While giving a look around the internet for some healthy starch choices, I happened upon the website for the Whole Grains Council. Man, there’s a council for everything.  Anyway. The folks over at WGC have come up with the “grain of the month” and for March it’s quinoa.  Clap clap clap.  Congratulations to the mother of all grains! (That’s what the ancient Incas called it.)

I also learned that 1/2  a pound of quinoa seeds is enough to plant a whole acre which can yield 1200-2000 pounds of new seed. The United Nations calls it the super-crop because it’s drought resistant and can grow in poor soils.  AND the seeds have a bitter flavor coating which acts as a natural pesticide. Nice!

Nutrition wise, it’s my grain of choice.  High in potassium, fiber and gluten-free, it can be served as a side, an addition to soups, stews and salads, and its flour can be used to make many a baked good!

Not sold yet? Studies have suggested that quinoa is useful in preventing and managing Type 2 diabetes. Most likely because it serves as a healthy alternative to starches with a high glycemic index. But also because it has high levels of quercetin, an anti-oxidant that also acts as an anti-inflammatory and an anti-histamine. Studies are examining quercetin’s ability to prevent cancer.

To learn more about this “mother grain” visit the Grain of the Month page on The Whole Grain Council’s website.

They’ve got some good recipes there too. It’s super easy to cook and only takes 15 minutes! I use my rice-cooker. 1 part quinoa, 2 parts water is all you need. One cup of uncooked seeds yields 4 servings. Just make sure you rinse the seeds a couple of times before cooking. Remember that bitter coating I mentioned? You want to avoid bringing that flavor to your food.

Enjoy and be healthy!

Mushrooms keep finding their way into my recipes lately. Maybe my body instinctively knows that they’re a good source of nutrients like potassium, selenium, and vitamin B. More likely it’s just because I dig their earthy flavor. Whatever the reason, I’m happy when there’s fungus on my plate!

For tonight I made a snap pea and mushroom saute. It was de-licious! Snap peas are another favorite of which I definitely don’t eat enough. They too are loaded with nutrients. Vitamin K, manganese and fiber, to name just a few.

I have fond memories from my childhood when my dad grew these puppies in our backyard garden. I would pick and eat them right of the vine. I loved their sweet crunchiness…and I still do!

Snap Pea and Mushroom Saute

• 3 cups snap peas, rinsed
• 2 cups white mushrooms
• half a onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• several sprays of Bragg Liquid Aminos
• red pepper flakes to taste

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add all ingredients and cook for 5-8 minutes.

After this, I definitely feel nourished!

I just finished reading Michael Pollan’s new book Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual. You must buy this book and read it! It’s fabulous and takes less than an hour to finish. 

If you’re not familiar with Michael Pollan, he’s a journalist and author of other popular and important books like The Omnivore’s Dilemma  and In Defense of Food. 

I’m not going to tell you much more except that Pollan has graciously filled the 140 pages of this little book with 64 rules of thumb for eating and that’s about it. No biochemisty breakdowns, no doctor’s research, just good and sound advice. This is a must read for everyone!

There’s a zen calender on the front desk at The Healing Sanctuary.  Most days I find the time to read these little quotations of enlightenment.  Some day’s they are too long or far out there to contemplate at work, but today’s sparked a moment and I feel it’s worth sharing.

Right on Alan Watts!

Just yesterday I was describing how sometimes when I go to new places, I prefer to quietly soak in my surroundings instead of trying to figure out what century the architecture is from or what kind of mushroom I just stepped on. Not to say that education isn’t valuable, I love to learn. But sometimes I’d prefer to just be a part of it. This saying reminds me of that. I hope you all enjoy “feeling life” today!

I can’t believe that I haven’t mentioned this before but Pacific Natural Foods Organic Creamy Tomato Soup is my favorite pantry staple.

It’s good on its own for a quick lunch or post sledding snack but I prefer to add leftovers to create a hearty meal!

Tonight I added some asparagus from Monday’s dinner and some chicken and wild rice from dinner last night.  I was perfect, easy, fast and delicious!

