When Hannah left for camp, and Geoff and Pete took off for
the UP, I had big plans to be the healthiest person alive for a week. Or at
least not to revert to the self who lives on beer, toast, and popcorn when left
to her own devices. I even planned ahead, to some degree. I hard boiled six
eggs, and made a pot of quinoa, thinking that at least I had some healthy
protein at the ready, for salads, or just on its own.
The eggs just sat in their bowl in the fridge, while I ate
Poptarts, instead. Finally, I took one to have with lunch at work. The quinoa
sat in its saucepan, quietly judging me each time I opened the refrigerator to
get more ranch dressing to dip my chips in.
Then I went blueberry picking, and everything changed.
Sometimes, it just takes one healthy, fresh food item to get you back. One of
my girlfriends and I spent an hour or so out at one of the local farms last
night, and I ended up with enough berries to freeze six pints, which isn’t a
whole lot, not nearly enough to get through the winter, so I’ll be going back,
but it was enough to make for a lovely, not-too-stressful evening.
This morning, the berries I hadn’t frozen were staring at me
when I opened the fridge, just daring me not to do something with them. “Can’t
you do any better than ‘sprinkled on yogurt or cereal’?” they seemed to taunt.
And so I did.
Blueberry Quinoa
Salad
1 cup cold cooked quinoa
½ chopped walnuts
2 cups blueberries
¼ crumbled goat cheese
¼ cup Newman’s Own Raspberry Walnut vinaigrette
I love this kind of thing because it’s easy to substitute in
whatever you have in your refrigerator or pantry. I’m thinking tomorrow’s
variation will contain quinoa, black beans, avocado, and a squeeze of lime
juice. (And perhaps whatever else the garden or refrigerator throw at me.)
