Ironwood Book Club Recipes - Sesame Kale Salad

Here's a very tasty, super simple and great looking salad featuring the uber trendy vegetable, kale:



Ingredients
8 oz. Harvest Sensations Kale Salad (or buy some kale, remove the stems and tear up the leaves, add some shredded carrot and cabbage)
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C rice wine vinegar
1 T sesame Oil (or less if you prefer, I did 1 t)
2T sugar or honey
2T toasted sesame seeds
1/2 t each salt and pepper (to taste)

Preparation

• Mix dressing ingredients and toss together with the kale.
• Let stand at least 30 minutes. Keep extra for 2 days or can also serve warm.

I have a funny story to accompany this recipe - friend Jill prepared this salad for her family and here's what happened (post from her Facebook feed):
"So, got a great new recipe and thought I'd jump on the kale bandwagon and make a wonderful salad for dinner - much to the horror of the boys (she has three teen/tweens). They couldn't get over the weird leaves and complained and gagged their way through dinner even though it was delicious. No sooner was the table cleared when the youngest boy pops open a can of cooked scorpions (from his 2nd grade teacher) and the others excitedly say "ooh, I want one!". All three boys proceeded to munch on the scorpions raving at how tasty they were! Guess I'm putting scorpions on their kale the next time!"

I personally would stick with the plain kale....

For more Book Club Recipes, click here: Ironwood Book Club Recipes

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Frost On the Red Carpet

I couldn't resist the fresh coat of frost on the grass and leaves this morning. The recent rains and wind have stripped the trees of their pretty leaves, but they are almost as lovely on the ground as they are on the branches.





Even devoid of color, I love the lines and texture.


There's even a bit of green still around.


Frost is fleeting - once the sun hits, it's gone.

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Purple Berries

Not very fall-like, but I captured these berries not too long ago. I was totally drawn to the vivid purple color.



Purple and green is one of my favorite color combinations, and always reminds me of a bathing suit I bought in my early teens. A one piece, with purple and green diagonal stripes, purchased from the Spiegel Catalog through the mail - one of the first mail order purchases for me. I remember feeling quite out of my comfort zone with that color combination - perhaps it was a departure from the style of that time. But so I digress.

The trees here have reached their peak and I need to get out there with my camera before it's all gone!

Edited to add: The plant photographed is a Callicarpa or Beautyberry, a shrub found mainly in the South.

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The Green Web

I thought this cucumber leaf looked like a spider's web, in reverse - the the way the veins spread from its center.



Or maybe it looks like a 5 legged spider ....

I pulled out the macro lens for the first time in a while. For me, it's always a rush to see the intricate details it can capture.

I hope you can see the beautiful details in your life today.

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Green Snowballs

I wonder why my neighbor's hydrangea blooms turn green. Mine start cream with a hint of pink. I know you can get blue blooms by altering the soil (I forget if it is acid or alkaline that makes them blue), but green?



A mystery for now. I'm too tired to research it.

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Turkey Run State Park

Thanks to our friends and neighbors, we enjoyed a wonderful day trip out to Turkey Run State Park on Friday. This trip has been in the works for most of the summer - my friend, Jill, picked out the date, and I must say, she gets to pick next year's date - after months of unrelenting heat and humidity, we were blessed with a cool, overcast day for our adventure.

We started our day canoeing down the Sugar Creek River. Our group consisted of five families with a total of 24 people. Since there were small kids in the group, we opted for the shorter 4 mile excursion. We passed under three covered bridges, past the rock bluffs of Turkey Run State Park and spotted a group of bald eagles along the ride.



After the canoe trip, we drove into the State Park for lunch and then the group split into a hiking group and a horse riding group. I was in the hiking group, and our trail took us up, around and through these massive rock formations - called Rocky and Bear Hollows.


Feeling so tiny amongst the rocks.




Take time to enjoy the tiny details.


After the hike, the kids swam around in the pool while several of us set up lawn chairs in the parking lot and relaxed. It felt like tailgating weather - just perfect.


On the way home, we stopped off for dinner at the Famous Beef House, treating ourselves to a wonderful steak dinner. No pictures of the steak, but here are their famous Beef House Rolls and jam:



It was a full but super fun day. I bet it becomes an annual event - a last summer day trip before school starts.


1. Between the Rocks, 2. Beached #canoe #water #river #turkeyrun #indiana, 3. Hit the Trail #indiana #turkeyrun #woodland, 4. Fan

Linked to Mary and Mosaic Monday.

