Sunshine for your plate!

I don't know about you, but here in Northern Indiana it is COLD. Now I know that it is not as cold as some places and I probably sound a bit whiny, but for a Southern Kentucky girl it's cold. I have started wearing sweaters, fuzzies, and occasionally steal my sweet husband's union suit (While certainly not a fashion statement, I highly recommend them for warmth). Those of you who know me know that I generally stay warm enough that a t-shirt will do. The snow that fell in early January is still on the ground and most days the temperature doesn't even get above freezing. The sun is a welcome sight but not to be found this cold winters day and more snow is expected. 

My response to this cold yucky day is to make my favorite breakfast. Farm fresh eggs cooked sunny side up with a little cheese and kale. Add a bit of pastured bacon and yes, it is sunshine on a plate. Those yellows are beautiful, sunny and the whole plate is full of yummy and good for you stuff! Fresh eggs from pastured chickens and pastured bacon have higher omega 3 levels than what you find in the grocery, and that does wonderful things for your heart. Kale in itself is a super food, full of antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and K, and also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. It helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. How can you go wrong here? If anything, it tastes great! Not a fan of "green" stuff? Let me help you change your mind. 

I don't use a recipe, just cook according to how much we want (I have learned to write things down if I want a repeat). I know it's hard to cook without measurements, so I will try to give approximate amounts.

Saute' approximately 1/2 cup of onions sliced, 3-6 garlic cloves slivered (adjust this to taste. We LOVE garlic!) in olive oil. When these begin to turn translucent add in approximately 4- 6 cups of fresh kale leaves (I use a 10 inch iron skillet and fill it up, they will shrink as they cook). I use small leaves with thin stems and just tear them into pieces. Let the kale wilt in the oil and then add about 1/2 inch of water, a sprinkle of crushed red pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Let this cook til soft and tender and all the water is evaporated. Then add a splash of lemon juice, and if you like, a couple shakes of liquid smoke. While the kale is cooking, I fry the eggs sunny side up, and lay a little cheese on top to melt. I also let the bacon cook while the kale is cooking. Slice up some fresh baked bread and there you have it. Good stuff. Sunshine. If you don't have kale, you can use any kind of greens. We like swiss chard and spinach as well. All are packed with good "green" stuff. 

Sunrise at Sioned

We are fortunate to have a local farmer who has high tunnels and has lots of greens year round. We also purchase eggs and meat from their store as well. You can find all these goodies at RiverRidge Farm. If you want to learn more about kale and other foods that are great for your mental and physical health, you can read "The Happiness Diet"  by Dr. Drew Ramsey. His book is full of great info, and if you really get turned on to kale, he has a book called "50 Shades of Kale" which is a fun read with lots of good recipes. I don't get any sort of perks for mentioning this, but found his books to be a good resource. There are also lots of good resources on the internet for free. 

So, here's to some good food to warm you up, and I hope you have sunshine wherever you are, either in the sky or on your plate. 

Wishing you many many blessings,

Stacy