Less pain with better posture; paleo pumpkin pie bites

Bailey, the cat, uses a leftover Christmas present box for a hideout

Bailey, the cat, is just like human kids when it comes to boxes. They can be transformed into anything your imagination wants.  He makes them into hideouts from which he springs out to surprise passersby (the dog fur kids). That's when the chase game begins.

Paleo pumpkin pie mini pie

Less pain with better posture is my goal this year. I have always strived for good posture but fibromyalgia flareups have set me back in my efforts. I recently had a month+-long flareup but have gradually gotten better. However, the flareup left me with increased upper body pain, especially in my shoulders and arms.

I have found some things that help me that you might want to try. One is Essentrics mini-workouts. You can find them for free on the internet at this link: http://www.essentrics.com/media.html 
 
I especially recommend the posture mini-workout to relieve your upper body pain and begin to improve your posture. You can do this mini-workout as often as you like for relief from pain. I always find my pain can be reduced if I am elongating my body with good posture. The mini-workout is gentle and soothing too.

Another one of my picks for reduced pain and improved posture is the Align Me Posture Bra at http://www.alignmed.com/shop/women/alignme-interactive-bra-seamless.html  
They also make a posture shirt which I haven't tried.

I wear this bra while exercising. It helps keep me in the proper position. I do find that the bra becomes uncomfortable after several hours of wearing do to the pressure panels. That's why I limit how much I wear it but it does help, especially during exercising when you need to concentrate on so many things like breathing, proper positioning, etc.

Here's my pick for a simple, clean paleo dessert or snack: Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bites or Mini Pies.
These pumpkin pie bites are suitable for the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol too.

What you need for 8 mini-bites or pies:

1 can organic pumpkin puree or 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree
2 T. coconut oil
2 T. grassfed gelatin
sweetener of choice
pinch of salt
1 T. cinnamon 
1/4 tsp. ground ginger or cloves (These are optional.)

What you do:

 Put all the ingredients (except gelatin) in a saucepan. Heat until coconut oil melted. Then add in gelatin and continue cooking on low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and place the mixture in mini-ramekins or in 8 sections of a cupcake pan (silicon works well). Refrigerate until firm. Then enjoy!

 I like eating these mini-bites made in a cupcake pan for snacks. Yum!

http://vegetarianmamma.com/gluten-free-fridays-175-happy-new-year/ 

 http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2015/12/30/paleo-aip-recipe-roundtable-102/#more-21976

Embrace change and step out of your comfort zone for traveling/trekking

Getting enough fuel for your favorite aerobic activity can be challenging if you have starch intolerance. My favorite summertime activity is hiking and backpacking. Unfortunately for me, I have starch intolerance which accompanies my other problem, fibromyalgia. 

Individuals with starch intolerance experience stomach distress after consuming starches and sugars. Starch intolerance is the body’s inability to completely process carbohydrates (sugars and starches) due to inadequate or absent enzymes needed for their digestion. Starch intolerance often goes hand in hand with fibromyalgia where sufferers have IBS and bacterial infections which damage the digestive tract's ability to produce enzymes for digestion.

Hikers/backpackers and individuals participating in other sports rely on carbohydrates to provide the fuel their bodies need during high energy activities.  Carbohydrates (sugars and starches) are our body’s primary source of energy. 

Energy bars loaded with grains, seeds/nuts, dried fruit and sugar are popular pack-along-food for hikers and other weekend warriors. Unfortunately, this food combination can be “lethal” for those with starch intolerance who experience gas, cramps, bloating and diarrhea and/or constipation from such foods.

 

Do you throw in the towel and give up the activities you love? Or do you get creative in gathering foods for your adventures?

I choose to get creative. I admit some of the foods I am packing for my upcoming hiking/camping trip are not ones I ever pictured myself eating. For instance, pemmican, a blend of jerky, animal fat and sometimes berries, was previously not on my shopping list but now it is. Pemmican was a food used by ancient peoples that was packable and full of energy.

Bailey, the cat, ready to travel

 

 Yes, I am choosing to fuel myself with foods from the paleo eating plan.
 
