Meatless Monday - Italian Quinoa Patties

Alrighty then! I've been gone so long from my blog that I took Google by surprise. I will have to start posting more often. Anyhew, I'm baaaack! From moving and getting a big garden in to baby chicks and tearing out flooring to chasing stuff from room to room so the new flooring could be installed..... to tearing out cabinets and having to find a place for everything that was in the old cabinets to painting and more, I've been way too busy to even think about blogging. We are almost at normal now, and am so happy with the results. Will post pictures when all is done.
For now I want to share a recipe I found on Pinterest and tweaked of course, that filled the bill for our meatless Monday plan. Quinoa is a super food grain that is also very versatile. We had these delicious patties, accompanied by fresh from the garden salad and baked potatoes. I made a creamy spicy mayo to top the patties with and even Nature Guy went back for seconds. We will do this again, perhaps as little meatballs for marinara. So yummy and easy as well!

Italian Quinoa Patties
1/3 c. quinoa cooked in 2/3 cup water according to package directions.
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 tablespoon each fresh minced parsley and basil
3 tablespoons each fresh minced chives or green onion, and yellow onion
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Rinse your quinoa and add to small pan with the water. Bring to boil and turn the burner to low, cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Let cool. After cool beat eggs and add those along with the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Let sit 5 minutes. Using wet hands form 4 patties about 1 inch tall. In a frying pan place 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and turn burner to medium low. Once hot add patties and cook covered for 5 minutes on each side. They should be golden. Serve with spicy mayo, recipe below.
6 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon spicy chile sauce, and teaspoon sweet chile sauce.Whisk together and serve with patties.

Enjoy!

Food for Thought

So our conversation yesterday morning started out with death by hotdogs and fish & chips. My hubby is gleefully awaiting my trip to Oregon so he can go on a food frenzy, but I reminded him that he woke up with chest pain this morning, sheesh! So he comments on the Spam I served him for breakfast to which I pointed out that he asked for it and then he wanted to know if he said he wanted a hole in the head would I comply to which I said yes. So I told him he was going to commit self inflicted death by fish & chips and he accused me of assisted murder by Spam. I know it's not a joking matter, but what do you do with a man who is addicted to junk food???
Which takes me to an article I read in a 2003 Ensign. The author was raised in Russia and had no religious background. He went to medical school where a friend shared with him that the same dietary practices that can prevent and treat heart disease that they were being taught, had been the centuries-old health code of the Russian Orthodox Church. He became interested in the Bible He read the story of Daniel and his friends refusal to eat the daily provision of the kings food and wine, and asked to be able to eat their "pulse" and water.  Daniel and his friends were blessed with better health and greater ability to think and act. As this man continued to learn he discovered that the Russian translation of "pulse" was vegetables, but knew that man could not survive on them alone. He later discovered that the word also meant grains and seeds. To make a long story short, it has been known for centuries that eating less meat, and eating more wholesome grains, fruits and vegetables is a healthy and wise diet. The promise is found in the Word of Wisdom that if we do so, we shall receive health in the navel and marrow in the bones and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures. (D&C 89:18-21) Just some food for thought.

So you think pot smoking is okay..... and other things bugging me...

For all those who think they know. Try this on for size and see if you still think it's okay.

FIVE COMMON MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT MARIJUANA

01. MYTH: Marijuana is harmless.
01. FACT: Can lead to a host of significant health, social, learning, and behavioral problems at a crucial time in a young person's development. Getting high also impairs judgment, which can lead to risky decision making on issues like sex, criminal activity, or riding with someone who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, teen users are 5 times more likely to have sex than teens who do not.

02. MYTH: You can't get addicted to marijuana.
02. FACT: Research shows that marijuana use can lead to psychological addiction. Each year, more kids enter treatment with a primary diagnosis of marijuana dependence than for all other illicit drugs combined.

