"Cheesy" Kale Chips and Garlic Quinoa with Shrimp

what a rainy day! it's like a monsoon here on the east coast. yikes!

but, what a perfect day to get stuff done. i feel like we have been productive all day! saturdays are E's long training days (he is doing an olympic distance triathlon in the spring and a half ironman in the early fall). so, saturdays he bikes and then runs. after his ride on the trainer in the basement (due to the aforementioned monsoon) we both headed to the MAC to run and do some power yoga. it was awesome and sweaty. a great start to the day. we came home, sucked down green chocolate banana protein shakes (2 huge handfuls of spinach, 1 heaping scoop of chocolate dessert protein powder, 1 large banana, 2 tbs hersheys chocolate, and a cup of ice), showered, and E got us lunch at chipolte. salad bowl for me (with lots of romaine, gilled chicken, black beans, mild and medium salsa, and 1/2 an avocado - i added) and a chicken fajita burrito for E.

we then loaded both our bikes into the escape and took them over to tri-speed for an annual tune-up. mine is 2 years over-due and i noticed some rough gear changes when i was out on the road with dad this past week.

back home to take the dogs to the tennis courts to run around, sans mud, and then a quick rejuvinating nap. then, cleaning time! we just got a new steam cleaner and tried it out on the couch, kitchen counters, and kitchen floor. it was awesome on the counters and floor but it didn't meet my expectations on the couch (the main reason we got it, in my mind).

while we were busy cleaning, our oven was busy making kale chips. i am trying a new recipe i have seen all over the food blog world. they are "cheesy" kale chips. i say cheesy in quotes because they are actually vegan and have no cheese on them whatsoever. as a dairy loving girl, they don't taste at all cheesy to me but they are still super good. i definitely like these better then the plain kale chips and i will be experimenting with this recipe for sure. here is what i used to make this batch.

it says to use a dehydrator for these kale chips but seeing as i do not own one, i just used the oven. keep in mind, i only did a half batch (half a bunch of kale). i put the kale on 2 parchment lined baking sheets and baked at 200 degrees for 60 minutes with the oven door cracked. then, i flipped them over and baked for 45 more minutes at 200 degrees with the door closed. i then turned off the oven, kept the door closed, and kept them in there for another half hour.

they take some effort but it's totally worth it. they are super crispy, yummy, and healthy. sometimesi just need something crunchy and what a great way to get a servings of veggies. plus with the "sauce" basically consisting of raw cashews, red pepper, and lemon juice, they are sooo good for you!

ok, so on to dinner. i was craving shrimp tonight and i had already reached my fruit, veggie, and green tea quota (yay!) so i wasn't too worried about veggie consumption. i decided on roasted shrimp with lemon garlic quinoa. i have made a variation of this a while back but decided to change it up a bit (mainly because i didn't have any lime).plus, quinoa gave me the third whole grain i needed. (not 100% sure it's technically a whole grain, i always get confused as to what food group it is exactly. you tell me what you think . . . )

quoted from wikipedia:
"Quinoa, a species of goosefoot, is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a grass."

is it clear now??

anyway, whatever it is, it's good! this was super yummy and i got that super food also know as quinoa which i haven't had in quite some time. it was my first time having the red quinoa and it tasted almost the same as the white, perhaps a bit nuttier.

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Lemon Garlic Quinoa with Shrimp, Tomatoes, and Basil
(serves 2)

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
6 leaves basil, chopped

bring quinoa and chicken stock to a boil in a medium sauce pan. reduce heat and simmer until all liquid has been absorbed (about 20 minutes).

meanwhile, in medium boil, whisk together juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 tbs olive oil, salt and pepper.

preheat oven to 400. toss shrimp with 1 tbs olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. spread out on lined baking sheet and roast for 5 minutes until just cooked through.

chop shrimp into bite sized pieces and add shrimp and garlic to lemon mixture.

chop tomatoes and basil and add to shrimp and lemon mix. when quinoa is finished, add it to mix and stir well to combine.

serve immediately.

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so, with dinner, i had checked off all my nutrition requirements for the day (on the right). horray!

one other thing i have to add to this already too long post . . . roxy is trying to win the happiest dog award. many of you who know her know she is all wiggles and is always wagging her tail. she is such a tail wagger that many a morning, i am woken up by her tail thumping on the wall next to my bad. she then follows my into the bathroom where she proceeds to turn in circles, wagging her tail and banging it on the wall, shower door, cabinets, etc. i know this is gross, but the other day, i noticed blood on the wall by my bed. i realized roxy was bleeding from the very end of her tail. seriously, she is so happy and wags her tail so much that she now has a wound on her tail. it is not healing either because she keeps thumping it on everything. finally, i put some neosporin on it, wrapped it in a band-aid and then wrapped it some more in some medical tape so she wouldn't chew it off. she is so good, and keeps it on there. hopefully it will heal now.

check out these pics, i can't even get her to sit still long enough to take a picture of her tail.

you can almost see the bandage though, the white spot right at the end of her tail.

ok, so, finally, goodnight! don't forget to set your clocks forward. more sun tomorrow (or perhaps tuesday when this rain is supposed to finally end.)