Author Archives: explorenewness

a NEW recipe…Sweet Potato Quinoa Patties

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quinoa

I’m sure you all know the great health benefits of quinoa, right?  I’ve been meaning to try and incorporate this ‘superfood’ into our diet for a while now…so I finally tried this NEW recipe.  These were super easy because I cooked the quinoa in my rice cooker (no babysitting whatsoever!) and the sweet potatoes in my pressure cooker…EASY!   Talk about healthy, heaLTHY, HEALTHY!   The only time-consuming part was cooking them in the skillet.  I cooked the patties one-by-one in a non-stick pan as instructed…but I think you could probably do multiple patties on a big griddle. (??) Here’s the actual recipe link.

I’m glad I tried this NEW recipe!  Have a great day! Do or Learn something NEW!

a NEW (to me) Shel Silverstein poem

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pinsandneedles

poem

As you can see, I’m still playing around with my extension tubes…do you like my pin cushion?  Yeah, wow huh?  Well, once summer comes, maybe I’ll get to shoot some cool caterpillars or butterflies or something more exciting :o)

I LOVE the last line of that poem!  Those are my thoughts exactly :o) Take me, oh take me to anywhere NEW!  {Hawaii would be nice}

Have a GREAT day!  Do or Learn something NEW!

NEW sheet music…Downton Abbey theme

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DowntonAbbey1

Happy Friday!  So, who’s a Downton Abbey fan?  I know, I know, it’s basically a soap-opera…but it’s only once a week, right? It’s not like we’re wasting time, watching the drama of fictional people…DAILY. :o)

I recently downloaded the sheet music for the theme (I needed a NEW piece to learn).  It’ll be a good left-hand workout!  Have a great day!  Learn something NEW!

a couple of NEW recipes

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pretzeltreats2

OK…next time you have your oven on,  try this yummy {EASY!!!!} treat.  The longest preparation for these pretzel-rolo-m&m treats is unwrapping the Rolos!  Four…(4!!!) minutes in the oven and then smash them babies down with an M&M…and DONE!  Sweet but salty, chewy but crunchy deliciousness!  Actual recipe HERE.

beans

AND….next time you buy a bunch of parsley, for whatever reason….and you have tons left over, try this NEW twist:  Green Beans with Walnut Parsley Sauce.  YUM!  And it looks quite gourmet, don’t you think?   Both NEW recipes were quite delicious!  If you try them, please let me know what you think!

Have a great day!  Try or Learn or Do something NEW!

a NEW book review

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12years

Hi all!  I LOVE book recommendations!…so when my good friend suggested I read Twelve Years a Slave, I got right to it.  (By the way, it’s available on Google Books.)

I liked this book simply for the historical aspect.  In the back of my mind (the very back)….I knew there were some free black men and women who were kidnapped and sold into slavery, but reading this book brought me a NEW awareness of this despicable-ness.  What an awful, awful injustice!  It was bad enough, in that day and age to have slavery – but to purposefully inflict it on legally free men and women was so, so wrong!

It is just sooooo hard to imagine people’s thought processes of the 1800’s!  It makes me wonder what laws are on our books and what we are doing today that, in a hundred years from now, will be looked on with disbelief!

There is also a movie coming out, based on the book.  I think it’s rated R, so I’ll probably pass on seeing it, but read the book!  (If you already have, let me know what you think!)  I thought the beginning and the end were excellent…the middle was a little slow though. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Have a great day!  Read or DO or learn something NEW!

a NEW Thursday Thought

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sunriseovercornfield2

Happy Thursday!  You’ll notice this photo is lacking snow and ice.  Yup, I’m tired of the snow and ice…so I browsed through my archives for today’s Thursday Thought post.  This photo was taken in Nauvoo, Illinois this past summer at about 6am one fine morning.

Have a great day!  Do or Learn something NEW…and remember to forget the mistakes, headaches and heartaches of yesterday and start again…because today is a brand NEW day!

another NEW culinary term…aioli

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brussels

Today I learned a NEW culinary term: aioli.  A month or so ago, I researched and posted a list of 100 culinary terms.  However, I guess I need a more extensive list because roux wasn’t on there, and now aioli wasn’t either!  I’ll keep looking for a more complete glossary of culinary terms to share with you.  BUT, today I did learn that ‘aioli’ was a garlic flavored mayonnaise.  So I after I found that out, I thought the name of this NEW recipe I tried was a little redundant:  Crispy Brussel Sprouts with a Garlic Aioli.   Am I Right?!?   It should probably just be called Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Aioli Dip!!!  {Or am I being overly picky?}

This NEW recipe was really quick and easy to put together.  I first got the idea to make it at Sew Many Ways.  I think it’s a pretty (and nutritious) appetizer!  Try it out!

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