Always a Good Time to Give Thanks

All right, folks.  Boy, do I have some goodies for you. I promised to write up my Quinoa, Kale and Edamame Salad, so I'll do that, but I also have another fun recipe that was so gosh darn yummy. Not to mention like an 11 on the experimental scale.

Okay, salad!  As I mentioned, this salad is great because you can premake each piece and throw it together every morning, or, if you have the storage capabilities and fridge space (neither of which had I), you can just make the whole darn thing.  It gets better with time, with the lemon juice building and seeping into the other ingredients. Ahhh. I'm going to write the ingredients as if you're making it every day, like I did. Here we go:

Quinoa, Kale and Edamame Salad

I enjoyed this salad for lunch at
work for...five days straight?

Ingredients:

Bulk of the prep:
1 pack of frozen edamame
6 cups kale 
1 1/2 cups quinoa

Each day:
1/4 onion, diced
1 small tomato, diced
1/3 bell pepper, diced (I always sliced up the rest for a mid-afternoon snack)
1/4 cup fruit (I did blueberries, sliced strawberries, whatever I was feeling and had available that day)
1/4 avocado, diced

Dressing:
You can go all out and make the dressing as directed in this recipe, or you can just do what I do, which is poor a little apple cider vinegar, maybe a tablespoon of olive oil, and a quick squirt of lemon juice on top. I've made this with the legit dressing when I've made this salad for dinner parties or other events, but when I'm throwing this together for lunch at work, my little fix works just fine for me :)

Instructions:
1) Cook quinoa as directed on package. Or use this link if you got it in bulk and forgot how to cook it, as I did (it's so particular!). Set aside to cool.
2) Cook edamame as directed (I always just boil a frozen pack).
3) Remove the ribs from the kale and chop it finely, ending up with 6 cups or so. 
4) Store each of these in an airtight container, and they're ready for quick salad prep!

Each day:
Throw together about 1/3 cup cooked quinoa, 1/3 cup edamame, and a cup of chopped kale. Add in all the "each day" ingredients. 

As my younger sister says, "yum yum in ma tum tum."

Yeah, last week was a good week. A good lunch really gives my workday a kick, you know? And then I usually have a mug of green tea around 10am, polish off that bell pepper I mentioned around 3pm, and call it good.

The week ended quite nicely as well.  I was zonked come Friday night, and ended up watching Julie & Julia for the first time. First of all, those of you who know me pretty well....um, hello?!? I mean I knew this movie existed, but how has no one recommended it to me?! First of all, Meryl Streep was absolutely incredible. I don't know much about Julia Child, but I just love the character Meryl Streep created (if you've seen the movie, remember her sweeping, lofty voice with every syllable): "For Americans who are...serv-ant-less. Is that a word? I think it's a word. Servantless." (Sidenote- whatever word editor is editing this blog begs to differ). 

Anyway, it somehow put me in bliss.  I was just all smiley, realizing all the things I have to be thankful for. If you ever want a surefire way to fall asleep, by the way, start naming people you are thankful for. You will undoubtedly be sound asleep long before you can possibly finish.  You just need one starting point.

Let me tell you about my starting point. It has to do with my mother, and her nonprofit organization, called the Do Your P'Art Foundation. Today, I made a post on facebook about an article written about my mom and DYP, urging people to, if not donate, at least read this story about what she has done.  Furthermore, I said if you did want to contribute to this wonderful organization, you can support DYP through participating in a fundraiser I'm doing to run in the Sunset Duathlon in Boulder at the end of the month.   

"One Mother Connecting Children Through Art"
-Earth Heart Foundation

Well, seeing as I posted to facebook, and that most of my friends are in college or have only just graduated, well donations were low. But then I noticed that someone gave $25. I figured it was one of my mom's friends, but upon looking it up, I found that it was a guy from my dorm at school; a boy whom I don't know that well, but do know to be just a great person, genuine and kind.  I got chills at how kind this was, just as maybe he was touched by my mom's and DYP's story. He did this, and didn't even say a word. And then, another friend from school shared this post with his art friends, thinking they'd be interested. The world is just filled with great people, and I was reminded of that today.  Upon thanking him, he said, "I really think this is a great idea! Art definitely crosses all boundary lines and this is a wonderful way to deal with a social issue." 

Like the logo? Yeah...my momma
can water color real good:)

So, yes, thanks to Greg, Derek, Julie & Julia, I went to sleep in thankful-for-everything-I-have mode: A supportive and loving family, wonderful friends from both home and college, an incredible boyfriend, inviting people I've ever so slightly gotten to know out here in San Diego, the list goes on.  

The world is just filled with great people, and I was happy to be gracefully reminded of that today.

