I made this salad today for lunch. It. Was. A-MAZING!!! So, I thought I would share the love! Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving this week!
Chickpea, Avocado, and Feta Quinoa Salad
Serves approximately 4-5
1 Large Avocado, diced
1 Can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 T Fresh Cilanto, chopped
1/2 C Feta, or so (I LOVE Feta)
1/2 C Cooked Quinoa
2 Scallions (green onions), chopped
Juice of 1 lime (I did half because my limes where BIG)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until well incorporated. Add it to your favorite bread, or use it as a dip for crackers. (We put ours on whole wheat 8 inch tortillas.) Enjoy!!
Monday, November 24, 2014
Monday, November 17, 2014
Conversion
Disclaimer: This is not church doctrine.
This morning I was reading my scriptures for my personal scripture study. I was reading in 2 Nephi chapter 9. It talks about the judgement of the last day and how the Atonement of Christ will save us from the grave. I was reading along and I got to verse 33.
I have come to the understanding that the reason why all my other "diets" failed was not only because it wasn't the right way to eat, but because I wasn't completely converted to the diet. Weighing and measuring food, HATED IT! Having a set number of "points" I had to eat in a day, HATED IT! Cutting out the fruits and grains, HECK NO! I never felt in my heart that it was the right path for me. I did have some success, but when I stopped, or reached my goal I wound up back where I started, sometimes further in the hole. With this journey I feel and know in my heart that it is the right thing to do. I guess you can say that I am "circumcised of heart". I kind of think of it as "You can't teach an old dog new tricks".
Bare with me.
Thanksgiving is coming up in about a week. This is the smorgasbord that everyone looks forward to, and dreads, all year long. People start preparing food for Thanksgiving a day, sometimes two days, maybe even a week in advance. Why is this? Growing up, we would have a HUGE extended family Thanksgiving reunion dinner every other year. This meal often consisted of approximately 4 turkeys, 20 pies, 5 pans of stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, veggie trays with my grandma's pickles (you haven't had pickles till you've had my grandma's pickles), dip for the veggies, rolls, cranberry sauce, green salad, jello salad, deviled eggs, jam for the rolls, candied yams, green beans, green bean casserole, and I'm sure I'm leaving something out. My grandma, aunts, and mom would work for DAYS preparing for this feast and all day Thanksgiving day. It was SO BIG that we had to hold it at a ward building in the gym. While the women were in the kitchen, the men would be at my aunt and uncles house across the street watching the "big game", or in the gym playing Dynamite/ basketball and the kids would be running a muck. We would then gather and eat for about 15 minutes that would then be followed by these same amazing and exhausted women who had been cooking for a week cleaning up for about an hour or so while the rest of us fell asleep or played more basketball until it was time for pie. As I have gotten older and have established a family of my own, I have realized even more how amazing these women in my life truly are. I seriously don't know how they did it and I admire their strength.
We were driving somewhere when Avary, my middle child, asked if we were going to have rolls this year for Thanksgiving dinner. This propelled me into thinking about the menu for this next week and what we are going to eat and how we are going to handle it since we don't eat that much anymore. For starters, I was late ordering our turkey and got stuck with a larger turkey than what I wanted. Oye. Leftovers are eminent. Next, I started to think of the side dishes that we would have with it. We would have, what is starting to become a tradition in my family, wild rice stuffing. Seriously yummy. Then the apple cranberry butternut squash casserole that has become a favorite. Now something cold and crisp, a pomegranate spinach salad perhaps? Sounds good to me. My mom then asks, "Are we going to have potatoes and gravy?" This is where the "old dog, new tricks" thing comes into play. As I was talking it over with Spencer, we both agreed that we don't need that much food and that the both of us would rather NOT cook all week and would rather spend the time together as a family. I told my mom that we don't need potatoes and gravy. We are going to have the squash and that there really isn't a point to having potatoes too when we don't eat that much food anyway. She replied, "But that was how I was raised, and that was how you were raised." Just because you are raised to eat a certain way, doesn't mean that it is right. The common, "You aren't leaving this table until you have finished all your food" has catapulted our society into this unhealthy over eating binge. This doesn't change with the holidays. In fact, it is worse! How many people have to unbutton their pants because they ate too much, or wear sweat pants so that they CAN eat too much?
