Vanilla Cinnamon Spice Crockpot Quinoa

Hey My Spicy Vanilla Swirls!

We had a snow storm this morning.

I had my first personal trainer appointment this morning too!

What do those two things add up to?

A crazy morning.

I woke up at around 7:00am (a sleep in for me), ate breakfast, and then worked on some school work for a couple hours until it was getting close to the time I needed to head out the door. When I looked outside, I saw the wind. I could feel the chill. I saw the storm.

I didn’t want to miss my appointment (10:00am) at the gym, so I bundled myself up and headed outside. My face stung. My hands froze. My eyes quenched. Nonetheless, I pressed forward against the wind. It took me a little longer than usual to reach the gym, but I through the affliction of the wind and snow whipping and scratching at my eyes and face. It hurt the entire trip (it felt like rocks incessantly hitting my face without mercy).

When I got inside my hair was a mess from the wind and my face was bright red from the cold. Thankfully the building is heated and my face recovered after a few minutes. I changed, grabbed my water bottle, and headed down to the main gym to meet up with my personal trainer.

The personal trainer I worked with is one of the guys I see when I walk to and from my classes – and he’s so much fun to hang out with. He told me I should try the personal trainers, and so I thought I’d give it a try. He pushed me. It was not an easy workout, and because of that I really liked it. I didn’t want a wimpy workout – I wanted it to be a workout I would feel afterwards. And I did. And still do. The feeling I had afterwards was similar to the feeling I get after a home-workout with Jillian Michael’s or Bob Harper with their workout DVDs. It was a killer. He was also quite impressed with my knowledge of motor units in the muscles, circuit training, and names for exercises.

So, even though today seemed like a day of impossibilities, it turned out alright in the end. I still got to walk through knee-high snow few times, but for the most part I was able to stay warm and dry.

And in addition to all of this loveliness, here’s some deliciousness. As promised, here’s my recipe. It’s gluten-free, sugar-free, high-protein, vegan, and made easy with a crock pot.

My Vanilla Cinnamon Spice Crockpot Quinoa

Place quinoa in a bowl,

And cover with water.

Stir it around with your fingers until the water starts getting cloudy. (That cloudiness is the bitter flavor coming off of the quinoa – it’s a good thing.)

Once you’ve done that for a few minutes,

Drain and rinse the quinoa to get the rest of that cloudy water off.

Scoop the quinoa into a 1 ½ -2 ½ quart slow cooker.

Add the vanilla soymilk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon (and optional sweetener if desired).

Put the lid on and cook for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours. (Keep an eye on it; stir it and/or add more liquid if needed.)

Once it’s done the liquid should be all absorbed and the quinoa should be big and fluffy with their little tails sticking out like happy little dogs.

Take a fork and fluff it up, like you do for rice.

Serve yourself and bowl and store the rest in a large bowl with a lid in the fridge for the week.

Top with desired goodies, grab a spoon, and dig in!

Vanilla Cinnamon Spice Crockpot Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, well-rinsed
  
• 2 cups vanilla milk (I used organic vanilla soymilk)
  
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  
• Optional: a few packets stevia or sweetener of choice (I don’t usually add this)
  
• Toppings of choice: I really like blackberries and almonds
  

Directions

1. Place quinoa in a bowl and cover with water. Stir it around with your fingers until the water starts getting cloudy. (That cloudiness is the bitter flavor coming off the quinoa – it’s a good thing.) Once you’ve done that for a few minutes, drain and rinse the quinoa to get the rest of that cloudy water off.
   
2. Scoop the quinoa into a 1 ½ -2 ½ quart slow cooker. Add the vanilla soy-milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon (and optional sweetener if desired). Put the lid on and cook for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours. (Keep an eye on it; stir it and/or add more liquid if needed.) Once it’s done the liquid should be all absorbed and the quinoa should be big and fluffy with their little tails sticking out like happy little dogs.
3. Take a fork and fluff it up, like you do for rice. Serve yourself and bowl and store the rest in a large bowl with a lid in the fridge for the week. Top with desired goodies, grab a spoon, and dig in!

Print This!

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With lots of hugs,

P.S. Up next I’ll be sharing with you some of the things I’ve learned up here in college.

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!

Remember The Vegan Slow Cooker?

Well I have a giveaway for you!

I am giving away one copy of The Vegan Slow Cooker.

(Don’t worry, it’s not my copy — I’m keeping that baby!)

