Quinoa: poking fun at my idiosyncrasies

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Ok so Quinoa is one of those thingsI have latched onto as part of my diet that I enjoy. I also have become a noted sharer of the benefits of this underrated product. With the current emphasis on whole grain products it has gained in popularity and is a lot easier to find at a reasonable price in my part of the world.
Quinoa is a seed technically of ancient Aztec origin. It and soy are the only two known plant proteins with a complete complement of amino acids for humans in one product. Those are the facts and good things.
I had an ongoing converstaion about this with a fellow sparker for a while. He was spelling it wrong and even pointed my spelling which is correct out to me. Than looked it up and apologized it was very amusing to me. However he is a fellow quinoa eater so I am happy.

One of the ladies in my local weight loss group works for the local McDonald's franchise owners (they own many mcdonalds) and she looked a bit askance at the quinoa salad I brought to share. She also said she had learned of more new foods she had never heard of before in the past 3 weeks than ever before in her life.

I read a magazine article this week about how to decide if something was a casserole or a hotdish. I am not sure the article was serious or not. It was a flow chart thing. At the bottom of the chart was a box that had a mixed dish including quinoa as an entry. There assessment of this was neither. It was brought by an overzealous foodie.

I will keep working on eating quinoa and sharing it with the world but I can laugh at myself too.
Have a great Saturday World.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

NEWLIBRARIAN 1/31/2012 10:56PM

Keen WAH Report Inappropriate Comment

ZELLAZM 1/31/2012 2:52PM

Have you tried the red quinoa yet? And as far as the spelling goes, I think I've got that down, but I've heard it pronounced a couple of different ways. What's your take on that? :D Report Inappropriate Comment

NDTEACHER1 1/28/2012 8:22PM

What is your favorite way to prepare it? I have some setting in my cupboard but have yet to fix it. Report Inappropriate Comment

SA9CHI 1/28/2012 10:45AM

I treat it as though it's rice and eat it with veggies and some protein. Report Inappropriate Comment

DEBBIEOLMOS57 1/28/2012 10:35AM

you too Report Inappropriate Comment

Feeling Friday

Friday, January 27, 2012

Trying to work hard at house work today. Not really doing it. If I work hard enough to be comfy running around in my breifest workout gear I figure it counts as cardio. If I work up a sweat it's even better. Haven't gotten the workout gear on yet and I am not sweating that's for sure.

I have a new lunch that I have been eating pretty regularly that I would like to share. I think it's healthy and filling. I take about 3/4 cup of leftover quinoa and mix in whatever veggies I have around that sound good. Often chopped carrots, celery, pepper, tomato onion, even broccoli if I have it around. Than I mix in canned tuna and at lunch I add a little low fat or fat free ranch. Make a high protein reasonably high fiber lunch that's really filling and easy to pack and eat.

For the rest of the afternoon I think I need to harness the energy of my two young cats and get a move on . They have been playing tag all over the house and literally thundering around. It always amazes me what a commotion to relatively small creature can make.
If I moved like that I would be thin in no time.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

ABETTERSOUL 1/27/2012 4:50PM

I agree with Margaret, lying around,soaking up the sun. I've never tried quinoa, I'll have to check it out. Report Inappropriate Comment

GOURMETLOSER 1/27/2012 4:38PM

Yep wish I had the energy of your cats too. I usually feel more like the grand motther cat that just lies out in the sun until the end of the day and then smooches over to the couch for the night! LOL Report Inappropriate Comment

SVHOTMAMA 1/27/2012 4:20PM

I'll try the recipe. Sounds interesting. Thanks for sharing. Report Inappropriate Comment

Random thoughts on Thursday

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Feeling not so great tonight. Actually that's been most of the day.
Hoping it's better tomorrow.
Working on a team challenge that for this week included HIT (high intensity training) where you spped up for intervals. Not sure how well I am doing this as it's supposed to be speed up a minute and slow down 2 or three repeatedly. I manage about 4-6 intervals and than slide back into my routine. However I am making an effort and I have speeded up my regular elliptical pace a little. So I think that is success.
Still trying to conquer the whole eating right end of things. This has been tough for me lately. Tomorrow I am having company for supper. Hoping that that goes well. I am making a healthy meal but there are always extras when I entertain, bread and dessert in this case. I really can't do any more splurges right now. I am planning for a small piece of dessert. Not even sure what it's going to be yet. I am leaning toward chocolate though.
I think they key will be to do away with the leftovers promptly. May have young visitors on Saturday, perhaps I will send it home with them.
How do you manage entertaining and following a plan?

