Is it Possible? AKA Anything is Possible, including Kale Salad!

Kale Salad

Yesterday I had all of these crazy ideas running around in my head while on my morning walk. Besides the usual Kale salad recipes, I was thinking "how can I keep the Leafy Cafe running in Georgia while escaping occasionally on work trips with my husband and living/working in Maine in the Summers? Surely there is a way! Can I do this??" Here is how I see the timeline:

November 1, 2014
Return to Georgia after a very busy Summer in Maine, working at the beautiful Inn at Sunrise Point with a fabulous team and owner (Love it!) I've taught many classes,  including the really fun Beyond Tofu and Beyond Yogurt workshops (muchas gracias to my lovely assistants!) at The Picker Family Resource Center. Private chef gigs galore, etc., etc. Oh, and making lots of jewelry in between cooking/innkeeping stints!

MiMiSpirit Jewelry at the Northern Lights Gallery in Belfast, ME

Making Chocolates YAY

All of November will be spent planning the re-open of the cafe. Cooking for any private clients and events, making CHOCOLATES,  Jewelry, and other goodies for Holiday sales, and having some fun cooking classes at the Leafy Cafe Cooking School at 1008 Union. (and working on the year-end books- boo hiss!!)

Raw Chocolates too!!

Filing and Quickbooks and Quicken and Filing - what a DRAG!!

Mid December - early January

Voyaging on the Silver Discoverer!

I will accompany David on a work trip to South Africa and New Zealand! First time I have been able to travel with my sweetie for work in years!

Helping DW in Planning a Destination Workshop Photo Safari in South Africa!

January -  June, 2015 
Re-open the Leafy Cafe!! We will have regular hours at least 3 days a week, offer the meal services again, and start a monthly FULL MOON supper hopefully to coincide with Full Moon Yoga somewhere??? Possibly adding a once-a-month SUNDAY BRUNCH. PIZZA!! All plant based of course, with options for Gluten Free and Raw. I toyed around adding some animal products but just can't go there folks, sorry. You can get that anywhere. Maybe this is where I'm missing the boat on what will make the cafe viable but... While one is manifesting, might as well go for the gold standard!

Teaching Food for Life Cooking and Nutrition Classes at the Club, or in my home if the numbers are really low...
Speaking of numbers, the number of interested parties ordering food or stopping by the cafe after Memorial Day was markedly lower than previous months. I believe this is the trend in the health club anyway. People are travelling, some go back up north, many want to be outside, etc. On the flip side, the numbers of participants in my Maine activities drops off considerably in the winter, plus the Inn at Sunrise Point closes so somehow this all seems to fit together, right?

Moon rise over Penobscot Bay on a recent evening shift at the Inn

July - October 2015
Return to Maine, work at the Inn, make jewelry, and by this time, have an brick and mortar front for Leafy Cafe in Maine! More private clients, more Food for Life classes and other fun Plant-centered classes at The Picker Family Resource Center, etc. Maybe one more trip with DW???

Can it work? Will it work? How do y'all feel? Suggestions welcome!

Love and Peas!
MiMi

Three Kale Salad Recipes :-)

Kale Salad Three Ways

Citrus Soy Kale Salad

Kale, any kind

Grated carrot

Toasted almonds

Dressing: rice vinegar, tamari, flax oil, lemon and tangerine juice, sesame seeds, chipotle chili pepper, and cayenne red pepper

Kale Waldorf

Serves 4 to 6

This variation on the classic Waldorf salad uses kale instead of lettuce and adds apple and walnuts to the dressing for a creamy consistency without using the typical mayonnaise base.

Ingredients

4 cups packed finely chopped raw kale, preferably dinosaur kale

1 large red apple, such as Fuji or Honeycrisp, chopped, divided

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped, divided 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons raisins, divided

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons water, more if needed 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Method

Place kale in a large bowl. Add half the apple to kale along with celery, 1/4 cup walnuts and 1/4 cup raisins. Put remaining apple in a blender along with remaining 1/4 cup walnuts, remaining 2 tablespoons raisins, mustard, water, vinegar and salt. Purée until well combined and slightly thick, adding water if needed to thin. Pour dressing over kale salad and toss to combine.

Massaged Kale & Avocado Salad

Serves 2 – 3

Ingredients:

1 bunch Kale

1 cup broccoli slaw

1 avocado, pitted and chopped

2 T flax or olive oil

2 T lemon juice

Sea Salt to taste

Pinch caynenne

Method:

Combine all ingredients well in a medium bowl and massage and mix with your hands to “wilt” the kale.