Curried Quinoa Pilaf Salad Recipe

Curried vegetarian quinoa salad is a healthy and low-fat side dish that is delicious hot as a pilaf or cold as a quinoa salad. This recipe is both vegetarian and vegan. Make sure to rinse the quinoa before cooking to rid it of its bitter coating.

Ingredients:
•1 cup uncooked quinoa
•2 cups vegetable broth
•1 tsp curry powder
•1 tsp ginger
•dash salt
•1/3 cup raisins
•1/3 cup cashew pieces

Preparation:
Bring the vegetable broth, curry powder, ginger and salt to a boil and add the quinoa and spices.
Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until quinoa is soft and fluffy. Stir in raisins and cashews.

Grilled Watermelon Salad Recipe

Recipe courtesy Claire Robinson
Serves 4.

Ingredients
•1/2 (5-pound) seedless watermelon
•1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
•Extra-virgin olive oil
•Kosher salt (specialty salt is great here, if on hand)
•2 cups fresh baby arugula, washed and dried
•1 cup goat cheese, crumbled, preferably a French Chevre
•Fresh finely cracked black pepper

Directions
Stand the watermelon half cut side down on a cutting board and slice away the rind, leaving a solid block of melon. Turn the block on its side and cut it into 8 squares, roughly 3 by 3 inches and 1-inch thick.

Pour the vinegar into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to a thick syrup consistency. Set aside.

Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle just enough olive oil over watermelon slices to thinly coat and place on hot grill pan. Grill each side about 2 minutes until grill marks appear; transfer to a plate and season with salt.

To assemble the salads, put about 1/4 cup of baby arugula on a serving plate, followed by a grilled slice of watermelon in the center, and top with a tablespoon of crumbled cheese and another 1/4 cup arugula. Add another watermelon slice and another tablespoon of cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Finish each salad with a very light drizzle of olive oil and balsamic syrup. Dust with black pepper and serve immediately.

Longest Day in a Mother's Life - A Diary (August 3, 2010)

This week we begin another exciting series from Raylene. She writes about the longest day in her life, which occured while she was on vacation a couple days ago. I hope you enjoy the story and I hope you will be inspired to send in your own stories that have occured this summer!
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It was a perfect Monday! This was our second vacation day. The girls and I decided to have a spur-of-the-moment mini vacation in the Outer Banks. The girls wanted to have a bonding weekend before Kristina heads off to UVA. We agreed that as long as they let me do my thing and I let them sleep as long as they wanted, then it would be a fun trip between an aging mother and two teenagers.

Yesterday, we spent our first day beach walking and exploring Nags Head. When it drizzled, we went and then played at the Mutiny Bay Mini golf course. In the late afternoon we headed straight to the famous Jockey’s Ridge State park. There we enjoyed watching the hang gliders. The girls had a great time climbing to the dunes, leaving me behind to take sunset pictures.

The following morning, while the girls were still asleep, I woke up to watch the most beautiful sunrise. A perfect start of a beautiful day . . . or so I though. I did not know then that this was going to be a long, long day. I then drove to Pea Island National Wildlife refuge.

The girls were awake by the time I got back to Nags Head. I convinced them to head straight to Hatteras Island. It is a sandy, barrier bar between the Atlantic Ocean and Pamlico Sound, called the Graveyard of the Atlantic because the cape experiences frequent storms that drive ships landward toward its dangerous shallow depths.

Then we saw the sign for a ferry ride to Ocracoke Island, a tiny strip of a barrier island with 16 miles of unspoiled beaches accessible only by a ferry that runs every 30 minutes till midnight. Having no planned activity, we followed the cue of cars waiting to be transported across. Forty five minutes later, we were ashore and enjoyed this island where the infamous pirate BlackBeard was killed in 1718. Within two hours, we finished exploring this charming little island with dainty little gift shops, marina and bed-and-breakfast hostels. Hungry from the walk, we had a simple lunch at Dajio’s Restaurant. We stopped several times at the many beach areas just to enjoy the serenity of the place. Here, nature is at its best: untamed and unspoiled.

Come back next week for the adventure that ensues!

By Raylene Ann Rodrigo-Baumgart

A Healthful Diet - Poem

There is so much talk
About a healthful diet,
But some people
Will not even try it!

They say they prefer the old way,
To "eat drink and be merry".
How else can we be happy?

O friends,
Stay away from junk food!
This may sound rude or even crude.
But it is a warning,
To keep you from falling
Into sure disgrace.

Then you will want to hide your face
Due to over weight
From the excessive intake
Of candies, cookies, ice cream and cake.

Wake up and shake up
To a new life!
Have a sound mind,
Be spiritually and physically fit,
And well put together.

The Bible has a answer,
Nothing can be better.
Nuts, fruits, grains, and vegetables,
These are what should fill out tummies.

But remember,
Even in the best diet,
let temperance
Be your target!

by Silma Murray

For Women Only - Book Summary

Here is a short summary for those of you that were not able to read the book in time for our breakfast on Sunday. I hope those of you that have read the book are finding it helpful. It has really helped me thing about my relationships in healthier ways.

There are seven things the book addresses in regards to men and their behaviors and forms of processing information.