Here are some ideas for packable but low-starch foods:

·         Pemmican

·         Jerky

·         Hard-boiled eggs or pickled eggs

·         Kale or similar veggie chips

·         Homemade fruit leather (minus the added sugar)

 

Veggie chips drying in the oven at 175 degrees

This week I have been making watermelon and cantaloupe leathers. The recipe is simple.

What you need

8 cups watermelon or cantaloupe, cut into cubes

Watermelon leather puree in the oven

 

What you do

If you have a juicer, juice the watermelon or cantaloupe. Reserve the juice for another time and focus on the pulp or solids from the juicing process.

Spread the pulp on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place in your oven, set to 175 degrees, for about four hours or until the fruit is dry.

Cut into pieces and store in Ziploc baggies for your adventures.

Dry and ready to cut watermelon leather

 

Alternative for no juicer:

Puree the fruit in your blender. Pour the puree through a cheesecloth over a bowl to separate the solids from the liquid. Remember to use the solids for your fruit leathers and save the liquid to drink.

Why use watermelon or cantaloupe? Both of these fruits contain sugars which are easily digested by those with starch intolerance. However, you still must limit how much you eat.

Kale veggie chips in the oven

  Article linked to:

 http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com/2015/08/allergy-free-wednesday-179.html

 

http://www.beingfibromom.com/chronic-friday-linkup-5/ 

 http://www.fibrobloggerdirectory.com/

Limit starch for fibro diet; kefir iced coffee

 

Bailey, the cat, enjoys a new lounging spot---an old car seat

Do you experience stomach distress after consuming starchy foods, such as grains or potatoes? You may have starch intolerance which is the body’s inability to completely process carbohydrates (sugars and starches) due to inadequate or absent enzymes needed for their digestion.

Fibro sufferers usually have insufficient enzyme production because of damaged digestive systems due to bowel infections, including candida and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Starch intolerance goes hand in hand with these problems.

You may be familiar with lactose intolerance. It is the inability to break down lactose in milk products because the enzyme lactase is lacking.  Starch intolerance is the same and produces similar symptoms including gas, cramps, bloating and diarrhea and/or constipation.


Sixty percent of fibromyalgia sufferers have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and 70 percent have symptoms of IBS. These IBS-symptoms are usually triggered by bowel infections, such as an overgrowth of candida or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Both of these conditons result in an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut. Studies show that SIBO occurs in 90 to 100 percent of fibromyalgia patients.

Ingredients for kefir iced coffe

Carbohydrates (sugar and starches) are our body’s primary source of energy. There are three types of carbohydrates: monosaccharides (single sugars), disaccharides (made up of two sugar units) and polysaccharides (made up of complex multiple sugar units). The more complex carbohydrates require specific enzymes to break them down for digestion while simple sugars (monosaccharides) are absorbed directly from the intestine into your blood.

There are two types of starches including amylose (a polysaccharide) and amylopectin (a more complex polysaccharide). Most starchy vegetables (including corn, wheat, oats, barley, many varieties of rice and potatoes) contains 20 -30 percent amylase and 70-80 percent amylopectin. Legumes and some potatoes contain higher percentages (up to 65 percent or more) of amylase. 

Lack of the required enzymes to break down these starches will leave them in the digestive system to cause symptoms of food intolerance. The severity of the symptoms depends on the extent of the enzyme deficiency, and range from a feeling of mild bloating to severe diarrhea. 

Undigested sugars remain in the intestine, which is then fermented by the bacteria normally present in the large intestine. These bacteria produce gas, cramping, bloating, a "gurgly" feeling in the abdomen and flatulence. The distress normally begins about 30 minutes to two hours after eating or drinking foods containing the offending sugar, such as lactose in the case of lactose intolerance. Food intolerance can be confused with food allergies, since the symptoms of nausea, cramps, bloating, and diarrhea are similar.

There is no cure for carbohydrate intolerance. However, one may follow a healing diet where the offending starches and/or sugars are avoided. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet was one of the first eating plans to address carbohydrate intolerance.

 High quality digestive enzymes also may be purchased. They may help with the break down of starches and sugars, and reduce symptoms when used in conjunction with a healing diet.

Mocha iced kefir coffee

We seem to be programmed to want something starchy/sugary so what do you do to curb your craving? I reach for kefir iced coffee. Either plain or mocha does the trick to curb my carb craving.

