Lemon Quinoa Salad

This past week I had the most delicious lemon quinoa salad and have craved it ever since.  Quinoa is so healthy, light and good for you and reminds me of Summer! So of course I went on a hunt for a good recipe immediately, not joking either as I did it in between patients.  The thing with quinoa is I'm always afraid it's not going to come out right when I cook it, however the instructions below are perfect.  Today just before church, I made this recipe of course totally adapting it to my liking. 

1/4 onion, minced (which I didn't use, but I'm sure would add a little more taste)

1 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper 

1 3/4-2 cups quinoa, rinsed and dried

1 can chicken broth

lemon zest from one lemon

1 tsp fresh thyme or 4 1/4 tsp dried

juice from 1 lemon (about 2 tsp)

2 TBS chopped fresh parsley

Combine the onion, oil and 1/4 tsp salt in a large saucepan.  Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the onion is softened

Stir in the quinoa, increase the heat to medium and cook stirring often, until the quinoa is lightly toasted and aromatic, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the broth, lemon zest and thyme and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the quinoa is transparent and tender, 16-18 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat, lay a clean folded kitchen towel across the top of the pot and replace the lid. Let sit for 10 minutes, then fluff the quinoa with a fork.  Stir in the lemon juice and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Refrigerate unless you want this as a warm dish.  I like it cold.  I topped this with pistachio's, roasted pumpkin seeds and goat cheese.  This was the perfect after church treat today!

Mr. J Meets My Family FF!

1.  Again it's been 2 weeks since FF.  It boggles my mind how quickly the weeks have flown by since I've been in Phoenix.  I'm pretty sure it has something to do with a handsome man with blue eyes, a killer smile, an awesome sense of humor and the fact that he sends me morning texts that say, "Good Morning Pretty Girl."  Yes I know I put this picture on a few posts ago, but I love it!

2.  2 weeks ago I cooked Sunday dinner at Mr. J's where we had Leslie and Gordon and my brother Tanner and his friend Spencer over.  Tanner and Spencer are in Phoenix for the Summer selling pest control.  We had a yummy lemon pound cake for dessert which I got the recipe off of the sisters cafe website; of course I added vanilla and lemon zest to the recipe, because my momma taught me to put vanilla in everything.  It was suppose to be in a loaf pan, but I put it in a bundt pan.  After dinner we took Spencer and Tanner to see the construction of the Phoenix Temple.  It is so pretty.
3.  I have been working days, which I'm enjoying because I get to spend a little extra time with Mr. J.  It also gets me up early so that I can jog outside before it gets too hot, however I'm thinking today might have been the last one because it was super hot this morning.
4.  Last Thursday Mr. J and I probably only slept a few hours before we got up early Friday to catch the earliest flight out with Tanner to go home for the weekend.  I loved traveling with Mr. J; he carried my girly bag for me without even flinching because he is a total gentleman!  I can't begin to tell you what a great weekend we had at home with my family.  It was so good be able to to take someone home with me who I'm head over heels for.  Mr. J seemed to adjust naturally to all the craziness of our home.  We of course had to start out having lunch with my siblings, Alisha and baby Calvin at Flatbread Pizza; I love their vegi pizza and Italian salad.

Next was a Costco run of course, where I ran into my childhood friend Amy and then home for a short nap.  The kids came over and we finally got an updated family photo taken by Mr. J.  I loved the colors we chose and think they turned out super cute!  I loved my new Ralph Lauren yellow dress that I got last week, which worked out perfect for pictures!

5.  Saturday morning the girls went to Tami's Tea Cottage for brunch and surprise birthday party for my Auntie Thalia.  It was fun to celebrate her and her greatness and to spend time with the girls.  Meanwhile, Mr. J had breakfast with the boys at Golden Coral; nasty.

6.  We relaxed a bit Saturday afternoon and also made Gumbo!  My friends came over Saturday night which was so much fun.  I loved being able to sit and chat with them all, most of whom haven't seen me since I was bald.  The boys left around 9 to the racetrack.  Kaycee stayed until nearly midnight.  I love the times that we get to sit and chat for hours.

