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KEEN WAH

Rick first introduced me to quinoa.  Before Rick, I had no idea what it even was.  When we would get together for our weekend visits, he would often pack up his veggies, juicer and supplies that would enable him to eat a clean diet...even while stuck away in the country with his butter girl!  My teenage son watched from afar with curiosity and suspicion...and I admittedly, I did as well.

I remember when he put on his first batch of quinoa.  I told him after it had simmered for a while that it looked like little sperm!  What the heck...this grain appeared to have little tails!  I never tried Rick's quinoa until we were fully engaged in his battle with cancer.  And I liked it...actually I liked it a lot!

The moment Rick received his diagnosis, I packed up my car and headed to be with him in Cleveland.  Our intention had been that even after our wedding, we would continue our long distance routine (getting together on the weekends) until my son graduated in June from high school.  We had already been looking at properties where we could locate ourselves that would be half way between our two separate locations after graduation.  But with this horrific cancer diagnosis, I needed to set up camp and be with my husband.  He needed me and I needed him...and as he said, "I don't want to waste a minute without you".  We found our days busy with doctor appointments, testing and treatments. 

I soon found myself traveling an hour to a market on the north side of Cleveland to find all of the organic fruits, veggies and grains that were on Rick's grocery list...The Mustard Seed.  (For some reason, I got lost each and every time that I set out on this expedition....sigh, silly country girl maneuvering her way around Cleveland!)  Rick had found a cancer diet with a list of foods that he was to consume daily...it kept us all very busy in the kitchen.  I soon began to experiment.  I liked to look at the ingredient list provided for this diet and see how I could perhaps change things up a bit; hoping in the end, the result would be appealing to both the eye and the palate. 

I never will forget a text that I received from my supportive son while we were fully engaged in the cancer battle..."Tell Rick that he better get better or I am gonna have to make him a big bowl of keenwah".  I loved it...especially the spelling!   We should all remain open to new and different ideas.  Rick never pushed his dietary preferences on me or my family...but gently and quietly introduced us to a whole new way of thinking.  Some people come into our lives....touching us in a way that we will never be the same again.

The other day I stumbled upon the grocery list that was created for Rick's healing diet.
Keep in mind, this list was for one weeks consumption!

Carrots, 50 lbs. (no lie!)
Tomatoes, 10-15 lbs.
Potatoes, 25 lbs.
Onions, 20 per week or 25 lbs.
Leeks, 2 bunches
Beets, 5 branch tops for juicing and bottoms for eating
Green Peppers, 8 weekly
Celery, 2-3 bunches
Celery Root, 2 roots
Lettuce, 15 heads
Romaine, 20 good size bunches
Chard, 4 bunches
Watercress, 2 bunches
Parsley Root, 2 bunches
Various vegetables, in season
Granny Smith Apples, 40 lbs.
Oranges, 10-15 lbs.
Garlic, 1 bulb
Purified water, 15 gallons
Flaxseed oil
Brewer's yeast
Flax seeds
Wheat germ
Wheat bran
Probiotic

Excerpt from About.com:
What is quinoa? While quinoa is usually considered to be a whole grain, it is actually a seed, but can be prepared like whole grains such as rice or barley.  Quinoa is my favorite whole grain for three reasons: First, it takes less time to cook than other whole grains – just 10 to 15 minutes. Second, quinoa tastes great on its own, unlike other grains. Add a bit of olive oil, sea salt and lemon juice and - yum! Finally, of all the whole grains, quinoa has the highest protein content, so it's perfect for vegetarians and vegans. Quinoa provides all 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. Quinoa is a gluten-free and cholesterol-free whole grain, is kosher for Passover, and is almost always organic.




Comments

  1. Connie - do you have some recipes you can share that use quinoa? I had my first experience with it this weekend. We made turkey and quinoa stuffed pepper in the crock pot. They were great! But now I have lots of quinoa so I need some more ways to use it. Thanks....and keep writing!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I saw the picture on Facebook of the quinoa stuffed peppers...looks yummy! I'll send some ideas your way! You should go out to dinner with Marcy and I sometime soon...help us celebrate her birthday!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I would love that...let's do it!!

    ReplyDelete

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