Microwave Broccoli Quiche

I want to thank everyone so much for your kind words about the loss of my grandmother yesterday.  I still want to go home so bad it makes me cry, and I miss my Nanny so much it hurts, but it means so much to me that I have such a strong and loving support system.  It really does help.  Also, Hannah and Alex encouraged me to go out for Indian food and cookies, play kings, and go to trivia last night, which was so much fun .  It definitely cheered me up and helped me feel a bit back to normal.

This morning, I made a pretty good attempt at getting stuff done while trying to keep my mind off things.  But then of course, as soon as I let up mid-morning, sadness hit me again.  It was the best timing though, really: it was just about time to leave for a much-needed yoga class.

Miraculously, I had no trouble focusing and staying in the moment during class.  It really helped me clear my head, and I was in a pretty good mood during the walk home.   Then, I made myself a nice lunch, which made things even better!  My Nanny’s quiche was pretty legendary, so this easy, dorm-style lunch-for-one was totally inspired by her.

Microwave Broccoli Quiche

Start by microwaving some broccoli for one minute to soften it a bit.

Then, add some cheese slices on top.

In a separate bowl, whisk two eggs with some S&P, then pour them on top of the cheese/broccoli.

Cover and pop that in the microwave for a minute and a half.  Meanwhile, I toasted a piece of wholemeal grain bread and schlepped a little Italian Herb Paste on top.

Using a fork, carefully remove the “quiche” from the bowl and place it on top of the toast.

I also added some salsa on top!

It was a winner!  Not only is it nutritious and the ingredients are cheap, but it was so simple and only took five minutes to make.  And, of course, it was really really yummy.

Now I shall try and survive the afternoon of class…I know I can do it!

Do you have any Grandmother-inspired recipes to share?

Namaste.

Hungry Hungry Yogi

Again, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all the mothers of the world!  As a teacher and a daughter, I think I know better than anyone how wonderful you all are.  Read about my mommy here!

After a classic bowl of oatmeal (coconut-almond-cinnamon-p’nut butt’) I went to a 90 minute long beginner’s Ashtanga class at Auckland Yoga Academy.  I was really looking forward to a good stretch because of the knee pain I was dealing with yesterday.

It was a really wonderful class that got my heart pumping and my sweat flowing.  Since it’s a longer class, I had to pay 2 freaking extra dollars! we did 5 full sets of Sun Salutation/Suryanamaskara A & B (we usually do 5 of A then 3 or 4 of B) and I was happy to be feeling the burn, baby!

I was sort of expecting to be really stiff or creaky in my knees, but it was actually the opposite!  In fact, for the first time EVER I felt like I was actually doing Marichyasana B

source (that’s not me)

and D!

source (that’s not me, either)

WTF, knees?  I thought you were upset about something?  Admittedly, I could not do it as perfectly as these women, but for the first time, I could actually get into the posture and it didn’t feel like I was faking it!  Marichyasana D is supposed to be “the most challenging posture” in all of Ashtanga (the response in my head to that is usually, according to who?) but either way, it is certainly one of the most challenging ones for me, especially on my knees, ankles, and hips.

I can only take that as a message that yoga is the best thing for my body. It’s just what my body loves most.  Period.

When I got home, I was starving after working so hard for 90 minutes, so I put together a robust sandwich for myself.

On two quite toasty slices of Wholemeal Multigrain bread, I put three warm falafel balls, a hardboiled egg, and a handful of salad greens.  It was a bit dry (it would have been good with pasta sauce or tzatziki!) but it was still soooooo satisfying!

Though, surprisingly, my tummy was grumbling a short while later!  Probs because I hit the mat so hard today

So I reheated 1/8th of the leftover pizza and also ate two mandarin oranges from the farmer’s market.  They are so sour!  And many of them in the bag are mushy?  Not pleased.  Must chat with fruit farmer next week.

I spent the afternoon lesson planning.  I’m pretty excited for my maths measurement lesson this week!

For dinner: Curry Shrimp with Broccoli and Lentils  While boiling some brown rice, microwave chopped broccoli for 2 minutes (this “steams” them), then saute said broccoli with shrimp, pre-cooked lentils, 2 tsps curry powder, and some soy sauce!

yumyumyumyumyum  If you don’t microwave the broccoli, it won’t soften very easily while sauteing them; mine usually browns without getting soft at all.  Not what we’re going for!  But this, on the other hand, was perfect

For dessert:

2 small slices of ginger crunch.  Perfect way to end the night

What type of exercise is your body’s favorite?

Namaste.

Yoga Solutions!

Today has been a grrrrreat day!  We woke up to sunshine, so of course I woke up smiling.  But how could I not smile the morning after a night of fun at Father Ted’s?

I do have bad news about that, though.  We came in last place for trivia.  Humiliating.  Also, Hannah and I didn’t have anything prepared for Karaoke, so we just spectated.  But that turned out to be so much fun, we ended up staying a long while!  We really missed Father Ted’s while we were on break.  I love that the bartenders recognize us and the trivia dude always chats us up.  I feel so at home there!

Anyway, back to today.  I went to yoga and guess what, it was stupendous!  I guess Monday was just an off day.

I attended a beginner’s Ashtanga class at Auckland Yoga Academy.

Just 50 minutes long, it’s like an abridged version of full Primary Series, which is usually a breeze for me.