Plain iced kefir coffee

It's so easy and quick to make and no lactose, if you choose the lactose-free kefir or alternative dairy beverage of your choice.

 Here's the basic recipe:

• Use extra brewed coffee to make iced coffee cubes. Simply freeze the coffee in an ice cube tray. 
• When ready to make your iced coffee, pour about 1 cup of plain kefir over the coffee cubes, added to a glass. Sweetened with desired sweetener.
• For mocha kefir iced coffee, you will need an add-in of 1 T. cocoa powder. 
• Here's a trick for getting the cocoa to dissolve. Pour about 1/8 cup of heated water into your glass before adding other ingredients. Stir in the cocoa powder. Then, add in the coffee cubes and kefir.
• Now, sit back and enjoy!
  
  
  

http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com/2015/07/allergy-free-wednesday-178.html
 http://www.beingfibromom.com/chronic-friday-linkup-4/

http://www.fibrobloggerdirectory.com/

My furry friends help my fibro; paleo people, pup pulp treats

Nika, left, and Misha, right, my furry pals, plus Bailey, the cat, not shown

My furry pals help my fibro. As an animal lover, I get health benefits every day from my trio of pets, Nika and Misha, the snow dogs, and Bailey, the cat.

Living the fibro life can be difficult but a pet that loves you unconditionally can help make you feel better. In fact, scientific studies have shown that pets can improve your health. Of course, if you don't like pets, it's not going to help.

How do my fur buds help me? My fur kids love to be petted. In just a few minutes, stroking their fur helps lower my blood levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which contributes to fatigue. What better way to fight the fatigue of fibromyalgia!

Play is something else my pets adore. Turns out playing with them help me too by releasing endorphins, the feel-good hormone, that stays around long afterwards.

Dogs like exercise more than anything (well, except for food). Guess who takes them for walks. They feel better and so do I after taking them on a walk. They are better than any "app" on your phone reminding you to do exercise.

Those of us with fibro sometimes feel all alone in our battle with the disease. It can be easy to get depressed but pooches or cats can help with that too. Animals provide therapy for those suffering from depression with their calm, loving manner. And they make great listeners too!

Misha gets a paleo people, pup treat

I guess you can tell I am a super fan of my pets. They are a big factor in my healing. So, my fibro protocol would look like this "Amp up your SHINE with Pets." SHINE, of course, is a protocol developed by fibro doctor Jacob Teitelbaum in his book, From Fatigued to Fantastic.

The "N" in SHINE stands for nutritional support which those of us with fibro need a lot. One thing that helps me is juicing because I can absorb the nutrients more easily from juice than whole fruits and veggies. But I do end up with a lot of pulp from the juicing process.

My pooches are the beneficiaries of all this pulp. They love it topped with a smidge of kefir. But this week I decided to transform the pulp into something else the pups would like---Paleo people, pup pulp treats.  Yes, these treats are good for people and pups!

Pulp treats ready for snacking

Here's what you need:

1/2 cup ground pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup ground sunflower seeds
3/4 cup powdered freeze-dried chicken or almond flour
1 1/2 cup pulp from juicing (avoid using pulp with onions, garlic, grapes as these are not good for dogs)
1 egg
1/4 cup coconut oil

The dough flattened to 1/4 inch.

Here's what you do:

Grind your seeds into a coarse powder. I found the powdered chicken in the bottom of a can of freeze-dried chicken. You can sub almond flour. Blend all the ingredients in your food processor.

Use a pizza cutter to score the dough into pieces. Looks like I cut 24 pieces.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the dough on a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper with a drizzle of olive oil. Flatten the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness with your hands. It works best if you keep your hands wet during the flattening process. Then, score the dough into pieces with a pizza cutter or knife.

Bake the treats for 15-20 minutes. Then, spread out the pieces and return them to the oven for another 15-20 minutes. Continue baking the treats until they are crispy.

Nika gets ready to inhale a treat.

Your pets are in for a real treat once your paleo people, pup pulp goodies are cooled.

Post shared on:
 http://www.fibrobloggerdirectory.com/

http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com/2015/06/allergy-free-wednesday-171.html 

IBS plus fibromyalgia equals vitamin deficiencies; get your calcium

Would you pay $8 for something called Juce that was billed as cold-pressed organic juice but really was Fun Dip mixed with water? You would think we could tell the difference but not everyone can as you can see in the Jimmy Kimmel video link above. Many consumers rely on labeling to help them choose healthy foods over less healthy ones. But sometimes we get duped.

