Quinoa - the Mispronounced Grain Option

As a wife and mother trying to cook healthfully for my family... I have sometimes found myself at a loss as to what to serve for dinner. In the past, I would put our weekly menu together and find myself tired of the same whole-grain choices: brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, etc. When I went through my dietetics program, I was introduced to a vast array of foods in our cooking courses. One of the things introduced to me for the first time was quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). This single grain has given my cooking a boost for several reasons.

I consider quinoa a powerhouse grain in that it has more to offer nutritionally than others. It is higher in protein (7g per serving) than other grains and is considered a complete protein, providing all eight essential amino acids. Quinoa cooks faster than other grains and is a good source of fiber (3g per serving), magnesium, iron, folate and phosphorous. I love that it can be fairly versatile, being able to be used in place of rice, pasta or other grains and is great as a hot cereal or as a salad or side dish. Quinoa is also becoming more and more available at regular grocery stores. So next time you're trying to think of a side dish or a grain option for your meal... check out quinoa and see why it's become a staple in my kitchen.

Try one of my favorite quinoa recipes that I found in a Cooking Light magazine:

Quinoa Salad with Peaches

(makes 4 servings)

***To cook the quinoa:

Bring 1 and 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; add 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Fluff and cool quinoa slightly.

***For the salad stir in:

1/4 cup minced red pepper

1/4 cup chopped green onions

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 & 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 & 1/2 teaspoons honey

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 sliced ripe peach

Chill salad, serve and enjoy!

Serving size is ~1 cup. Calories: 196; Fat: 7.1g (sat 0.9g); Sodium: 245mg

Understanding the Nutrition Facts Label

The concept may seem basic to most, but I've been surprised and reminded recently that many people simply don't know how to interpret the Nutrition Facts Label on food items. In light of our country's state of health (particularly in regards to obesity) I believe this is a crucial concept to educate not only ourselves about, but also our friends and family members.

Here's a quick highlight of the nutrition facts label and what's most important to know:

• Start by checking out the serving size and how many total servings are in the container of food you are about to enjoy. So often we don't check this and wind up eating more than we should have.
• Next, look at the "calories" and "calories from fat". This number is per ONE serving. If you eat 2 servings, then you must multiply the calories by 2. As a general reminder, try to keep the "calories from fat" to less than 50% of the calories.
• Look then, at the columns "total fat", "cholesterol" and "sodium". These are the nutrients you want to limit. If you are comparing items, choose the one with the lowest number in each of these categories.
• Alternatively, the next columns to look at are the nutrients you want to get enough of, such as "vitamin A", "vitamin C", "calcium" and "iron". Again, if you are comparing items, choose the one with the highest number in each of these categories.
• The "footnote" is the section that follows, however it does not appear on all foods if the package is too small to include it. It is important to note that the footnote is the SAME on ALL labels and does not change from product to product. The purpose is to show nutrient daily values that are generally recommended for most Americans. This changes according to the number of calories a person eats in a given day.
• Lastly, it is important to look at the "% daily values" (which are based on a 2,000 calorie diet) to give you a gage of whether or not a food is high or low in a certain nutrient. As a quick guideline to %DV: 5% or less is low; while 20% or more is high. Take special note that there are NO %DV's for trans fats, protein or sugars in a product.

For a more complete guide to the nutrition facts label, click here and for another great article on how to read food labels, click here! For those with families, there is a great resource for teaching your kids about it on this website. Education starts with yourself, so take a moment to do a little reading on how you can better understand what you're putting into your body!

San Diego Reflections

It has now been almost 3 weeks since the Swift family made the big move up to Portland, Oregon. I can honestly say it's been a complete whirlwind of transition and change. Even though we've already had a few (to be expected) emotional ups and downs, we know and are trusting that God is good and He is with us - paving a new way of life for us up here.

Even though just removed, I am overwhelmed when I reflect on our experience in San Diego. God has been so faithful to us, teaching and molding us through our time and relationships there.
We were surrounded by so many relationships that touched our hearts, helped us grow, and stood by us through many of life's changes: the Studes, the Jungs, the Heinrichs, the Meshots, the Lehmans, the Yates, the Jacksons (plural), all of my growth group ladies, our Rock Bible study group, and countless others who we don't forget.
So much of our history was knit together in San Diego, around these dear friends. It's the place where we both went to school, we spent most of our dating years, met and groomed lifelong friends, grew together from newlyweds into a (more) mature marriage, had our first baby and made countless "young family" memories with our daughter. Most importantly, it's where Jeremy and I both feel God has worked on our hearts and tried to grow us the most so far. Yes, San Diego holds so much that is precious to our hearts.
In light of all the blessings that came out of our time there... Jeremy and I have grown more and more to desire what God wants for us. I don't want to over-spiritualize our decision to move up here, but we do feel God's hand of peace over us that this is what's right for us, for now.
We are already soaking up the sweet aroma of having family so close to us... We are enjoying conversations, experiences and many meals that don't have to be packed into a single weekend - leaving us more exhausted than anything else. We have so many hopes for stronger relationships and more memories with our parents and siblings, finding a church we can grown in and give back to, new experiences with cold weather sports and being open to new friendships that God will bring our way.
Right now is just the hard part... we still feel the aching of not having our friends near by and of not having our family "normal" and all the things we miss... yet, we are in a place of waiting and looking forward with anticipation for God to reveal new directions for us.
Thanks to Katie Eaton and the book she gave me, I am quickly learning a simple lesson: to not compare our new circumstances with our old ones. To let our past as a family in San Diego just be... sweet, sweet memories; and let our future together in the Northwest just come...
Thank you to all of our family and friends who have supported us, loved us and walked with us through this chapter of change. You have left us with a sweet taste of what Christ's love for us really encompasses...

