Atomic August
Replies
-
I'm going to make this in the coming week. I need grains that don't make my cravings skyrocket and quinoa seems to work for me.
Roasted Garlic Lemony Quinoa
cleanfooddirtygirl.com
Instant Pot Ingredients:
1½ cups uncooked quinoa (285 g)
1 cup red onion, diced (130 g)
1¾ cups water (415 ml)
½ cup parsley, chopped (10 g)
¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
6-8 cloves roasted garlic, finely chopped (see link to recipe below)
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
2½ tablespoons lemon juice (zest before juicing)
¾ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper (about 5 turns)
Steps
Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse with water. Tap the strainer against the sink to remove as much excess water as possible. Set aside for now.
Press the sauté setting on your Instant Pot (IP) and heat the inner pot for 2 minutes. Add the quinoa and onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the quinoa is lightly toasted and fragrant and the onion is soft. There should be enough excess liquid from the onions to prevent sticking, but if necessary, you can add a bit of water.
Turn the IP off, add the water, parsley, and red pepper flakes and stir. Lock the lid into place, making sure the nozzle is in the sealing position. Use the manual setting and set the timer for 6 minutes. Use the natural release method when the timer goes off.
After all the pressure has been released from the pot, take the lid off and add the roasted garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Fluff the quinoa with with a fork to incorporate the ingredients.0 -
Carla, believe it or not the furniture is still sitting in the middle of the living room. I haven't had the energy to arrange furniture yet. It's very nice though. I hope to get that done this week, but I am so far behind with work from being off those few days sick, and now our secretary has it and was off Thurs. and Fri. so it's a mess at the office.
Love the new boots! Very cute. Hope they fit.
That recipe looks delicious.
Nance, I never liked anything in my coffee. Well, except Bailey's Irish Cream years ago! That was pretty darn yummy. Not really a breakfast drink though. LOL
How is your watermelon?
Worked most of the afternoon here at home. I'll have to be more disciplined tomorrow and work a full day. I was still feeling tired and went back to bed earlier in the day, but I think I'm nearly back to normal now. Still need to do laundry and chop some carrots and radishes for salads plus make a salad dressing. Will do that tomorrow.
B - I was unusually hungry this morning so I had a cup of soup leftover from what I took out the freezer last night, an ezekiel english muffin with a smidge of PB, and a bowl of blueberries with yogurt and cinnamon
L - wasn't hungry after that big breakfast
D - bowl of cooked greens and beans, roasted mini peppers, roasted broccoli
Made another big sheet of roasted broccoli. Forgot about the roasted mini peppers that I was making for a while but saw them at the grocery and grabbed a bag. Just wash them, throw in a baking dish (in a single layer) and sprinkle with balsamic, bake at 400 until they are a little charred in places. After they cool a bit just pick 'em up by the stem and enjoy. Also sauteed a big pan of onion, red and green kale, 2 cans of chickpeas, and threw the remaining half a package of arugula in there to wilt in at the end. I wasn't going to use it up before it went bad. Seasoned the greens with cumin, turmeric, no-salt seasoning, black pepper.
Didn't get my raw veggies in today but I will be sure to eat a big salad for lunch tomorrow. I am also not eating enough fruit and need to work on that. Maybe I'll have an apple now with a handful of pumpkin seeds. In re-reading parts of ETL, Dr. F recommends 2 or 3 fruit servings for breakfast, plus a fruit after lunch and dinner. Not sure I will ever get to that much fruit, but I will work on making sure I get at least 2 or 3 servings a day. The apples I got are big so probably worth 2 servings and I had the blueberries at breakfast.
Focus on your actions, the results will follow. - Dr. F
0 -
Got up earlier today. Laundry is in the dryer so as soon as it gets done I'll head up to my desk.
Chopped up carrots, radishes, a yellow squash, green onions. Also have some campari tomatoes. I have a little bit of the vinaigrette left so I'll use that up for my lunch salad and make another batch for this week. Just grabbed a big box of spring mix for lettuce.
Plan for today...
