Red Lentils and Green Broccoli - Easy, Healthy, Yummy

I had an unusually productive afternoon (at least by my typical standards)! Laundry, dishes, dabbled a bit in the garden, blog posts - and I also managed to cook a few lunches to boot! I don't have much time or energy when I return home from work to do much in the way of cooking - either for dinner that night or as prep for next day's lunch. This is a set up for bad choices (both financially and nutritionally as I end up eating out more) which I confess I do make. So I was glad I was able to do this today. Here's what I did, I hope it helps you as 
well ... 

I adapted this recipe from Whole Foods Market: 
Red Lentils with Garlic and Onions 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups uncooked red lentils, rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 12 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 6 cups cooked brown Basmati rice

Method: 

Put lentils, turmeric and 4 cups water into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are very soft and pulpy, about 25 minutes. Add salt to lentils after cooking, then purée in blender and set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until golden brown, taking care not to burn them. Add onion mixture to lentils and stir well. Serve hot, with basmati rice on the side.

Nutritional Info: 

Per Serving: 340 calories (50 from fat), 5g total fat, 220mg sodium, 57g carbohydrates, (11 gdietary fiber, 5g sugar), 17g protein.

I cut the recipe in half - 2 cups of water (I ended up adding a bit more later) and 1 cup of uncooked red lentils. I did not cut the spices in half, and I also added 1/2 teaspoon of Red Curry (good decision, I actually wish I had add a bit more of all of the spices). I used 1/2 of a regular onion and less garlic (3 cloves - I like garlic, so it would have been fine to add more. I didn't even notice it called for so much until just now). 

I cooked the lentils until they were mushy, and added the onions/garlic about half way through. I also did not puree them in a blender or food processor - so I simplified the recipe and I am glad I did as it still turned out yummy, but fewer dirty dishes to clean. Since I did not cook the onions and garlic separately I omitted the oil. Lastly I also omitted the rice. 

While the lentils were cooking I steamed some broccoli (using the cut open bag and dump into steamer method!) 

When it was done I divvy'd the broccoli and red lentils into two storage containers, ate a small amount of each for a snack - and poof - done, two lunches in the fridge.  

Sorry, no pics - I'll try to remember next time! 

Breakfast is so easy I assemble it in the morning as I make my coffee (Peet's - I am grateful Publix carries it!) and is inspired by Chocolate Covered Katie (I think she calls them overnight oats). I take a mason jar, sprinkle 2-3 teaspoons of raw rolled oats (I like Bob's Red Mill), pour some kefir (from Maple Hill Creamery) over it, add a scoop of plain yogurt (usually homemade using Kalona Milk), add a generous pinch of coconut flakes, add a generous pinch of whatever nut I have handy (hopefully toasted) and a smaller pinch of mini-chocolate chips. I will sometimes also add a dribble or two of maple syrup and/or a teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Screw the top on, grab my coffee and head out the door. I eat it when I get to work. It is yummy and incredibly filling. 

Most of us lead crazy busy lives - I hope these ideas help you manage yours! 

(no affiliate links in this post)

Evernote - Excellence!

I have been using Evernote (not an affiliate link) for nearly two years and really appreciate it. My favorite feature thus far is the web clipper - it's an app embedded in your web browser with a button you can use to clip web pages. You can clip the entire page, or a portion of it, or simply a screen shot. I have another blog - https://vaccinedepot.blogspot.com and use Evernote to save clips of webpages for blog posts. You can also use it to write draft blog posts. 

There are three levels available - Basic (free), Plus ($24.99/year) and Premium ($45.00/year). I started with the Basic, but quickly went with Premium because the price is so reasonable and I wanted to be able to save items (almost) without limit - with the Basic plan I would bump up against the monthly limit, with the paid plan I never have, though I suppose it is possible depending upon how you use it. You can upload up to 10GB/month with the Premium plan, but there are additional functions that come with each level above Basic. 

I have needed to contact customer support on a (very) few occasions and have been very happy with the service they provided - the issues have been resolved quickly and I found them to be very responsive and helpful.    

Even if you are not a blogger it can be very useful - it can be a great place to keep recipes for easy access. I also like to use it to store contacts/business cards - a quick scan with my phone's camera and done! I don't need to have the card continue to clutter up my wallet or my desk. 

Once an item is in Evernote it can be organized into Notebooks. You can also assign multiple tags - so between the Notebooks and Tags searching for an item is easy. 

I suspect that if you try Evernote, you will like it! 

Travel Tips - Hampton Inn

I love to travel - especially if it involves going to someplace I have never been, and even more so if it involves going to someplace warm and sunny with a beach! 

Why do I like Hampton Inn?

When my travels require me to use a hotel I am fond of staying at Hampton Inns (a Hilton Hotel - this is not an affiliate link). They intersect reasonable cost with pleasant amenities. Rates have ranged from <$100 to no more than $150.00/night (they vary by location and room size), and since they have many locations it has not been hard to find one fairly close to, if not actually in, my ultimate destination. Rooms are appointed comfortably and in all my stays have always been clean and well serviced. 

