Sunday, March 20th at 7:21 p.m. EDT is the first day of Spring. It is like the blessed arrival of a baby; we can capture the timing down to the minute.
The temperature didn't have to get much over 58 degrees for me to have my first flip flop sighting. Sadly it was courtesy of a group of high school-ers, not my husband. As much as I tease him for it, I love that it only takes him slipping on his flip flops to decide it is Spring - sorry equinox, we have our own seasonal indicators here in Ohio.
I'm currently babysitting a turtle. I'm not an animal person. Do you remember the Jerry McGuire saying, "did you know that bees and dogs can smell fear?". I take that quote as fact. As much as I try to be kind to all animals, they sense my anxiety. At least that is what I thought until the turtle stopped over for an extended stay. It is my sister's turtle (technically it belongs to her beautiful kiddos, but I don't think she will mind me saying that like most moms she does the primary maintenance to keep Cutie ticking). Yes, it's name is Cutie which I find to be the perfect name for a turtle (they also once had a Goldfish named Carl, which although a bit formal oddly strikes me as a rather appropriate Goldfish name too). I'm timid about admitting this because I still have 7 more days of babysitting duty to change my mind, but I'm kind of growing fond of the reptile. He doesn't bark, doesn't ask for more than a little UV light and a few reptile sticks a day to keep him happy and healthy, and he actually doesn't seem to sense my fear, but rather enjoys it when I visit his tank. Maybe this means I'm turning over a new leaf with animals. What, what is that? Oh yes, it is that voice in the back of my mind reminding me that turtles can carry salmonella. Right. I think Cutie's short stint with us will be just long enough.
Quinoa Risotto with Carrots & Sugar Snaps
I made this delicious Quinoa Risotto this week. It was a hearty meal and made for great left-overs when tossed with chicken and spiced up with a bit of Trader Joe's Soyaki sauce. I've spared you the pictures as I've just ordered a new camera and I refuse to take any more photos until I have it in hand (and learn how to use it!).
Ingredients:
4 tsp butter
1/2 sm sweet onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 and 1/3 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained (Costco sells pre-washed quinoa - which is a great time and mess saver)
1 c unsalted vegetable stock
1 c water
4 med carrots, chopped
2 c sugar snap peas
1/2 c grated Parmesan
Directions:
1. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and salt. Cook 5 min. Add thyme and garlic and cook until onion is golden, about 3 min longer.
2. Stir in quinoa and stock. Cover and cook 10 min. Stir in 1/2 cup water, cover again, and cook 5 min. Stir in carrots and the final 1/2 cup of water if needed to keep quinoa moist. Cover and cook until carrots are tender, 10-15 minutes longer. Add sugar snap peas for last 5 min of cooking. Season with salt and pepper to to taste. Top with cheese.
This recipe is adapted from Prevention Magazine's version by Pamela Parseghian. If you Google "Quinoa Risotto with Carrots and Sugar Snaps" you can see a picture which does justice to the finished product.
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