B - ezekiel tortilla loaded with lettuce and veggies, a bowl of blueberries with yogurt, chia/flax, a couple walnuts, cinnamon
L - roasted broccoli and mini peppers
D - big ol' salad, beans and greens that I made yesterday, cantaloupe
0 -
Hope you're able to get through a few weeks without your veggie chopping buddy, Mihani! (I want a veggie chopping friend!)
We made the fajita bowls, with salt, but about half of what we used to make them with. I'm happy with that compromise for now. The great thing is that we've adjusted to it now tastes perfectly seasoned. I'll make the ratatouille again this week. It has fennel in it and I love that flavor! This time I'm going to layer it deeper and bake it a little longer.
fajita bowls again tonight for dinner, our new favorite meal0 -
I can't remember if you've shared the fajita bowl recipe Carla. Would you mind?
Got through some work today. Just took a dinner break and back at it. I ended up skipping lunch again. I just don't get as hungry when I'm eating all good nutritious food. I am eating big meals though. Lots and lots of veggies. For dinner I ended up with a big bowl of the cooked greens and beans, some of the broccoli and roasted mini peppers, topped it all off with a big handful of raw shredded cabbage and carrots and a dollop of salsa. I like to buy bags of cabbage or broccoli slaw for an easy way to add some raw veggies to bowls or wraps. Dessert was an apple with cinnamon and a bit of PB for dipping. I seem to want to put cinnamon on all the fruit lately.
I got on the scale this morning and exact same as last Sunday. That was a bit of a bummer but I know I am doing everything right and just have to stay the course.
0 -
You guys are amazing with your veggies!
Making this quick...trying to get the few last things done today along with work, and then just pretty much chill and do some food prep tomorrow. Nails for me on Tuesday and groom for Lulu. (just basic mani and lord, I cannot do my own horrible looking toes)
Rice hack works great for work...so today:
black coffee
watermelon (Perfect watermelon
well crisp, juicy and sweet...trifecta...if the rind had been a bit thinner, it would have been a QUAD FECTA!) Listen for the thud ...and it should be heavy...that is what I have heard)
yogurt and museli
rice and broc
home for potatoes and spinach
also, salad
Rice hack...make a big batch...portion into small micro safe freezer safe containers...the amount you wish to make at time...a few drops of water...cover with damp paper towel...minute 90 sec in mic...take out fluff a little...cover with damp towel again...another minute in mic. PERFECT RICE!
This totally works!
Later, sweet peas. Time to go enjoy my BLACK COFFEE!
0 -
I felt good today! First time in over a week. I am home after a busy day in the office and still have energy. Going to get a little bit of work done here at home then I'll do my yoga. First, dinner!
I need to pick up another watermelon, Magic! I haven't had any in almost 2 weeks. What day is your surgery? Good luck with that if I don't "see" you before then.
B - oats with blueberries, yogurt, chia/flax, couple walnut halves, cinnamon
L - big container of greens and beans, roasted broccoli and mini-peppers, big handful of cabbage slaw, dollop of salsa
D - big ol' salad (spring mix, radish, carrot, yellow squash, pickled red onions, chopped green onions, tomato) with Shane & Simple vinaigrette, an apple with a bit of PB
For the past few weeks I've been taking my oatmeal and/or fruit to the office and eating breakfast between 8 and 9 a.m. I get up and go in so early that I was always finding myself super hungry by 11:00 if I have breakfast before I go to the office. Waiting a while for breakfast helps keep the snack monster under control. I don't get hungry for lunch until around 12:30 now, and then I'm fine until I get home to dinner.
Off for my salad. In re-reading ETL one thing I realized is that the raw veggies are soooo key. I have always been a bit hit or miss on the salad at every meal but I'm trying to make sure that I have some raw veggies with both lunch and dinner now. Even if it's not an actual salad at least some raw slaw or cut up veggies with every meal.
0 -
So happy you're feeling in the pink, Mihani...let's hear it for energy AFTER work...fabulous!
Surgery is tomorrow. A bit nervous...really for stupid stuff, actually. Like, I must have coffee in the morning to get things moving...need I say more?
No coffee, water, nothing after midnight.