To make the healthy changes in your life you need to be COMPLETELY converted to those changes or it won't work, the "knowledge of their iniquities shall smite them". You will be smitten down if you don't stay strong in what you know is right. Don't be that "old dog" that has become such a cliche. Change is good! It is how we grow. Convert yourself to those healthy changes by FOLLOWING the "rules". As you continue to follow the rules you will be completely converted to the ways. Only then will you be "circumcised of heart" in your own personal journey. And, no, I don't think we will have rolls this year. Think about it, stuffing is made of bread, WHY have more bread? So, it is rolls or stuffing. I vote stuffing.
This morning I was reading my scriptures for my personal scripture study. I was reading in 2 Nephi chapter 9. It talks about the judgement of the last day and how the Atonement of Christ will save us from the grave. I was reading along and I got to verse 33.
"Wo unto the uncircumcised of heart, for a knowledge of their iniquities shall smite them at the last day."I continued to read for about 2 more versus when I suddenly stopped and asked Spencer, "What does 'uncircumcised of heart' mean?" As a "habit", I tend to just read past the word "circumcision". Today, something stopped me and I found myself pondering on what it meant to be "uncircumcised of heart'. Spencer didn't really have an answer so, he grabbed his phone and started doing some research as I started with some cross referencing. We talked about it a bit and we came to the understanding that it meant that you are not completely converted, not only on the surface, but in your heart. To be circumcised in your heart is making that change and devoting your heart to the teachings of Christ and purely living His gospel. A PURE conversion. I decided to end my studies for the day there so that I could ponder on this through out the day. I likened it to this journey.
I have come to the understanding that the reason why all my other "diets" failed was not only because it wasn't the right way to eat, but because I wasn't completely converted to the diet. Weighing and measuring food, HATED IT! Having a set number of "points" I had to eat in a day, HATED IT! Cutting out the fruits and grains, HECK NO! I never felt in my heart that it was the right path for me. I did have some success, but when I stopped, or reached my goal I wound up back where I started, sometimes further in the hole. With this journey I feel and know in my heart that it is the right thing to do. I guess you can say that I am "circumcised of heart". I kind of think of it as "You can't teach an old dog new tricks".
Bare with me.
Thanksgiving is coming up in about a week. This is the smorgasbord that everyone looks forward to, and dreads, all year long. People start preparing food for Thanksgiving a day, sometimes two days, maybe even a week in advance. Why is this? Growing up, we would have a HUGE extended family Thanksgiving reunion dinner every other year. This meal often consisted of approximately 4 turkeys, 20 pies, 5 pans of stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, veggie trays with my grandma's pickles (you haven't had pickles till you've had my grandma's pickles), dip for the veggies, rolls, cranberry sauce, green salad, jello salad, deviled eggs, jam for the rolls, candied yams, green beans, green bean casserole, and I'm sure I'm leaving something out. My grandma, aunts, and mom would work for DAYS preparing for this feast and all day Thanksgiving day. It was SO BIG that we had to hold it at a ward building in the gym. While the women were in the kitchen, the men would be at my aunt and uncles house across the street watching the "big game", or in the gym playing Dynamite/ basketball and the kids would be running a muck. We would then gather and eat for about 15 minutes that would then be followed by these same amazing and exhausted women who had been cooking for a week cleaning up for about an hour or so while the rest of us fell asleep or played more basketball until it was time for pie. As I have gotten older and have established a family of my own, I have realized even more how amazing these women in my life truly are. I seriously don't know how they did it and I admire their strength.