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

GOURMETLOSER 1/27/2012 2:57PM

I confess that if I entertain I find the menu planning a challenge as I like to 'go all out.' I had people over a couple of weekends ago and did a menu that I knew wouldn't blow my calorie budget....the women were very happy, the men were obviously not so impressed.... A bit of a disaster really so I think I go back to my old habit of trying to manage the portion control of a less calorie controlled meal. My suggestions are:- Eat a few less calories during the days beforehand and the day itself. Know what size portion you can afford to eat and then pul out all your willpower. Make sure you include SOME healthy low calorie dishes on the menu. I like Shannon's suggestion of sending the leftovers home with the guests...Alternatively throw them in the bin or freezer before you are tempted to pick at them. If you are managing a whole minute of speeding up and doing it 4-6x then I think you are doing amazingly well. (then fast intervals can be shorter when you first start out if 60 secs is too much.) Sounds to me as if you are doing a great job. Well done! Report Inappropriate Comment

ZELLAZM 1/27/2012 1:27PM

You're making your plan -- then all you gotta do is work your plan! I'm definitely leaning toward chocolate, too. In fact, I lean toward chocolate way too often. Have a nice evening with your guests---and a great weekend! Report Inappropriate Comment

SHASSYSUE2 1/27/2012 6:37AM

The one thing that you said is the one thing that I do every time. If I make a dessert, I always send home the leftovers with the guests. In fact tonight we are having our small group get together, and I am bringing the dessert. I am going to take it and what ever is left is staying at the hosts home, or someone else is taking it. I refuse to bring it back into the house. I love to make things and I will try a sample of it, but then that is it. Tonight will be a challenge for me as well, but I am going to take a big salad with me, and eat that first, and then eat a hotdog which is what we are having. I am hoping the salad will fill me up before I eat anything else. I have had a hard time conquering this as well, but it is finally getting easier!! How about I challenge you to do well, and you challenge me, and we will see who does better, okay?? Report back to me and I will the same for you!! We CAN do this!! HUGS!! Shannon Report Inappropriate Comment

Bok Choy

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Ok with a title like that I should have a nice nutrition profile which I don't. However I am impressed with this vegetable right now.
I made a stir fry of sorts last night from a not really a recipe off the web and wanted to write about it. Bok Choy was a key ingredient.
I will be adding the recipe to Spark Recipes soon.
So first about the bok choy. I think part of it's charm to me is getting really little baby bok choys which doesn't happen very often as I have to get them at an Asian market 3 hours from here. So if I am there to visit I pick some up. What sells for Baby bok choy here is roughly 3 times larger but still not the huge things that I used to think were the only form of bok choy.
I can't say there is a huge difference in the taste. The younger bok choy is milder, but still has the distinctive flavor of bok choy. It is easier to work with because you don't have to separate out the stems.
The other things in my recipe were the illusive brown rice noodles, which I found in a brand name that is available locally so I am rechecking to see if I can buy them here this weekend. I didn't notice much flavor or handling difference between the brown and white noodles. I think though I should have rinsed them as they were a little sticky.
So for the recipe I stir fried shrimp with garlic, ginger and diced jalapeano, added the baby bok choy, than some sauce and the noodles. Very quick and easy and turned out well
I will post a detailed recipe on spark under the title Shrimp with baby bok choy.

Ok so the only real point here is to encourage you all to break out and try some baby bok choy.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

ZELLAZM 1/27/2012 1:25PM

You have somehow made me hungry for baby bok choy! Report Inappropriate Comment

CGDINASIA 1/24/2012 9:33PM

I absolutely LOVE Bok Choy. Especially the small ones. But for me any of them will do. Let us know when you post the recipe, Lori. Report Inappropriate Comment

RURAL3 1/24/2012 5:58PM

cool Report Inappropriate Comment

NDTEACHER1 1/24/2012 5:21PM

Sounds good! Report Inappropriate Comment

GOURMETLOSER 1/24/2012 3:42PM

I love the idea but can't imagine where I'd find it! Report Inappropriate Comment

Looking Forward.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Just over 2 years ago we went on a Caribbean cruise over Christmas break.
We are going again in 2 weeks.
I am pretty excited right now.
While I was apprehensive about weather or not we would like it last time, this time I know what to expect.
I truly enjoy having my every need taken care of.
I also know that while the food on board is abundant there is a lot of healthy fare and I did really well 2 years ago eating lots and lots of well prepared seafood, fruits and vegetables. Also because I love the ocean I get a lot of exercise playing in the waves, snokeling and walking on the beach for miles and miles.
I want to go into this as healthy as possible so I have the stamina to enjoy my time. Hoping to go kayaking this time around.
So now with my full time work ending I should have 2 really solid weeks of exercise in. Today because of a team challeng I am woring on the HIT thing. I don't generally do well with that but I am going to push hard these two weeks.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SVHOTMAMA 1/27/2012 4:18PM

I am so jealous! But have a blast! Report Inappropriate Comment

GOURMETLOSER 1/24/2012 4:54AM

On wow, can I come too? Sounds delightful. Report Inappropriate Comment

ABETTERSOUL 1/23/2012 6:24PM

Have a wonderful time, Lori. Report Inappropriate Comment

JANETELIZABETH1 1/23/2012 3:31PM

Sounds like a real fun time coming up Lori..you deserve it !! Report Inappropriate Comment

SISTERDEAR 1/23/2012 12:11AM

Have a blast! Report Inappropriate Comment