Bits and Bites

This post is going to have a little of this, and a little of that…hence the name. First of all…remember my post in praise of quinoa? Well, a few days after I posted about all of my quinoa adventures (side note: don’t let quinoa sit in the fridge too long….I had to toss the last 1/2 cup or so on the weekend, it smelled kind of funky after a full week in the fridge :P), I received an email in my inbox from President’s Choice (one of the many food/cooking emails I subscribe to) all about quinoa. It has a link to 10 quinoa recipes that I thought I’d share with you. At the top of my list to try is the quinoa hotcakes, followed closely by the chocolate quinoa brownies….I’ll keep you posted as I try them.

Secondly, there is one item I didn’t mention in Monday’s post about cross-border shopping (I know I said I wasn’t going to include everything, but this one is too good to miss): tofu shirataki noodles! This is another food that Hungry Girl turned me on to (shocking, I know ;)). Now I have mentioned these before, but as much as I love them, I just can’t say enough about them. 🙂 They are a GREAT low-carb, low-calorie substitute for pasta…20 calories per serving, HELLO? Yes, they are a bit pricey…but so worth it. Now, I do still eat pasta (you’ve seen it on here before)…but sometimes you just want a huge bowl of noodles, plus something more on the side, (like chicken Parm 🙂 ), these guys fit the bill. They are available to order online in Canada, but, since I was there, why not avoid the shipping fees?

Thirdly (and most excitingly), I was nominated for a Stylish Blogger Award by Katie 😀 (thanks hun)! It was sort of funny, I was reading her post about being nominated and thought to myself, “that’s so cool, I wonder how I could get one.”…then I read on and found myself listed as one of her picks…I am so honoured! Katie and I were saying how it’s so cool how the blog world has connected the 2 of us who live many miles apart…one of the many reasons I love blogging! Anyways…back to the award….here are the rules (as posted by Katie….I’m taking her word that they’re correct):

1 – Thank and link back to the one who awarded you
2 – Share 7 things about yourself
3 – Pass the award on to some awesome blogs
4 – Contact said bloggers and let them know they are awesome

Here goes:

1. Thank you so much Katie…as I said above, I am honoured. Check out Katie’s healthy adventures (and follow the crockpot chronicles) at Real Food Katie’s Way.

2. Okay….7 things about me….here goes:

• 1. I have played the cello since I was 5, done 2 cello exams and 3 theory exams…which was enough to get me a high school credit…I don’t play nearly enough now these days…I need to get back at it before I forget how!
• 2. As a high school graduation present, my mom took me to Italy and Austria. I got to spend my 18th birthday in Salzburg, Austria, on the Sound of Music Tour (that one was for you Katie, don’t be too jealous ;)).
• 3. I consider myself an adventurous and healthy eater, except for the fish/seafood department….I don’t touch the stuff if I can help it!
• 4. My sister and I love to watch re-runs of American Gladiators….not on though right now (if anyone knows a station, let me know).
• 5. I rarely drink (there’s hardly any alcohol I like…except Bailey’s) and I have never been drunk.
• 6. My favourite colour is pink, and has been for my entire life (my bedroom, my camera, cell phone, computer, one of my coats and much of my clothing is pink).
• 7. I don’t drink coffee (I’ve made it 23 years, not starting now), but I love anything that’s coffee-flavoured, and really enjoy coffee-ish beverages (Starbucks lattes and frappucinos are at the top of my list…skinny, of course ;)).

….so there you have it, any surprises?

And now for my nominees (drumroll, please):

Just live laugh eat

Lettuce choose healthy

Carrots ‘n Cake

So there you have it…a nice random post for Wednesday. Happy Hump Day everyone! Do you have any favourite healthy/cooking blogs I should be reading? Let me know…I’m always on the hunt for more!