Rice for Breakfast

As the family slowly continues the move toward cleaner eating, I have to take a look at breakfast. It starts our day & gets us going. But grabbing a Pop Tart is probably not the best option.

For Christmas, my hubby & I got a rice/veggie steamer. We were STOKED to get it! We haven't used it a whole lot, but we do use it & find new ways to make rice all of the time. The kids really enjoy some plain, steamed, white rice. So do I! But finding out that the white rice is fairly "empty", I wanted to boost it up to brown rice. Yes, it takes longer & takes more prep in planning, but we do what we can.

Now, when we received our steamer from the in-laws, my MIL questioned why we wanted one so badly. I told her we like rice. I thought it was a no-brainer. But then she wanted to know why we have so much rice for breakfast. Yeah...she asked me about that. I was confuzzled!! I informed her we have it or dinners mostly, and she graciously accepted my answer. But her inquiry got me thinking...

Several years ago, my hubby was on a week-long mission trip in Nicaragua. He said that they were served rice pretty much every morning for breakfast. They just added some milk & sugar...so treated it like we look at cereal. He has brought up wanted to do that at home, but we didn't have the thought process or prep in planning to do so.

In the quest of cleaner eating, I decided to swap out some oatmeal (even though good for you...still very heavy for summertime) with rice! And I found a wild rice blend at the grocery store, so I mixed it with some brown rice.

Here's what I did:

~~~~~~~~~~

RICE FOR BREAKFAST

Ingredients:

~ 1 C steamed brown &/or wild long grain rice
~ 1/4 C dried or fresh fruit
~ 1/4 C nuts
~ 1 T honey or agave
~ 1/2 T cinnamon

Directions:

* I used equal parts of wild rice blend & brown long grain rice & steamed it according to my steamer's brown rice directions; about enough to last 4 days (about 4 cups worth)

* When finished (about 45 minutes later), I scooped about 1 cup of steamed rice into a small bowl, then added the fruit (I used a dried berry mix) & the nuts (I used sliced almonds); you may mix it all together at this point

* Drizzle the cereal, fruit & nut mixture with the honey or agave (I used honey), and then sprinkle with cinnamon; you may mix it all together at this point

* Consume

~~~~~~~~~~

I love this for breakfast!! And it's very vegan friendly, too! It's easy...plus you can refrigerate the left over rice & have it for a few days afterward, too.

If you want to change it up a bit, change up the fruit and nuts. You can also add raw sugar or a sugar-free maple syrup & a bit of milk for cereal option less heavy than oatmeal. I've even mashed up a banana in with it. YUM!!

So...happy eating!

ENJOY!

Lemon Cucumber Water

"...'Tis the season for hy-dra-tion.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la"

If you know of my friend, Katy, at I Want a Dumpster Baby (blog HERE; Facebook HERE), you will see she is great for encouraging others (along with reminding herself) to HYDRATE-HYDRATE-HYDRATE! I thank her for a lot of things...and this is only one of them. And I am thankful for it.

I have seen/read &/or heard about great ways to train the body & brain to hydrate the right way. WATER! Even though all liquid you put into your body somewhat counts, it's the water that is the absolute best! Though it's so refreshing in those times when you are parched, it can get tired & lifeless when you need to suck down 64 oz of it (or half your body weight in ounces...whichever...just drink it).

Now, I have heard using a fun &/or bold water bottle or cup/glass will encourage the eye to want it. You know: a visual cue. I've heard of folks who use a schedule to drink down the water & just force it. If that works for you...then whatever! Then, here's my current trick: surprise your taste buds. That's right! Make your mouth & belly WANT that water!

I know there are packets you can get to add to water bottles. But the Crystal Light (best of this bunch, by the way), Gatorade, Koolaid, Mio, etc. all add some extra chemicals & sugars that you want to stay away from! Tea is good for you...but don't do it all the time. SAVOR the tea! Coffee is my best kick start...but I know I need the absolute agua (yes, "water"...not vodka) into my body, too. But it's so hard for me!!!

Well...I discovered self-flavored water!! You get the refreshing water you need while having a hint of taste. And it's from fruits (mostly...sometimes veggies) that are so good for you! No adding a ton of extra calories & additives/preservatives. Just fresh water that my body does tend to want!!

