Tranquil Tuesday: Food Matters

We just returned home from an incredible weekend in Michigan. While driving the 10 hours we loaded up the IPad, hooked the sound into the Somaru AUX cable (amazing invention) and "watched" this movie Food Matters from Netflix. We were so taken with it that I didn't notice the low gas light had turned on. The digital milage told us we had 50 miles left, and ten miles later it went flat, not zero, just flat. We turned off the air, the radio and the movie just to make sure we conserved whatever juice we had left. We were seriously sweating. Thankfully all was well and we made it. Those moments on a road trip are hilarious after the fact and seem so dramatic in the moment. My adrenaline was pumping for a good thirty minutes while passing 18 wheelers on the narrow, Pennsylvania Turnpike.

The movie was powerful! As most of you who know me in real life know I'm a huge fan of my husband. This blog is a part love letter to him. He truly is my rock. He is the one who gently suggested I may need to see someone last winter to fight my sadness. I was depressed. Me. The one who always seems to have it together and is pretty jovial most of the time was depressed and cried at he drop of a hat, and not just at Kleenex and coffee commercials. I had put on 10 extra pounds after moving to Baltimore, had no energy what so ever, and could sleep for ten hours a night and still wake up tired. I would sleep all weekend to try to catch up. He suggested I see a therapist. I, of course, freaked out and said (maybe screamed) "I need to see a Nutritionist!" I have seriously NO IDEA where this came from. I had only seen a nutritionist once, but I knew I wasn't crazy, just tired all the time.

While listening to Food Matters, I looked over at E. and started to tear up. I paused the movie and I thanked him for being such a supportive husband and for being open to eating differently. He was a vegetarian for eight years so eating Quinoa for breakfast was a welcome start to his day. It's the one time of the day that we get to spend together. We try to sit at the table and enjoy the meal. My Mom was sweet enough to get the fixings together so we could all eat healthy while in Michigan. My sister-in-law loved it! We also watched Forks Over Knives. We drove straight to Golden West in Hampden for dinner that has a ton of vegetarian options.
 

This is our staple of the week. Quinoa is an ancient grain and actually a seed. I read about it first in my darling Martha Stewart Living magazine. It's a great alternative to oatmeal for Gluten Free folks and packs a ton of protein. Play with the recipe. We change it up all the time. Go back to the detox posts or search Kasia Kines if you want to learn how to change your life with food. It has certainly changed mine!

Breakfast Quinoa (kee-nwa)


1 cup Dry Quinoa (always one part Quinoa, two parts liquid)
2 cups Water
Bring water and quinoa just to a boil, set to low, cover pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the following:
1/4 cup of Ground Flax Seed
1/4 cup of Coconut Oil
1/4 cup of Raw Almond Nut Butter
1 tps Celtic Sea Salt 
Cinnamon, about a teaspoon
Cardamon, about a teaspoon
Honey or real Maple Syrup to sweeten 
We add nuts, fruit and coconut to change it up a bit.
Cover in the fridge for up to 4 days. We microwave it for two minutes each morning before work.


Thank you Momma for going to the wonderful Health Food Store, Sawall's in the Oakland Plaza to hook us up with our morning energy. You are so lucky it is so close to your house! Thank you Kasia. You are truly a life saver. And of course, thank you E. for being brave enough to tell me I needed some help in my darkest hour. I love you truly.