I appreciate that WiFi and breakfast are included with your stay (at least in the US locations) - I doubt I would stay at a hotel that did not provide these amenities.  

Frequent Traveler Program

Hilton has its "HHonors" points program - but this, understandably, is mostly a benefit to frequent travelers. Points expire if you are not continuously accruing additional points. Though considering the bennies of the four levels it is clear only someone who stays frequently enough to earn "free" or comped stays should bother opting in to this as many of the bennies are available to any guest (spouse stays free, complimentary continental breakfast - how is that different from what is already provided?) 

I currently have no points (Blue level - I had points that I lost through inactivity) - and to reach the next level (Silver) I would have to stay at a Hampton 4 or more times or 10 days. So that should give one an idea of just how frequently someone would need to stay at a Hampton to earn the elite "Diamond" level - quite a few, no doubt! 

I usually make my reservations through the Hampton Inn website. The "Find a Hotel" feature on the left makes it easy to find a Hampton Inn close to where I am going and usually provides a list of Hampton Inns nearby. This way I can choose how close do I want to be (and do I want to pay a premium for being closer to my destination or would I rather stay further away and save a few dollars - I typically opt for the latter).  

Do you travel with pets? 

I could not find a specific policy about pets on the Hampton Inn website. A quick search about pets shows that some Hampton Inns are pet friendly, though it is likely prudent to call a specific location and ask about their policy regarding pets before making a reservation.  

Only the best for Bunny ...

I have a cat named Bunny (and how she came to that moniker is a story for another post) who is now nearly 19 years old (I joke about changing her name to Methuselah). For most of her life she has been hacking up hairballs and until recently nothing I tried helped. I tried the commercial food "specifically formulated" for hairballs, brushing her, hairball goo, etc ... several times each week, if not daily, she would barf up and deposit some nastiness on my floor, or my bed, or in my shoe - well, you get the idea. 

But for the last two weeks this has not happened - and the only change was giving her one tablet/day of "Vet's Best Hairball Relief Digestive Aid" - the ingredients are listed below. The directions say to give 1 tablet twice each day. My wee girl also has horrible constipation for which I have been giving her Miralax (please check with your vet before giving your pet any medication or product, even if it is available over the counter). 

It was $7.95 (for 60 tablets) at the local health food shop where I found it but I found it on Amazon for almost 1/2 that price (though that does not include shipping if you do not have Amazon prime). 

I am most grateful to have found this and only wish I had found it sooner! 

Ingredients (active ingredients):
psyllium seed
marshmallow
slippery elm bark
papaya extract
Allzyme (lactobacillus acidophilus, aspergilus oryzae, bacillus subtiles,
papain, amylase, protease);

Ingredients (inactive ingredients):
apple powder, brewer's yeast, calcium carbonate, chicken (dried),
liver (defatted pork), magnesium stearate, natural flavorings,
yeast (torula).

(no affiliate links in this post)


Feb 7, 2016 - update: 

Of course, the day after I wrote this original post, the Bunster hacked up a hairball! However, after at least 3 weeks of daily use (1 tablet/day) I can say that the Bunner's hairball problem seems to be quite a bit better - not cured, but both the number of hairballs she hacks up and the frequency and size are far, far less than before. At this point I plan to continue using the Miralax until it is gone and then I will increase her dose of Vet's Best Hairball remedy to the recommended two tablets/day (1 am, 1pm) and see how she does with that. I am very pleased with this product and so wish that I had known about it sooner! 

Resources for Bible Reading Plans

This eklektikos appreciates the word of God - the Bible. In this post I'll be sharing some resources that I have come across that I have found helpful. 

One of my favorite on-line sources is here: 
http://biblehub.com/ 

   The GUI (graphical user interface, pronounced goo-ee) is not especially snazzy or
   impressive at first glance. But there is a rich treasure of resources to make use of 
   and explore - Strong's numbers, interlinear bibles with many different translations, 
   Hebrew and Greek, lexicons, commentaries and much more. 

There are millions of bible reading plans out there - one of the most popular is Professor Grant Horner's system. He has divided the Bible into 10 sections and you read 1 chapter from each section every day. It can seem daunting but this gives the reader a great overview of the whole counsel of the word of God. Here are some links for more information: 
https://www.scribd.com/doc/12349985/Professor-Grant-Horners-Bible-Reading-System 
If you would like some bookmarks you can get them here: 
http://nwbingham.com/blog/new-bookmarks-professor-grant-horners-bible-reading-system/ 
     I suggest you simply double-click on the images and then right-click to save them 
     to your computer. There is a hyperlink to a zip file so you can presumably tweak 
     the bookmarks yourself but when I tried that it didn't work. 
Here are links to the pdfs via Googledocs: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0C-5-MEaNN_SUFwUHlqcjNfMzA/view?usp=sharing 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0C-5-MEaNN_eDdheFY1aTNCY0U/view?usp=sharing 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0C-5-MEaNN_Qkt3bVExcXprSFU/view?usp=sharing 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0C-5-MEaNN_bDhxcFNfamcyeE0/view?usp=sharing 

I made up a similar system where I divided the bible into types of writings (Law, History, Prophecy, Psalms, Proverbs, Gospel, Epistle), reading 1 or 2 chapters of each section daily. I am nowhere near as faithful in this as I would like to be. Here is a Googledoc link to bookmarks if you would like to try this: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0C-5-MEaNN_MXdBR0hTRFpOeEU/view?usp=sharing 
Print them out and get them laminated ... 