7.  Sunday was such a great day!  We had wonderful talks in church, a little picture taking, a yummy dinner and spent time with family and friends.

8.  Monday morning Mr. J and I went to the hand surgeons because I have a trigger finger in my right 5th finger.  So annoying.  It was great being able to meet Dr. Watkins, because I consulted with him often when I lived in Boise.  He was so awesome, gave me a cortisone shot that didn't even hurt, gave me wrist splints that we are hoping will help with my awful neuropathy and didn't even charge me.  Who does that these days?  We met Tenielle, Tristen and mom at Dad's work where we had a picnic and then said goodbye.
9.  Before heading to the airport mom and I took Mr. J to the train depot, because it's probably my most favorite place in Boise.  The view is beautiful and the smell of iris's were in the air!  Kaycee met us there to give me some books to read so that I can start my Summer Reading program!

10.  This week I went to both a Vegetarian and Peruvian restaurant.  They were both good, but the black bean and sweet potato burrito and lemon quinoa salad that I had at the vegetarian restaurant was super delicious.

Mother's Day

The days surrounding Mother's Day and the few days since I've thought a lot about my mom and all that she means to me.  My mom has always been the one constant in my life, but over the past year I relied on her more than I have since I was a child.

When I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer my mom was in the same room agonizing over the diagnosis I had just been given just as much as I was.  I can't imagine what it must have been like to have your first born be given a life threatening illness.  The next day she paced the floors, sat on hard chairs, and held it together for the most part, with the exception of an occasional breakdown, for  8 hours in the dungeon of the hospital as surgeons fished for tumors throughout my little body.  

She didn't dare leave the hospital until a fews days later when she knew I was in the hands of another family member after being instructed by my physician that she needed to go home for the evening.  As she drove home that night through tears and shear unbelief she vowed to have faith and not fear. 

She comforted my anxieties, concerns and doubts those many days in the hospital by playing Heavenly music on her ipod, holding me close and letting me cry.  She was strong for me by crying in the family waiting room on the Oncology floor instead of in front of me.  

When she couldn't see I was improving, she took it into her own hands to talk to nurses and Aunt Thalia to come up with a medication that could be presented to my physician that was the key to my improvement.  

She held my barf bag more than once, prayed more prayers than she has likely prayed and was the rock of faith needed on that 4th floor.

When I went home from the hospital 15 days later, my untrained nurse started my IV's, got up in the middle of the night for feedings and medications, changed and cleaned up my ileostomy, showered me, dressed me, did my laundry, helped me get out of bed and everything else because I literally couldn't do anything for myself and was reliant on her 100%.  

She took me to my first chemo appointment, physician visits and prayed effortlessly that the side effects would be minimal.  As my hair started to fall out she held out her hands as I would hand handfulls to her from the shower.  She to cried with me as my beautiful, dark hair in a weeks time fell from my head and I became a baldy.

I wil never forget her saying over and over again, "We can't go around this, we have to go through it."  I didn't just go through it, WE went through it together.  She cried with me as we exited the hall from my last chemo treatment, knowing we did it!  She celebrated along side me as we heard the words remission.  The past year had its down right awful moment's and I don't ever want to experience any of it ever again, but I'm grateful today for this amazing lady I call my mom.  I know that it is because of her, her strength, her prayers and her love that I was able to conquer such a difficult ordeal.  I will never be able to show her or tell her how much this year has meant to me, but know mom I love you more today than I did last Mother's Day.

Remember our photo shoot last fall?  Finally some picture from it!

Relaxing

No FF this week, which means I will have to catch up next week.  Just wanted you to know I'm having a fabulous time with Mr. J here in Idaho.  We are so much enjoying some relaxing time.  We've laughed a lot, eaten some yummy food, gone to Costco twice and Maverick so Mr. J could get his coke fix and I've shown him off to my friends and family.  Our relationship just keeps getting better and better...Just a sneak peak of crazy face family pictures we took yesterday!