Normally I’m not a fan of food in a box but the contents of this aren’t too scary, and I can pronounce all the ingredients. That’s always a plus. Another big “hooray”…it’s always on sale at my local market.

What’s your favorite pantry staple??

Man oh man, was I out of my zone.  After two hours of softball on Sunday and my two mile jog today, my muscles are kicking me saying “why did you wait so long to work us?”

I’m sorry little muscles.  I forgot to stay in charge.

Do you remember Herman’s Head?  It was that Fox network sitcom from the early 90’s.  Funny but crude. The main character lived his regular boring life while the rest of us got to enjoy the menagerie of colorful characters residing in his head. Well, I feel like Herman a lot of the time. Just the simple puppet along for the ride.

And…well…let’s just say that for the past five weeks someone other than the boot camp instructor has been running the show up there. Not quite Pizza the Hut, but someone only slightly less greasy.

Today I let that dude’s cheese burn and hit the pavement for a “back to basics” two mile run.

It wasn’t that easy. Not that I anticipated the first day back after a month off to feel good, but maybe I was hoping that it wouldn’t feel quite as bad.  I’m exaggerating as I always do, however I wasn’t exactly jumping at the option of an extra mile, or doing multiple reps of caft lifts on my way up the stairs. But I did stick it out even though my breathing was off and my legs were tired. Good news is that the toe didn’t hurt one bit so it looks like I’m back in business.  Woohoo.  Thanks body, you came through for me again.

So tonight, I’m resting my achy bones. Tomorrow I’d like to try a yoga DVD my good friend Heather sent me.  Thanks gal!  She’s getting married in two months. I’m in her wedding party. Another bites the dust!

I jest. She’s probably doing better with her bride-to-be-workouts than I am with my crazy-California-wanderer ones, so I may soon be eating that dust. See you soon guys!

I’ve been such a lazy blogger this week. Actually, I’ve been somewhat of a lazy everything. I’ve spent so much energy playing nurse to The All-Star and staying ahead of the house-hold chores, I haven’t had much left to “focus on my path.” I’m making sure we eat right. That’s a must, especially when healing is concerned. But the one thing I haven’t been very good about is exercise. I’m learning that even the slightest tread off course in this department gets me wacky. Time is get back on it!

The toe injury really set me back. It certainly put an end to my 30 day challenge and it set the tone for a lazy February. But yesterday I played a double-header of softball and it was all a-ok. Today I feel ready to get back on the jogging trail.

I can now see how easy it is to get trapped in an every day lounging around lifestyle. And I’m really feeling the effects of my inertia. It’s becoming even more difficult to wake up in the morning, I have less energy during the day, I lack motivation. At first I thought it was because I was healing, then I thought it was because I was helping someone else heal. I now realize that it’s not over-work, but the “under-worked” that’s got me feeling so low. It would appear that my body needs exercise to keep itself at optimal capacity. Imagine that! I could give you a lecture on circulation and metabolism, brain waves and kidney function. But that would be boring, and I’m sure you get the idea. Bottom line is, at least for me, I gotta keep on movin’ in order for this body to wanna keep on movin’.

The beauty of the path to wellness is that there are no dead-ends.  Each of our paths have many cross-roads and each day we’re given the right to choose our direction. Today I realized how much sluggishness depresses me, and how easily melancholy makes me apathetic. It’s a spiral I can’t let myself get caught up in. I know, I know, simple to say but harder to do. So tomorrow it’s two miles or bust! No more excuses. I’m ready to get that blood pumping again! Wish me luck!

What do you do to stay motivated??

The All-Star and I need nourishment after our Valentine’s Day trauma, so I put my concocting hat on and made a soup. No recipe needed, a Laura original. Always a favorite around here, expect when they’re not so good. We all make a not-so-good dish now and again. It’s all part of learning to cook.

Luckily, this meal was not gross. It was very delicious.

