Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes.

As I mentioned in my post on Friday, I’m turning 25 next month.  This type of birthday could trigger many, many different feelings.  Such as, but not limited too…

I’m getting old.

I have wrinkles.

I’m not a spring chicken anymore.

I may as well just buy a cane, and get it over with.

High waisted pants? Why not.

But, I’ve already decided not to focus on any of the negatives.  Instead, I want to be a woman who embraces getting older.  I have noticed some changes in myself though.  I’m learning there are things I want for myself and for my life.  One of these changes is in eating habits.  One of my goals for 2012 is to eat more colorfully.  Fruits and veggies, people, not m&m’s and skittles!

I've never been a picky eater.  I've always been willing to try anything, and growing up we always had salads, green beans, and I've always liked beets.  I may not have been in love with these things, but I ate them.  Then I met Rob, and his eating habits kind of rubbed off on me.  We ate out more, and when I cooked I made sure to avoid veggies at all costs.  Now I’m getting older, and I am realizing more and more that health is important.  I’m realizing organic would be ideal, and I am a big advocate for eating sustainable foods, and treating the animals you eat with kindness. There are a few problems though.  Although these things are good, and they are things I want to work towards, they are not possible for us right now.  What is possible is eating more vegetables, and fruits, and making better decisions when it comes to food in general.  This means some changes are coming to this blog!  You may be wondering, “What types of changes?”  Well, these types…

I’m going to be posting recipes at least once a week.

I plan to post healthy recipes, and maybe some far from healthy recipes.

I refuse to use low-fat, no-fat, and or fake ingredients, including margarine, or artificial sugars.  I think these foods are altogether bad for us, and I think we should eat butter…just not a stick at a time.

I plan to post nutritional information with all the recipes.

I plan on having step by step pictures to go with the recipes.

I plan on recipes that are not run of the mill (at least to me).  I like to try new foods, and I intend to make you try new foods too!

Sound like fun? Good, because here’s the first recipe!

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Oven Baked Spinach Chips

Original Recipe from: The Indolent Cook

This is such a simple, healthy, and ridiculously yummy snack.  Let me start by saying I really enjoy spinach.  It’s my favorite type of green to use for salads because, as far as I can tell, it doesn’t have a strong lettuce/green flavor.  The only thing I’m not crazy about are the stems.  I may or may not try to pluck them off.  However, I left them intact and ate them when I made them this way!

 Here are the items you need, extra virgin olive oil, and spices.  The original recipe called for garlic salt which I didn't have, so instead I used salt and garlic powder and then I went fairly heavy on the chili flakes. I really enjoy spicy foods.  I have no doubt these would be just as good just lightly salted, with or without pepper, or garlic powder.  Feel free to experiment.

You’ll want to wash and thoroughly dry your spinach, and in my case I went ahead and put it on my cookie sheet lined with aluminum to season.

I drizzled with olive oil, and then added my spices and mixed them in.

You want to make a layer with the leaves close together, maybe slightly overlapped, but not whole leaves on top of other leaves.

Then you just slide them in the oven and wait.

About 10 minutes later pull your cookie sheet out, and burn a finger plucking a leaf up.  They are completely firm, and incredibly delicate.  They literally just crumble and melt in your mouth.