Reacting to Reactions

My mom made an excellent suggestion this morning. Being in the early stages of this blog, I sent her a draft and asked for some feedback.  She said that maybe I should think about putting the food first for any readers that are reading this just for the food. My initial internal response was, "Ha...oh, Maj. She doesn't know blogs too well," thinking of any food blog I've ever seen.  Usually the writer kind of rambles, gives a little context for the recipe, mentions their kid or something, and then gives you the recipe.  Duh, Maj!

But then..."Ahh. Maj is so smart."  I go to random blogs for recipes. In fact, these blogs come up because I searched for a specific recipe, and someone happened to write about it in a post. I don't actually follow any of these blogs because the writers write about their days so much, which is super uninteresting if you don't know the writer.  So, I'm going to start with food, and then ramble. Because I can't not ramble. So, read the recipe, duck out if you'd like, or keep reading!  I will never know the difference.  It's times like these when I thank the generational gap- thank God my mom isn't my generation and hasn't read a lot of blogs or else she would not have given me this advice!

So, food: Last weekend, anticipating a busy week, I made two different dishes to get me through the week with minimal time spent in the kitchen: Quinoa, Kale and Edamame salad (next post), and Red Curry Lentil Soup.  Although, I used, well, not red lentils. Both of these have been working really well for me this week because they're pretty versatile. I can add stuff in to spice them up a bit, or just leave them plain. So, without further ado:

Curried Red Lentil Soup

I went off of this recipe, but made a few minor tweaks.   I didn't have a jalapeño pepper, and I lacked one can of chicken broth (had 3, called for 4).  But overall, here is what I did:

My planned dinner (funky picture

but the sun had already gone down. What

are ya gonna do).

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic,minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and minced
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups not red lentils
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons mango chutney
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt

If you do have more chicken broth, though, I'd recommend using it. 

Instructions:
Heat olive oil in pot (wherever the soup will end up) and sauté onion for a few minutes, until soft and slightly browned.  Add in minced fresh ginger  minced garlic, and minced pepper; curry powder, cinnamon, cumin, and bay leaf  and sauté for about five more minutes.  Then stir in the chicken broth and lentils, bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.

Have some patience. Cook other stuff while you're waiting. Like these roasted chick peas. Yummy and easy. Not to mention a great way to get rid of chick peas when you awkwardly have half a can.

Anyway, then stir in the cilantro, lemon juice and mango chutney, salt and pepper to taste, and throw a dollop of yogurt on top!

Things I did to spice it up a bit (which is hardly needed because it's great on its own):
1) sauté some tofu cubes and throw some of those bad boys in with the soup (the tofu is a very versatile dish in its own right)
2) slice up some ripe banana and stir that in (I had half a banana with one bowl)- this was delicious. Sounds weird, but banana curry rang a bell- I think my mom made something like Thai Banana soup one time, or something...
3) eat it out of a super cute coral colored bowl with a complementing turquoise spoon, and you're golden.

I must admit one thing though.  So today is Thursday, I made the soup Sunday.  That means I made it four days ago.  Well, I packed it for lunch today and included some banana in it. Sounded great. Then I took a bite a lunchtime and it tasted not so great. I blamed the banana, knowing how poorly it does in fruit salads, etc. over time. Well, I got back to my apartment after work and was all stoked about trying the soup for real, not with any banana mishaps, and...it tasted the same! Like acidic.  Does tofu make soup go bad more quickly?  

Anyway, a big part of experimental cooking is learning, I guess... You've been warned!

It's okay, though. I had enough good stuff to make a quick fix :)

My unanticipated dinner. Yogurt and homemade granola, roast beef, 

avocado, spinach, and hummus sandwich, and...

dark chocolate.

I was pretty happy with this.  Especially the granola. I'll make it again so I can remember how I made it, and I'll post it when I do! For now, enjoy the lentil soup, though eat it soon after you make it!

All right, back to that generational gap.  Sometimes it can be frustrating, like when you just can't see eye to eye with your parents, older colleagues, whoever, on something you really care about. Sometimes it is responsible for nontrivial disconnects.  Bob Dylan puts it well in The Times They are a-Changin.  (which is poetically just to include, since it's about change with time, yet it was written in the '60's and still applies. Oh, Bob Dylan. What an artist.)

Check out them letters!

Sometimes "out with the old, in with the new" is a good thing, and other times it's really not. Like my mom's advice on this blog, having never read other health/food blogs. Or like in communication.  It's getting to be little ridiculous in the new world. Some friends and I have been rebelling against our own generation by maintaining a letter correspondence this summer, and that has been awesome.  I even have been writing in cursive because it feels more authentic! My boyfriend writes his with a fountain pen. Legit.  In very nice cursive, mind you. That's why I date him.  But, point being, older generations just have some things right. They are often written off too easily for being outdated, when sometimes they're just out-voiced. 

