Feeling a Little Crazy

Maybe it’s the full moon.

Or the odd off-and-on winter weather we’ve had this week.

Or maybe dealing with plenty of stress at work with more people out sick this entire week and us healthy ones grumbling about carrying the extra work load and stress. And maybe it has something to do with a co-worker having some sort of meltdown/crisis and wearing the same really dirty and smelly jeans every day this week and me cursing my too good sense of smell and wondering if and when I have to be the bad person and bring light of the situation to our manager or try to talk to the guy myself – awkward!

But I’ve been in a tired and stressed out funk most of the week trying to balance everything I want to do at home in the kitchen and doing everything I need to at work while keeping my sanity. Even poor Miko has been cautiously following me around with a worried look.

Keeping things easy in the kitchen this week was a priority which I did with a huge dinner I could walk away from while simmering in a pot and enjoy plenty of leftovers from using this blend of harvest grains I picked up from Trader Joe’s.

I simmered the entire bag with a 32 oz. box of veggie broth and added a couple of bay leaves, a dash of apple cider vinegar, frozen corn, spinach, chopped tomatoes, and generous amounts of the Trader Joe’s 21 seasoning blend.

After 25 minutes, the end result was colorful and festive with varying textures and colors. And the mixture swelled to about 10 servings worth, so I have plenty stashed in the freezer for more meltdown dinners.

The flavors were fantastic with the right amount of savory spice and tang, but the textures made this meal with the soft and chewy couscous, firm grains of rice, corn, and quinoa.

And it the leftovers were great over a cold salad the next day for lunch. The harvest grain blend is a wonderful product from Trader Joe’s that’s cheap and fast to cook, I need to stock our pantry with more.

I indulged in other fast comfort meals too, like creating a slightly spicier version of Kristen Suzanne’s nacho hemp sauce and coating a mixture of lightly steamed broccoli, cauliflower, and chopped leeks with it.

Okay, so it’s gooey and slightly gross looking, I consider it the raw vegan’s healthy twist on gooey comfort nachos. And it made a great main dish for me that was very filling.

Now with our icky cloudy and cold weather outside, I’m looking forward to a relaxing day of playing and maybe a little shopping today and so thankful the weekend is finally here!