We were driving somewhere when Avary, my middle child, asked if we were going to have rolls this year for Thanksgiving dinner. This propelled me into thinking about the menu for this next week and what we are going to eat and how we are going to handle it since we don't eat that much anymore. For starters, I was late ordering our turkey and got stuck with a larger turkey than what I wanted. Oye. Leftovers are eminent. Next, I started to think of the side dishes that we would have with it. We would have, what is starting to become a tradition in my family, wild rice stuffing. Seriously yummy. Then the apple cranberry butternut squash casserole that has become a favorite. Now something cold and crisp, a pomegranate spinach salad perhaps? Sounds good to me. My mom then asks, "Are we going to have potatoes and gravy?" This is where the "old dog, new tricks" thing comes into play. As I was talking it over with Spencer, we both agreed that we don't need that much food and that the both of us would rather NOT cook all week and would rather spend the time together as a family. I told my mom that we don't need potatoes and gravy. We are going to have the squash and that there really isn't a point to having potatoes too when we don't eat that much food anyway. She replied, "But that was how I was raised, and that was how you were raised." Just because you are raised to eat a certain way, doesn't mean that it is right. The common, "You aren't leaving this table until you have finished all your food" has catapulted our society into this unhealthy over eating binge. This doesn't change with the holidays. In fact, it is worse! How many people have to unbutton their pants because they ate too much, or wear sweat pants so that they CAN eat too much?
To make the healthy changes in your life you need to be COMPLETELY converted to those changes or it won't work, the "knowledge of their iniquities shall smite them". You will be smitten down if you don't stay strong in what you know is right. Don't be that "old dog" that has become such a cliche. Change is good! It is how we grow. Convert yourself to those healthy changes by FOLLOWING the "rules". As you continue to follow the rules you will be completely converted to the ways. Only then will you be "circumcised of heart" in your own personal journey. And, no, I don't think we will have rolls this year. Think about it, stuffing is made of bread, WHY have more bread? So, it is rolls or stuffing. I vote stuffing.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Sickness
It's always hard being sick. You don't feel good, you don't have any energy to do anything, and NOTHING sounds good. It's even harder being sick and trying to live your life in the healthy lifestyle that you have pledged to live.
If you haven't guessed, I am sick. I hate being sick. I have been sick for 5 days now. But something that I have noticed this time around is that my appetite has increased instead of decreased. I'm hungry more often than I used to be before I got sick, but I am still in the rut of nothing sounds good. My belief for this phenomenon is that my body is trying to heal itself through more nutrients than I need to sustain me when I am not sick.
This last week I lost a little over 1 pound. I welcome that 1 pound with open arms, a home cooked meal, and a nice warm bed to sleep in. I've been literally camped out on the couch for 5 days with ZERO energy and not wanting to cook anything. Thank heavens for my awesome and wonderfully caring husband who will cook anything I tell him. I become the recipe that is glued to the couch as I tell him one thing to do, he goes into the kitchen and does it, and then comes into the family room to ask me what to do next. Bless his devoted heart.
There is no reason to "deprive" your body of what it is needing. There is a difference between NEED and WANT. Before this journey, when I would get sick, I would "puppy dog eye" my husband for Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby ice cream or take out because that was what I wanted. That was what sounded good. And being the loving and caring husband he is, he would go out and get me what I wanted and come home and fix the rest of the family dinner. Even if it was cereal. It wasn't what I NEEDED, but what I WANTED. Friday, the ONLY thing that sounded good was Olive Garden's Chicken and Gnocchi soup. Pardon me while I go a little off topic here, I have a suspicion that they don't use real chicken in that soup. Look at it. It is unusually pink and doesn't have the texture that chicken should have. BUT, the broth is incredibly flavorful and hit the spot right on the nosie! OK, back on topic. He went and picked it up and it tasted GREAT. (Although, now I prefer to pick the "chicken" out.) ESPECIALLY with the salad. I don't think the salad has ever tasted that good to me. In fact, I had two helpings. Right now, my body NEED's the extra nutrition. So, I will have to have snacks that I normally don't have because I'm not hungry. I have no doubt that this will be a "stall" in my progress (not because of the snacks, but because of the extra eating), but you gotta do what you gotta do. And right now, I gotta get better. Then it will be full steam ahead with less food again.