03. MYTH: There are no long-term consequences to marijuana use.
03. FACT: Research shows that kids who smoke marijuana engage in risky behavior that can jeopardize their futures, like having sex, getting in trouble with the law, or losing scholarship money. Marijuana can also hurt academic achievement and puts kids at risk for depression and anxiety.

04. MYTH: Marijuana isn't as popular as other drugs like ecstasy among teens today.
04. FACT: Kids use marijuana far more than any other illicit drug. Among kids who use drugs, 60 percent use only marijuana.

05. MYTH: Young kids won't be exposed to marijuana.
05. FACT: Between 1991 and 2001, the number of 8th graders who used marijuana doubled from one in 10 to one in five.

HEALTH HAZARDS OF MARIJUANA USEThe main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Short-term effects of marijuana use include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem-solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate, anxiety, and panic attacks.

Effects of Marijuana on the Brain. TLC changes the way sensory information gets into and is acted on by the hippo campus, a component of the brain that is crucial for learning, memory, and the integration of sensory experiences with emotions and motivations. Researchers have discovered that learned behaviors, which depend on the hippo campus, also deteriorate.

Effects on the Lungs. Regular use may lead to respiratory problems that tobacco smokers have. These individuals may have daily cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and more frequent chest colds. Regardless of the THC content, the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers. This may be due to marijuana users inhaling more deeply and holding the smoke in the lungs.

Effects of Heavy Heavy Use on LearLearning Social Behavior. A study of college students has shown that critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning are impaired among people who use marijuana heavily, even after discontinuing its use for at least 24 hours. Researchers compared 65 "heavy users," who had smoked marijuana a median of 29 of the past 30 days, and 64 "light users," who had smoked a median of 1 of the past 30 days. Marijuana users made more errors and had more difficulty sustaining attention, shifting attention to meet the demands of changes in the environment, and in registering, processing, and using information.

Longitudinal research on marijuana use among young people below college age indicates those who used have lower achievement than the non-users, more acceptance of deviant behavior, more delinquent behavior and aggression, greater rebelliousness, poorer relationships with parents, and more associations with delinquent and drug-using friends.

Sources: Journal of the American Medical Association, Prevalence of Marijuana Use Disorders in the United States. May 5, 2004. Wilson M. Compton, MD, MPE, James D. Colliver, PhD and Meyer D. Glantz, PhD (National Institute on Drug Abuse­ NIDA); and Bridget F. Grant, PhD and Frederick S. Stinson, PhD (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - NIAAA). Additional source: National Institutes on Health (NIH) research data archives.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com

As a former idgit, who thought that my poor behavior had no impact on others, but knew that certain things were wrong and did them anyway, I say let's stop the madness. It's time to grow up all you who think it's okay, and get a real life. I don't often go on rants here, but this issue has hit close to home now and my heart is breaking.
It's interesting to me that the same people who won't eat meat because it's wrong to hurt animals, have no problem drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and pot, and drinking coffee as well as other high in caffeine drinks. But then these are the same sort of people who castigate someone for wearing fur, but have no problem having an abortion. They tell me I should drive a hybrid vehicle to save the earth and conserve energy, but will pass me on the freeway going 90 miles an hour while we are driving 60 to 65 to conserve gas and money. They also tell me to go green, but buy adult beverages in glass and paper containers that need to be recycled using what? Fossil fuels. Hmmmmmmm.

