Happy Earth Day everyone!
Earth day, the largest secular and international holiday, is a time to celebrate our wonderful planet and to promote a universal community devoted to nurturing–rather than exploiting–our great Earth. As my grandpa used to say, “Never leave the campsite dirtier than you found it.” If we want to protect our Earth for the future generations that will inhabit it, we better start cleaning up our campsites!
As difficult as it will be, I’ve made a pact with myself to cut down on desserts. I generally believe that desserts are wonderful and can actually contribute to a healthy and well-rounded diet when made with healthy, whole ingredients and eaten in moderation. I’ve got the first part of that down: all of my desserts are made from healthy, natural ingredients. So they must be good for me, right? And if they’re good for me, then I can eat them all the time, right? Wrong. That’s been my edict for a while now–my excuse to eat dessert every singe night. Unfortunately, even eating healthy foods in exorbitant amounts can be detrimental for overall health. For example, occasionally eating almonds and dates can contribute to a healthy diet, but eating tons of them every day can wreak havoc on your system (because almonds are high in fats and dates are high in carbs/sugar). So, it’s the second part–the part about eating in moderation–that I struggle with.
I just realized last night that I’ve included very few quinoa recipes on this site. I think it’s because I eat it so often that I just always assume, “I’m sure I’ve posted this before.” I think it’s also because I just figure that everyone else might be tired of quinoa by now.
Let’s face it, you can find quinoa recipes everywhere on the web. It’s no secret that quinoa is ridiculously healthy, tasty, and versatile. It quickly became one of my favorite foods and now it finds its way into my lunch and dinner (and even some breakfast and dessert) dishes multiple times each week. I haven’t gotten tired of eating quinoa (yet) and I truly hope I never do! For me, the love affair is still as strong as ever….
By now, quinoa has been inventively incorporated into even the most elaborate and complicated dishes. Even though I love coming up with clever ways of using quinoa, I’ve found that the simple recipes are often the best. To make things easy, I constantly prepare gigantic batches of quinoa to keep in the fridge so that I have it ready whenever I need it–and since there are frequent emergencies around my house, those batches don’t last long. Extremely long night of football practice? No problem! Quinoa to the rescue! **I had to use football as an example because right now I don’t have any clue if there’s life outside of football. Forget to buy the most important ingredient for the dish you had planned on making (please tell me I’m not the only one who does this)? Big deal! Quinoa saves the day! I typically end up just tossing some quinoa into a bowl, adding chopped up veggies, fruits, nuts, or seeds, and whisking together an easy dressing to pour on top. When I’m uninspired or feeling lazy (which is pretty darn often), I have a few simple go-to recipes that follow this basic principle and are sure to satisfy.
This Quinoa Tabbouleh recipe just happens to be one of those go-to, sure-to-please recipes. Even though I’ve provided a recipe below, you won’t need a concrete recipe to make this dish. While traditional tabbouleh is made with bulgur wheat, which contains gluten, the simple substitution for quinoa makes this dish safe for those with gluten sensitivities without scrimping on the flavor. I made a big batch last night in hopes that I would have leftovers for lunch today and ended up devouring the whole thing. Not surprised….
Here are a couple other quinoa recipes to consider when you’re pressed for time or feeling uninspired:
Oh quinoa, how I love you…… xoxo
Submitted to Gluten-Free Fridays
It doesn’t matter how much water I drink in the Summer, it’s never enough to quench my thirst. I made the mistake of going for a jog the other morning (big mistake), and by the time I got home, I had basically turned into a puddle. I guzzled nearly a gallon of water and, more than thirty minutes later, my face was still beet-red. By now, it’s your typical 100-degree piping-hot Summer in Dallas; as much as I love to jog outdoors, now is not the time or the place.
I’ve noticed ,though, that even when I’m sitting on my lazy tushy inside a nice, air-conditioned room, I still drink quite a bit more water in the Summer. I figure that’s probably true for most people. Our bodies just know that serious hydration is necessary to get through the scorching Summer months.
The truth is, sometimes drinking plain ‘ole water just doesn’t hit the spot. Sometimes I want something with flavor or sweetness, too. BUT, I don’t want to down soft drinks and sugar-laden sweet drinks like bottled lemonade either. According to WebMD, sodas and other sugary drinks are, in part, responsible for the prevalence of obesity in the U.S.. Many people–children included–take in between 1,000 to 2,000 calories a day from soft drinks alone. Moreover, studies have shown a link between sodas/sugary drinks and diabetes, heart disease, and tooth decay, too. Source. Not to mention, have you ever watched a penny dissolve inside a glass of coke? We did that experiment when I was in elementary school and it just terrifies me to think about what those drinks are doing to our insides if they can completely dissolve a penny.
So, to satisfy my urge to drink something other than water that won’t have damaging effects on my health, I turn to yummy, homemade flavored water. Honestly, it’s so easy to come up with delicious drinks that will satisfy us that we have no excuse. Below I’ve listed a couple of easy recipes that I think everyone will enjoy!
Cantaloupe water
Serves 2
Place all of the ingredients in a blender and mix until fully combined. Serve immediately and enjoy!
*This is so sweet and delicious that you won’t miss your sugary-sweet drinks at all! With no added sugar (just the natural sugars from the fruit), this drink is also amazingly healthy so you can drink it guilt-free!
Cucumber Water
Slice the cucumber and lemon and place them, along with the mint leaves, inside a large pitcher. Fill the pitcher with filtered water and allow the water to sit for at least a couple of hours in the fridge. Serve and enjoy!
*Oftentimes, spas will serve water with cucumber slices. That’s because cucumber has strong beautifying properties: it’s high in vitamins A, C, and B6. If you can, it’s best to buy organic cucumber and lemon since you will be placing them, skin-and-all, in the water.
