Go-To Dish

I first heard of Quinoa (ki-nwa) because one of the Aveda shampoos has Quinoa as an ingredient. Low and behold, I find out, Quinoa is not only good for your hair, but your body as well. It is somewhat of a funny food, as it is a lot like a grain, but it is in fact related to beets, spinach and....tumbleweeds. Because of it's significant amount of amino acids, quinoa is actually a complete protein! Anyway, onto the delicious stuff...

My beautiful, wonderful and talented friend Jessica cooked this dish for me a few months ago, and it has become the "go-to" meal in my house ever since.

What you need:
Quinoa (a little spendy, but buy it in bulk at Winco or Freddy's and you will save some money)
Italian seasoning (or basically any seasoning, I didn't have what the recipe called for a couple of times and made do)
Tons of veggies (I use, spinach, diced mushrooms, diced zuchini, garlic, chopped onion, shredded carrots, peppers, whatever is in my fridge)
Sharp Cheddar (yum)

What to do:
- Mix 1 part Quinoa, 2 parts water in a pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer until water is gone. Put lid on and set aside.
- Put the vegetables (minus the spinach), and seasoning in a pan or wok with about 2 tablespoons Olive Oil. Saute until delicious.
- Add spinach towards the end
- Add salt and pepper to taste

I usually throw the Quinoa in with the vegetables once they are done and add a little grated cheese.

The BEST thing about this meal is you can serve it so many different ways, and you do not have to follow the recipe exactly. Jessica stuffed red peppers with her Quinoa mixture and baked the peppers with the stuffing inside. I serve mine with Panko and Parmesan encrusted Tilapia.

photo is a little busy due to our lack of white dishes.

Try it out and let me know how it went or if you made any yummy changes.

Mom's Day Madness!

This Mother's Day, Mike and I hosted for my side of the family, which proved to be most rewarding and a little chaotic. I tend to over-commit myself and end up stressing out when I entertain (although I must say, it always turns out spectacular)! Because of this lovely little fact about myself, I kept the menu very simple. BLTACs (bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado and cheese), my Grandma's macaroni salad and fresh fruit with homemade whipped cream. If you ask my Brother, he would say he could have done without the whipped cream - only because I gave him the tedious job of whipping it.

We put a pretty table cloth on our table, and made the island look pretty. It's amazing what a $10 bouquet can do for a small space. By the way... If you ever want fresh flowers for an event, or just to add some color - you should drive out towards Boring. There are so many flower stands with beautiful bouquets for anywhere from $5 to $10. Such a steal, especially keeping in mind they are double or triple the size you can buy for that much at a grocery store. Sadly, it is no longer the most convenient option for me, and seeing as I am a chronic procrastinator...I settled for Freddy's selection.

 Obsessed with my Anthropologie bowls. The table cloth is from an antique store in Missouri.

 Grandma & Mom opening their much deserved Mother's Day gifts.

In the end, although our tiny kitchen was crowded...I think the day was a success! I even had some wonderful and experienced ladies help me load the dishwasher after!

If these walls could talk...

Finally! We have hammered the first nail(s) in the wall! I have had newspaper cutouts taped to the wall for weeks now, just waiting for my mom's approval on the placement of our "photo collage".  She was brilliant when she recommended tracing each picture frame on newspaper and cutting them out. This allowed me to tape the cutouts to the wall and play around with how I wanted them organized. I have hung photo collages before and I can tell you - this was much easier.

Michael and I love looking around at antique stores and we found quite a treasure last time we were there. The antique mall in Troutdale has a large collection of old newspaper pages out of the Oregonian, New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle. They had the most interesting photos and topics on them and we bought 3 different ones. After all was said and done, the total came to $20.80. We plan to purchase frames and matting for the newspaper pages and hanging them upstairs. Such an inexpensive way to get beautiful, entertaining and unique wall art! I am so excited to see how they turn out and I think our guests will have a fun time enjoying the content of the papers. 

I can go to sleep tonight feeling a little more accomplished and a little more like this is our home. Tomorrow is Mother's Day and the first real event we will hold at our new home. It's a little stressful, because I always want everything to be perfectly coordinated and put together - but I am sure it will all come together.

The Great Outdoors

Photo of our new address on the front of our house!

Progress with our house is coming along slowly but surely. It's amazing how much time and effort (and money) goes into making improvements - both big and small. The painting downstairs is done and we will soon be hanging pictures and art on the walls. We were so thankful for all of the help we received with moving in, cleaning and painting. We certainly have some amazing folks in our lives.      

One thing I was so excited to accomplish was purchasing flowers and pots and planting some colorful flowers to brighten our porch. After much anticipation - and a few setbacks, I have planted two large pots of beautiful flowers, along with some Oregano and Coriander. We are looking forward to re-landscaping our tiny little yard, hopefully in the near future. I cannot wait until we have a little garden and some cozy chairs to lounge in. Summer makes me so hopeful and happy.

Just planted my Oregano in a pretty pot! My Cilantro (not pictured) did not look so pretty...let's hope it perks up a bit. I have a lot of Yumm Bowls to make and they are not the same without Cilantro.

African Daisies! I forgot the trailing I used. My mom and Kim (long time friend/neighbor growing up and new neighbor), helped me plant them!



I am thoroughly enjoying cooking for both Mike and I and I am trying to get inspired by my numerous cook books. I am finding that it is so difficult to find the time to cook elaborate meals, but I am trying. I would love to post any news and pictures of new and exciting recipes I try out for my lovely future hubby and myself. If anyone has any "must try" recipes, shoot them my way so I can try them!