The Miracle of Quinoa

Some time ago I was taking this nutrition class during my lunch break. They provided healthy meals and they were actually delicious. One of my favorites quickly became something I’d never heard of, quinoa pilaf with chicken. Quinoa was like this magical little grain. Not quite rice, pasta or couscous. It was filling, super healthy and it was delicious. I began my hunt for the uncooked grain and I was going to conquer it and change my life. I soon found that it was in fact a health foodie trend and variations of quinoa were everywhere. It was a word of wisdom miracle!

I promptly bought a bag of quinoa with a vow to master the art of the old, but newly famous grain. I put it in my pantry. And there it sat. It wasn’t entirely my fault, for six months I lived in a box. Yeah, it had a kitchen, but you couldn’t actually stand in the kitchen and cook anything. You had stand in the bathroom and reach over with a stick because there wasn’t room enough for both you and food. So my quinoa sat and sat.

Then I moved into a glorious apartment with a wide-open kitchen and lots of counter space low enough for me to not need a stool. I told my mom I was going to cook every day. That was over three months ago.

While cleaning out my pantry a few weeks ago, I came across that bag of quinoa and excitement filled my tummy. Surely it couldn’t still be good. Oh, but it was! This time, I cooked it. I cooked it so good. I eat quinoa like every day now. I make it simple, I make it fancy, I’ve shared it with friends and I’ve enjoyed it alone with my stories. It’s the best – I’m saving money, eating healthy and since I talk to myself while cooking I’m even practicing for Top Chef.

So I’ve just rambled on and on about food. Let’s be honest, it’s the topic that most of us want to talk about all the time. But truthfully, it’s more than just about the food. A long time ago I found something I loved and sought to make it part of my world. However, it didn’t happen over night, in fact I wasn’t even close to diligent about it and most of the time I totally forgot. This miracle food just sat on my shelf, ignored and shamed. Then one day it came back into my life and this time I was ready for it. Everything was in place and we were happily reunited. What a difference it has made.

It was so simple. How many other things in my life are sitting on that shelf waiting to make an impact in my life…other than that box of cream of wheat which we all know is never going to happen – what was I thinking?

It’s probably time to clean out the old life pantry again and make sure I’m not missing any more miracle grains. Hopefully before they expire.

Oh and quinoa, if you haven’t yet, try it. For reals.