There's that...I was nervous about the sleeping...I take melatonin extra strength Oly gummies.
Pretty sure they are not vegan but they work. I fall asleep ok...but then wake up in the mid of the night and that's when I take melatonin.
I got a call back yesterday, telling me it was ok to take them.
What else is my stupid brain fixated on? I think the biggest thing is pooping BEFORE surgery...is that too much TMI?
Any suggestions? I do take something called Fibermucil from Andrew Lessman Procaps...but it's the coffee that makes everything work. Oh brother.
Any suggestions?
Today's plan...kinda plain:
black coffee
yogurt and muesli
NO more watermelon...might get one when I have mani/pedi...will be close by to Sprouts
broc and rice
Lotus rice ramen and broth...maybe some more broc and carrots and celery and onions probably better to just keep it broth and noodles night before surgery
watermelon if I get it...or just plain yogurt
I will check in later today.
0 -
Best wishes for your surgery, Nance. Sorry I do not have suggestions for pooping. A nurse told me that blueberries are good for that but I haven't necessarily found that to be the case for me.
Not feeling good today. Bad headache and feeling down in the dumps. Hard to be active and eat healthy when feeling bad so it is a vicious cycle. Might take an Advil to see if I can feel good enough to go for a walk. That doesn't sound good right now but always helps in one way or another!
Here's the recipe for the fajitas, Mihani. I'd probably do a half batch of the cheese sauce and replace half or all of the nuts with white beans/garbanzos.
Vegan Sheet Pan Fajitas With Chipotle Queso
4.9 from 35 reviews
PREP TIME: 15 minutes COOK TIME: 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes YIELD: 4–6 1x
DESCRIPTION
These Vegan Sheet Pan Fajitas are SO GOOD. Roasted peppers and onions, steak-like portobello mushrooms, some mashed avocado, and waterfall of spicy cashew queso.
Sheet Pan Fajitas:
2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
2 yellow bell peppers, cut into strips
1 red onion, cut into strips
4 portobello mushroom caps, cut intro strips
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
a drizzle of olive oil
a sprinkle of salt
tortillas, avocado, etc. for serving
Chipotle Queso:
1 cup cashews (beans)
1/2 cup water
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
1 chipotle pepper (i've been using a fresh jalapeno since we're growing them, minus seeds and white center)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (i now use 1/4 tsp instead)
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Peppers and Mushrooms: Arrange one baking sheet with the peppers and onions, and one with the mushrooms. Drizzle with oil and toss [Sprinkle] with the spices and salt. Bake for 20-ish minutes until nice and roasty.
Chipotle Queso: Blend up all the ingredients until very, very smooth. Taste and adjust and try not to eat the whole thing.
All Together Now: Serve the peppers, onions, and mushrooms in tortillas with avocado and a big ol’ spoonful of chipotle queso! SO GOOD!
0 -
(the queso above makes the full amount)0
-
Oh no Carla…so sorry 😢. Wish o had something wonderful to say. Hope you feel back to your old self soon.
Thanks for the blueberry tip!
At the nail salon …waiting.
I got most everything done…after an break at home …will finish later tin0 -
Thanks for the recipe, Carla! Sorry to hear you're feeling down in the dumps today. It's always tough to get motivated when I feel that way... I know that taking a walk or doing something fun would help but it's hard to make myself do anything sometimes. Hope you feel better after the advil.
Magic, hope you aren't feeling too anxious about surgery. We'll be thinking of you! Please let us know as soon as you are able how you are doing.
I decided to skip the oats this morning and just have fruit. It was fine, I wasn't more hungry for lunch than usual. We'll see if I start missing my oats in the mornings. I got a melon over the weekend and finally cut into it. I thought it was a cantaloupe but inside it looked like honeydew. It was a little odd but then I looked at the sticker on it and what I bought was actually a galia melon rather than a cantaloupe. It's really good. I also got a piel del sapo melon, because it looked really cool. I will cut into that one when I eat up the galia.
B - thawed some frozen mixed berries, cut up an apple, topped the fruit with a bit of yogurt, chia/flax, and cinnamon
L - same as yesterday
D - big ol' salad same as yesterday, a couple wasa crackers, galia melon
Busy at the office as usual, but at least I feel like we're getting some things finished lately.
