"Try It" Challenge - Week Two Review

 

I made it through week two of the Peak 313 challenge. I must say up front, that on Wednesday and Thursday I was sick with a stomach bug and wasn't eating. After that my stomach was still weak, so eating was still very light. I only was able to manage eating quinoa 3 days. I tried it a fourth day and couldn't stomach it!

As far as the spiritual challenge went, I listened to three podcasts! One on biblical finances, another on sharing Christ with others and the third was on modesty.

The basic way to make quinoa is straightforward. Add one part quinoa to two parts water into a pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. I covered mine, but I'm not sure if you're supposed to.

Day One

Day one was fun for us. I made basic quinoa, but instead of water I used chicken broth. Then I served it topped with sloppy joes. Yes, you read that right. 

It was really yummy. Before we ate it I was afraid it might taste like couscous. I knew the kids wouldn't like that, but its not like couscous! Quinoa is not actually from wheat, so it tastes different. And it does pair nicely with sloppy joes. LOL!

Day Two

My friend, Randa, passed a recipe along to me. It had three layers. Bottom layer is quinoa, middle is a carrot slaw and the top layer is honey flavored tempeh. 

I didn't have tempeh in the house (I've never had it in the house, actually). So, I made just the first two layers. 

I was the only one who ate it, so its hard to say how it really tasted. My kids are really the best at telling me if something is good or not! I am pretty sure the honey tempeh would've added nicely to the flavor. However, all in all, it was a filling lunch with an okay flavor.

You can find the recipe here.

Day Three

On Friday I made black quinoa according to the basic method. To make cereal I mixed the following:

• 1/2 cup prepared quinoa
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tbs brown sugar

My two year old took a while to get over the looks of it, then downed two bowls. Two of my other kids decided they didn't like it after one bite. I thought it was pretty good and my husband said its a "poor man's breakfast".

Like I said earlier, my stomach recovery really made this challenge, um, challenging. I'd like to incorporate quinoa in the future. It gives the grain part of meals a nice variety. (Am I the only one who gets tired of rice and pasta?)

This coming week the new food is green tea. The spiritual challenge is to do the plank (something I usually try to avoid) and pray while doing them!

Check out Clare's blog if you're interested in seeing how others used the new food.