But today it totally kicked my butt!  Maybe that’s because I’m still getting into the swing of things, but whatever the reason it felt soooo good.  I love it when yoga makes me a sweaty yet confident mess, with breath like a refreshing life force as my muscles work until they shake.  It was awesome.

lol!  That’s a card I got today from Hannah’s mom today.  Isn’t it just perfect for me?  She sent Hannah a package, with a few things in it for me, too!

It was like Christmas Easter morning as we opened up the package!  I got that hilarious card with a lovely message, that cute puppy, a box of Rainsinet’s (my fave!), a fun wooden airplane kit, a square of Ghiradelli 60% Dark Chocolate (my OTHER fave!), and a gift card to Starbucks!  Lucky me!

Thank you so much, Mrs. Pace!  It was so thoughtful and generous    I love you and miss you!

Me & Mrs. P apple picking in VT, fall 2010

Getting the package made me yearn for home a bit, but I came across a quote today that I am trying to keep in mind:

Don’t count the days, make the days count.

With less than two months left in this amazing country, I really need to focus on that idea.

Lunch was last night’s leftovers:

We made roasted mushrooms, carrots, and broccoli with quinoa.  After dressing the chopped veggies in olive oil mixed with Italian herb paste and S&P, I roasted them in our microwave/oven for 25 minutes on 240*C (tossing them halfway through).  They came out still a bit crunchy so I probably could have left them in longer.  But I didn’t, and it was still fab!  Fresh, but with enough roasting to bring out those flava flaves.

What quote is getting you through lately?

Namaste.

Green Food

For lunch today I wanted something green, my favorite food color (it means there are lots of nutrients!) I started by making a Green Curry Rice Salad

I started by sauteing onions and garlic (what else is new? lol) with some curry powder.

Broccoli and shredded zucchini were added for more green power.

Next, I put in about 1/3c green lentils I had cooked up.

Plus I seasoned it with half of a lime. More green!

I added in some cooked brown rice and lunch was served!

It was light and fresh, but also spicy and filling. Perfection!

I whipped up another fun treat with my leftover zucchini: Zuke Chips! I put slices of zucchini on a piece of foil and drizzled them with about 1/8c of herb oil (olive oil mixed with Italian herb paste)

After dusting them with salt and pepper, I baked them in my microwave/oven on 230*C for about 25 minutes, flipping them a couple times.

They came out a bit uneven (I blame this on the “confection” setting of my microwave), but still beautiful if you ask me!

They were super delicious, I might add.

Today was uuber stressful because I wanted to turn in the hard copy of my literacy paper today after class, but the printers on campus were down. Of course the one day I need to print something, the printers are out of order. I ended up paying almost NZ$4 to print it at the public library. AND now tomorrow I have to make the trip all the way to the North Shore campus (a 20 minute bus ride each way) just to drop it into the education mailbox to submit it on time. As if this paper wasn’t giving me enough stress! Trying not to dwell. The end is almost near!

Luckily Math class wasn’t too bad today, we had a guest speaker about the Pasifika (Polynesian) view of mathematics, which generally is very non-specific. For example, they traditionally measure distance in “strides” and quantify things without numbers, just generalizing terms. I learned a fun activity about incorporating Pasifika quilt patterns into symmetry, fractions, …anything maths! Plus we got all of our materials together for an assessment project we have coming up after break. Love ittt.

What’s your favorite food color?

Namaste.

Big Chard (and FeelGood Needs Our Help!)

Another Gray Day today.

But we braced the elements for Auckland’s Farmer’s Market.

To start off the morning, I enjoyed a chocolate almond croissant because it is my good friend Andy’s Birthday!!!  So I had to celebrate since I won’t be eating cake with him   Happy Birthday Andy! I miss you!

Here’s what else we got for the week:

Caramelized onion ciabatta for nz$6.

Freshly smoked Trevally for nz$8

Twenty(-one!) falafel balls for nz$8

Huge sack of apples (2kg) for nz$4

Green peppers (nz$2 for 3) and carrots (nz$2 for a bag)

zucchinis for nz$1 each

Lettuce with leaves so big, they are fit for a queen!  And at only nz$2 for a bunch, it’s fit for a pauper!

Chard! (or Silver Beet)

It’s huge! and only nz$2

And, finally, 2 heads of broccoli for nz$3

On the walk home I enjoyed a D-Stress juice (carrots, mint, apple, and broccoli) Time-Saver! When we got home, I washed the chard and lettuce so that they will be salad-ready.

Yesterday, I talked about how hunger is a non-negotiable, but too many people in our world deal with it as a fact of life.  But it doesn’t have to be that way. 

FeelGood is an organization that is “ending world hunger, one grilled cheese at a time.” On college campuses all over the US, students are selling sandwiches to raise money for The Hunger Project.  It’s an amazing way to spread optimism, change, and empowerment all over the world.  Sadly, the University of Pittsburgh chapter, one of FeelGood’s highest-grossing chapters, has just been informed that their funding from their Student Government has been revoked.

Pitt's Tshirt reads: Come together, right now, over CHEESE

Without those funds, their deli cannot operate as successfully as it has in the past.   (They make an amazing sammie called the Feel Bueno: a grilled cheese with salsa, black beans, corn, tortilla chips, and hot sauce.)

The world cannot afford to lose them!  You can easily help them out by signing this petition.

I would be oh so very pleased!

What’s your favorite world-changing grilled cheese?

Namaste.