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While I generally prefer cooking with fresh things, this is an easy, tasty vegetarian dish that I can throw together in minutes. It’s might spicy, so tastebuds beware!
Mexican Quinoa
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic (I use the bottled stuff)
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1 c. quinoa (I use the stuff that’s already kind of cooked)
- 1 c. vegetable broth (or water)
- 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 15 oz. can corn, drained
- 1 can diced jalapeño peppers, drained
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Diced avocado
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cumin and stir for about a minute. Add the beans, tomatoes, corn, jalapeños, and quinoa. After about 1 minute, add the broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes until the quinoa is cooked. Remove pan from heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Add a half an avocado, diced, to each bowl when serving. Serves 4 as an excellent spicy comfort food.

Today’s gratitudes:
- Firefighters
- Having the end of MKL’s move in sight
- Almost two months with no sugar (because I’m sweet enough as it is, damn it)





Today’s gratitudes:
- Goats
- Grazing alpacas
- MKL
- Tulips blooming today



Today’s gratitudes:
- Lovely neighbors
- Horses
- Counting down the days
- A plane ticket in hand (even if it’s just to Dallas)









Today’s gratitudes:
- That K does not have COVID-19
- Sleep
- Lemon ginger tea
- A repaired stair







Today’s gratitudes:
- That MKL came up for the day
- Only nine more days until I actually live with my husband
- That the Fire Department is trying to contain the fire four miles northwest of here (which is really stressing me out)
- A successful experimental smoothie
I’m really not traveling the county roads in numerical order – though that might be fun.








Today’s gratitudes:
- Dirt roads
- An annual State parks pass
- Meadowlarks
- Getting gas for under $4.00/gallon
Via a rather circuitous route that included Hwy 69, Hwy 96, and Hwy 165.











Today’s gratitudes:
- Trying to figure out the cat
- The first tree in bloom
- That K is back safely from her trip












Today’s gratitudes:
- What aspen leaves look like when they start to bud
- Fuzzy socks
- Robins
Sunday was a day for adventures.








Very early in my cemetery browsing days, I learned not to step directly on graves. In this one, it was nearly impossible to tell, so I found myself continually and spontaneously apologizing, just in case.
Daily gratitudes:
- That the wind has calmed (for now)
- That the power is back on (again, for now)
- The long cat sleeping on my legs
- Books

Today’s gratitudes:
- Sweet peas sprouting by the mailboxes
- The lone deer sitting under the pines in the cemetery
- Presents for people I love
- Cooking plans