Evil moms love new kinds of peppers and use peanut butter in different ways

Yesterday was the first full day back to normal. and it can best be summed up by walk, school, walk, more school. exercise with Wii, more school and walk. Peppered by numerous reminders to put your glasses on, showing how to clean them, reminders to wear them so you look through the lenses and not over them- all the things any person who wore glasses as a kid had to be told for a million times when they first started wearing them. The make a HUGE improvement in his reading skills , so the rule is we enforce wearing glasses when he is reading , on the computer or playing video games, but it is his choice for TV watching, exercising, outside play and so on. My logic with this one is it may also make him a little more eager to exercise. Ah, being an evil mom is fun !!!!

Breakfast was quinoa cooked with dried cranberries and topped with the last of the tropical fruit and strawberry mix. For some reason, I am really liking the taste of papaya with quinoa. Papaya is a less sweet fruit and something about it's flavor complements the nutty sort of taste of quinoa for me. Must experiment with that combo further

Lunch was 15 bean soup with garlic hummus and veggies. One of the selections was Mexican Sweet Orange Peppers. These taste a little sweeter than red bell peppers and have a bit more of a crunchier texture. They were sold in a bag of about 20 peppers in our market. Several of the newer varieties of sweet bell peppers make a really nice addition to raw veggie options, as well as working perfectly in any recipe that calls for bell peppers.

Dinner was two favorites combined for the first time , and they hit it of rather well. Golden Sweet Potato saute with Peanut Noodles and a side salad of romaine, watercress, apples and pears.

Golden Spinach and Sweet Potato Sauté

1 medium onion -- chopped
4 medium cloves garlic -- minced
1 cup + 1 TBS chicken or vegetable broth
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp cardamom
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
2 cups sweet potatoes -- peeled and cubed
6 oz frozen spinach -- thawed
2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro

Chop onions and mince garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their health-promoting
benefits.Heat 1 TBS broth in a large stainless steel skillet. Healthy Sauté onion in broth over medium heat for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add garlic and continue to sauté for another minute. Add seasonings and lemon juice and stir to mix thoroughly. Add broth and sweet potatoes. Simmer covered over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover to allow sauce to thicken and cook another couple minutes.
Press water out of spinach and add to sweet potatoes. Cook uncovered for a few more minutes to
allow sauce to thicken. Add cilantro, salt, and pepper.
Serves 4

Peanut Noodles

1/2 lb whole wheat spaghetti
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar -- or 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 cup natural peanut butter

Boil water for noodles and cook according to package directions.
Meanwhile, peel and coarsely chop the garlic. In a blender or food processor, combine the garlic,
oils, vinegar, soy sauce, peanut butter, and optional red pepper flakes. Process until smooth, and
then season to taste with salt and pepper.Drain pasta and toss with peanut sauce. ( can be served with mandarin orange sections and or cilantro if desired)

Rainy morning here, and my priorities this day are cleaning the house, planning next weeks menu, school and probably more indoor hall walking. It's lower on the list today because the other things are must do and I can afford to take a rest day.It's all about balance in the end .