Cheesy Quinoa Mac and Cheese

 

Recipe of the Day

Cheesy Quinoa Mac and Cheese

I have been looking for a yummy kid friendly recipe using Quinoa vs pasta.  There are so many health benefits to using it, I really want to incorporate it more into our diet as a healthier vegan source of protein.

After hearing so much hype about Quinoa, I did some research.  I found that while most commonly considered a grain, is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard, sweet!

This is an excerpt from WHfoods.com that was a great summary of the health benefits...

"A recently rediscovered ancient "grain" native to South America, quinoa was once called "the gold of the Incas," who recognized its value in increasing the stamina of their warriors. Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Not only is quinoa's amino acid profile well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients. Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, folate, and phosphorus, this "grain" may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis."       

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
• Veggies of your choice (optional)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese, more for sprinkling
• Optional- Crushed Red Pepper, Bread crumbs for topping
• Toppings (optional)- salsa, hot sauce, sour cream, scallions

1. Lightly saute any veggies you would like in this dish. (I used whatever I had in the fridge which happened to be mushrooms, onions and peas today)
   
2.  Cook quinoa to packaged instructions until fully cooked. (About 15-20 minutes)
3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat 13x9 inch dish with cooking spray.  Whisk together eggs and milk in large bowl. Fold in quinoa mixture and cheese. Stir very well and let some of the cheese melt.  Transfer to prepared baking dish and add Bread crumbs if using.  Finish with sprinkling more cheese over the top.  Bake 30-35 mins.  

Rating:  B-
You have to get used to Quinoa as the texture is unlike anything I've ever cooked before.  I thought it was going to be similar to couscous which we cook a lot but it is nothing like it.  My kids initially were very uncertain as it looks kinda strange after cooking.  If I hadn't let Molly see it, I think should have given it a better chance. Bryon doesn't get to give a rating as he doesn't like cheese.  I personally really enjoyed it.  I added a good bit of pepper for taste and I think it needs more cheese and salt than the recipe calls for.  With a few tinkerings, I'll definitely try this again. 

Cake pops

 Many of you don't know that I make cake pops!  What is a cake pop you may wonder?  Well, it is a ball of cake goodness on a stick.  I first heard of these from my friend Kate, who bought one for like $3.50 at Starbucks and said it was fabulous.  She then taught herself and me to make them!  Before Kate left, we would make these together and have the best time doing it.  Even now, Molly asks about Kate every time we make them.  Miss you friend!!

 I make cake pops fairly often for special events and have started making them into centerpieces.  What can be better than edible centerpieces!  This past weekend, my good friend, Candace had a baby shower so I decided to make her potted cake pop centerpieces.  These are some of the foam flower pots I used.  It is so easy and cute using foam, the foam markers are great for writing personal message on the pots.  You could even have guests write little messages for the mom-to-be on them.  There are also cute little foam letters you can buy to decorate. 

 I made two types of pops this time.. White cake (which is the yummiest in my opinion) and strawberry (pink for girl!).  The white ones were coated with sprinkles and fun dip from the little packs.  The Strawberry ones were coated with pretzels, chocolate, pecans, and coconut.. 

Molly posing with the cake pops.  She loves helping shake the sprinkles on top and hold them if they aren't cooling quickly enough.. well let's be honest, her favorite part is 'sampling' the ones that fall off the stick! 

One of the centerpieces at the shower, after a couple of pops have been eaten :)  I used real potted flowers to stagger with the cake pop flower pots.  This is a great idea for showers because you can wrap up the real flower pots and give them as gifts for games.  By the end you have a cleared off table and you've kept it all in theme!

Close up of the strawberry pops.  Another great thing about cake pops is that they are moldable.  My friend Melissa, made some into Elmo heads for her son's Elmo themed birthday party.  You can make them into anything you want and kids love them because their have their own personal cake ball on a little stick that they can run around with.  This post is making me hungry!

Green eggs and shamrocks

 Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!  (belated)

 Little family cooking time on St. Patty's Day.. Well, mommy cooking time and kiddie watching/sampling time

These cute shamrock pancakes were going perfectly until the very last batch when I didn't turn the burner down and melted the cookie cutters, lol

Oh yes, those are green eggs and bacon and green shamrock pancakes

Daniel was majorly unhappy with the strange green eggs.. Usually he gulps down his eggs but he wouldn't even acknowledge them... Just ate around them and pretended like they didn't exist.. haha!

PS.  I didn't wear green and no one pinched me!!! Totally missed out on that golden opportunity eh.. I guarantee if my dad was here, he would get me good!

Making a difference, one life at a time..

 

Today is a big day...  My sister and brother-in-law, have officially been approved and certified as Foster Parents!!!

It warms my heart to know that there will be a safe, warm and loving home for a child/children in NC, many of whom have never experienced security and love in their entire lives.  

I'm so proud of you guys, I could just burst!!!

The Dash

Bryon and I are at the stage in our lives where our grandparents are getting old and passing away.  Both of my grandpas have passed on and my grandma Alice passed away last year.  Bryon has two grandma's left but all of his grandpas have also passed on.  

