DIY | CHICK-FIL-A'S YUMMY KALE SALAD

We love the new Superfood Kale Salad at Chick-Fil-A.  Yummy chicken sandwiches for the daughter and a nice, healthy kale salad for the adults have us cheesing all day, every day!

So, we decided that we would try to make the Kale Salad at home.  I know, we're fancy! LOL.  After a quick google search and finding this really simple recipe online, we were set.  I'm no chef; so if I can do it, you can do it!

Easy and perfect for the spring and summer season.  Eat up and enjoy!

Everyone has a kale something menu item!  I wonder what the health trend will be next year.

We are both engineers by education and fond of science.  As we made the salad dressing, it turned into a little science experiment.  Throwback tribute to 6th grade!

Looks so yummy!  Will taste even better. Guaranteed.

Not bad for a first try!  If at first you don't succeed, try again.

Ingredients needed

• About 8 cups chopped kale
• About 2-3 cups broccoli florets (we didn't use in this batch of salad pictured below)
• ½ cup sunflower kernels
• ½ cup dried cherries
• ½ cup cider vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• 5 tablespoons good quality maple syrup  (Yes, Aunt Jemima's is good quality)
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Place kale, broccoli, sunflower kernels, and dried cherries in a very large bowl. Set aside.
2. In mason jar, add vinegar, oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Put lid on and shake really well, until combined.
3. Pour over kale mixture and stir to coat. Store, covered, in the refrigerator, for up to two days.

J'AIME LA CRÊPES

As a part of Khristopher's birthday celebration, we surprised him by planning a small birthday dinner celebration at another, "now favorite" spot in Lafayette Village called Simply Crêpes!  Yes, we are creatures of habit.  But hey, we like what we like.  Now with Khris, I realize that I have a hard time of actually keeping the surprise a surprise, but "Operation Khris Birthday Dinner With Friends" went off successfully without a hitch.  

True to its name, every entree is prepared with a crêpe.  At first glance at the menu, you're not sure of what you're about to experience.  But as our full stomachs and smiling faces proved, empty plates and clean palates are sure to be your result.  

After we all noshed on the Baked Cinnamon Crêpe Chips, the guest of honor dined on the Chicken Tarragon Crêpe, I savored the Thai Style Crêpe, while one of our friends tried the Crespalla Florentine Crêpe (all pictured below).  J'aime la crêpes!

SWEETIE PIE

Lafayette Village, located in North Raleigh, is a quaint, beautifully aesthetic outdoor retail space that resembles various places of European influence.  The one shop that we stumbled across recently was the Upper Crust Pie and Bakery.  We are always on the hunt for amazing desserts and boy oh boy, do we have the place to fill your sweet spot, and certainly ours.  From bombleberry pies and smores brownies, to strawberry lemonade bars and vanilla mocha cupcakes, there is an endless selection of sweet tooth fillers.

The extremely friendly staff is totally committed to making sure that you enjoy both your cuisine and experience.  So warm and motherly was the owner, a retired nurse of 40 years, that we even let her rock our daughter to sleep while we dined on the Carolina Burger (pictured below) and Chicken Salad Sandwich.  As we stuffed our faces, we occasionally looked up to see her interaction with our sweet little one - a scene that a commercial or movie trailer couldn't have depicted better.

In other words, Upper Crust Pie and Bakery is a must do, must have and must taste!  We were so in awe of the dessert offering that we hung around for another hour or so after dinner and sampled four different decadent delights (can you say overboard?)