If you haven't guessed, I am sick. I hate being sick. I have been sick for 5 days now. But something that I have noticed this time around is that my appetite has increased instead of decreased. I'm hungry more often than I used to be before I got sick, but I am still in the rut of nothing sounds good. My belief for this phenomenon is that my body is trying to heal itself through more nutrients than I need to sustain me when I am not sick.
This last week I lost a little over 1 pound. I welcome that 1 pound with open arms, a home cooked meal, and a nice warm bed to sleep in. I've been literally camped out on the couch for 5 days with ZERO energy and not wanting to cook anything. Thank heavens for my awesome and wonderfully caring husband who will cook anything I tell him. I become the recipe that is glued to the couch as I tell him one thing to do, he goes into the kitchen and does it, and then comes into the family room to ask me what to do next. Bless his devoted heart.
There is no reason to "deprive" your body of what it is needing. There is a difference between NEED and WANT. Before this journey, when I would get sick, I would "puppy dog eye" my husband for Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby ice cream or take out because that was what I wanted. That was what sounded good. And being the loving and caring husband he is, he would go out and get me what I wanted and come home and fix the rest of the family dinner. Even if it was cereal. It wasn't what I NEEDED, but what I WANTED. Friday, the ONLY thing that sounded good was Olive Garden's Chicken and Gnocchi soup. Pardon me while I go a little off topic here, I have a suspicion that they don't use real chicken in that soup. Look at it. It is unusually pink and doesn't have the texture that chicken should have. BUT, the broth is incredibly flavorful and hit the spot right on the nosie! OK, back on topic. He went and picked it up and it tasted GREAT. (Although, now I prefer to pick the "chicken" out.) ESPECIALLY with the salad. I don't think the salad has ever tasted that good to me. In fact, I had two helpings. Right now, my body NEED's the extra nutrition. So, I will have to have snacks that I normally don't have because I'm not hungry. I have no doubt that this will be a "stall" in my progress (not because of the snacks, but because of the extra eating), but you gotta do what you gotta do. And right now, I gotta get better. Then it will be full steam ahead with less food again.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Indulgence
Well, I DID IT!! I am officially 1/3 of the way into my journey. I am beyond ecstatic! I feel amazing! My mind is more clear and the blessings that I have noticed, not only in myself but my family, are beyond amazing and nothing short of a miracle.
This last week was Halloween. Yes, the kids did go trick or treating and we handed out toys instead of candy. When we got home, they went through their bags and got all the toys out and then gave me the candy. Not once did they ask for a piece. I am so proud of them.
This journey, like any other journey you go on, doesn't have to be void of "indulgences". Let's think about this. You are on a hike in the middle of summer on a VERY hot day. You're tired and exhausted. Heat is just radiating off of the rocks on the trail and your feet feel like they are on fire. It's making you even more hot and tired and you start to wonder why you decided to go for a hike on THAT day. You turn a corner and you see a beautiful waterfall. Your salvation. You can feel some of the mist on your face and OH, how good it feels. You get this urge to jump into the pool just so that you can remember what it is like to be cool again. You put your hiking pack down and take off your shoes. Already feeling better, you wade into the pool at the base of the falls and you let the spray mist your whole body, maybe even getting your hair wet. You smile, maybe even laugh, as the cold water washes away the sweat and heat of the day and runs down your back. You can almost hear angels sing. Trying to catch your breath as the frigid water soaks your body, you start to feel refreshed and ready for the rest of the journey ahead of you. This is an indulgence. My journey has not been void of indulgences. I welcome indulgences. It is the KIND of indulgences you need to watch out for. On this hot day of hiking, you wouldn't pour your water over your head, thus wasting your water for the rest of the journey. That would set you back and you WOULD regret it.
A couple of weeks ago I had a brunch at my house. I made all the food and it was delicious. I made a vegetable quiche with a hash brown crust, fruit and yogurt with granola, and these AMAZING chocolate coconut muffins. These muffins were amazing and I didn't feel guilty eating them at all. Why? Because they were made with oats instead of flour, no oil, and no sugar. They were quite possibly the BEST chocolate muffins I have ever eaten.
