Go ahead and preheat your oven so that it can heat up while you’re preparing the kale chips. Spray the baking tray thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside. You may want to grease 2 baking trays to ensure you’ll be able to scatter all of the kale out in a single layer. You don’t want the leaves to overlap or touch at all. Place the baking sheet into your oven and close the door. Let the kale chips bake until the edges are crispy and brown. Keep your eye on them, since they can burn easily.

Summary: Preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and grease a baking tray. Bake the kale chips for 12-15 minutes until they get crispy.


Heat the oven for about 10 minutes before putting the tomatoes in. The key to slow-roasted tomatoes is a low cooking temperature. That way, they don’t burn despite being exposed to heat over a long period of time. Slow-roasting removes more moisture from the tomatoes, leading to more intense flavors. Take the baking sheet out of the oven. The tomatoes will cool much more quickly if you have a rack in place. Eat the tomatoes as-is or add them to a recipe. Store leftovers in sealed jars or containers. They will last about 5 days in the refrigerator and 6 months in the freezer.

Summary: Preheat the oven to 225 °F (107 °C). Cool the tomatoes before using or storing them.


Look for a synthetic fiber that will allow your skin to breathe by wicking--drawing the sweat away from your body. This will help keep your body cool while you exercise. Polyester, Lycra and spandex work well.  Look for clothing that is made from polypropylene. Some lines of workout clothing will contain COOLMAX or SUPPLEX fibers, which can help you manage your body temperature. Wear cotton if you do not anticipate sweating a lot. Cotton is a soft, comfortable fiber that works well for light workouts, such as walking or stretching. When cotton becomes sweaty, it can feel heavy and cling to your body, so it would not work well for more intense or aerobic activities. Reputable brand clothes such as Nike Dri-Fit are generally of a higher quality than a generic brand.

Summary: Choose a fabric that provides wicking. Choose good brand clothes with specific workout technology (not just a generic polyester).


Saddle soap can be used to clean horse tack and other leather products such as shoes and boots. However, saddle soap should not be used on every leather-based product.  There are a variety of different types of leather used in products. Different types require different cleaners and the only way to know whether saddle soap is okay is to consult the manufacturer's directions.  If you don't have the directions handy, you can google the product name and find information online about cleaning and care. If you see any warnings about saddle soap, it might be better to go with a different cleaner. Lye is a highly caustic compound found in many commercial brands of saddle soap. If lye is listed as a primary ingredient on the brand of saddle soap you've selected, you might want to ditch that product and look for an alternative brand.  Lye's caustic nature mean it's particularly hard on leather products. It absorbs moisture quickly, which can dry out leather causing it to crack, split, and otherwise deteriorate faster.  Saddle soap made with lye also has a high pH level, which causes leather to harden and darken. It can be difficult to get lye-heavy saddle soap out of cracks and crevices if you're cleaning tack, resulting in a crusty white residue.  Opt for making your own saddle soap or try to buy homemade saddle soap from a local farmer's market. While such products do use lye, they tend to use it in reasonable amounts that will cause minimal damage to leather. You can make inexpensive saddle soap in your own kitchen. This might be a better option than buying commercial saddle soap, as the products used can be harmful to leather.  Use protective gloves throughout the cooking process. You'll be handling lye, which is a pretty heavy-duty material. You want to make sure you avoid burning your skin. Use an apron to cook, as lye should not come into contact with clothes you wear regularly.  Get your ingredients. You'll need two pots, made of stainless steel or heat-resistant glass, a stainless steel spoon, and some kind of jars or boxes to store the concoction. You will also need beeswax, pure flake lye, castile soap shavings, water, and pure gum turpentine. These products can be purchased at grocery stores, hardware stores, and health food stores.  In one pot, combine 6.25 parts beeswax, 10 parts pure flake lye, and 10 parts water. Boil the mixture for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Get the second pot. Melt together 2 parts castile shavings and 10 parts water. Once the soap liquifies, add it to the first mixture.  Move the pot away from heat and add 15 parts turpentine. Pour the mixture into containers, cover, and store the saddle soap in a cool and dry part of your home. The soap does not have a shelf life, so you can wait as long as you want to use it.  When you finish, clean your kitchen thoroughly. Keep your protective gloves on during this time. Lye can be harmful if ingested, so you want to make sure your kitchen is clear of lye before you begin cooking and eating again.
Summary: Read the manufacturer's directions. Avoid lye heavy products. Make your own saddle soap.