I've decided to keep private right now.

Every once in awhile I'll share a few pics from my account.  Here are some now!

My take on Tropical Smoothie's veggie hummus wrap

• Sabra roasted red pepper hummus all over tortilla of choice
• Sliced purple/red onion
• Sliced tomato
• Sliced cucumber
• 1/4 avocado, sliced and drizzled with lemon and lime juice
• Shredded carrots
• Salsa (optional-- put it on my husband's but not on mine)
• Cilantro

Sweet & Tart Smoothie

• Frozen mango
• Frozen raspberries
• Unsweetened original cashew milk

Avocado Tuna

I never like tuna and couldn't make myself eat it no matter how hard I tried.  One day my sister-in-law told me to try it with avocado, and now I eat tuna all the time!

• 1 can of white albacore tuna
• 1/2 avocado
• salt, cajun seasoning (optional)
• Dash of lemon juice and lime juice

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Stuffed Strawberry Shake

• Chocolate almond milk
• Unsweetened original cashew milk
• Peanut butter
• Frozen strawberries

Warm Brussels Sprout Salad with Homemade Dressing

This recipe is from A Beautiful Mess.  Colin LOVED it!  We heard a report that you could lose a pound a week eating brussels sprouts-- bring on the sprouts!

I made two changes:

• Double the dressing recipe and cook 3 lbs. of sprouts (instead of 1 lb.)
• Stick the cooked sprouts/berries under broil for a few minutes in the oven, stir every minute or so

What recipes do you love?

Graze: FREE Snack Box

As a new mommy, I now carry a diaper bag like it's my purse.  Keeping up with a diaper bag and a separate purse was just too much, so I found a way to carry what I needed in Harlow's bag.  I have a wallet and small makeup bag (with a compact, lipgloss, and a pen) that I throw in along with her diapers, wipes, burp cloths, and every other item she needs.

I'm also breastfeeding Harlow and find that I need to eat more often.  After I nurse Harlow, I get hungry.  Sometimes I even have to snack beforehand to have the energy to feed her!  On several occasions we've been away from home when I've needed to nurse her, and I haven't had anything handy to eat.  Anything that I can quickly pick up away from home tends to be very unhealthy.

In comes Graze!

I received a coupon for Graze in a pack of baby coupons that I received at some point of the pregnancy.  I redeemed it a few months after Harlow was born.  I had no idea what to expect.  I hadn't seen Graze in person.  I got online, ordered a box, and waited.  It came in a cute cardboard box with four snacks.  They were the perfect size to throw in the diaper bag!

You can customize what snacks you would like to try (hello, chocolate and fruit!) and what you would hate to get (ew to anything with cherries).

The snacks are small and perfect for tucking in the diaper bag for an emergency snack that's guilt-free and yummy.

If you'd like to give Graze a try, but aren't sure whether or not it's for you-- no fear-- you can try it for free!  Go to graze.com and enter code MARLAS2LB to get your 1st and 5th boxes for FREE!

Let the snacking begin!