Somalian Perspective

While I sit here and post pictures of food, and like your pictures of fashion and even pin pictures of design ideas, I'm struck with a bit of harsh perspective when I read about Somalia right now.

You probably know that in the last 24 hours the UN has declared Somalia to be in the state of famine.  Good thing they did, because we might not otherwise have heard that the people of this country are in THE MOST serious food insecurity situation in the ENTIRE world.  All livestock are dead and malnutrition rates are up over 30%.  People are dying.  They are dying fast.  11 million people are at risk.... especially if world leaders are slow to act.

Sign the petition.  Ask your government to act quickly.
Ways to give.  I don't know the best organization to donate to, but here are a few options I trust.

Amnesty International, Hands at Work

The Canadian Red Cross has a link to donate.
Amnesty International has a link to donate.
Compassion Canada has a link to donate.
World Vision Canada has a link to donate.

The crowd was pleased!! Quinoa Chicken Broccoli Casserole

This comes with RAVE REVIEWS.  Seriously.  My family ate the whole pan!  It's cheesy goodness will win you over!!! Yay for learning to cook with QUINOA!

1 cup quinoa (cooked - I did mine in a rice cooker)
2 cups water (water needed to cook quinoa)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used shrimp)
3 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups light sour cream
1/2 cup light mayo
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp minced fresh basil
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used mozzarella & cheddar)

Preheat oven to 350º
Spread cooked quinoa over the bottom of your casserole pan.
Brown the chicken breasts both sides (5 minutes each side) OR, I fried the shrimp in coconut oil.
Cool the chicken and slice into 1 inch wide strips. OR shell the shrimp and spread evenly in pan.
Steam your broccoli slightly.  You want it still slightly uncooked.

 Place the broccoli on top.

Mix the sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, curry, mustard & basil.
Spread on top of everything else in the pan

Spread the cheese on top. Take a picture with the cookbook.
Cook for about 20-25 minutes until the cheese is browned.

 

 DELISH!

 

I served it with these yummy bread sticks I found on Pinterest. They are basically pizza dough, rolled and twisted.  On top I added coarse salt & Italiano Seasoning.  Fresh herbs would be even better.

 

So yummy.  The crowd was pleased!

Chocolate Covered Cookie Dough

How's that for a grabby Blog Post Title?! Ok, not so witty, but yummy sounding right?

A couple of friends of mine came over the other night.  One of them is 9 months pregnant.  We made dinner for our guys who were putting in a 12 foot dormer in the roof line of her house.  Before the guys got back to our place we decided we needed to make something for dessert.  After all  our men had been working oh so hard all day.  Whatever.  We wanted dessert.... and SHE wanted it now.

We searched Pinterest for something fast, easy, chocolatey, and preferably didn't need to be cooked.  Everything we wanted contained peanut butter.  But I was out; there was but one measly little teaspoon left in the bottom of the jar.  We HAD to find something else.... to either put her into labor or keep her from labor, I'm not sure.


This is what we came up with...

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Covered in Chocolate!
You don’t need to add baking soda, since these won’t be going into the oven – if you’re going to bake them, add 1 tsp. baking soda to the flour.
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
pinch salt
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars for a minute or two, until fluffy; add the eggs and vanilla and beat again. Add the flour and salt and beat until almost combined; add half the chocolate chips and beat on low speed or stir just until blended.
Shape the dough into large marble-sized balls and place them on an un-greased baking sheet, then refrigerate or freeze until firm.
Melt the rest of the chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave, or a small pot over low heat on the stovetop (careful it doesn’t burn!) – dip the balls of dough, using a fork if you want to coat them completely. Set them on a sheet of parchment or foil and let sit (or refrigerate) until firm.
Makes lots.

Making Quinoa Palatable

About 6 months ago I bought the Costco package of Quinoa... made it for dinner (in replace of rice).... no one liked it. Not even me.   There was something in the aftertaste that was bitter...  And so was I.  Bitter at the fact that this "superfood" was not so super.  Bitter that I had bought a large package and it wasn't being used.

Full of riboflavin, calcium, vitamin E, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, beta carotene it's one of the world's healthiest foods.  It's one of the top ten muscle building foods because of it's protein, amino acids and complex carbohydrates, providing energy and endurance to our bodies.  There is no gluten in quinoa making it a perfect food for those individuals who are vegan, vegetarian, gluten intolerant or have celiac disease, Crohn's, or colitis.  I WANT to LIKE this food!!!

In Port McNeill, there was a store going out of business.  It had gifts (I got a couple wub-a-nub stuffy pacifiers for 1/3 the cost I paid for Myelle's, which I meant to gift in the first place, but I couldn't find her plain pacifier one night and in desperation opened the package intended for a friend's baby) Irresistibly cute right?!

I digress.   In Port McNeill, in the store that was closing out, I found a book of like 200 Quinoa recipes.  Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood.  Score.  It looked sooooo good.  I could make this stuff taste great!!  Breakfast, lunch, supper and snack recipes.  Granola, waffles, loaves, casseroles, soups, cereals & desserts!! At closing out store prices, I couldn't lose! 

Here's my first simple attempt at making Quinoa palatable.

The Ultimate Qunioa Granola

2 1/2 cups large flake rolled oats
3/4 cup sliced almonds (original recipe says whole)
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup quinoa (uncooked)
1/4 cup flaked  unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup walnut pieces (I used pecans)
1 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon (I didn't add)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup rasins

Mix the dry ingredients.
Mix the wet ingredients.
Combine dry and wet ingredients.
Sprinkle cinnamon on top.
Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 225º for 1 hour. 
Cool.  Then toss in dried fruit.

Store in sealed container for up to 4 weeks in your cupboard.

Served over fresh yogurt.  YUMMY!!!