1 -
I’m here! My next door neighbor brought me! She’ll pick me up as well! How special is that!
I was reading up about after care…it said yogurt toast and rice! I just bought a loaf of Ezekiel…and made fresh yogurt and batch of rice0 -
Yogurt and toast sounds pretty good! Nice that your neighbor is giving you a lift. Let us know how you're doing when you can, Nance.
Interesting about the melons, Mihani. I don't know why its surprising to me about these other melon varieties! I haven't been into a grocery store in a loooong time. Since March 2020!
Sorry for my Debbie-downer post yesterday, gals. It has been a rough patch but I'm determined today to at minimum eat on plan today. One thing to concentrate on. Will go from there. I will probably get in a few shorter walks with the dogs, but nothing set in stone. Yesterday Joe drove the 4 wheeler around the field with them. They love running around with that. It's much faster than we are on foot.
I am spinning yarn again in the evenings while watching tv. Yesterday I went through my yarn bins and re-organized my handspun. There's so much of it. I really need to start using it up in projects. The plan moving forward is to select some yarns that coordinate and then dye and spin some solid or semi-solid yarns to go with them. I often have say 200 yards in pretty mixed colors, but then what do you do with just 200 yards? Heavy on the solids with just 1 skein of mixed colors is a lot easier to work with.
Plan for today:
b - frozen blueberries, yogurt, 1/3 banana, black coffee
l - greens, balsamic vinaigrette, cantaloupe with cinnamon
d - good ol' fajita bowl!, fruit or more frozen berry yogurt1 -
Tea is smooth move by traditional medicinals for constipation from pain meds
Also saltines for upset stomach
And just egg for extra protein easy to make in hot Logic with spinach.
Spinach helps me poop
I posted something else but don’t see it
🏡 home doing great
OxyCodone at the hospital…Percocet at home…
and coffee ☕️ When I got home
And had saltines at hospital to help with nausea
Just ordered insta cart from Sprouts…they had the tea…has good reviews
Pain meds cause constipation
0 -
oh! I totally forgot about 'Smooth Move'...I have that! I have had it around for a long while. I don't remember how well it worked for me.
Glad you are doing well! *hugs*1 -
They prescribed OxyCodone
I am due for another med…but holding off
Makes me dizzy and I am not in any pain
Had a tiny bit of yogurt, rice and applesauce
Lots of water
Have not peed yet! 🙄0 -
Carla, I went through a stage a few years ago where I was buying all kinds of different melon and apple varieties and some other fruits that I hadn't tried before. Hope you had a better day today.
Nance, glad to hear all went well and you are home recovering!
Another busy busy day but it went okay. I am getting some things finished and actually off my desk which is a really nice change!
I have been reading a little more of ETL here and there most days and really stressing "eat more" so I'm eating huge amounts of veggies and fruit, at least a cup of beans a day, and limited starches. I'm going to have to nix the yogurt. I think it's more fat than I should be having to be strictly 6 week plan. I will finish what I have though.
B - blueberries with chia/flax, yogurt, cinnamon
L - same as yesterday, plus melon and grapes
D - big ol' salad same as yesterday with the addition of some oven "fried" tofu, more melon and grapes
This is the first time I've eaten this much fruit doing the 6 week plan and it seems to be making a difference in how satisfied I feel with my meals.
Was just thinking about Bisky today. Wonder how she's doing in Japan.
0 -
thanks for the good wishes...
last night..acid reflux...holy crap that is horrible. sat up in lazy boy til midnight...(btw, never had acid reflux before)
Anyway, after midnight went to bed...read that sleeping on left side with head raised would help...
it did
managed 5 hour total sleep
Have started peeing again...that's good
Now just need the next step...ordered Colace. Insta cart is delivering
menu
coffee
yogurt nectarine
just egg with spinach and hatch green chili
thinking avocado toast with tomatoes for dinner
that's it...later, dollies.0 -
Only had one Oxycodone at the hospital. rEally no pain...it was just the acid R that bothered me so much...so much so, that I was throwing up clear stuff.
