Nutrition and Prayer is something I believe we should all do daily. Our body is the temple for our Spirit and prayer sustains us like food does. What a great combination! I find myself reminding myself of this daily. I have bad eating habits and I NEED to start some good ones. I use to work for a food company for almost 10 years. I understand how to read a label for ingredients and for nutrition. I also know that food companies are not always ethical either. I know from experience the simpler and from scratch is the best way to go. This is the same way with prayer... God isn't looking for grandeur and big fancy words; He just wants to hear from us;) I am a procrastinator too especially with exercise. With fibromyalgia, lupus and arthritis some days are a challenge. I do have a membership downtown and I've only gone a handful of times; this needs to change too. I need champions to tell me to get off my fat, lazy .........!!!! I need you all to be my cheerleaders - to keep me on my toes. I need to get fit and start feeling better. I have another grandson coming soon. So if you can pray for me I would sure appreciate it, thanks......
I would like my husband to build a prayer kneeler for me. I've asked him and he said, "My honey-do list is too long." Guess I would just have to wait and be patient. I'm the type of person who can read and pray anytime of the day and anywhere. Sometimes though... I need to focus more and that is when I would like a kneeler. I suppose I could purchase an ergonomic fabric knee chair and just use a slanted shelf on the wall to hold my Bible or other books....
I have been adding new friends on my Facebook Page - crafters of a types: Yarn, Bead Jewelry, and of course, Paper-crafting. It seems a lot of blogs and stores have their own sites now. I guess you could "blog hop" that way too. I have eliminated some of my personal acquaintances (just cleaning up who sees what) and now I have more people who don't know me compared to who do! I eventually will clean up the crafter ones too after I've explored them to see if they are a match for what I am looking for.
Who's in the Kitchen with Uma....
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| Getting all the ingredients together |
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| Adding the chicken stock |
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| Adding potatoes |
I have been spending time with my Grandson in the kitchen; he likes to help out. The other day we made Bob's Sauerkraut Soup together. My grandson had a blast! It is a recipe from my good friend and great cook/baker (as well as our Village's Chief of Police). It is really good soup!! If you like sauerkraut you need to give it a try.
Bob's Sauerkraut Soup
1 lb smoked Polish Sausage - cut in /12 " pieces
(I used smoke kielbasa)
5 medium potatoes - peeled and cubed
(I didn't peel mine)
2 medium onions, chopped
2 carrots - cut in 1/4" slices
(I used pre-cut fresh carrots)
3 cans (14 1/2 oz) Chicken Broth
(I used MSG free, one large boxed fat-free and one large boxed reduced sodium)
1 can (32 oz) Sauerkraut - Rinsed & Drained
(I drained mine, but didn't rinse; I prefer Frank's)
1 can (6 oz) Tomato Paste
In a large saucepan or Dutch Oven combine sausage, potatoes, onions, carrots, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat - cover and simmer 30 minutes until potatoes are tender.
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| Yummy soup! |
Add sauerkraut and tomato paste; mix well. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes longer.
If thinner soup is desired add add additional water or chicken broth.
yields 8 - 10 servings; 2 1/2 quarts
Healthy Tip...Quinoa (
pronounced keen-wah)
Many people look at Quinoa and confuse it for some sort of grain, but
it is actually a seed that originates from the Andes Mountains of South America. Quinoa was grown over 5000 years ago by the Incas people. It was known as the “
the mother grain” in their language. It was a such an important part of the Inca culture, that every year the Inca king would plant the first row of Quinoa with a solid gold spade. The entire ancient Inca civilization spanning from the coast of Chile all the way to the snow capped peaks of the Peruvian Andes was fed by this amazing tiny little seed. (
I love trivia!)
I have been watching
Grain Fusion with
Chef Brad. He has a great series on "super grains" and one of them I just bought and need to use,
QUINOA.
I found this great site by the
Quinoa Corporation. Quinoa comes in white, red, and the most hard to find...black. Just a few examples of easy quinoa recipes using cooked quinoa: salads, meatloaf/burgers, breakfast cereal, stir fry, stew, and bread.
Quinoa Nutrition: The most
Protein of any grain, great source of vitamins & minerals
. Quinoa nutrition has more benefits than most people know about. Other than being a complete protein with nine essential amino acids, it is loaded with calcium, dietary fiber, iron, and phosphorus. Magnesium which is also abundant in Quinoa has been recognized for being beneficial for relaxing blood vessels. Magnesium, along with riboflavin, appears to benefit those who suffer from headaches, even migraines. Manganese joins with copper to form an enzyme which guards against cell damage caused by free radicals.
Cooking Quinoa: Simple to cook, like
rice. Cooked quinoa looks a bit like
couscous, but is more substantial and slightly crunchy.
Prep & Cook Time: 5 minutes prep, 15 minutes cook time.
To Soak or Not to Soak: It usually works well either way. Most quinoa that you buy in stores has been pre-rinsed and dried, but I'm a bit anal, so I soak it 5 minutes just in case, to loosen up any residue of saponin, or dust or chaff that remains. Skip soaking if you like, but always rinse quinoa.
I purchased a rice cooker awhile back and am going to try to make it in there. all you do is add the grain and water - cover and press start...so simple! WELL IT WORKED! and the quinoa tasted great and I didn't add any salt or other flavorings. This way I can use it in a couple of dishes. I am so happy that it turned out. Hopefully tomorrow I can use some of it in a meatloaf. I was going to do it for tonight's meal but everyone wanted grilled chicken and brats.
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| I thought this quote was just right for me! |
'til next time,
Con
