Spicy Quinoa

Here's the deal. I was too lazy to actually go out and buy the things I needed for lunch yesterday, so I improvised, and it actually turned out to be an amazing meal.

Think of Quinoa as an alternative to rice (If you've never had it). When seasoned correctly, it tastes amazing, and is packed with good stuff for your body!

Happy New Year Everybody! I hope you like it!

Spicy Quinoa

2 cups Quinoa
Water
Two chiles in adobo sauce
1 T Onion Powder
1 T Garlic Powder
1 T Thyme
1 T Cajun Seasoning
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Prepare two cups of Quinoa as directed on the box.

Dice two chiles in adobo sauce, and poor into mixture. (If you want it really spicy, add four!)

Then, add your seasonings, top with mozzarella cheese and serve.

**It's also amazing to sauté onions and garlic, and add bell peppers to the mix... but like I said, I was too lazy to go to the store. Today, I added a tablespoon of Barbecue Sauce just to change it up a bit, and I thought it was really good as well.

Small Changes...

I'm going to try to keep this short and sweet, because after all, this is a food blog, but we wanted to share some changes we are making in our lifestyles that are correlating with weight loss and becoming healthy.

Here's my lesson for the day: Read the labels... Have you ever heard of hydrogenated oils?? You can read about it here, but I'll go ahead and let you know it's code for cancer... among other things. Anyway, it's in almost every processed food we eat including those so-called 100-calorie packs that are good for us. It hurt me the most when I was pouring my favorite creamer into my coffee this morning, and read the label to find it too had hydrogenated oil in it. From this moment forward, I will steer clear of these oils to the best of my ability.

So here's the measures we're taking to start being more healthy.

1. Drink a LOT more water
2. No carbonated drinks
3. Drink Green Tea 3 times a day (why? Glad you asked! Look here!)
4. Exercise (obviously)
5. Limit as much as possible foods with hydrogenated oils which includes almost everything that comes in a box
6. Take vitamin supplements

We also plan to convert to completely organic foods. All my Mississippi friends are whispering right now about how expensive organic food is, and yeah... it's a little more, no doubt about it. But... one, it tastes so much better, and two, I'd rather pay one dollar more for an apple than over $100,000 for a triple bypass. It's all about perspective.

These are just small changes, but by taking these measures, we're beginning to get rid of all the junk that's built up in our bodies.

Happy New Year Everybody!

Change is in the Air!

Long time no see friends!  I need to get a few things off my chest:

1.  I would like to say thank you, Thank You, and THANK YOU to all of my readers!!  I'm honestly astounded by how many hits I get on this blog!  It humbles me, and encourages me!

2.  Anyone that's close to me knows that I've always battled with my weight. It's safe to say it's been a roller coaster... For the past 5 years, my weight has gone from healthy levels to very unhealthy levels, and honestly... I'm SICK of it! I'm no stranger to exercise, but the problem is what I put in my mouth. I've decided... it's time for a change! I'm not going on a diet because diets, in my opinion, aren't fun at all! I'm not going to start eating just lettuce and water every day either! My wife, Ashlynn, and I are challenging ourselves to change the ways we eat food, what we eat, and why we eat food. I have no problem sitting here today and saying I enjoy eating food! I do! It's comforting to me. I LOVE going out to eat and trying new places. And I refuse to eat food that I can't stand. I'm just not going to do it. This isn't a New Years Resolution. Ashlynn and I have been discussing this and researching this for weeks. We feel it's time to take control.

3. With all this said above, Dudes Cook Too is about to change directions a little bit. This will always be a food blog, and I dare not say I'm changing it to a health blog, but the recipes you will see in the future will be wholesome, nutrient rich, and good for you. It's all about perspective. Trust me, I won't tell you to throw lettuce in a bowl and enjoy it, but together, we can learn to cook foods that are rich, not just in flavor, but in vitamins we need, and on top of all that, taste delicious!

Now that we got that over with... :)

I'm trying to keep this post as short as possible, because I have a lot to say about things I've found about the food I eat! But, with time, I'll get it all out on the table. If you are interested in learning more with us, by all means, join us! I'm not a nutritionist, and I don't claim to have all the answers... We are just sick of the way we're living, the way we feel when we get out of bed in the morning, and the toll the foods we are currently eating are taking.

If you are interested, I'd like to encourage you to watch two documentaries. These films changed my view on everything. Before this, it was in black and white on a page, but these movies brought it to life. After watching "Food, Inc." I will never eat at a fast food restaurant again, or buy meat ANYWHERE that isn't certified organic. Don't worry, that topic is for another day. We watched both of these films on iTunes, but you can get them almost anywhere. Watching this will change your viewpoint on the food we eat, and if it doesn't, something is wrong!

One more thing... I'm currently testing different wheat bread recipes, and the first two were a bust...so if any of you know a great recipe for whole wheat bread, feel free to email me, and I will test it!

Once again, thank you so much for everything! 2011 has been a great year for Dudes Cook Too, and I can't wait to see what happens in 2012!