The same can be said of health care. Sometimes we get duped. I recently read that doctors have been prescribing CT scans (fancy x rays that give 3-D images) when patients come in with chest pain. These scans are no better than traditional tests, cost more and expose patients to the amount of radiation in 500-700 regular X rays. Doctors have used these scans for a decade without knowing whether they were better than traditional tests. They definitely didn't explain to patients how much radiation exposure they were getting.

In the past,  I have relied on my health care practitioners to give me the best information possible on my health problems. If they missed something, I excused them by saying they were overworked or busy. But I'm having a hard time excusing them for missing that individuals with IBS probably also suffer from malabsorption of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D and calcium.

It seems obvious that if you are having trouble digesting your food, you probably aren't getting what your body needs.  Unfortunately, there are many health conditions linked to IBS and malabsorption of vitamins and minerals. Individuals with fibromyalgia often have many vitamin deficiences and of course, IBS. 

Recently, when I fractured my wrist in a bike accident, I was told that I may be suffering from low bone density. I was upset by this news but even more upset (okay, angry) when I found out that individuals with IBS or other gut problems have a significant increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. In another study, IBS patients had lower bone mineral density values and higher bone loss than healthy volunteers.

Why wasn't I told about this link before I fractured my wrist? Sure, I might have broken my wrist anyway. But at least, I could have started taking something to build my bones sooner.

IBS plus fibromyalgia equals vitamin deficiencies. That's why these days I take lots of vitamin supplements even though I eat a healthy diet, including 3+ servings of calcium-rich (lactose-free) yogurt and kefir every day.

Here's one way to build your bones. Carry a backpack and pull a sled through the snow to a yurt for an overnight trip.

The Yurt

Here's another way to add to your calcium intake for the day. Try a Shamrock Shake for St. Patrick's Day.

Low fermentation Shamrock Shake

Here's what you need FOR 2-3 SERVINGS:

 2-3 cups of plain yogurt (I make my own lactose-free)
stevia, to taste
pinch of salt
1/4 cup fresh spinach
1 bag of peppermint tea
1/2 cup milk of choice
2 T. water
1 T. Great Lakes gelatin
As an option: use 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract and 1/2 cup milk of choice and omit the tea bag

Here's what you do:

Heat 1/2 cup of milk of your choice until hot, not boiling. Divide the milk between two cups as shown above. Place your peppermint tea bag in one cup and allow it to steep. To the other cup, add gelatin dissolved in 2 T. cold water. Stir to mix and allow to set until somewhat firm. Now, mix everything together in a high-speed blender. Taste and adjust sweetener. Add more peppermint if desired.

Enjoy a serving of your Shamrock Shake.

Use the rest to make Shamrock Frozen Yogurt. Freeze the remainder in your ice cream freezer according to directions. Store in the freezer to enjoy for another serving of calcium.

Blog post shared on:
 http://www.fibrobloggerdirectory.com/

Get dreamy with a Dreamscape chai latte

Bailey, king of the ice chests

"Chai. It starts with a soft “ch” and rhymes with sigh (of contentment, naturally)." I borrowed this from the Oregon Chai website because the sigh of contentment is exactly what I experience when I sip a cup of chai tea.

No wonder, I couldn't resist purchasing a box of Oregon Chai Dreamscape tea bags. Dreamscape is a blissful blend of organic Rooibos, organic honeybush, ginger root, clove bud, cardamom seed, cassia bark (cinnamon). This caffeine-free blend is perfect for an evening cup of tea or latte. What am I saying? This chai tea is perfect anytime. If you prefer a bit of caffeine, there are the Oregon Chai Original Tea Bags, made with Assam black tea.

Chai. It starts with a soft “ch” and rhymes with sigh (of contentment, naturally)."

Along with its blissful taste, chai tea offers many health benefits. Rooibos and Honeybush are caffeine-free herbal teas grown high in the mountains of South Africa. Like regular tea, rooibos tea contains flavonoids which act as antioxidants. The flavonoids in rooibos can't take on those found in green tea but are pretty close challengers. And if you are avoiding caffeine, rooibos is a great alternative to green tea.

