Lunch For One Plus More

I have had a wonderful day even though Blogger has given me a fair amount of difficulty. Also, the lighting for photo taking was less then ideal today. Lots of unwanted shadows, too. I am almost surprised that I was finally successful in completing this post.


It is so fabulous to feel such happiness and creativeness. The absence of unnecessary stress is far greater than I ever imagined. I had no real comprehension of just how detrimental my life style had become for me until hospitalization became necessary. I am feeling healthy and calm. In six weeks I have experienced abdominal discomfort only on two occasions! And, I can eat anything I desire without difficulties.

Now then, often my creativeness surfaces when I am in the kitchen. Frequently, I am inspired by recipes I read. Like many of us we also depend on what we have available to us in our pantry.

This is a quinoa meal that was fun to make.  It is the first time that I have made anything with quinoa. I think it is kind of funny looking and it does not have a very distinctive flavor. So, the ingredients that we add to it are very important especially the seasonings. I understand that it is healthy for us. And, that is good!

I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch. Along with a glass of chilled Gewurztraminer it was a beautiful blend of yummy flavors.

The quinoa was prepared and then onion, celery and garlic were added. Chopped dried cranberries were added next which gives them some time to soften.

This is the greatest little kitchen gadget for peeling garlic. It is so quick. And, then I used a micro-plane to grate the garlic.

Next, I added some Cranberry Pear Balsamic Vinegar. Wow, this is very nice. It has a lovely fragrance and flavor. I am able to purchase this in my little town at Marisolio Olive Oil Company.

Then, I added some local Calaveras Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It is so nice to have such good quality products so close by to purchase.   

The chopped cranberries along with the cranberry pear balsamic vinegar is a very nice combination of flavors.

If you plan to serve your quinoa mixture in acorn squash "bowls" be sure to prepare them ahead of time by baking them in the oven before you start the quinoa.

Some chopped pistachio nuts sprinkled on top of the plated stuffed squash is a great touch especially with the added texture they impart. I also like to add a little garnish of parsley. I have some growing in the garden and I try to use it when it is available.

Let me tell you a little story about myself. This will not surprise some of you that know me. When I went to get the pistachio nuts from the pantry, I could not locate them. And, I knew I had bought them. Well, when I found them (see above) the bag was more than half empty. I forgot that I had evening snacked on them a few days earlier! Bad girl, bad girl!

Mary