Calm Creation

Quinoa Salad (or Side)

2011-07-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favourite dishes and is always a huge hit at potlucks and family dinners. This dish has so much flavour and is great cold, as a salad, or hot, as a side dish (or main). Really, this could be a meal in itself.

There's a bit of prep chopping veggies, but after that, this is an easy, one-pot dish that can be prepared ahead of time. Enjoy!

1 small onion
2 - 3 cloves garlic
3-4 tblsp olive oil
2 celery stalks
1 small carrot
1 small yam (or sweet potato)
1/2 tsp curry powder (you can use a bit of tumeric, coriander & garam masala instead, if you like)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ginger (powder)
1/4 tsp cinnamon (I always add a bit more cinnamon because I really like it -- up to you)
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper (to taste)

Dice the onion and garlic and sautee in olive oil (low-med heat) until soft with the salt, pepper and spices.

1 1/2 cups quinoa (uncooked)
3 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable stock (you can substitute some of the stock with water)

Add the chopped celery, carrot and yam and cook for another 5 -7 mins with lid on pot. (Add bit of liquid at this point to prevent from sticking and get the flavours to permeate the veggies - 1/2 cup water or stock.)

handful cilantro (chopped)
1/2 cup cashews (roughly chopped)
2 green onions or chives (finely chopped)
1/3 cup dark raisins (optional)

Add dry, uncooked quinoa to the veggies and spices in the pot and cover with liquid (stock preferably, but can be water or a mix of both). Follow your cooking directions on the quinoa packaging. Basically, similar to cooking rice, but needs to sit after cooking for about 10 mins. *Be sure to turn your stove down to low to cook the quinoa.

After the quinoa is cooked, toss cashews, cilantro, green onions and raisins (optional, but very good) in and mix. Put lid on and let sit for about 10 mins. You can sprinkle fresh cilantro over dish when served.

This dish can be made with couscous or rice, but I love quinoa (gluten-free and full of protein and a nice nutty flavour). Enjoy!

Monday, the day after Sunday

2011-07-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

Do you ever just wish that Sunday didn't exist? Sunday isn't the day of relaxation presented in coffee commercials or the "stay in bed reading the paper and snuggling" day depicted in movies. Who has a Sunday like that? Not me.

My Sunday's have always been the "day of dread". Each activity on Sunday reminds me that Monday is coming fast - laundry for the week, grocery shopping, homework. Sunday is merely Monday's prep day.

I need a day to get ready for the week ahead...and there's never enough time on Sunday to accomplish all that needs to be done, so a sense of panic often weaves in amongst the dread. Is it just me?

Today was different. I chose not to frantically scramble to get everything done. I do have some clean clothes and can always do laundry mid-week after work. Whoo hoo, look out -- I'm living on the edge! (I do love that fresh smell of clean sheets...oh well, small price to pay for a bit of relaxation.)

Here's to Sunday the way it was meant to be!

For those of you out there still keeping traditions around the "day of rest", good for you! Hang on to the sacred day, sacred not necessarily due to any religious affiliations, but sacred because you've chosen to keep it as a day for family, rest, relaxation and reflection...and even for the Sunday dinner. Do you still have a special Sunday dinner?

When I was a little girl, even though my family didn't attend church (beyond the children going to Sunday School for a few years,) Sunday dinner was always a special meal. I don't know why; we always ate dinner together as a family and it was always a hearty, home-cooked meal (no fast food for us), but, for some reason, Sunday dinner still held the special association that must have carried on from a time already gone by.

Raising my own daughter, I made a point to try to make big meals (that could provide a day or two of leftovers) on Sunday, partly because I could take some time to cook on Sunday, but also because there was some sense that it was special somehow. If I had to pinpoint why, I don't think I could come up with a logical reason other than the same carry-over of a sense of the traditional "sacred" day -- even though my Sunday's have been anything but restful.

Funny how traditional beliefs and rituals slip into our everyday experiences without us even realizing it. It's not a bad thing. Now that my daughter is 18 and working through most dinners, I'm glad I made our dinner time a special time every now and then. It's something to miss...and I'm thankful to have that.

This Sunday has been quiet and (thanks to this blog) rather relaxing...mission accomplished. Hope you enjoyed your Sunday, too.

Better go let my cats in...it's raining and I can hear one of them crying at the door. Did I mention I have 4 cats? No, that doesn't make me a crazy cat lady. If that's what you're thinking, get it out of your head (...I do love my furry little family members, though -- think what you like).

Hope you share a good meal with someone (or some "furry" one) you love some time soon.

'til next time,
CC

Here I sit...

2011-07-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

So, I thought creating a blog would provide me with a bit of much needed "down time", but truth be told, I'm not sure I have much to say...and it's stressing me out.

Calm Creation is supposed to be an opportunity for me (and anyone interested in reading or adding) to spend a few minutes each day indulging in a bit of harmless escape...leaving behind the cat vomit on the carpet, the nagging thoughts of inadequacy and disappointment and, most of all, the "buzzing brain" syndrome.

Anyone who can identify with what I call the "symptoms of modern life" is welcome to join me for a few minutes of quiet, a few minutes to slow down, a few minutes to forget that your boss gave you 3 days before staff left for the summer to come up with a plan to move your entire operation into a building that is currently only capable of housing about half the operation. (Yes, 3 days!) This is my way of dealing with these little pressures so I don't explode. I hope you can join me.

We all have crazy, hectic lives and dream of a little peace and tranquility...so what makes me any different? Nothing. I'm not special. I'm not unique. I wonder if that even matters these days. We're all so caught up in our own little worlds, posting every dull thought and embarrassing moment for the world to witness as though it matters, as though we can somehow make ourselves matter. Do we really believe we're insignificant otherwise?

In any case, I'm a middle-aged (40 to be exact) single parent - have been for 14 years - yes, 14 years - and I'm a professional...busy, busy. My world consists of work, household tasks and caring for my daughter (not always in that order). I'm thinking my life is probably very much like the lives of many, many others...and if you're as stressed out as I am, we will have a lot to talk about. Let's start creating some calm together.

By the way, I don't do yoga. Maybe I should start...deep breaths, in...hold it, hold it...and out... in...hold it...and out...

keep breathing...

'til next time,
CC