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New friends

Hi everyone!
WOW – so sorry I have been MIA. I’ve actually had some downtime but since Marc and I share a computer it’s been tough to have it for a block of time. He is very busy right now with his scholarship projects and needs it quite a bit. Oh well – it’s a compromise thing, right? šŸ˜‰

Tonight I have been busy working on my project site with Marc. It is for his scholarship fund that helps Student-Athletes of Washington State. Check it out! www.thejackreynoldsscholarshipfund.com

Since I haven’t been blogging about ANY of my eats as of late, here are some pictures to tantalize your taste buds!

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This was last night’s dinner. Marc was at a committee meeting so I opted for quinoa noodles with some spinach marinara and nice light spring mix salad with a drizzle of raspberry vinaigrette, grape tomatoes and toasted pine nuts.
For those of you that haven’t tried quinoa noodles, please do! They are much better than rice noodles – light, fluffy, soft and tasty! We are not gluten free but I try to buy other alternatives to wheat if I can. And you all know how much I LOVE quinoa!

This morning Baby J let me sleep in until 7! He has been waking up at about 6-6:15 and he is very cranky at that early. It’s dark in his room so I really have no clue as to why he is waking up that early. But sleeping in until 7 felt great! Thanks, my little boy!

It’s so sweet of Marc – he always gives me my first cup of coffee in the morning. šŸ™‚

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I make it but he pours it for me. I love it!
I made some time this morning to head to the gym so I ate a half of a peanut butter Cliff bar, and then the rest after I came back home.

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My knee is feeling so much better! Not 100% and believe me, I am not pushing it. I ran a mild 2.5 miles in 25 minutes then hit the stair master. I need to get some leg strength back into my legs as I haven’t been pushing them the past few weeks. I also have been icing my knee to prevent further injury.

After a nice shower I walked into the kitchen on a mission. To find a recipe that I could incorporate my pomegranates into!
Well, I didn’t “find” a recipe, I made one up! I don’t even know what to call it… it’s just a mixture of this and that, but OMG was it ever so good!

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I will post a recipe on it with the entire ingredient list and directions, but for now I will give a brief description. I used quinoa as the base – I boiled it with a bay leaf, dried basil, parsley, Italian seasoning and poultry seasoning (mainly for the sage as I didn’t have any plain sage). I added about a cup of frozen carrots and peas, too. Once it was cooked I let it cool and the fun began! I just kept grabbing items out of the fridge and pantry – it felt like I was concocting something magical! I added toasted pine nuts, dried cranberries, pomegranate arils (the actual name of the fruit), fresh basil, EVOO, s & p and feta crumbles. It turned out wonderfully! This could be used as a side dish with chicken, turkey or pork but since I don’t eat a lot of meat, I used this salad, of sorts, as my main meal for lunch!

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Along with a mini brie, some Mary’s Gone Crackers and a VERY ripe red pear. I found these mini brie’s at the store and I just love them!

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I even used them as a spoon for the quinoa – a perfect combo!
After lunch I was feeling a bit restless so I packed up Baby J and set out to the book store – my favorite place! I received a very sweet Birthday package from my dearest friend, Sophie, which included a gift card to Borders! Thank you, sweetie! (PS – I AM NOT AVOIDING YOU šŸ™ – Been insanely busy, and I know that is no excuse not to call or text, Please forgive me! I gravel at your feet! I love you xoxoxox)

Off I go! (Yes, I know I’m a dork – hehe)

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One thing that I love about driving is I get a chance to listen to music. Back in my HighSchool days I ALWAYS listened to music. I would stay up late, have my disk player in hand and jam out. Now I only listen to it when I am at the gym OR in the car. Our Tahoe has built in XM Radio and I am obsessed over 1st Wave and The Coffeehouse stations.

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1st Wave plays a mixture of Depeche Mode, The Cure, New Order, The Clash… basically old school British punk/rock/alternative. LOVE IT!

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The Coffeehouse is all acoustic singer-songwriters, just what you would hear in a coffeehouse! Very relaxing and puts me in an instant good mood. šŸ™‚

I found a bunch of treasures at Borders!
First a cute book for Jordan – this kept him busy while I shopped.

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I found this beauty on the clearance rack – it has descriptions and pictures of hundreds of ingredients that you can cook with. I thought this would be a valuable resource to have in the kitchen.

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And the Grand Daddy of them all: The Worlds Healthiest Foods. It is my new bible for nutrition facts, food facts and over all eating healthy. George knows what he is talking about, no doubt about it! I was only able to flip through the pages, all 800+, and I am excited to actually sit down, take notes and learn from this massive book.
You can visit his website at www.whfoods.org

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I also for a fun literary guide – one can never stop learning!

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And one of my favorite magazines: Bust. It’s indie, it’s feministic, it’s bold and blunt – LOVE IT!

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Phew – all of that shopping made me quite hungry so I snack on soy nuts as I browsed the pages of my new friends.

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And look what else I received in the mail: MORE MAGAZINES!
Ahem, I have a “small” addiction to magazines. They are like candy or presents to me. I love the feeling of getting something other than a bill in the mail and magazines brighten up my day! I have like 6 or 7 subscriptions right now – shhh don’t tell Marc. šŸ˜‰

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After Baby J went to sleep, Marc and I worked hard at the scholarship website – it’s 1 AM folks! We started at 7.
I had a pretty basic dinner/snack of Oikos, almond butter, granola and a honey crisp apple.
The some coconut mint ice cream – because I deserved it! šŸ™‚

Wow – I have got to get into bed. I have a feeling that since Jordan went to bed a tad early tonight he will be up early, too. 5 hours of sleep will not cut it!
Goodnight!

PS – Don’t forget about my give away!

4 responses to “New friends”

  1. sophie n Avatar

    no worries!! i know you're busy and got nothing but love for you! i have the cooking ingredients book too!! i love it!! i just love how it has really good descriptions and pics to go along with it…i actually really like it WHF…i've never seen the book but i have been on the website a few times when doing a report and need to brush up on a food item…

  2. justine Avatar

    WOw, you have been a busy bee!! Food looks lovely. Lovey you quinoa of this and that. So colorful. Cool books and mags. I have never seen the Bust before. I will have to check that out on my next visit to the book store. ~Justine

  3. greensandjeans Avatar

    I will definitely need to check out quinoa noodles! I have a major magazine addiction as well, but luckily, my best friend here in Phoenix does too, so we swap when we're done, so I only need to subscribe to half of the ones I want to read…

  4. lesley living life Avatar

    Yum! Ooooh, we just got some quinoa noodles yesterday and have yet to try them but they sound so good! Now I'm even more excited : )

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Hello, and welcome! I’m Tasha, the Clean Eating Mama, and I’ve been sharing my journey and passion for wholesome living since 2008. Over the years, I’ve explored countless recipes, tips, and insights into clean eating, all aimed at making healthy choices both delicious and accessible. Whether you’re a seasoned health enthusiast or just starting out, I hope you find inspiration and joy in the content I share. Read full bio.

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