This giveaway is open to everyone: People with blogs, people without blogs, my followers, commenters, EVERYONE! Those who live in the United States, Europe, etc!

Ways to enter (each one in a separate comment):

1. Try one of my recipes and tell me what you like and/or didn’t like about it. Constructive criticism is perfectly acceptable — please tell me the truth! (if you have already tried one of my recipes, do the same: tell me what you liked and/or didn’t like about it)
2. Respond to this question: What aspect of balance would you like me to talk more about (as in a post, consistently in posts, etc)? Health (in what way)? Life (in what way)? What would you like to see more of from me?
3. Subscribe either by RSS or email (straight across on the sidebar to the right), and leave a comment telling me you did (if you are already subscribed, just leave me a comment telling me you are already subscribed).
4. Add me to your blogroll, and leave me a comment telling me you did so; or if you don’t have a blog, leave me a question on my Formspring page and leave a comment telling me you did so.
5. Go to Kathy’s website  and tell me in a comment which recipe you would want to try.

This giveaway will last until Thursday October 27, 2011 at 11:59:99. The winner will be picked using Random.org from all qualifying entries. The person chosen will be notified and will have 48 hours to respond to the notification email with their mailing information. If they don’t respond within the time allotted, then another winner will be chosen. I’ll announce the winner once I have contacted them and they have contacted me!

EDIT: This giveaway has closed.

Good Luck My Darlings!

xoxox

The Vegan Slow Cooker!

Hey My Chocolate Covered Cherries!

Thanks for all of your comments on my last post. Homemade Protein Powder is definitely something I enjoy – so much cheaper than that stuff you can buy! Also, thanks for all of your love and support with my Driver’s Ed. I’ve only been driving for less than a week and I feel like a lot of it is coming 100 mph and I need to grab it all at once. I have those feelings that I need to be a perfect driver RIGHT NOW, but I haven’t even been driving for very long. I JUST started, and I’m already getting those feelings – those thoughts – those wantings. But right now, I am just going to take it one day at a time.

Remember when I received The Vegan Slow Cooker from Kathy Hester?

She had sent me a copy (free of charge – she did not pay me) to review and I absolutely LOVE it!

This quote is so right! I love how much time slow cookers save me. I just throw everything in my slow cooker, set the timer, and POOF! Dinner served!

The recipes are so amazing and SO easy to make!

Remember that Vanilla Cranberry Quinoa I tried?

And that Lentil and Split Pea Soup? 

AND that Chocolate Valentine Dream Oatmeal? The recipes were from her! If you want to read how I rated them, click here.

I had the oatmeal (like, 1/3 of the recipe – the batch is HUGE) as a yummilicious part of my lunch! WITH peanut butter on top of course. I love how easy it is to cook steel cut oats in the slow-cooker! SO much easier than having to stir them in a pot for an hour. Because of this book, steel cut oats and I can have more dates.

Some of the other recipes that caught my eye have included the following:

The Apple Sage Sausage

Perfect Pizza From Your Slow Cooker

I mean — just look at that!

Wholesome Chocolate Chip Banana Bread – this one I love! I never would have thought to make bread in a slow cooker.

And the Pumpkin and White Bean Lasagna.

Some others included the:

• Spanish Quinoa
  
• Carrot Cake and Zucchini Bread Oatmeal
  
• Holiday Sweet Potato Casserole
  

and brownies, and granolas, and pasta dishes, and so much more!!! I am just drooling at that list. AND, they are all VEGAN with many of them Gluten and Soy-free, too!

I would TOTALLY recommend this book to you. I’ve read many slow-cooker books, but this one is by far my favorite. I love how easy and simple the recipes are – my sister (who doesn’t cook very often) could definitely make these. We have really enjoyed the recipes we have tried so far, and we can’t wait to try more of them!

Kathy Hester is also the amazing woman behind Healthy Slow Cooking, aka: she has a blog! Go check her out. You will not regret it.

I used to always be afraid of using the slow cooker.

But this book has changed everything.

Now,

You could call me a Vegan Slow Cooker.

When you first started driving, did you have any struggles with certain aspects of it? I know I need to work on my checking my mirrors when I brake, right turns (which I’m getting better at), and changing lanes.

Do you have a favorite food to make in the slow cooker? I’m really loving making oatmeal, quinoa, and beans!

Do you tend to stay up late even if you shouldn’t? That is one of the things I am working on. Going to bed at a decent hour (10pm is my goal), prioritizing and using my time well, and driving are the parts of balance in my life that I am focusing on right now.

xoxox