I love foam on my lattes. Here's how you get a super foamy Dreamscape Latte.

Place in your blender: 1 1/2 cup  of brewed Oregon Chai Dreamscape Tea, 1/4 cup milk beverage of your choice, 1/4 tsp. vanilla bean powder, 1 tsp. cocoa powder, dash of ground cinnamon and nutmeg, 2 tsp. coconut oil, 1 T. Great Lakes gelatin powder,  stevia or sweetener of choice.

Adding the gelatin powder is the trick to getting a great foamy latte.

Blend your latte until smooth and foamy. Sip while uttering a sign of complete contentment.

Recipe submitted to:

http://wholenewmom.com/traditional-tuesday/addictive-coconut-chips-dairy-free-strawberry-milk-grain-free-desserts-galore/

Cookie dough yogurt

Misha  with his special buddy, Foxy

How many of you can remember having a special toy, stuffed animal, blanket or doll that you dragged around with you everywhere when you were a little kid? Mine was a doll, named Cindy. My kids had special toys too but I wasn't expecting one of my fur kids to adopt a stuffed animal.

Misha, the husky, has a special buddy, named Foxy. He takes Foxy with him wherever he goes in the house. He even takes him to bed with him at night. Most people would say it's adorable the way he watches over his furry, little pal.

Misha grabs Foxy off the shelf.

But what if Misha were a human adult and had an invisible, six-foot-plus tall bunny rabbit as his special buddy?  Every year around Easter, you can expect to see the Cadbury Easter bunny commercials, the "Sound of Music" and, on some retro TV channel, the classic movie, "Harvey." Jimmy Stewart plays Elwood P. Dowd, a wealthy eccentric, whose best friend is a 6'3 1/2" tall, invisible bunny rabbit, named Harvey.

As a kid, I loved this movie. I thought, "Wouldn't it be cool to have giant Easter bunny as your friend?" I totally missed the point of the movie which, I think, was accepting others who are different.

These days, I have my own special, invisible "friend," named SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth). Doesn't really sound like a friend, does it? It's not a big bunny rabbit but it does cause big digestive problems. I don't go around introducing everyone to my invisible friend, SIBO, like Elwood did Harvey. But I do talk about SIBO in my blog in hopes of informing others who might have the problem about it.

Cookie dough yogurt

Because of SIBO, I probably won't be enjoying many Easter goodies. Maybe Harvey or the Easter bunny can bring me sugar-free, low fermentation Easter goodies. I could probably have a teeny, tiny bite.

Instead, I'll be eating a lot of homemade yogurt that I ferment for 24-hours+ to remove the lactose. Lately, for a delicious, every-now-and-then treat, I've been turning my plain yogurt into Cookie Dough Yogurt. It's sugar-free, has lots of beneficial bacteria and has fairly low fermentation potential.

Here's what you need:

1 cup of plain yogurt, dairy or dairy-free
1 T. coconut oil
1 T. sunbutter, almond butter or peanut butter, your choice, but sugar-free
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2 droppers full of liquid vanilla stevia, alcohol-free
1 T. homemade, sugar-free chocolate chips

Here's what you do:

Soften the coconut oil and seed or nut butter. Mix with the yogurt and other ingredients. Put in the fridge to chill and thicken.  To serve, blend in a few chocolate chips. You can make these by blending 2 T. coconut oil, 1 T. cocoa powder and stevia. Allow this mixture to harden in a small pan. Break into chips.

Recipe contributed to:
http://wholenewmom.com/traditional-tuesday/stove-top-chocolate-doughnuts-peppermint-nutty-roons-dark-chocolate-berry-truffles-nutella-cream-pie-vegan-fudge/

Brown mustard kale chips

Brown mustard kale chips

I have had IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) symptoms for years. Doctors have labeled the cause as everything from gastroparesis and candida to "you're a mystery." Candida was the only explanation that was credible. Until last summer, bacteria overgrowth (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth-SIBO) was added to my list of probable causes.

