Filed under everyday life

a recipe.

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Quinoa

  • A mixture of chunked vegetables, I used zuchinni, mushrooms, roma tomatoes, red pepper & red onion.  You could use whatever sounds good or whatever you have on hand – peppers, squash, asparagus, green beans, etc.  Toss with 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, salt & pepper.  Roast at 425 degrees for 25 minutes.
  • While the veggies are roasting prepare 1 Cup Quinoa (pronounced keen wah) in 3 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth.  In a medium saucepan bring to boil, then put lid on and reduce to med-low for about 15-20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  The Quinoa I buy is pre-rinsed.  You may need to rinse your Quinoa before you cook it.
  • After Vegetables are roasted let them cool slightly and then combine with 1/4 C. vinaigrette or Italian dressing*.
  • Garnish with feta cheese.
  • Serve with the Quinoa.

My always in the refrigerator homemade Italian dressing from the Better Homes and Gardens red-checkered cookbook circa 1981.  This dressing is great on pasta salads, as a marinade, to drink straight from the bottle – ok that was a joke.  really.  don’t try it okay.

In a screw-top jar combine 1 C. canola/veg. oil; 1/2 C. cider vinegar, 1 T. sugar; 1 & 1/2 tsp. salt;  1 tsp. celery salt; 1/2 tsp. pepper; 1/2 tsp. dry mustard; 1/4 tsp. paprika; and 1 clove garlic, minced.  Cover; shake well to mix.  Chill.  Shake before serving.

Any recipes I’ve shared here I consider the best of the best.  Next week – Island Bananas Foster!

Manifesto 2012

Do the healthy thing!  I will make good choices to the best of my ability.  And when the inevitable mistakes happen I will own them, but not let them define me.

I had planned on making a series of flowcharts for my categories of healthy things:

  • spiritual health – my relationship with God
  • physical health – how I treat my body
  • mental health – listening and trusting my inner voice
  • relationship health – choices that add to relationships rather than take away from
  • spatial health – my surroundings, and whether they bring me joy or frustration.

The flow chart was going to have YES or NO choices – YES for those things that are healthy for each category, and NO for those things that aren’t healthy.

For example:  Mentally Healthy –  YES – carving out time for myself, and my creative needs.  NO – taking on other people’s agendas.  YES – learning something new.  NO – spending 3 hours on the computer for inspiration.

Spiritually Healthy – YES – taking time to pray and meditate.  NO – becoming so busy working for God that I don’t take time for God.  YES – being grateful everyday.  NO – grumbling and complaining.

Anyway, you get the idea.  And making flow charts fell under the NO side of things.  This manifesto feels less like a resolution to me, and more like empowerment.  Oh, and my apologies already to my husband (I’m sorry, please forgive me.) for making poor relationship choices lately.

Don’t be jealous.

 

So, yesterday I mentioned those initially stinky situations that turn out to be opportunities.  Yea, well, I got to experience one of those yesterday.  But  the space behind, the top of, and the inside of my refrigerator are all sparkly clean now.  You’re jealous aren’t you?  It’s long-winded and complicated.  It started because Oreo, that d.a.m.n. cat,  started peeing in places she shouldn’t, like on the carpet in the front room and right in front of the back door.  And the cats’ flea medicine slipped behind the refrigerator months ago.  It involved a trip to the vet, and stopping at the police station to renew the dog’s city permit.  And now it’s all good.  I’m starting the year off with a clean spot in my kitchen and the animals taken care of.  And just between you and me – the space behind the refrigerator prior to cleaning – FRIGHTENING!

classy

I had the a monkey wrench thrown in my schedule pleasure of taking Nate to the orthodontist yesterday because a piece popped off of his braces.  It’s about an hour and a half round trip.  It ended up being the highlight of my day.

 On the way home Nate was surfing through the radio stations and landed on a station playing music by Steve March Torme, Doris Day, Patti Page, Count Basie, Joe Williams and others.  And he left it there!  Then he began to tell me about the classy resturaunt he was going to open someday.  It will have white tablecloths, candlelight, and live jazz music playing.  The lights will be low and he will float through the room in his tuxedo asking his guests if they are enjoying their meal.  His waiters will also wear tuxedos, and have tiny waxed mustaches.  They will also speak with fake British accents, making it sound impressive when they take orders.  I asked him why not hire real British people?  According to Nate that would be too expensive.  In order to dine there you would have to be wearing the appropriate attire or be turned away. 

 I’m telling you with the music playing in the background and his funny, sweet descriptions…well, I was transported.  I was sitting at a table with a crisp white cloth and a pool of candlelight.  Gently tapping my heel clad toes to the music and feeling swept up in a warm ambiance.  

Just listen to this, close your eyes, and see where it takes you…

clay ornaments

Do you know what you’re looking at here?  It’s something inside of you.  No, really.  It’s a human cell.  Well, Nate’s model of a human cell.  Okay your human cells aren’t made of air dry clay, but they do contain all of these different parts.  And guess what?  It’s due today and he left it sitting on the dining room table…hmmmmm, what to do? what to do?  Do I let him take the consequences or do I extend grace to him?

Well, aside from that dilemma (I’m leaning towards grace), I used the air dry clay to make some holiday ornaments.  If you do this, my suggestion would be to make sure your holes are big enough before the clay drys, because this clay is kind of fragile and crumbly.  Several of my little tabs broke when I tried to string them.  But I didn’t have a lot of time invested in this project (that’s how easy it is), so it was not big deal.  I also used an emory board to smooth the edges once they were dry.   We used Crayola air dry clay.  I saw the idea on a tutorial, which for the life of me I can’t remember where.  They had used this snowflake stamp set.  (If anyone else knows this diy link let me know so I can properly credit it)  I’m determined in my holiday handmaking to mostly use the things I have around here.  I happened to have a star stamp, and I used a toothpick to make the other star design.  This would be an easy project for kids, but don’t count on these to make long lasting mementos.  My guess is that over time they would probably fall apart.  

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving! 

give thanks #5,6,7 & 8

No deer was shot – this time.  But invaluable experience was gained.

These Hartley walnuts from California came to me in the mail via Lea.  How stinkin’ awesome is that?!  She picked them out of her own yard!  and then she shared them with me!!

A rainy, glorious walk!

 

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