~ Much love, Jeremy, Audi, Harper and baby boy Swift

Picture Update - Last Weeks in San Diego

I am finally up in Oregon after a long week of packing, awaiting my husband's arrival at my parents' house, as he and his dad are driving our cars up from San Diego. I wish I could reflect more on the past few weeks, but feel too emotionally drained to write anything that's too deep from the heart right now... so I decided to just share some pictures that hightlight some sweet moments. I'm sad to say that we don't have many pictures with our friends as I broke our camera while I was at SeaWorld having a "mommy & Harper day"... we have those memories in our hearts though!

Dada and Harper sharing a "good night" book session. Sweet times... as we savor having just one kid for a bit longer.
We were so excited to celebrate our friends Eric and Katey Yates getting married in July. Their wedding was so much fun and she couldn't have been more gorgeous!

Kara, Jordan and I waiting to take in the ceremony and see our handsome guys! These girls have meant so much to me - I love you ladies!
Me and my love! I'm so blessed to live life with this man...
Eric getting in some snuggle time with Harper and Annika in the early morning after the wedding fesivities. The Jung's have been constants for us and we are so thankful for friends we can just be with... We love you guys!

Rhiannon, Carter, Harper and I at SeaWorld... You two are so dear to Harper and my hearts... I will cherish all the memories we shared with our kiddos!
It's our Harper-bug... taking a picture at the San Diego zoo. Jeremy has called her that since day 1 so it seemed appropriate.
Jeremy and I intentionally spent a Saturday just taking Harper in... We took her to our favorite breakfast spot - the Cantina. As we ate, we remenisced our favorite memories with her... bringing her into our bed in the early am when she was an infant, the countless moments we saw her budding personality as she got older, taking her on all her crazy 1st year trips (Oregon, Utah, Hawaii, all over Europe, etc.), taking her to the pumpin patch in Julienne, daddy playing chase with her constantly, all her snuggle times... we could go on and on.
The same day we spent time with Harper, we shared our first family popcorn eating session... Harper loves it and it's these simple moments that I live for.
Like our family day, I took my last "free day" in San Diego to spend time with just Harper. We went to SeaWorld for the day and had a blast. We saw all the animals that she loves, shared lunch together, jumped around the "tumble area" in the Elmo section, played in the sand pit, got to give Bert and Ernie high-fives and get her picture taken with Elmo! It was the perfect day with my girl.
Here is Harper spotting the polar bear... she even growled when she saw him!
Harper and I spent a special morning at the park celebrating her friend Carter turning 2! We did it in style with a sprinkle doughnut for the birthday boy, coffees for the mom's and his "Buzz lightyear" themed presents ;)
Carter, happily eating his doughnut, and his sweet mommy and my friend Rhiannon. We love this memory with you two!
Carter said a "special" thank you to Harper for his gifts... I LOVE this picture, while Jeremy can't quite bring himself to looking at it (signs of the future?).
Harper had her last day of swimming lessons right before our big move. Mimi, Auntie Kara and Dada all got to watch her skills in the water... then we all went to breakfast downtown... a great morning!
While our house was turned completely upside-down with the move... Mimi was a genius and set up Harper's little splash pool on the porch so she could have some fun, yet still be near us while we worked. Thank you Mimi and Auntie Kara for ALL that you did for our family during the move... we truely could have NEVER done it without your hard work, love and support!

Letting Go and Embracing the Future

Our impending move to Oregon is right around the corner, and I have found myself feeling very sentimental recently... blame it on being pregnant if you will, but I think it has more to do with realizing the blessings in my life. Yes, in San Diego, there are countless friends and relationships I am sad to leave, family rituals and traditions I am reluctant to let go of, and have a general heavy heart as I think of closing the chapter on this place where we've begun our family... but all of these things have made our lives richer, sweeter. Jeremy and I have shared a few conversations about our memories dating here, being newlyweds here, and having our first baby here. Yes... sweet, sweet memories.

