guest post : rachel from the kitchen holiday

Thanks for all the kind words I've been getting on this new space of mine here. You women light me up :)  


Today's guest post comes from my older sister, Rachel. After reading my blog for years, she just recently started her own blog, a food blog. It's been so fun to help her get it going and try to help with blog questions where I can. 


Welcome, Rachel, and thanks for supporting Feather Spirit :) 

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Hi, I'm Rachel from The Kitchen Holiday.  My little sister, Ruth is not only one of my closest friends, oldest roommate, and polar opposite, but she's also my blog mentor, guest photographer, and biggest cheerleader, so I couldn't have been more flattered when she asked me to guest post on Feather Spirit.  

Over at The Kitchen Holiday, I focus on how fun and relaxing your time in the kitchen can be.   After a long day at work or a hectic weekend, nothing is more soothing to me than blasting music, pouring a glass of wine, and cooking some wholesome food.  I haven't been blogging long, but I've accumulated some great recipes like turkey soup, red velvet whoopie pies, green smoothies, and avocado egg toast, so you should definitely check it out! 

While I'm very passionate about my food, I've always had a difficult relationship with it.  Over the years I've developed some not-so-healthy eating habits and have definitely been guilty of eating just because I'm bored or upset.  Recent events, however, have started to change the way I see food.  Food is fuel!

Things started to change in January, when I completed my first mind-body detox.  It eliminated all caffeine, alcohol, gluten, dairy, processed food, and added sugar from my diet to help eliminate toxins.  And it made me feel amazing.  Don't get me wrong, it was extremely difficult and I almost broke the guidelines on a daily basis.  Overall, however, I noticed a huge improvement in my energy levels and much better digestion.  No more feeling tired at 3:00 in the afternoon and bloated after meals - score! Best of all, I developed a better understanding of the effect that certain foods have on my body, like how sluggish sugary or fat-filled foods made me feel.  Once I came to this realization, healthy food choices were a no-brainer.  It became less about avoiding foods that would cause me to gain weight and more about foods that provided my body with what it needed, what it craved.  Turns out, the cravings I really should have been listening to were actually good for me!

Most recently, I trained for (and finished!) my first road race - the Cherry Blossom 10-mile.  During my training, I had to be sure to provide my body with the nutrients it needed to excel.  I balanced protein and carbs, and made sure to eat at the appropriate times to give me the energy I needed to complete a long run.  Food was the fuel that powered me through the first time I set a new personal record - 5 1/2 miles, then 8 miles and finally the entire 10 miles on the morning of the race.  Eating served a purpose other than satisfying a craving, an entirely new concept to me.   And as an added bonus, running burns hundreds of calories!

Overall, approaching food as a means to achieve an end, rather than an end in itself, has allowed me to develop a much healthier relationship with food and is a vital aspect of my self care.  

One of my favorite recipes that I enjoyed during my training was a black-bean quinoa dish, which will forever be referred to as "Kick Ass Quinoa."  It's a healthy meal that's full of flavor and will give you the energy to succeed at any goal you set your mind to.

To start, gather your ingredients.  You'll need quinoa, black beans, tomatoes, limes, cilantro, scallions, butter, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper.

First, cook the quinoa.   Mix 2 cups water and 1 cup quinoa in a medium saucepan.  Bring the water to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed.  Fluff the quinoa with a fork and set it aside.

While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients - drain and rinse the beans, dice the tomatoes, and chop the scallions and cilantro.

Next, make the dressing.  First, zest 2 limes by grating only the green portion of the rind - not any of the white pith!

Slice the limes in half and squeeze out the juice, removing any seeds.


In a large bowl, mix the lime zest, lime juice, butter, oil, sugar, salt and pepper and whisk them together until they are well combined.

Mix in the quinoa, then the remaining ingredients - the beans, tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro.

Toss well...

...and enjoy!

Kick Ass Quinoa
Adapted from Gourmet, 2007

Ingredients

2 teaspoons grated lime zest

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 

2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup quinoa

1 (14- to 15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 medium tomatoes, diced

3 scallions, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Cook the quinoa.  In a medium sized saucepan, combine 2 cups water with 1 cup quinoa.  Bring the water to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.  Fluff the quinoa with a fork and set aside.  

Make the dressing.  In a large bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, butter, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper.  Whisk to combine.  

Add the cooked quinoa to the dressing along with the black beans, tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro.  Toss to coat.   Serve immediately or chilled as leftovers.