Here's a link to an article on a bible reading plan app for your phone: 
http://nwbingham.com/blog/the-best-iphone-ipad-app-for-tracking-your-bible-reading/ 
I downloaded it but have not yet spent much time tweaking it to make it my own. I learned of these via Tim Challies email. 

Another great option is to listen to the Bible - John MacArthur's ministry, Grace To You provides a smart phone app with this option. John MacArthur is one of the handful of people who has theology that I trust (I reserve the right to change this opinion if he or anyone else goes off the rails!) Brannon Howse is another person who I think is still trustworthy - you'll find him at Worldview Weekend. I really appreciate his podcast - I especially appreciate that he is exposing the bad theology that has become so very commonplace today (contemplative prayer, the "emergent" church, the social "gospel" among others). 

You can also listen from the web with the English Standard Version (and there is also a smartphone app with this feature as well). 

There are two more things you can do to expose yourself to the text: 

1) Read it out loud to yourself or someone else

2) Write it out by hand - copy the text in a journal or notebook or on a pad of paper. 
     There is benefit in this unlike the use of a keyboard - the keyboard is too abstract, 
     the act of writing something by hand is more concrete, and there is a neural 
     connection, a feedback loop, between our hand and our brain - the brain telling 
     the hand what to do and the hand training the brain as it does what it is told. 
     This also slows us down, and we have to look at the text, repeatedly, as we 
     copy it onto the paper. 

Both of these techniques can be useful ways to interact with the text. Most of us learn by repetition - I know that is true for me. Most of also have one primary mode of learning. I know that for me this is through my eyes - I am a visual learner, almost to a point of handicap. I am much more likely to retain what I see or what I read. Regardless of this, I also know that there is value in using all of my senses to learn - and using more than one sense leads naturally to repetition. The goal being to burn into my head and my heart what.the.text.actually.says. Not what I want it to say, not what others say it says. 

Read it silently
Read it audibly 
Write it
Hear it 

In all of this - listen to The One Who wrote it - the Bible is God's primary way of communicating to us. Each page is about Jesus. Each page is God saying "I LOVE YOU!"
The Gospel, the good news, is found from beginning to end - the good news that we no longer have to be separated from God because of our sin - Jesus was born to die for us, for our sin. He proved Who He is by rising physically, bodily from the grave three days after His death on a cross. It is only by going to Him and exchanging our sin for His sacrifice that we can be saved - be assured of eternal life in heaven rather than hell. 

John 3:16 
1 John 5:11-12  

I'll update this as I find more ... 

Helpers need help ...

The purpose of this wee blog on the wide web is to share what I've found that I've liked or found interesting - perhaps you might as well. I like to cast a wide net, rummage around to see what's been hauled in, evaluate it and consider whether it's a keeper or should be tossed back ... 

One of the things I'm familiar with and have liked quite a bit for quite some time are Pregnancy Resource Centers - most are Christian ministries and provide a variety of free resources and support for pregnant women. For years I have supported many of these organization in a variety of ways. 

I've volunteered with Cobb Pregnancy Services since January 2014, where we provide free pregnancy tests, free STD testing and treatment, free practical help (diapers, maternity clothes, children's clothing and more) and support to pregnant women and their partners, as well as post-abortion healing. All of this is free because we are funded through private donations. 

Please enable us to continue offering these services by supporting me in our upcoming Walk for Life. 

Here's the link to donate: http://www.fundeasy.com/m/2464192/ 

Thank you! 

Travelogue - Biblical Gardens in La Grange, GA (USA)

My first visit to the Explorations in Antiquity Center in La Grange, GA (USA) was in 2014. I liked it so much that I made another visit in July.  

The basic entrance fee is $15 for adults, though they have additional programs that I encourage you to include with your visit - namely the biblical meal ($35 for adults) and a docent lead tour. The food is delicious but the highlight of the meal is the docent explaining various customs common to ancient biblical culture. 

They also have a biblical bread-making experience ($15/person). I didn't do this on my first trip but will on this next one. Both the biblical meal and bread-making have a minimum requirement of 10 people but the staff are willing to combine groups to help meet the minimum. From comments the staff have made I think the bread-making is primarily geared toward children. Also, if you have a small group and are combined with another group to participate in an activity your reservation may be canceled or changed if the other group cancels or changes their reservation (this happened to my friends and I on our most recent trip). 

The admission fee includes access to a smaller exhibit of items from Israel (Bible Life Artifacts Gallery) that are on loan to the Explorations in Antiquity Center. 

One of my favorite aspects of my first visit was the real-life object lessons from scripture - in particular, the olive press. 

They also have programs in December for Christmas - I intend to make it to at least one of these this year since I have been so impressed with my previous visits. 

Have you been to the Biblical Gardens in La Grange, and if so, what did you think?