I am especially sentimental when I think of Harper... and the fact that our time with JUST her is ending in a handful of weeks when we welcome her little brother. I felt this same way about not wanting to let go of life just being Jeremy and I, right before Harper was born. So much joy has followed Harper entering into our lives, and I know we'll feel the same overwhelming joy when our little boy joins us. Nonetheless, it has made me pause, in the midst of our busy routine, and just hug her and tell her I love her once more... because I can't stop time and she's growing up way too fast.
I know in this moment she doesn't comprehend all the change in front of us, but I do... and I want to cherish every minute I have with just my girl. Tears fill my eyes as I write - because of the love she has brought into our lives... and (it may sound funny to some) the simple fact that as a stay-at-home mom... she has been my little girlfriend. All the frustrations of discovering a dirty diaper just as I buckle her in the car-seat, cleaning up spilled milk on my carpet, or nights of interrupted sleep fade away when held next to the brightness of her spirit, the sweet little kisses she gives me, or the way she says "mama" when she really needs me.

No amount of words on a page can express the love a mother has for her child... it is a deep love that makes my heart ache when I think of having to "let go" of this chapter to fully embrace the gift of the future. Never before have I wanted so badly to freeze time and never so badly have I wanted to express something that I know won't be fully understood until Harper has kids of her own someday...

So for now, I am kissing and hugging her more, soaking up all the little moments with her, and continually thanking God for the incredible blessing of being a parent.

Recipe Rennovation - Blueberry Buckle

I enjoy sweets and breakfast... Is that a crime? Not if you live with the guideline of "everything is ok in moderation".

So, when my husband and I invited our friends over for brunch, I knew I definitely wanted to make a coffee cake to go along with our egg-white omelets. I landed on making "Blueberry Buckle", a recipe my mom made often when I was growing up. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to try to make the recipe a bit healthier for all involved in eating its deliciousness.

I doubled the recipe so we could have some left overs for a couple days. Here are a few of the additional changes I made:

1) The original recipe for blueberry buckle calls for shortening, which I cringe at using for its hydrogenated oils. I substituted it with non-dairy butter (so my daughter with lactose intolerance could eat with us).

2) Next, I substituted the whole eggs for egg-whites. I know it's not much, but I thought "why not decrease the cholesterol for today?". ***Note: 1 1/2 oz or 3Tbs egg whites = 1 whole egg.

3) In everything I cook, I almost always substitute whole-wheat flour for white flour. In this recipe I used whole-wheat pastry flour to try to keep the texture light and fluffy.

4) Throughout the recipe, I used 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 brown sugar to add richness and less refined sugar.

5) Lastly, I added an extra cup of organic frozen blueberries to boost the antioxidant and nutritional content.

To my satisfaction, the recipe turned out beautifully and was VERY forgiving! Next time I make this, I will do the same substitutions but want to try using applesauce instead of butter - just to see if it will work. For me, it is exciting to try and make recipes a little more healthy and still be able to enjoy the sweet things in life!

Helpful Resources for Buying Organic

As many of you know, I have been on the hunt for better ways to shop and cook more healthfully for my family. Part of this commitment has meant buying organic produce, dairy and meat as often as I can.

One of the questions I have been trying to find a solution to is "where can I shop for organic produce that is both economical and convenient?". I tried normal grocery stores, but felt disappointed time and time again in their prices and selection. I tried Specialty Produce (a wholesale distributing company who sells farmers' market bags weekly, which are full of local, organic and sustainable produce from over a dozen farmers), but found it to be more of a "once in a while" type of resource as it 1) seemed repetitive week after week until new produce came into season, and 2) was hard to meal plan for, as each week's bag was a surprise until the day before. I still love Trader Joe's for lots of items, but have never been satisfied with the amount of organic produce they carry. This all lead me to give the Ocean Beach People's Organic Food Market a try. It is a member-owned vegetarian consumer co-op here in our local neighborhood in San Diego. I paid $10 for an annual membership and can guarantee when I walk in that ALL the produce inside is organic, local and seasonal for reasonable prices. I have even begun to purchase all of my whole wheat flour and grains there in their bulk section. Shopping here does have what other's might consider drawbacks. I have had to adjust my shopping routine to go to two different stores, but for our family, it is worth peace of mind that we are putting better foods into our bodies. Also, the store is small, so quarters are tight. For us, this means having my husband come home 30minutes early one night a week so I can go without the company of our 18-month old daughter. I encourage you to look into local resources such as a co-op like this - you never know what might be around your corner...

Another resource I have found extremely helpful in my effort to purchase organic produce is to refer to the "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean 15" lists. I know for many, it is either not always economically feasible to buy ALL organic produce, or these organic produce items are not available where you shop. These lists give you the top 12 produce items with the highest amount of pesticide residues (those you would want to be certain to purchase organic) and the top 15 produce items with the lowest amount of pesticide residues (those you could skip buying organic if you have to). I found this neat, printable pocket guide to keep in my wallet as a quick reference on my shopping trips. I also found this more comprehensive list of 49 fruits and Vegetables and where they fall on the list of pesticide residue amounts.