Quinoa Salad and Apricot Glazed Chicken

 

No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.
Robin Williams, 
Dead Poets Society

 

So, I am going all over the place here lol We have taken Summer by the horns and shown it who is boss!

HBear has been involved in different camps and activities. We did this for a few reasons:

1. It gives me a chance to have some much needed one on one time with SBean.

2. HBear is CONSTANTLY bored and CONSTANTLY in need of attention. This way she has something new to do on a weekly basis.

3. It allows SBean to keep some sort of nap schedule.

4. It allows HBear to really open up and find new things or perhaps old things that she really likes 🙂 This is important because as she is getting older we are hoping that she will start narrowing down her after school interests and concentrating on the ones she really has a passion for.


We rode our bikes a few streets over for Choir camp,

HBear really really liked choir. Especially because she wants to be a ROCKSTAR when she grows up LOL. She told me that she would rather go into music than play soccer next year. Well OK. So I signed her up for a program called Broadway Debut! She is going to LOVE it!!!
 
HBear also took her last “pre-school” swim class. She passed whale and is now going into Swim Kids 3 in the fall 🙂 She LOVES swimming. It is a keeper activity for the fall and winter 🙂

 

SBean is a waterbaby too! She will be going into her second set of lessons in the fall. We have gone to the library a few times this summer. She is getting waaaaaay better at her library voice LOL She especially likes the fountain out front. We walk around and check out all the provinces shields and do a little splash 🙂

In the past few weeks the girls have really started to PLAY together. Thank Gawd! SBean is all about books and puzzles these days as well as hide and go seek. These all happen to be HBear’s favorite things too! Win Win!

 

2 weeks ago Ninja and I went out for a super yummy dinner. He even bought me beautiful flowers for our date!!!

 

 

See I’m not the only one who takes pictures of my food! LOL

Saturday mornings we have gone to the market, 

 

 

We also have been working outside…ish. LOL Ninja built me an amazing wall unit, PICTURES TO COME.

 

 

Helping Papa fill the van with recyclables 🙂

We shoveled half the yard to make room for a small pool. Hopefully the yard will be the next “project” LOL

HBear went to SPCA Camp last week, she loved it!

 

SBean helped me eat strawberries 🙂

 
Today HBear started tennis lessons 🙂 She had a GREAT time… even though she was sweaty LOL

 

SBean and I watched her lesson and my Dad even popped by just to see how it was going. We all know how much HBear does NOT like to sweat hahaha

We rode our bikes to the courts and thank goodness it was downhill on the way back LOL by 10am it was already +33!!

A few weeks ago I was craving this salad my cousin made while we were in Calgary. I texted her and asked, “hey what was in that quinoa salad?” She was all like “I dunno I just tossed stuff together :)” LOL Must run in the family hee hee. So I made this…
Quinoa Salad
 
Quinoa:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
 
Salad:
1/4 cup Feta cheese
1 bell pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1 carrot, grated
1/4 cup cashews, chopped
1/4 cup Craisins
 
Dressing:
4 tablespoons Olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
salt and pepper
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
 
Make the quinoa. Add water to quinoa and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. 
 
Stir then cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes.
 
Fluff with a fork and cool.
 
Add all the salad ingredients to the cooled quinoa and mix together. 
 
Add all the dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Chill until ready to eat. Tastes even better the next day 🙂
 

 


Sooooooo good!!!!! OMG I ate this for days. Sooooo Good!

‘Tis the season…. for fruit! Our neighbor gave us 2 HUGE boxes of apricots and my FIL made some kick ass jam. So I made apricot chicken!


Apricot Glazed Chicken
Adapted from MotherThyme

My FIL’s Apricot jam 🙂
3 chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of black pepper
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon thyme
3/4 cup apricot jam
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
 
Place chicken breasts on saran wrap. Top with more saran wrap, and using a mallet flatten chicken to about 1/4 inch thick.

 

 

Season chicken with salt and pepper.
 
Add flour and thyme to a shallow bowl and lightly dredge chicken.

 

In a medium bowl mix apricot jam, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, onion powder and Thai chili sauce and set aside.
 
In a large skillet heat butter and oil until butter is melted over medium-high heat.
 
Add chicken and cook about 7 minutes per side.

 

 

Remove chicken and set aside.

 

Add wine to skillet to deglaze pan.

 

Stir in apricot mixture.
 

Add chicken back to skillet and turn to coat. Cook for another 5 minutes.

 

Delicious!

On a side note, I am deeply saddened by the news of Robin Williams death. He was such a great talent. I have found that the some of the funniest people I know lead dark lives filled with depression and self hatred. I wonder why this is? I have talked a lot about mental illness lately. My cousin is having a tough go of it and has recently been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. There has to be a way to help people that are living with mental illness! I’m not smart enough to know what to do but I do know that these people need us. Perhaps even to just listen. I mean Reeeeaaaally listen, like hear what is being said and perhaps what isn’t as well.


When I was younger I applied to Blockbuster. At the interview the guy asked me name as many Robin Williams movies as you can. I listed like 30 without taking a breath lol. He was like, “whoa you must really like Robin Williams!”


Uhhhh yeah, he’s the best and Dead Poets Society pretty much changed my life, not to mention what I learned from, Patch Adams, What Dreams May Come, Aladdin, Mrs Doubtfire, Good Will Hunting and don’t even get me started on his comedic roles!!!


Rest In Peace Mr. Williams I hope you put on a wicked stand up show for my Mom and all the others that have been taken from us too soon.


CARPE. HEAR IT? (WHISPERING) CARPE. CARPE DIEM. SEIZE THE DAY BOYS. MAKE YOUR LIVES EXTRAORDINARY.
 
Robin Williams, 
Dead Poets Society
MamaBuzz

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