Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is basically superfood. It is a complete protein by itself, tastes amazing and is gluten free.

It can be used in place of rice, in salads, in stir-fries and as hot cereal.

It cooks in 15 minutes on the stove, or you can sprout it first by putting it in a glass jar and covering with water. Put cheesecloth over the top and secure with a rubber band. Soak it overnight or for at least 8 - 12 hours. In the morning, rinse and drain the jar well. There should not be water left sitting in the jar.

Leave the jar in a cool, dark place while the quinoa sprouts. Make sure to rinse and drain the quinoa every 6 - 8 hours. The quinoa will be done sprouting in about 48 hours.

They have large bags of organic quinoa for about $10 at Costco.
My quinoa salads are often a combination of quinoa and whatever I have in my fridge/garden for veggies.  Below is an example, and I hope that you will experiment.  Everything is optional with the exception of the quinoa (although you can substitute bulgur, brown rice or couscous) and some kind of acid - lemon or vinegar usually.

In a large bowl mix:

1-2 cups of Quinoa - either sprouted or cooked.
1-2 cups of black or kidney beans (1 can)1-2 carrots grated
1 pepper - finely chopped
2-3 cups of spinach, lettuce and other greens - raw and chopped
2-3 green onions
Fresh herbs - cilantro, oregano, chives, mint, thyme, cilantro, parsley. (1 or 2)
Lemon juice to taste
Olive or sesame oil (or whatever oil you like)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce
Feta Cheese

It tastes the best if you make it and let it sit for an hour or two and marinate.  Lasts 3-4 days in the fridge.

I like to get a variety of colours with the vegetables.  Red lettuce, different coloured peppers.  You can also use peas, corn, green beans, cucumbers or whatever you have.

Fathers and Partners Help Best as Birth Guardians...

...and/or loving partners, not as coaches; they also need support.

In honour of Father's Day, I decided to write about this Birthing from Within principle.

In our birth culture, we have moved from dads not even being in the room, to an expectation that they are responsible for supporting the mother in every aspect of pregnancy and birth.  This is not fair to either parent.

Birthing from Within Classes and doula support recognizes that fathers are also going through a rite of passage and major life change that is parallel to, and different from, the mother's experience.  Birthing from Within Classes provide a special class for fathers,that address their different needs. Read more about how Birthing from Within helps fathers...

The main role of the father during birth is to simply be present for the mother, to focus all of his attention and love on her.  Many dads learn that their role at the birth is to 'do something', whether that means negotiating with hospital staff, getting ice chips or doing a certain kind of massage for the mom.  While there are times during the birth that specific tasks may be required, the thing that moms remember most is a sense of their partner being present emotionally.  The father's preparation is sometimes about unlearning -- letting go of the instinct to solve a problem or fix something and instead learn to let the mother experience the intensity of labour, simply being there for her and recognizing the birth as the transformative experience it is.

Birthing from Within pain-coping practices (learned in a class) can help the parents stay connected to each other and gives the father something 'useful' to do that maintains and intensifies their emotional connection.

Having a doula or other female support person present is an excellent way to allow the parents to focus inward on the birth, while the doula gets the ice chips!  Doulas can also help direct dad if he is uncertain about what might help the mother and give him a break if he needs to leave for a few minutes to centre himself. Read this article about how doulas help...