1. Men need respect: Men would rather feel unloved than inadequate and disrespected.
2. Men are insecure: Despite their "in control" exterior, men often feel like imposters and are insecure that their inadequacies will be discovered.
3. Men are providers: Even if you personally made enough income to support the family's lifestyle, it would make no difference to the mental burden he feels to provide.
4. Men want sex: Your sexual desire for your husband profoundly affects his sense of well-being and confidence in all areas of life.
5. Men are visual: Even happily married men struggle with being pulled toward live and recollected images of other women.
6. Men are romantic: Actually, most men enjoy romance (sometimes in different ways)and want to be romantic - but hesitate because they doubt they can succeed.
7. Men care about looks: You don't have to be a size 3, but your man does need to see you making an effort to take care of yourself - and be will take on significant cost or inconvenience in order to support you.

Remember, these are general ideas and all of them might not apply to your husband, but they are good to know when dealing with any man in your life.

See you Sunday!!

What I Learned From Edward Tulane

I was recently tasked to help develop a program for an area school that involved the reading of a children's book. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is a truly wonderful book. It details the fictional journey of a little china doll rabbit that starts out his life being in a very wealthy family. He is accustomed to being treated well by the little girl who owns him. His expensive clothing and stature in the family cause him to be indifferent to the needs of others. He thinks only of himself and his needs, not even caring much for the little girl who desperately loves him. His perspective on life dramatically gets refocused when, during a cross-oceanic voyage, he falls overboard and begins a worldly adventure. He is taken from family to family due to various circumstances. One family is an old couple, another are two poor children who live alone and have to fend for themselves, another is a wondering man and his dog. Through all these adventures, Edward discovers the bounty he had and how selfish he had been. Eventually he fully comes to understand that true love is what sets us free no matter what circumstances arise in life.

I must admit, I was in tears by the end of the book. It got me thinking about the ways in which we take God for granted. What if there was no God? No one to listen to me when I hurt. No one that I could count on when the going got tough. No hope of ever having any more than this life has to offer.

How does the reality of God change the way I live my life? What impact does it have on the decisions I make? How can I show God my love and devotion just because I appreciate having God?

This week I hope you find news ways to thank God for what has been given to you in this life, the opportunity to have hope in someone grander that runs the world so we don't have to.

What I Learned About Service from a Pilot on United Airl

I got this email from my father-in-law, Dick Osborn, about a great experience he had a couple days ago. I thought I'd share it with you because it is a very inspiring story.

"As I entered the departure area for a United Airlines flight from Orlando to San Francisco on March 1, 2010, I saw something I had never seen before. The captain of our flight was standing in front of the counter with the desk microphone giving a short welcoming speech. He welcomed the passengers to the upcoming flight, told us he was glad we had chosen United, gave an update on travel conditions, once again emphasized how happy he was we had chosen his flight, and asked us to let him know if any of us had any needs."

"As we entered the plane, he stood at the door welcoming us and handing out business-size cards with a description of the Boeing 757 we would be flying that day. About once a year I might see a pilot at the door but this was getting to be beyond the normal pilot."

"After about two hours of flying, I got up to use the rest room. As I returned to my seat, one of flight attendants stopped me and said, 'The Captain wanted me to give you his business card.' The card had the name of Captain Denny Flanagan from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport and even included his cell phone and e-mail address. The handwritten message on back was special:

Dr. Osborn. You are a valued customer and your business is Greatly appreciated. Please let me know how we can exceed your expectations. Capt. Denny

An hour later the flight attendant told the passengers that the Captain had handed out the plane trading card when we entered the plane and he had signed two of those cards. If we had a signed card, he wanted us to have a gift of a bottle of wine. Two call button signals went on and she proceeded back with two wrapped bottles of wine.

Upon return I wrote Captain Flanagan highlighting what I had experienced and thanking him for being a great ambassador for United. Within hours I had this rather remarkable response –

Mr. Osborn,

Thank you for your kind words. They are appreciated. Statistics shows that for every compliment or complaint that there are 100 others thinking of doing the same thing. Feedback is so important to know you are on the right track.

In the service business the recipe for success is quite easy. Choose your attitude for the day, anticipate your customer’s needs and exceed their expectations. I have a few work philosophies and they have proved effective over the years;

-- I believe that each customer deserves a good travel experience whether on United, American, Continental.........train, bus, taxi or with your best friend in his car. You deserve a safe and comfortable ride.

--Treat each customer as if it is their first flight and have no expectations. ....I lead by example and this helps motivate the crew to do a better job. When they see me stow bags, assist moms with strollers and answer questions as if it is the first time I heard it they are brought back to their new hire days.

--It is easier to keep the customers you have than to find new ones....United has a devoted sales team to find new customers and it is time consuming and expensive but necessary. My job is somewhat easier and less expensive and that is to provide a safe and customer-oriented service. If I do my job then the folks in the sales department will have less pressure on themselves.

Dick, Thanks for flying "The Friendly Skies" of United Airlines. Your business is greatly appreciated. If you are ever on one of my flights again stop up to the cockpit and say hello. If we have time I will go out and buy us a Starbucks.

Capt. Denny

I learned so many lessons from Captain Denny in his response. I hope this five hour experience I enjoyed last week will inspire you to choose your attitude, anticipate the needs of others, and then exceed their expectations. Servant leadership is something else I think about when reading the Captain’s e-mail. May others be motivated as you share this brief story."

P.S. Captain Denny has been featured in the WSJ and has appeared on NBC, ABC and CBS.