Brown Sugar Salami Chips

Let me just start by saying these chips are FANTASTIC. They don't make it past 20 minutes max in my house without being devoured (and its really only that long because they need to cool a bit first!). Gunnar LOVES them, and when all the chips are gone, he'll sit there,  focused, searching out every last little crumb. But heck, if it wasn't him, his daddy or I probably would be doing the same thing! No waste here, not with these bad boys.

The recipe was in Jewish Living Magazine from 2008. Here it is with my notes interjected:
Arrange one layer of thin salami slices on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 325ºF until edges are crisp, about 30 minutes (Add 5 or 10 minutes on if needed to get those edges crisping). Remove from parchment and blot dry on paper towels. Combine 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a large, microwave-safe bowl (You only need 2T if you are making just half the salami). Microwave about 30 seconds until bubbly. Add chips, stir gently, and return them to the oven on a fresh sheet of parchment to bake 3 to 4 minutes at 300ºF (My chips usually need 5-7 minutes, and I get impatient and will often up the temp to 350 or 400. Yep. Breakin' the rules..ha).

Make sure you slice the salami as thin as you can. Or if you get it from a deli, have them do it for you! My slices are thin but do vary in thickness, which is kinda nice, so some come out softer or more crispy than others. But you cant beat how thin the deli can slice them (more like regular chips!). And FYI, the slices will shrink to about half there size. I've always used Hebrew National Salami as it got the best ranking out of 5 salami's reviewed in Jewish Living Magazine, from a 2008 feature. But I'm sure any salami would work fine.

Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Kale. It's good.

So good in fact that I've made 3 batches of kale chips in one week!  Smitten Kitchen posted this recipe a few weeks ago and I'd been eying it ever since.  I finally dove in and boy are these kale chips good!  I'm really not a fan of kale the way it's traditionally cooked (sauted, or similar), but it's packed full of vitamins and nutrients, so I welcomed the opportunity to try it in a new way.  A great new way!  Kale will never be the same to me again. And Gunnar can't get enough of this stuff, especially crumbled and sprinkled on popcorn. The flavors really do marry well together.  But even eaten alone, the chips are good. So shoot, what's not to love?  My kid is willingly gobbling nutritious green by the hand full. I think this recipe's a definite keeper!

 Right out of the oven.

Atop fresh popped popcorn. I used a heaping quarter cup natural Red Crimson kernels in a skillet with 1T. of hot coconut oil for popping. With the kale in there and already lightly salted, there is no need to add butter or oil or salt at all.

Less than 5 minutes later, Gunnar's already gone through and searched out the first layer bunch of kale chips to eat before even digging in to the popcorn. :)