What do all of these things have in common? Well they all were in my life today.
Perhaps you noticed that I haven't been blogging lately. This was due to the fact that my beloved (read with sarcasm) laptop officially bit the dust last week. I had recently backed up most of the stuff on it and will only have to figure out how to get a few files of photos off somehow (you've got me how that will happen), so it isn't that bad of a scenario really. I knew the thing was headed for the dump for a while now so it wasn't really a surprise so much as a hassle.
Luckily for me we kind of 'inherited' a desktop computer from a distant relative of my husbands a few months ago, so I am now finally back in operation (for how long, who knows). Let's just say if you want to keep your computer working well, I wouldn't suggest getting it within a 3 foot radius of me because I am now convinced that I am a computer killer (perhaps I have a magnetic field around my skull).
All kidding aside, I am very grateful for this computer and the freedom to socialize and research that it gives me. As a stay-at-home-mom things can get kind of dicey at times (isolation anyone?) so this outlet has really provided me with some great friends and knowledge (and recipes as seen below).
Now for the lips. Well my poor little 3 year old had to go in and have a growth removed from his lip today. What a traumatic experience it is to hold your thrashing and screaming child as a doctor shoots his lip full of needles and then cuts part off with a blade. I am not exaggerating at all, but honestly it went so quickly that it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, and now we wait for the biopsy results. The doc isn't concerned and doesn't expect much to be found, but that's exactly what all the docs said to me about the diabetes tests and we all know how that turned out (did I mention that I'm looking down the barrel of a Type II diabetes diagnosis?).
After this picture was taken I drove my brave little guy to Costco for frozen yogurt, which as we all know, makes everything feel less painful (sugar is a drug after all).
Now for the quinoa....have you heard of quinoa? It is an ancient grain that is one of the few vegetarian sources of a complete protein. It is a little like rice and cooks up similarly but is actually a seed originally from South America. Apparently you can make it as a main dish, side dish, or even a breakfast porridge. Tonight I found the simplest pilaf recipe I could find for my first foray into the world of quinoa, and drum roll please.......it turned out great! Yes, even the picky ones ate some. My wonderful husband said it was better than any of the rice dishes I have made in months (is that a complement?). So now here I will share it with you and encourage you to try this wonderful source of healthy fats, complex carbs, and complete protein. Heck, this is what I would bring with me on a deserted island for sure.
Quinoa Pilaf
Rinse 1 cup quinoa several times. In a pot heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat and then add 1/2 a diced onion and 1 diced carrot. Cook until softened and then add the quinoa and cook for about 3 mins until it smells nutty. Add 3 cups veggie broth and bring back to a simmer. Lower heat to low and cover. Simmer for 20 mins or until all fluid is absorbed. Garnish with fresh parsley, toasted pine nuts, and/or raisins if you are into that kind of thing (we ate it plain).
Yum!