Here's my new-found flavored water:

~~~~~~~~~~

LEMON CUCUMBER WATER

Ingredients:

~ 2-3 cucumbers (English or seedless variety), thinly sliced
~ 2 medium lemons; thinly sliced & deseeded
~ about a gallon of filtered or tap water
~ a few ice cubes (optional)


Directions:

* wash/rinse cucumbers & lemons before slicing
* thinly slice the cucumber & lemon
* make sure there are no seeds
* place the produce slices into a 1 gallon pitcher (preferably one with a slotted lid)
* fill the pitcher with water (add a few ice cubes if desired)
* place in refrigerator for a few hours (at least 1 hour)
* drink throughout the day
* repeat


Notes:

= If you make up the water before you go to bed at night, it will be ready to begin consumption the next morning

= The cucumber & lemon slices may be used about 4 times of filling the pitcher. After that, discard of the slices & begin with new ones.

= Save a slice of cucumber AND a slice of lemon to garnish your cup/glass with as garnish. *PRETTY*

= I used this water to make a few cups of hot tea with...and it is SO good!

= An idea is to freeze the flavored water in ice trays, then they will melt slowly into your water or unsweet iced tea! (Ok...I just heard all my southern sweet-tea drinkers gasp...I'm sure it's fine in your sweet tea, too.)

~~~~~~~~~~

I have seen on Pinterest where there is a "detox water", too. I have my own version of that, also, as a change up. I will cover it in the near future.

Also...if you use a reusable cup/glass or a refillable bottle, you're helping the environment, too!

Until then, and as Katy would say, "HYDRATE-HYDRATE-HYDRATE!" Oh...and love every bit of this refreshment in a fun &/or bold cup or bottle. Your body will love you back for it!

ENJOY!

Stuff in a Pot Soup

As I write this, it's spring, but chilly. It feels like a late November day rather than a fresh spring one! It's really a perfect day to pull out sweaters, boots, blankets, make hot chocolate (much like the Spicy Mexi-Cocoa version, right HERE), brew up some hot tea or keep the coffee going all day. Yeah...one of those kinds of days.

It's also a great day for soup! But since I wasn't prepared to make a soup any time soon, I had to make do.

My hubby & I go to the store on Fridays, and I am actually writing this on a Thursday. We don't have much laying around. And we don't have much for lunching, either. But I found enough leftover things around to throw a bunch of stuff in a pot to make a soup.

Here's what I did:

~~~~~~~~~~

STUFF IN A POT SOUP

Ingredients:

*About Anything Goes*

plenty of liquids: broth, stock, water & bouillon cubes; juice/tea 
vegetables: fresh, frozen, canned
protein: beans, meat pieces, mushrooms
starch: potatoes, rice, pasta
herbs & spices

In My Pot:

1 box vegetable broth
1 bag mixed veggies - frozen
1 can chick peas, drained & rinsed
leftover ham cubes
2 handfuls bacon bits
2 C hot brewed black tea
2 C hot brewed green tea
1/2 bag frozen hash browns
sea salt
ground black pepper
parsley
sage
rosemary
thyme
chives
minced onion
dill
marjoram
all spice

Directions:

Place liquid(s) of choice in a large pot, bring to a boil

Lower heat to mid-hi and add everything else, bring back to boil

Stir & let simmer for about 30 minutes

Ladle into a bowl, and garnish, if desired.
Balsamic vinegar, nuts, seeds, shredded cheese - it's even better when presentation is pretty...even if by yourself.

* I used toasted sesame seeds in the 1st bowl & parmesan "shaky cheese" for the 2nd

~~~~~~~~~~

Remember: my soup is gonna look different than yours! Mine won't even be the same next time around.

I literally used whatever I had here. 

Cans of veggies you were gonna use but didn't? 

Throw it in! 

Got too many cans or bags of veggies & don't know what to do with the overstock? 

Throw it in! 

Frozen veggies in the freezer that you forgot about? 

Throw it in! 

Leftover turkey, meatballs, pulled pork from a night or 2 ago & want to use it? 

Throw it in! 

Have spinach or kale that you need to use up? 

Throw it in! 

Got some seasonings that you got for a recipe & finding a reason to use it? 

Throw it in!

Just a little bit of apple juice or cider left & not enough for a full glass or cup?

Throw it in!

Potatoes still sitting there & don't know what else to do with them?

Cut 'em up & throw 'em in!

Seriously. A perfect soup to use up what you have, make a hearty meal, and still warm & comforting. Plus...you already have everything...so it's easy on the budget, too!

Throw it in!

So...what is your Stuff in a Pot Soup made from?

ENJOY!