Must have been all the Anesthesia0 -
Awwww... hope that you are over the worst of it soon, Nance. My dog had anesthesia for a dental a few weeks ago and he was feeling pretty yucky for a day or so after.
I got all the stuff to make Carla's fajita bowls, except forgot the portobello mushrooms! Oops. I will pick those up tomorrow. Plan to make them either tomorrow or Saturday. Probably Saturday since I have more time to cook on weekends.
So glad tomorrow is Friday. It has been a stressful week although I feel like I've become much better at dealing with stress lately. I hired a friend to come and help me clean on Saturday. I keep the house up pretty well but I don't do the deep cleaning as much as I should so it's nice to have her come over every couple months. More fun to tackle the job with company.
B - blueberries and melon with a dollop of yogurt, chia/flax, cinnamon
L - last of the leftover greens, broccoli, peppers (couldn't eat it all definitely past prime), melon and grapes
D - ezekiel wrap with no oil hummus and lots of veggies and lettuce, an apple with a dab of PB for dipping
First time in several weeks I succumbed to the pretzels at the office. Ate 2 handfuls. I think it was because I was tired and stressed, and I will work on not letting it happen again. I could have / should have had an apple if I was really hungry, which I wasn't but even so, stress eating can at least be something healthy.
0 -
I'm glad you aren't having much pain, Nance. Hope you start healing up quickly and that your system returns to normal. Do you have someone helping you out with food prep, etc? What are your plans for keeping yourself entertained while you recover?
For the fajita bowls, I didn't add in that I don't use a tortilla and instead put everything on a big bowl of mixed greens and throw on cherry tomatoes...but I bet it would be yummy as a 'real' fajita all wrapped up in a tortilla. Just one slip up with pretzels is pretty darn good, Mihani! Keep up the good work. When is your greens-chopping-buddy back on the scene? Hope your cleaning goes well!
I knit a little button up neck warmer out of some handspun...just need to sew on the buttons and I'll be done. I'll post a pic soon. Quick easy project that doesn't use all that much yarn and I can make them as gifts. I'm planning to make a woven wool rug with a mix of commercial and handspun. Warping the loom is the daunting part but the loom is on my table waiting for me to dive in.
Plan for today:
yogurt berry combo
salad with walnut balsamic vinaigrette (to mostly fill me up...then....) small amount of whole wheat pasta topped with homemade spaghetti sauce and walnut parmesan.0 -
I also am a stress eater…I just know it’s because of the hormones that are released when sh:t happens. It causes major cravings!
How do we avoid that?
Today…success with colace and Fibermucil by Andrew Lessman, Procaps vitamins. Trouble with abdominal muscles sitting down and getting up.
Otherwise ok.
Food is simple
Coffee
Just egg and spinach in Hot Logic
Potatoes and spinach
Would love a salad for dinner…will try …otherwise steamed broccoli and rice
Stay well my sweet peas
0 -
Here's the cowl neck I made. It's really cozy. It can be pulled over my head which is easier than buttoning each time, so might skip the buttons on the next one. Maybe not so high next time either, though it folds down pretty well.
1 -
Carla, we kinda were posting at the same time. NO help with prep...that's why I am keeping it so simple. I did prep my broc on Tuesday...bought fresh at Sprouts, cut up into florets and have in Sistema with paper towels. Rice made and frozen.
I have plenty of salad stuff, it just depends how I feel later on.
Not doing anything really...just icing my abdomen...and sleeping...really tired. Watching tv and playing games on ipad.
This is really showing me what I need to do for my knee replacement in Jan/Feb...that's my goal.
I need something for toilet...like a riser. And a chair that is higher...so I might just have to look for living room furniture ... will try lazy boy...they have nice sofas that are pretty firm and high. Remember, my knees do not work.
That's it for now...I came over to computer just now...so was able to write a bit more.
Later, my sweet peas.0 -
Carla, I have some ezekiel tortillas, but plan to also add some lettuce. The cowl is so cute! My salad prepper got back this week and she dove right in and got my salad stuff prepped for me. I have lots of goodies from her. Red leaf, romaine, radish, carrot, poblano peppers, cauliflower, sweet pepper, arugula.