SIBO is where the small intestine and sometimes the stomach have bacteria in large numbers that are not supposed to be there. The result is IBS symptoms, including bloating, nausea, digestive distress, burping, etc.
Last summer, I took a round of antibiotics, followed by antifungals, to kill off the excess bacteria and then the subsequent opportunistic candida. Unfortunately, the treatment didn't stick.

Now, I am treating my SIBO and candida using a restrictive diet with a few botanical supplements thrown in.

I'll have to give credit to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol for helping me identify what my triggers are. Before that restrictive elimination diet, I had no idea. I just knew I continued to suffer with symptoms.

Most people need to eat more low-glycemic carbohydrates, like grains, veggies and fruits. In my case, carbohydrates of all kinds are the enemy. Even my vegetables that I have relied on so heavily in the absence of grains and most fruit could be potential problems.

Why? The reason is carbohydrates, which include vegetables, have complex molecular bonds that make them difficult to digest for some people. I would be one of those people. Without certain enzymes, the vegetables and other carbs sit around in the gut and ferment. The result is an overgrowth of bacteria and the resulting IBS-like symptoms.

"Don't worry, Mom. You'll get better."

There is no quick fix for this problem. It can take two-three years of following a rigid diet of foods with low "fermentation potential (FP). FP is a measure of how easily a food is digested or incompletely digested. Folks on this diet must eat a lot of protein and fat as opposed to carbohydrates. Carbs must be carefully measured and weighed  to avoid going too high on the FP scale. Some of my favorite veggies, such as butternut squash, have to be eaten in very small quantities to avoid tipping the FP scale in favor of the bacteria.

The goal is to eat foods that have an FP of zero as much as possible. Most veggies have an FP 1-16. Even kale has an FP of 6, meaning it has a high possibility of being not digested.

My Brown Mustard Kale Chips have to be eaten in small quantities and chewed at least 20 times per bite to even have a chance of not causing me problems. I still enjoy them but only a few at a time.

Here's what you need:

1/2 bunch of kale, leaves removed and torn into small pieces
Dressing of 2 T. brown mustard (I used Eden Brown Mustard), 1 T. olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, 1 T. apple cider vinegar and juice of 1/2 lemon.

Here's what you do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper. Prepare the kale and dressing. Toss the kale with about 2 T. of your mixture. Reserve the rest for salad dressing. 

Spread the kale on your baking sheets. Put in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. Remove and allow to cool before putting the kale in storage containers.

Recipe submitted to:  http://www.rickiheller.com/2014/02/wellness-weekend-february-20-24-2014/#more-22059

Pumpkin spice kale

Pumpkin (or butternut) spice kale

 I love kale chips! I've grown a huge crop of kale in my garden to feed my habit. Kale chips make a great snack while following any diet, but especially the paleo autoimmune protocol (AIP). I have been following this diet for about five days in hopes of finding hidden food sensitivities that might be contributing to my fibromyalgia and digestive issues.

 I also have a bumper crop of butternut squash which I combined with the kale to make Pumpkin-spice kale. Feel free to use pumpkin or other types of winter squash for this reciipe.

Here's what you need:

1 bunch of kale
1 cup butternut or pumpkin puree
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 T. coconut oil, melted
1-2 tsp. cinnamon, depending on your preference

When do I get some pumpkin-spice kale chips?

Here's what you do:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Optionally, this kale may be dried in a food dryer.

Wash your kale and tear into bite-sized pieces. Some say you should dry the kale after washing but I usually skip this step. Place the kale pieces in a large bowl.

Puree your squash in a food processor. Blend in cinnamon, coconut milk and melted coconut oil.

Pour the squash mixture on top of the kale. Massage it in with your hands. Try to make sure all the kale pieces are covered.

Spread the kale on the baking sheets. Place in the oven for about 15 minutes, monitoring to avoid overcooking.

Store cooled kale in a container.

Recipe submitted to:  http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=214496&type=thumbnail&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

http://wholenewmom.com/traditional-tuesday/vegan-snickers-bars-vegan-pumpkin-cheesecake-gf-chocolate-cupcakes-w-surprise-ingredient-frosting-and-grain-free-vegan-tacos/#more-23426 

 http://www.rickiheller.com/2013/10/wellness-weekend-october-17-21-2013/#more-20950

 http://allergyfreecookery.blogspot.com/2013/10/its-linky-party_18.html