Several of my friends have recently had grandparents pass on and it has brought on the realization lately that we are about to see the generation of great men and women from the WWII era completely gone .  There are very few veterans left from World War II.  The days of nurses wearing white caps and dresses and  hearing Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters and Jimmy Dorsey on the radio are about to become memories written down in history books.  The time when men were gentlemen and women were ladies, when people knew their neighbors, when women stayed at home with their children and and men went to work (ohhh, yes I did say that!).  

Now I'm not saying, everything in this generation was perfect or necessarily the way to go for everyone.  I'm sure many people during that time would have loved to live today where women are liberated and minorities are treated as human beings.  To think there was actually a time when black people couldn't drink out of the same water fountain as white people?!! Wow!!

I do wish our generation did a little more sippin' lemonade on our porches with our family and kids than checking facebook status's.. and that our goals in life were more along the lines of a good mom/dad/wife/husband than making a lot of money and living in a big house with an expensive car.  

Anyways,  I came across a poem lately when a friend of mine lost a loved one and I was praying for her and how to be an encouragement to her.  I think it is a lovely poem and it really speaks about the truths in life.  Hope you enjoy it too!

THE DASH

I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning...to the end.


 He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.


 For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

 For it matters not, how much we own,
the cars...the house...the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard;
are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
and more often wear a smile...
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy’s being read
with your life’s actions to rehash,
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent your dash?

By: Linda Ellis

Could this be Christ?

      
I want to read this book.  At first I was skeptical becuase it seems there are lots of books out about what heaven is like and before I believe something I want to know it's true. 

 

Here is the book's description..

      "Heaven Is for Real is the true story of the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn't know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.

      Colton said he met his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how "reaaally big" God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit "shoots down power" from heaven to help us.
     Told by the father, but often in Colton's own words, the disarmingly simple message is heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready, there is a coming last battle."

      My skepticism towards this book changed, however, when I heard about the parents of the boy in this book throughout the years asking him if the many pictures in churches or books of Jesus were accurate.  He always replied with 'No".  Then he saw the paintings from the child artist prodegy Akaine and said "Yes! That's him!"  Two completely unrelated children who had experience with God portrayed our Savior the same way! Makes you stop for a second look doesn't it!

       CNN, Oprah, and many other news stations, showed the story of this 12 year old artist Akiane Kramarik.  There have been several young artists prodegies in the past, but what makes Akaine so unique is the subject of her work.  Akaine says that when she was 3 years old, she met God.  He told her that she needs to paint and help the less fortunate. He encouraged her and said that he’d be there to guide her along the way.  What makes all of this crazy is that her mother is an Atheist and her father is a lapsed Catholic. To make it even crazier, religion was never discussed in the house and the kids are all home schooled.

       Seems to me that God put divine inspiration in a completely unlikely vessel.  Isn't that how he works with us.  None of us feel worthy to do what He calls us to do.  Sometimes I feel so unworthy, I feel physically sick about it!  BUT one of my favorite quotes is, God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called!! 

       I spent a good bit of time looking at this picture, noting how the eyes in this man are so kind and penetrating.  Noticing little things like how hairy he is (hehe) and he peaceful He seems.  Could this be my Savior!!!!  I will know for sure when I meet Him one day.  We will all know for sure because we will ALL stand before Him, like it or not!!! 

       So, whether you believe this is the Christ, our Adonai, our Jehovah, our El Shaddai, our Messiah and Savior, it doens't really matter.  I just like thinking it might be :)

Spring has sprung

 Spring has sprung in the UK!! This past weekend, Bryon was able to take the kids to the playground and give me a little "Mommy time".. Big bonus points to my fabulous hubby :)  He took these pictures of the kids.. Molly was in major pose for the camera mood as you can tell by some of these fantastic shots.  Daniel was in run as fast as you can mood, so all the pictures Bryon took of him were blurry and in motion. haha!  

Daniel being thoughtful.  

Village playground.  I love how England is set up.  Houses are set up in villages, so you have a half mile or so of houses all built together.  Then you leave the village and you are in the countryside.  And I mean for real countryside.. only farm land for miles and miles, no houses, road signs, businesses, nothing.. Our village has a cool wooden playground that the kids love.  Every village has some type of playground and a village hall that you can book for parties or events.  Every village usually has a pub and an old church as well.  Such a community feeling. 

Note to self, take pictures of your kids on tire swings.. They all came out great!

Daniel climbs up the play structure by himself now.. Fortunately he's too cautions to jump off the side, for now... 

 Just another day in paradise.. 

Adore this picture.  My beautiful little sweetheart.. Love her so much..

Daniel's only picture not in motion, lol.  Unfortunately, the sand box is full of water, so this seemingly innocent picture turned into a mud mess.  Boys will be boys!

 Molly couldn't do this by herself last year.  This year she was running across the beam.  They grow up so crazy fast.  

 This is a classic Daniel face.  When he gets upset with you this scowl comes out.  

 Blooms in the backyard!!!  So ready to get planting! 