I'm starting to become more comfortable in finding AND using healthier alternatives in my baking. Doing this allows those indulgences in my families lives. The kids don't feel deprived. I don't feel deprived, even though I really don't crave that kind of stuff anymore. Except those muffins, YUM! It gets me excited for the holidays coming up. We have our family food traditions and they, like everyone else out there, are centered around sugar. This year will be different. I am excited this year to make hot chocolate WITHOUT sugar! I'm excited to try whole wheat flour for our traditional Cardamom Bread and substituting the sugar in that. I'm excited to give friends treats that are healthy AND delicious and not bad. Seriously, how many of us dread the the holidays because of the treats?? It's like a swear word, "holidays". Kinda funny actually, but by the end of December, I AM DONE with all the sweets.
Don't deprive yourself of the "indulgences" in your life. You deserve it. We ALL deserve it. But, if you are going to indulge, choose the wiser "dip in the NATURAL waterfall" instead of the "water bottle water fall". I promise, you WON'T regret it. I haven't yet.
This last week was Halloween. Yes, the kids did go trick or treating and we handed out toys instead of candy. When we got home, they went through their bags and got all the toys out and then gave me the candy. Not once did they ask for a piece. I am so proud of them.
This journey, like any other journey you go on, doesn't have to be void of "indulgences". Let's think about this. You are on a hike in the middle of summer on a VERY hot day. You're tired and exhausted. Heat is just radiating off of the rocks on the trail and your feet feel like they are on fire. It's making you even more hot and tired and you start to wonder why you decided to go for a hike on THAT day. You turn a corner and you see a beautiful waterfall. Your salvation. You can feel some of the mist on your face and OH, how good it feels. You get this urge to jump into the pool just so that you can remember what it is like to be cool again. You put your hiking pack down and take off your shoes. Already feeling better, you wade into the pool at the base of the falls and you let the spray mist your whole body, maybe even getting your hair wet. You smile, maybe even laugh, as the cold water washes away the sweat and heat of the day and runs down your back. You can almost hear angels sing. Trying to catch your breath as the frigid water soaks your body, you start to feel refreshed and ready for the rest of the journey ahead of you. This is an indulgence. My journey has not been void of indulgences. I welcome indulgences. It is the KIND of indulgences you need to watch out for. On this hot day of hiking, you wouldn't pour your water over your head, thus wasting your water for the rest of the journey. That would set you back and you WOULD regret it.
A couple of weeks ago I had a brunch at my house. I made all the food and it was delicious. I made a vegetable quiche with a hash brown crust, fruit and yogurt with granola, and these AMAZING chocolate coconut muffins. These muffins were amazing and I didn't feel guilty eating them at all. Why? Because they were made with oats instead of flour, no oil, and no sugar. They were quite possibly the BEST chocolate muffins I have ever eaten.
I'm starting to become more comfortable in finding AND using healthier alternatives in my baking. Doing this allows those indulgences in my families lives. The kids don't feel deprived. I don't feel deprived, even though I really don't crave that kind of stuff anymore. Except those muffins, YUM! It gets me excited for the holidays coming up. We have our family food traditions and they, like everyone else out there, are centered around sugar. This year will be different. I am excited this year to make hot chocolate WITHOUT sugar! I'm excited to try whole wheat flour for our traditional Cardamom Bread and substituting the sugar in that. I'm excited to give friends treats that are healthy AND delicious and not bad. Seriously, how many of us dread the the holidays because of the treats?? It's like a swear word, "holidays". Kinda funny actually, but by the end of December, I AM DONE with all the sweets.
Don't deprive yourself of the "indulgences" in your life. You deserve it. We ALL deserve it. But, if you are going to indulge, choose the wiser "dip in the NATURAL waterfall" instead of the "water bottle water fall". I promise, you WON'T regret it. I haven't yet.
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