What Do You Put In Your Quinoa?

This week zipped by.... I know you know how the beginning went.... When you have no clue what your schedule is it actually moves pretty fast.

When I was sitting waiting to figure out what my flight was to Columbus, I went and started cleaning up some old emails.  I guess it was all a God thing because as I cleaned, I found an email that I had sent to someone quite a while ago and it had a weblink in it for a business.  It was actually the photography business of a friend's sister who, I think I now claim as a personal friend as well :)  Anyways, Lynae has a photography business and it just happened to show on her website that she lives in Columbus - I had completely forgotten.  So I started texting her and before you know it, she and her husband were meeting me for dinner!  Too fun!  It always makes travel/work so much more enjoyable when I can hood up with people that I know.

Greg, Lynae and I met a a restaurant in the university section of Columbus - Vino Vino!  It was pretty good, but the piece de resistance was when Lynae looked at the desert menu and then said "you know, there's an ice cream place down the street - its one of Oprah's top picks".  Now, not that I'm into Oprah at all, but if someone says that theres something unique and interesting and its right around the corner, well, I say - GO!  So, we took a little trot down the street and walked into Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream - and it was SPLENDID!  http://jenisicecreams.com/  Take a peek at her website and be amazed!  She goes all over the world and finds really unique things to create her ice cream with.  They had this one called Icelandic Happy Marriage - I can't remember everything thats in it, but I do remember some type of cheese from Iceland.  WHAT?!  CHEESE?!  I ended up getting boring Brambleberry and some kind of chocolate with homemade marshmallows and - YUMMMMMMM - SALTED CARMEL!  The Salted Carmel was AMAZING!!!!!  Oh - here's the cool thing too, you can actually order the stuff to be delivered and its not that badly priced.  I may be placing an order soon as its just too much to resist.  My motto is - If Oprah says its good -- then it doesn't really matter to me....  :)  BUT, if I try it and its good - then ITS GOOD :)

So, here's the other website you have to check out.  Lynae's website for her photography.  She's amazing!  I LOVE her stuff!  http://www.wix.com/lynaeadams/photography#!

I was in the office on Friday and got quite a bit done.  After Good Friday service I trucked on over to Dominicks because I had a request for 24 cupcakes for a 16th birthday party  AND I planned on making cupcakes for Easter dinner.  

Saturday came and I spent almost the whole day in the kitchen and it was kind of fun!  I made 24 (actually 27) chocolate mint cupcakes and then I started in on a new recipe for coconut cupcakes.  They turned out beautiful but I'm not sure of the taste as I resisted and I'm going to let the verdict come from my gathering at lunch on Sunday.

Since I've been trying to eat really healthy lately in honor of getting ready for my trip to ITALY and the beaches of SARDINIA!  Last summer, my friend Jane and Gaye helped me fall in love with Quinoa.  I am besotted with Quinoa and I do this salad that I can't get enough of.  I cook the Quinoa and then chop up fresh basil and mix that in and then just put in TONS of fresh veggies and top if off with olive oil.  This time I add some awesome olives from the olive bar.  Its just the best ever!

I know my friend Kate puts kale and peppers and in her quinoa (but then she puts kale in everything - I think I'm going to create a kale cupcake for her... :)).  Jane and Gaye kind of did veggies in theirs.

So, my question is - WHAT DO YOU PUT IN YOUR QUINOA?