Black Bean & Avocado Quinoa Salad

With the start of the new year I decided to post a delicious and healthy dish.  I was going for an Indian flavor with less-traditional Indian ingredients, like quinoa, when creating this recipe because we LOVE Indian food in our house.  My 19 month old loved every bite -- except the avocados, crazy girl.  It was loved so much by my husband that when I asked him what I should call this he said "Quinoawesome!"  He makes me laugh.  Obviously I went the traditional route with the name.  This dish is good for a light lunch for two people or as a side to grilled fish or chicken.

Black Bean & Avocado Quinoa Salad

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 T. coconut oil
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• pinch or two of sea salt
• 1 1/2 t. garam masala
• pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 t. garlic powder
• 1 Roma tomato, chopped
• 2 avocados, chopped
• lime, cut into wedges
• alfalfa sprouts (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan or rice cooker, combine the quinoa and broth and cook according to package directions.  Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a frying pan and add onions with a pinch or two of salt.  Once onions are almost soft and transparent, add the garam masala and red pepper flakes.  Cook for about a minute, stirring constantly.  Add the black beans and garlic powder and stir until heated through.  Remove from heat and stir in cooked quinoa and tomatoes.  Can be served warm or cold.  When serving, top with avocado and alfalfa sprouts, and sprinkle with lime juice.

Home-Made Powdered Laundry Detergent

Making laundry detergent is something I've been interested in since we made our move in August.  Money is tight and this is a good way to cut costs.  I also like the idea of making my own cleaning products because I can avoid fillers and, in some cases, leave the nasty chemicals out.  Originally, I made a liquid version I found a recipe for made of blue dawn, borax, and washing soda because it was a small batch recipe.  I don't have the space for the usual huge batch and I generally prefer liquid soap.  The recipe was highly recommended but it wasn't working for me.  The borax and washing soda also began to crystal-ize within a day or two.  Reluctantly I began to search for a small-batch DRY detergent.  I ended up combining a few recipes and this stuff is awesome!  I have never been so excited about laundry detergent.  My whites, which have been getting dingier and dingier in our sad, community, quarter-operated washer with our sad laundry detergent, came out of their first wash bright white!  Seriously, this stuff is working miracles for me so I want to share it!

Home-Made Powdered Laundry Detergent:

• 1 bar Fels Napth soap, grated finely (this soap is pretty soft and easy to grate)
• 2 cups Borax
• 2 cups Washing Soda
• 1/2 cup Baking Soda
• 1 cup Oxyclean
• 2 capfuls Purex Scented Laundry Crystals (this is optional, but it really adds great scent)

Combine all ingredients well.  Use 2-3 tablespoons in a load of wash. (I just use the cap that came with the Purex bottle.)

I found all of these products in the laundry isle of my supermarket.  The detergent took about 10 minutes to make, including grating the Fels Naptha.  It's quick, it's easy and smells great!

Gratitude

So I realize that I haven't posted anything since June and have probably lost interest in most, if not all, of my few followers.  I guess I better explain why.

As I stated in previous posts, we spent most of the summer in Arkansas and Louisiana.  We did our time out there then headed home in the beginning of July, only to move a month later.  It was such a huge move for us that we pretty much started over from scratch, selling, lending out/storing, or giving away most of what we had.  The baby's crib plus two boxes were shipped to our new address.  The only other belongings we brought were our 2 pieces of luggage each plus carry-on.  Saying we were overwhelmed when we arrived would be a definite understatement.  Although everything that could go wrong did, we had so many answers to prayers.  Since it is November I will go ahead and list them as my "Daily November Gratitudes" and add more things I feel blessed about.

1. Finally getting an apartment 5 days before moving out here.

2. James and Jamal, who are other students in the PhD program, for going to apartment showings for us, having never met us before.

3. Jamal for picking us up from the airport.

4. Jamal for driving us to the rental car place once we picked up the apartment keys from the landlord.

5.  For Darren making an accidental phone call to James, when he meant to call Jamal, who got us in touch with a couple in his ward who had a futon to give away.

6. Brett and Heidi, who were on vacation, letting us go into their house to get the futon while they weren't there.

7. Their friend who met us there to convince the landlord to let us in.

8. For this futon that we hate so much and slept on for two weeks and are still using as our couch.  No matter how much we hate you, you were a life saver because we would have been sleeping on the hard, laminate floor without any blankets our first night here without you.  

9.  Finding a good running car for the right price.

10. Finally getting everything taken care of at the DMV after about 5 visits.

11. Judge for excusing the ticket Darren received because our tags weren't up to date because of DMV issues.

12.  Brother-in-law Chad for going online and setting up our car insurance because our internet wasn't hooked up yet.

13.  Finding free dining chairs and an inexpensive table on craigslist.

14. Our first friends out here Heidi and Greg

15.  All the friends we've made since.  We have an awesome social life and haven't been this cool since we got married :)

16. Getting to pick out a perfect mattress and finding it for a great price at Costco.

17. My calling Young Womens.  I love the women I get to hang out with dearly and am really enjoying working with the girls on their person progress.

18. Rarely having a weekend with no plans with friends.

19.  Going to my Tuesday night sewing class with Haley.  She is one of the greatest people I have met and am so glad she liked me enough to invite me to go with her.

20.  Baby girl has many cute friends in the ward that she loves to play with.

21.  She gets to go to nursery now and loves it!

22.  Darren works so hard at school and does everything he can to make sure we have a wonderful life to enjoy now and even more to look forward too.

23.  Living in such a beautiful place.

24.  Getting to go to the beach almost as much as we want.

25.  Little miss 18 month old takes naps and goes to bed for the night so easily, usually with no crying at all.

26.  Getting any sleep at all with sharing our room with our 18 month old because we only have one bedroom.

27.  Desire and willpower to exercise consistently for the first time in my life.  Usually I get excited for about a week then quit.  My husband is my inspiration because the stronger he gets, I want my body to match.

28.  My beautiful, happy, smart, strong-willed, tender, sweet, energetic, loving baby girl that I get to hone, love and protect.

29.  Living far from my parents, I feel that I appreciate all they have done and do for me/us more.  I only wish I was better at showing my gratitude for them.

30.  The sweet songs my girl sings at home, while sitting in the shopping cart, in the car, anywhere and everywhere.  She knows Elmo's World, Elmo's got the Moves, "Arthur" theme song, Popcorn Popping, Twinkle Little Star, ABC's, Book of Mormon Stories, Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam, Patty-cake, Hello! Hello!, the Ants Go Marching, and many more.

31.  My in-laws for accepting in to their family almost 4 years ago with open arms and for making sure I know that they love me.

32.  My amazingly hot husband, who knows how to make me happy in every way.  He is so kind and never selfish.  I can't imagine my life without him, and I'm so glad we met when we did.  I wasn't planning on getting engaged at 19 and married at 20, but baby I'm so glad we did!

33.  For the complete strangers who walk up to us in public to talk to little miss and tell me how cute and beautiful and good-natured she is.  I know she is but it's always great to know that other people think the same thing.

34.  The new camera we were able to get from our reward points when our old one started dying.

35.  Staying 100% debt free all through undergrad.

36. Finally getting out of this creative rut!  You can definitely expect more from me in the "nearish" future as I have a couple projects planned though not started.

There are many more things that I haven't listed but I can only recall so many things in one sitting.  I'm so grateful for the beginning of the holiday season.  Happy Thanksgiving!