Word of Wisdom

This is me, ecstatic about having lost enough weight to wear this dress comfortably. When we bought the dress last year it was a bit snug and then got even snugger so I've never worn it. Today I'm pleased to say I can! Thanks to my Oregon friend Cathy, who has lost 50 + pounds and is looking great, I decided to try..... again to lose weight. I asked her what her trick was and she told me she started running, and she tried to follow the Word of Wisdom more correctly. In our belief system we have the Word of Wisdom as a guide to how to eat and what is harmful to consume. I know a lot of folks will say it's too restrictive, as in no caffeineated drinks, no alcohol and no smoking, but honestly, if you look at the health risks versus benefits of say drinking wine and such abstaining is a much better way to go. The Word of Wisdom talks about eating fruits, grains and herbs and eating meat sparingly. So along with the running and other exercise I've been doing I've cut way back on my meat consumption, substituting beans, lentils and so on for meat. I've also cut way back on sugar consumption, and one of the blessings of running or any vigorous exercise is that it has an affect on what you feel like eating and how much. I've lost 12 pounds and have 30 to go. It sure is a good feeling to be heading down. I'm not starving myself, I just eat less, and so if I want a cookie once in awhile I will have one, but I've really not wanted one. I have much more energy as well so I'm sticking with this plan. No drugs, just healthy foods and exercise. Now how easy is that?

Halleluha!!!! Sleep at last!

The last two nights I actually got at least 7 hours of sleep, which doesn't happen! So the exercise is starting to work. Still so tired but that's due to lack of water I think. So I'm trying to get more water down, and to relax more before bed. I usually am working right up until and that's not productive.
The exercise is coming along okay. Wow! I'm so out of shape! I've not been like this for a few years and it's frustrating! The food intake is another thing. I start out with good intentions each day but fall about lunch time as I've been so tired. When I'm tired I crave sugar. Bad combo that.
I've decided to keep a food journal and make myself accountable for all I eat. So here's me tattling on myself. This morning I had 1 pancake with a light smear of butter, and a dab of maple syrup , some fresh cantaloupe, and 1 hard boiled egg. I've had 2- 16 oz. glasses of water so far today. Later I had the crumbs in the bottom of the tortilla chip bag. Lunch is coming up but haven't settled on that one yet.
Here's an easy recipe for salmon lovers, and for those who don't particularly like salmon this will have you asking for more.

1- 1 lb. fillet Salmon, thawed
3 T. brown sugar
1 T. Balsamic vinegar
4 T. soy sauce

You can add chopped green onion, cilantro, and or garlic to this mix. You can also substitute lemon or lime juice for the vinegar. Mix all ingredients together and place in flat dish. Lay the salmon in this and turn over a couple of times. Let marinate in this for at least 2 hours. Drain and grill, or put the salmon and marinade in frying pan and cook over medium heat, turning once or twice, until all liquid is gone or salmon is done. I've never had anyone not like this recipe, and it has won over several who wouldn't eat salmon before. We usually have this with white rice and a nice salad.

Wheat Berry Salad

Wonderful wheat! The delicious foods that can be created with it are amazing! And the nutrition factor is an added plus. Whole wheat has pantothenic acid, folic acid, biotin, B vitamins and E vitamins. Iron, potassium and magnesium are among the other health benefits of eating wheat.
You can sprout wheat for salads, grind it into flour for all sorts of goodies, including gluten that can be turned into mock meat. In this form it is almost a complete protein, lacking only lysine which can be made up by adding legumes, nuts, and vegetables. Cooking the wheat kernels gives you a plump wheat berry that can be used for breakfast cereal, salads, in soups and stews. Cracked wheat makes an easy and great extender for burger in meatloaf,meat balls, as well as taco filling.
You can save money by incorporating wheat into your weekly menu as well. Start by adding wheat slowly to your diet and you will feel better, save money, and also more fully follow the Word of Wisdom by learning to eat meat sparingly. Don't be afraid to experiment and Enjoy!
Here's a salad recipe that is really quite delicious.
Wheat Berry Salad

3 c. cooked wheat berries
3 sl. bacon cooked til crisp and crumbled
3/4 c. each chopped celery and grated carrot
1 c. chopped cabbage
I/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. each plain yogurt and mayonnaise
1/3 c. Craisins
1/2 t. course ground pepper
1 t. seasoning salt
1 T. honey

Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl. Chill and serve. Servings 8
You can change any veggies and use broccoli or cauliflower, chopped.

I will be adding more like this so check back on occasion. Thanks for stopping by!