Magic, glad you are feeling better! If I lived closer to you I'd bring you prepped foods. I don't know about the stress eating cure, but I know that I should be doing my mindfulness when I get that way rather than diving into pretzels!
I totally forgot to send two things out before I left the office so I'd better get up to my desk and get them out before I forget again.
B - avocado toast with sliced tomato
L - Dr. McDougall soup, an apple with a smidge of PB
D - big ol' salad, melon, maybe some of the no oil hummus with baked tostada
I found no oil baked tostadas some time ago and I buy them and break them up for tortilla chips. Gives me that crunchy snacky thing I want sometimes with no guilt. I'm still overdoing the starches to be strictly 6 week plan though. Going to have to rein it in.
0 -
Cowl neck is beautiful, Carla...love the colors.
Thanks so much Mihani...I know you would be over to help if you lived closer...I know that goes for all three of us...helping out. Having you two here is so helpful and comforting.
I think it's getting easier to ease down into bed and get up...same with the chair. But not where I need to be to get back to work. Let's keep the improvement moving forward.
Eating all the same stuff...it's just easy.
coffee
just egg and spinach and hatch green chili
yogurt and fruit
potatoes and spinach kinda baked in the hot logic...with green onions...maybe add some peas.
applesauce for dessert.
be good sweet peas.
0 -
Glad you feel like you're getting around a bit better already, Magic. Your simple menu sounds great for recovery time.
My friend came to help clean today and we got the downstairs done. The upstairs is easy so I'll do that myself. Just dust and shop vac up the pup hair. I clean the bathrooms every week of course, but I'm terrible about keeping up on dusting. Doing lots and lots of laundry. I have enough sheet sets and towels that I can get through a good month before I have to launder linens, but then I have multiple loads to do and regret not doing them earlier.
Finally arranged the new furniture. It was all still in the middle of the room where the delivery people left it because I hadn't quite decided where it should go, and then I was sick and just didn't have the energy. It's starting to look like a real house that someone lives in now. Looks really nice.
Now I need to shower and get on some cooking while continuing to do laundry. And going to "cheat" with a couple glasses of wine. I am already over 8,000 steps today I think I earned the wine.
B - ezekiel toast with avocado and sliced tomato
L - skipped it
D - Will be early since I skipped lunch. Probably going to make Carla's fajita recipe.
Also in the works for cooking today... saute a bunch of greens with onion, bake some potatoes, maybe make some hummus. Neighbor gave me a bunch of tomatoes and they are so good fresh from the garden that I just slice, sprinkle with pepper, and enjoy.
0 -
This is certainly not my first time cooking mushrooms and I should have been prepared, but OMG how much the portobellos shrunk up!
Next time I will at least double the 'shrooms. The peppers and onions were lovely, and I used the poblano peppers along with the sweet peppers. The cashew queso was not as tasty as I hoped... pretty bland. I will play with that recipe a bit next time, but I added some salsa when serving up and that gave the whole thing a bit of kick.
All in all, I liked it. The roasted veggies are yummy compared to water sauteed. I do get bored with the water sauteed veggies sometimes and always find roasted to have more flavor.
0 -
Mihani, I would love to see your new furniture arranged...and your kitchen...I think you showed it once before...but not sure.
Before I got my Ikea bedroom furniture, I had so many sheet sets...which lets you go forever before doing wash.
Now, I just bought two sets ...one fresh on the bed, one in the laundry.
Just before surgery, I had a ton of laundry...I keep vowing to keep up with it. I did get it done before surgery. So much easier to keep up with it, than to have to deal with 6-8 loads.
Going to do my best to keep up.
Had salad yesterday...yum, will have again today:
Menu
coffee
yogurt and muesli and jam
salad with ramen noodles
rice with broc
there's no fruit in the house...might use insta cart to get a watermelon and more spinach, I'm out of both...and some salad things.
five days to get much much better so I can go into work on Friday...I'm definitely better, but not there yet. Fingers crossed.
hugs sweet peas!
0
