It’s the beginning of another weekend! I don’t know about you all, but for this household, the week has flown by! (And for this High School Senior’s mama, that means one more week closer to graduation… but I’ll think about that tomorrow.) It truly feels like yesterday was just Tuesday. By the way, we had a great time last night at our Praise and Coffee Night – and look forward to doing it again later this year. I really meant to do a Periscope video from there, but we were too busy visiting that I just forgot about it! 😉
I took this Edamame Quinoa Salad to the event last night for our team to eat while we were setting up. They loved it and wanted the recipe, which made me think of you, so I thought I’d hop on here and share it with everyone. My sister made this salad the last time I was visiting her in Colorado, and I couldn’t get enough. It makes tons, is a super-food, and is truly delicious. Plus, it fits all of my cooking requirements: easy, quick, and inexpensive. (This is inexpensive when you consider how much it makes and how long it will last!) The recipe is straight from the blogger “The Girl Who Ate Everything.” I’ve been eating it every day for lunch, served it to my friends, and still have tons left over!
PS: a few definitions, just in case you’re wondering 😉
Edamame = a soybean harvested at the peak of ripening right before it reaches the “hardening” time. For this salad, you can buy them shelled in the frozen vegetable area of the grocery store (near the frozen peas.)
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) = A SEED that is a complete protein, and is also naturally gluten-free. It can be treated and served as a grain, so it’s perfect for gluten-conscious eaters. Quinoa can be purchased near the rice, and I learned last night that it now comes in microwavable bags. (clappy-hands!)
Edamame Quinoa Salad
Print- 2 cups uncooked quinoa
- 4 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup celery, sliced
- 1 (15-oz) can corn, drained
- 1 (15-oz) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- ¾ cup cilantro, finely minced
- 1 heaping cup dried cranberries
- 1 (12-oz) package edamame, cooked and shelled
- 2 red bell peppers, diced
- 1 cup sliced almonds (or any nut you like) {Jennifer: I used dry roasted peanuts because I had them here.}
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil (more or less to taste)
- 5 Tablespoons lime juice (more or less to taste)
- salt to taste
1. Add the quinoa, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, turn the heat down to low and cover. Cook for 15-20 or until done. Transfer to a large bowl and fluff with a fork.
2. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Add salt to taste. I’m guilty of not putting enough salt on things and it makes all of the difference. Chill unto ready to serve.
Source: My friend Simone
Read more at http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2014/09/edamame-quinoa-salad.html#p4O14R93jKhsWJFe.99
Another Favorite lately has been a collection of quotes I’ve been saving in my “notes” section of my phone. Nothing special, but when I see or hear something inspirational and worth remembering, I’ll copy and paste it there, then every once in a while I’ll read over my treasures to be encouraged. This quote stood out to me today:
I can complain because
Rose bushes have thorns
Or I can rejoice because
Thorny bushes have roses.
Isn’t that the truth? It’s all in the way that we look at things. Every situation will most likely have both blessings and difficulties – beauty and thorns. If we look for God’s beauty in the midst of the difficulties, we will find gratitude, peace, and joy.
“O my Strength, I will watch and give heed to You and sing praises; for God is my Defense (my Protector and High Tower). My God in His mercy and steadfast love will meet me;”
Psalm 59:9-10 (AMP)
One more thing: Many of the women in our church are reading through the Bible this year using “The Daily Bible in Chronological Order” – 365 Daily Readings with Devotional Insights to Guide you Through God’s Word.
We’re meeting up in an online accountability group through Facebook led by one of our own. She posts an encouraging devotional based on something we’ve read, and we stay challenged to keep on keeping on, even pressing through those Levitical laws, while hiding the Word in our hearts and learning to love it more each day.
I share this with you because as much as I LOVE the Lord and His Word – I’ve never “enjoyed” this discipline of “reading through the Bible in a year” before – just for the sake of reading. Know what I mean? I like to pause, soak, ponder through small passages at a time. But I’ve never used a One Year Chronological Bible like this one before, and I must say that I’m really enjoying it! I’m wondering if anyone else would enjoy it too???
Just FYI, this is from the Bible’s product description:
- 365 convenient daily readings guide readers through all of God’s Word in one year.
- Passages are arranged chronologically, enabling readers to understand and experience God’s unfolding plan of creation, redemption, and restoration like never before.
- Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are displayed topically in order to highlight specific aspects of God’s wisdom.
Now as never before, studying God’s Word can become a fresh, inviting, enriching experience for every reader.
I’m not making a thing off of promoting this Bible, it’s just been such a blessing to me that I wanted to pass it along to you. If you’ve been wanting to get a fuller grasp of the Word of God, this would be a great way to do it. It doesn’t matter that it’s February – You can still start in the beginning. God did. 😉
And, to be honest, I get behind sometimes – so if I can catch up, I do. But if I have to speed read just for the sake of being caught up and miss the wonderful truths in the Word, I’d rather skip to the current day’s reading and come back to what I missed when I have extra time. I keep a post-it note with the dates I need to make up, and am catching up as I can.
Also, even in those long Levitical laws of purification about bodily fluids, etc (yuck, btw) God will give us something to carry away for the day that will bless and speak into our lives if we ask Him. I pray Psalm 119:18 each day before I read, then ask the Lord to give me One Thing (at least) that I can take away with me. He is always faithful to His Word. It never returns void.
Edamame Quinoa Salad, Thorns with Roses, and The Daily Bible… These are a few of my Favorite Things. And you… you are some of my favorite people. Thanks for reading SmellingCoffee.com. Happy weekend to you!
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