Spinach Soup with Broccoli and Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch of fresh spinach, rinsed, steams removed and chopped
• 1 large head of broccoli, cut into small flourets
• 1 yam, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups organic chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 16 oz creamy portobello mushroom soup
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a large sauce pan heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic and cook until translucent.  Mix in broccoli, yam and quinoa.
• Pour in broth and water and bring to a boil.  Add salt and pepper, set temperature to low and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
• Stir in mushroom soup, thyme and more salt and pepper to taste. Add spinach and chicken and cook until spinach is wilted, about 5 more minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

Feel free to use whatever herbs and spices you like. I’m a fan of thyme. The All-Star said it gave the meal a minty flavor. Sounds good to me.

We decided to do something different this year.  No breakfast in bed or steak dinner.  Just a fun day with each other. So we took an early morning drive up to Mountain High in the San Gabriel Mountains for a day of snowboarding.  The weather was perfect.  Warm and beautiful, just the way we like it.

The mountain was busy but we found some trails that had a lot less traffic and enjoyed a solid 4 hours of snowboarding.  Then the The All-Star tried to be a little more All-Starry than he actually is.  He landed the jump fine the first time around.  It was the second time when we tried to get the perfect camera shot that the accident happened.

As the ambulance backed away from the mountain first-aid station, he smiled, I smiled back. Bye Valentine.

One helicopter ride for him, and an hour drive for me later, we were reunited at the Antelope Valley Hospital for pain killers and x-rays.

Together again. That is until they wheeled him off to the operating table.

And as I sat there in the OR waiting room, alone and worried, watching China’s short-program duo break their own world record, I realized what better way to show you care than to be there for the one you love.  Sure it sucked, and I wanted to cry a couple of times, but I knew I had to be strong when they wheeled him back out. Later, as I tried to sleep in the chair next to his hospital bed, holding his hand, I decided that that was what Valentine’s Day is really all about.  I was showing my favorite that I love him and in the best way I know how. I was by his side when he needed me.  And when he looked up and apologized, I finally let a few tears drop and assured him that I was just happy that he was okay, and that we were together.  And I meant it.

Monday morning after a long night and a long car ride, we were finally home, safe and almost sound, and there was a sweet surprise awaiting me there. Thanks baby!  I love you too!

Apparently, he took these out of their hiding place when he ran back in on Sunday to get the camera.  Stupid camera, the cause of all this.

So that was my holiday. The important thing is that he’s okay and while he’s in a lot of pain now, and may be for a while, it was just a couple of broken bones and they will certainly heal. And he’s in for a couple of weeks of coddling and special attention. Valentine’s Day should be every day, right? Looks like it will be.

Last night I made my first chowder. I was numb-scully calling it fish soup not thinking that it was “duh” – chowder.  Anyway it was delicious and worth sharing with you all.  If you’ve never made chowder, I encourage giving it a try.  It was nice and light and I felt sort of humbled eating it.  Not sure why, maybe it was the mushrooms…in the soup.  They gave it a real earthy feel.

Tilapia and Corn Chowder

Ingredients

• 2 slices of bacon (optional of course)
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 leek, white part only, halved lengthwise, rinsed and thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 Yukon Gold potato, diced
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels, (about 4 ears)
• 2 cups white mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions

• Chop bacon and cook in a large pot over medium heat until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
• Add oil to the pan. Add celery, leek, salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables just begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add broth, potatoes, mushrooms, and corn. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the potatoes are just tender and the corn is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir in tilapia and thyme; return to a gentle simmer. Cook until the tilapia is cooked through, about 4 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
• Stir in half-and-half, lemon juice and the reserved bacon. Garnish with chives, if using.

Notes from the cook: I didn’t have chives but did have some scallions so I used those as the garnish.  Tasted good.  Also, if you’re not using bacon, you’ll want to add a little more oil to saute the veggies.  Oh yeah, and I modified this recipe from one found on EatingWell.

Enjoy!

And happy long weekend! It’s a beautiful day out in Southern California and we’re going out to play!