 Molly had her first encounter with lady bugs.  She has read about them but this time, one crawled up on her and took her by surprise.  As you can see, they bonded.. If he hadn't flown away, we could add ladybug to rabbits and fish as Mushrush family pets :)

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games is all the talk here in the UK.  I would imagine it is the same in the US.  For those who don't know, a significant portion of the Hunger Games was shot in my hometown, the 'City of Pleasant Living', Shelby, North Carolina.. WOOT WOOT.. While it is fun telling people the movie was shot in my hometown, it is not so great telling them that our town portrays the poorest city in the post- apocalyptic world.... hmmmm... 

Was flipping through articles about the film and came across this one from the Huffington Post..

"When the cast and crew invaded the small town of Shelby (population 21,000), they hoped that 300 extra bodies wouldn't be noticed. They were even after producers gave everyone money to shop for "typical" Shelby clothes to wear while in town and the set became crowded with Dale Earnhardt baseball caps" 

On a positive note.. they also said..

"The tourism board in Shelby estimates that $1 million was poured into their local economy during the shooting. The antique shops and local hardware stores were all but cleaned out and many dining establishments frequented by cast and crew began displaying an "Approved by District 12" decal in their windows. The town also plans to change their interstate highway sign to announce their involvement in the movie" 

So, with that in mind, you can be sure I'm going to be seeing this movie, might just have to order an Earnhardt hat to wear that night, just to represent. :)

Spring lambing at Sacrewell Farms

 All dressed and ready to head out to our first playgroup field trip of the year to Sacrewell Farm to take part in lambing!

 These little lambs were just over a week old.  The kids loved seeing them this small. We have a little zoo near our house that we go to fairly often but those lambs are much bigger than these little guys.

 Molly and her friend, Gavin, checking out the babies

 Daniel was so excited.  He stood there and listened to this lady talk and was the first in line to bottle feed, ha!

Molly was a pro at feeding the lambs.  Must be from feeding her many many 'babies'.  

 Our group took a private tractor ride around the farm.  Sacrewell Farms is an organic farm and, in true British form, they offer vegetable boxes that you can pre-order allowing you to receive a weekly box of fresh organic veggies delivered to your front door.  

 Halfway through the ride, our driver let us get off and hike up to the top of a huge hill overlooking the farm and the reservoir.  Daniel was a fan.

 Daniel feeding the lambs.

 Of course, Daniel was not happy simply feeding and petting the lambs behind the fence, he ran to the other side of the cage, climbed up the hay and started to crawl into the fence with the lambs.  Nothing stops this boy.  Give him long enough and he will figure out a way to make it work.

After our lamb feeding fun, we had a picnic lunch and the kiddies played on the nice indoor and outdoor play areas.  Daniel loved this playground because there was a rope for him to use to crawl up, so he could do everything the big kids could do.

Sliding down now.

The farm also had feeding areas.  This was the large animal feeding area.  There was also a smaller animal area with rabbits, chickens, and other little guys.  

 Molly having one last moment with the goats.  When we moved to England, Molly was only 8 months old, so all of her life she has lived in the English countryside spending time with cows, horses, goats, sheep.  If I don't watch out she'll become a little farm girl, lol.  

There was a stable of huge beautiful shire horses at the farm.  Daniel was very interested in the horses and actually fed them and tried to let them drink out of his cup.  Molly was absolutely terrified and would not enter the stables... Probably the more appropriate response to such huge horses.  

Love this picture of my sweet little girl.  Wellies and mud.. oh so English :)

Do it on purpose!

I have been really really really busy these past three weeks and out at different events at least 3-4 nights every week.  Bryon and I mutually made a "rule" when I started getting super involved here that I would only be out two nights a week (1 being AWANAS) and on the nights I'm out, I would be home by 9.  This way we would always have time together before lights out and not overdo it with obligations.

The past three weeks, we have had things going on that, as a couple, Bryon and I decided were worth the sacrifice of time to participate in, so we sacrificed 'us' time.  Well, for those of you who have done the Love Language study, Bryon and I's love language is 'Quality Time".  What this means is that we both experience love from each other by spending quality time together.  If we lack quality time, we get grouchy, lol.

Fortunately, we were prepared for this hectic week as we mutually decided to allow it so we both made special efforts to spend quality time together in small ways throughout the day.  Bryon would send me sweet emails from work and gave me extra long hand massages at night (things I really like) and I made sure to have his work clothes picked out and ironed and his lunches made (two things that mean a lot to him).  We both usually do these things to show our love for each other but we put a little extra care into it this week.

Well, let me tell you ladies and gents.. despite hardly seeing each other this week, we feel very connected and no grouchiness, lol.  The picture above is the new lunch routine for Bryon that I've established and he is loving it!

I make a healthy, yummy lunch each day, and top it off by putting a note on the inside of the lid with another reason I love Bryon.  He actually told me yesterday, he can't wait until lunch time to see what I wrote in my note. Awwwww.  Tried to blur this one a bit to spare you the lovelyness of it all, but I'm happy to shout it to the world I love my hubby and think he's great, so don't read it if you can't handle it :)

So, I would challenge you all to find something that makes your man/woman happy this week and do it on purpose!! (In the words of good ole' Dolly Parton).  You will be amazed by the results both for yourself and for your spouse.