This blog will help you towards healthier lifestyle choices!

I owned a State Approved K-6 for over 20 years and when it closed, I was devastated. However, I decided to make lemonade out of lemons and so I thought: I went to school for 40 years (one class at a time) and I have a PhD, I'll just look for a better job.



And, I did.....look that is, the "finding" part eluded me. I was 60 years old, never got sick and could outwork almost anyone half my age but, as I was looking for a job, it was NOT looking for me!



In the first two years after my school's closure, I applied for over 450 jobs (everything from Starbucks, to Admin Assistant to jewelry sales) and had no luck.



Finally a friend asked why I was counting the jobs and I realized I was focusing on what was NOT happening instead of what might happen so I quit counting, but not applying.



In order to survive, I sold my house and lived off the proceeds while I continued applying. I lived extremely frugally because I knew that the money would not last forever.



Over the years, I have continued to live frugally and apply for jobs. However, there truly is ageism in America today and I have been unsuccessful in getting a "real" job.



What I have been successful at is cobbling together a life by working at my many part time jobs! Currently, I have 2 jobs each day (subbing in the Auburn School District and tutoring at Sylvan Learning Centers). And I do other jobs occasionally such as Real Estate Broker, Author, and Editor.



Because I am a Health Coach, my passion is helping people be healthier.
Over the years, I've learned much about how to be healthy even if I wasn't wealthy so I decided to share my expertise with you! I will bring you tips, recipes, and many ideas on how to choose a healthy lifestyle, even if you are eating out of the local Food Bank and/or don't have much money to pay for gym memberships!

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Pumpkin Vinaigrette Quinoa


My friend, Diane, sent me this yummy recipe!

Pumpkin Vinaigrette Quinoa

Ingredients

·   1/2  cup  chopped pecans
·   1 cup quinoa
·   2 cups non-chicken vegetable broth (McKay's tastes just like chicken broth)
·   1/2  cup  sweetened dried cranberries or mixed blend of dried berries (I used blueberries, cranberries, raisins and cherries)
·   1  cup  finely chopped celery
·   3/4  cup  chopped green onions
·   ¼   - ½ cup  canned pumpkin
·   1/4  cup  balsamic vinegar
·   1  tablespoon  honey ( or more to taste)
·   1/2  teaspoon  salt
·   1/4  teaspoon  dried thyme
·   ½  tsp pumpkin pie spice (or more to taste)
·   1/4  teaspoon  pepper
·   1/3  cup  olive oil (or less to taste)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant.
2. Rinse quinoa; prepare quinoa according to package directions.  If you have a rice maker – quinoa cooks perfectly on the white rice setting. Let cool completely (about 25 minutes). Stir in cranberries, celery, green onions, and toasted pecans.
3. Whisk together canned pumpkin, next 6 ingredients. Gradually whisk in olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until blended.
4. Pour pumpkin vinaigrette over rice mixture; stir gently to coat. Cover and chill 2 to 24 hours. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Apple Slices with Date Dip from Swayze Foster

Swaze Foster has a "raw" website with lots of YouTube entries.  She has a great recipes and this one sounds absolutely yummy! Her website is www.fitonraw.com and here's the recipe:

4 Apples (choose your favorite)
10 Dates (khadrawy are very moist)
1-2 teaspoons of Carob
2 cups water (use a bit at a time)

Put dates into blender along with some water.  Blend, adding water as needed.
Slice apples.
Dip apple slices into date mixture and enjoy!

Swayze gets her dates from  www.7hotdates.com