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The Forest

I started carrying my DSLR in my purse again - I removed it in January after I tore my ACL because the purse is super heavy with that camera in it. Without my DSLR with me at all times, I shifted towards using my iPhone instead.

But the big camera is back with me at all times and it came in handy Tuesday afternoon as I had 10 extra minutes to kill before my violin lesson. My teacher lives close to a forest preserve and it was a nice change of pace from the normal prairie vistas I normally photograph.


I learned these are called May Apples. They look like forest umbrellas that protect the forest floor.



And it was appropriate for me to find a fiddle head, right before violin lessons:


I still took an assortment of photos with my iPhone, but I tried to capture different vantage points with it:




If you live close to a forest preserve, make sure to go and visit it.
Linked to This or That Thursday and Rural Thursday.

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Sunday's Photo Scavenger Hunt

I'm on a roll - three weeks in a row, I've managed to complete the Photo Scavenger Hunt.

Strike A Pose:

Can you believe what Sam the Siamese puts up with?

Footwear:

These represent the current and future - I'm currently limited to wearing my slippers and the fuzzy low clogs across from the slippers. I'll have to wait a bit to wear the running shoes for serious running. The same goes for any shoe with a 2" heel. But I'm determined to wear them as soon as I can.

Hobby:
I run, play violin, sing, take photos and cook. Here's a bit of cooking I did today:

Crepes and coffee for breakfast - a treat this rainy, dreary Saturday.

Shiny:
My son plays a shiny saxophone:


Color Me Green:

Green is my favorite color, and these are leaves from an orchid in the house.

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Captured While it Lasted

Last week's snow is all gone today, washed away by rain and warm temperatures [55 degF yesterday - didn't see that predicted by the weatherman]. If you ever think that tomorrow will be a great day to get the camera out and take a picture, think again. It may be all gone tomorrow.

No more of this:


Or the white background on this one:


What's keeping you from capturing a bit of beauty today?

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Puffs of Cotton

We had our first official snowfall Friday morning, although I'm not sure if the dusting really qualifies as "snowfall". At least the roads were clear and the drive to school and work not impacted.

There was enough snow to form puffs on the yews at work.



Like nature's ornaments.


I'm linking up with the Mortal Muses and their special 14 Days of Many Muses Musing. They are offering great giveaways, so check them out!

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It's Not Fall Yet

Even though this leaf and the cooler temperatures are trying convince us otherwise.



As found in my neighbor's yard. I was retrieving parts of the slip-n-slide that had blown into their yard as a result of the fierce winds that accompanied last night's thunderstorms.

Still waiting on summer, but judging from the extended forecast, it will be here before the weekend.

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Abstract or Not

Two pictures, same subject, different processing. The glistening water drops caught my eye while I was wandering around the garden. These are the leaves of the Lupine, better known for their flowers, but I love the shape of the leaves.





I can't decide if I like the abstract black and white or the color version....
Taken with the 105mm macro lens.

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Happy Mother's Day

Wishing all the Moms out there a Happy Mother's Day.

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Earth Day - Good Friday

Just a few images of the parsley that is due to go into the garden. I'm glad I didn't plant them out there last week because either the bunnies would have eaten them or the cold temperatures would have frosted them.





This Good Friday and Earth Day, remember the sacrifices paid and the beauty that is the Earth.

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Team Up Thursday - Favorites

With our two favorite colors featured, it looks like Christmas in late March (but really, we don't want any more snow!).


Lee's picture features her favorite group of boys goofing off and checking out the Lego site (could be expensive, too!).

My predominantly green picture shows off my new travel coffee mug next to another green mug in my office. I love my new travel mug!

On Thursday, Lee Curie and I create a diptych based on a theme. You can view the other great diptychs at the Team Up Thursday Flickr group.

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Mosaic Monday - Lush Greens

I miss the all the green we saw in Florida. I know things will start to green up here, but the desolate fields of brown and gray skies are a bit depressing.

So instead, I'll look at these and sit by my oven for warmth.


And these, too.






I'm linking up to Mary and Mosaic Monday - there are other mosaics there to warm your soul.

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Surrounded by Green

I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to travel somewhere warm (but not too warm), where the plants display their lush green leaves, the birds soar overhead and the gentle breeze flows through my hair.

We took an evening walk through a cypress preserve, discovering the quiet of the forest, surrounded by lush green.







Can you see the little baby crocodiles in the water?


I wish you peace and serenity for your day.

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Christmas Eve

The snow is falling softly, covering the landscape.



May Your Days Be Merry and Bright



And May All Your Christmases be White



Merry Christmas!

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