All right, heavy topics aside, sometimes the generational gap is downright hysterical. Like when it comes to technology.  I wrote my first post and sent it to three people: my mother and sister, Meg, since they requested the recipes, and then Grandma Josie because, let's be honest, who wouldn't want to read a blog after finding out it announced pancakes named after you in its first post? Well, here is the range of their responses:

Meg: "YOUR BLOG IS AMAZING! Can't wait to see those recipes!"
Maj:  "I tried to post a long glowing comment but at the end did not remember my Google password. I changed it 4 months ago!"
Josie: "I don't know what a blog is, but I will definitely learn!"

You see the trend?  I could not have scripted responses that were more indicative of their generations. So anywa-- 

Wait, you don't see the trend? Oh.  Well, see, Meg figured it all out, no problem (granted, she has a blog of her own, referenced in the last post).  Maj could access the blog, read it, and even tried to leave a comment, then clicked "enter" and realized she needed her Google password, that which she forgot (and cannot find in one of her many iPhone "notes" containing all of her passwords). And Josie, well, she had no idea what a blog was! But she is so supportive and soswehatch that she promised to figure it out!

Ah. An important sidenote I should mention: "Soswehatch".
Even if you're Polish, you haven't heard this word in the Schneiders context. Allow me to explain.  "Soswehatch" is defined (and probably spelled) very differently in its native language.  My family has come up with two of our very own definitions:

1) adjective: sweet, caring, kind.  
    usage: "Aww, you are soswehatch!" (or, if you're Maj, it's "so. swe. HATCH"!  Which she finds funny because of the double meaning of "so")

2) expression: a bashful response to someone appreciating your sweetness, caring, and/or kindness.
    usage: "Aww, that was so sweet of you!"   
                 "...Soswehatch... :) "
My younger brother, Joe, is particularly fond of the latter.

And the word "Swehatch", a derivation of "Soswehatch" (due to the natural split "so-swehatch" because "so" has a meaning in English):
1) noun: A sweet, caring, kind person.
    usage: "Hey, Swehatch. How goes it?"

All righty...well! Until next time!

An Eclectic Mix of Inspiration

I've gotten in the habit of cooking breakfast, taking it outside to the front patio, setting it down on the little table, and snapping a picture to send to my mom.  I almost certainly will get an excited "That looks delicious!!!" response within minutes (complete with an expressive emoji- she's so hip).  Sometimes I'll get something like "Where's the beef?" My dad can't help but give his occasional input.  Anyway...my mom (whom I'll call "Maj" from this point forward) started asking me for recipes because she's been feeling a little stagnant in the kitchen. The faint idea of a blog gets planted...

Yeah...not kidding when I say every morning.

I also have been reading quite the assortment of books this summer: The Color of Water, The Secret Life of Bees, Life of Pi, and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, to name a random few.  Each of these have woven themselves into the fabric of my thoughts.  I should mention, by the way- I have been living away from anything I've ever known this summer, which gives one ample time to think. And cook. And run. The three go oddly well together.

Furthermore, a more explicit influence on creating this blog: I was asked to look over two new blogs, one for a friend raising money to go to Honduras, and the other for my recently engaged sister. Looking at these and then connecting with part of Eat Pray Love has led me to want to share my thoughts. About life. About health- in mind, body and spirit.  Balance.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, food will take the spotlight of this blog, with the occasional non-edible tangent.

And then lastly...yesterday, my sister (the engaged one) asked me to send some recipes her way, upping my total requests for food ideas to two!  And so...well, enter "when health is yummy" (ever typed "recursion" into google? Sorry. Nerdy comp-sci joke.)

So. I'm going to start simple.  My grandma Josie has one rule of thumb for cooking, and that is that if you need many more fingers than that thumb to count a recipe's ingredients, well then forget it (her safe maximum is around 5).  So I shall call these...

Josie's Pancakes.

Because there are four ingredients. So easy. And quick. And HEALTHY!  Throw in whatever mix-ins you want, and viola! Delish.

Note the cute plate, and the matching fork! Thanks, Maj!

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 c. oat flour (or whole wheat, or whatever. I had oats, so I grounded them up and used that!)
6 oz. nonfat greek yogurt (meh- just eyeball it)
1 tsp. baking soda

Instructions:
Mix ingredients. Pour on hot skillet. Add mix-ins if desired! Flip when bubbly (which may be a little less obvious than the pancakes you're probably used to- just nudge the edge and peek underneath to see if it's slightly browned. If so, flip!). Top with more yummies, if desired, and consume.

I had one with sliced strawberries in it, topped with peanut butter. The other had cinnamon and chocolate chips, and was topped with peanut butter as well!

I ate these right after a long run- the perfect combination of carbs, protein, and healthy fats for a post-workout snack!