Good morning/almost afternoon!
I wrote this on the train earlier, and I wish the windows on the train were cleaner so I could get some photos on my commute…the ride is actually quite pretty, especially when it’s sunny.
Speaking of sun, I found out recently that I have a vitamin D deficiency. With my fair skin, whenever I’m out in the sun for any sort of length of time, I have sunscreen on. And since I don’t eat much cheese, drink fortified milk, or like orange juice, I’m out of luck there. And there are only so many leafy greens one girl can eat without it wreaking digestive havoc.
Need more sunshine!
Vitamin D is essential for strong bones because it helps your body absorb calcium. Deficiency has also been associated with cardiovascular problems, asthma in children, and cancer. (source)
So I’ve been taking a daily supplement of vitamin D and calcium to get my levels up.
Other than the vitamin D issue, I do notice a drastic difference in my mood and motivation when I make myself get outside for a short jaunt during the day. Yesterday, I ran on the treadmill and then was glued to my desk the rest of the day working, so I didn’t take one step outside. By the end of the day, I had a raging headache and a serious case of the Mondays, even though it was Tuesday.
Kick ass goal for today: I WILL get outside at least twice for a walk around the block.
The recipe below has nothing much to do with sun or vitamin D, although it is reminiscent of summer. Lovely organic bell peppers were on sale at the store, so I had to snatch them up. It’s easy – not even much of a recipe – but it was delicious and light served along with some broccoli. Plus, if you make extra you can wrap ’em and freeze ’em for a quick weeknight dinner.
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Cilantro MMMM Sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 1.5 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1/2 bag frozen corn
- 3/4 cup cilantro MMMM sauce (MMMM sauce with a few handfuls of fresh cilantro thrown in)
- 4 bell peppers, tops sliced off and seeds removed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 350.
Bring quinoa and water to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for ten minutes. Fluff with a fork. (These directions are from Ashley at the edible perspective and it has made perfect quinoa every time).
Heat sauté pan on medium high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add onions and sauté until soft, 3 – 5 minutes. Add frozen corn and cook until heated through.
Add cooked quinoa and MMMM sauce and stir until well combined.
Bake in the oven, covered, for 30 – 40 minutes until peppers are soft. Bake an additional 10 minutes uncovered so the tops get a little crispy. You could also broil some cheese on top.
The Sixth Letter 
My brother with Crohns disease has severe vitamin D deficiency. They say that there is a link between a lack of VitD and IBD (west/central PA gets only 60 sunny days a year on average..and IBD is very prominent here, too!). And also that siblings of people with IBD should take VitD…. so for about a year I carried around a bottle of calcium/VitD pills and never took them. And then the bottle opened and I had to throw them all out. I’m so bad with taking my vitamins. I had to give my co-worker my bottle of one-a-days to make sure that I take one each morning. Dave used to be in charge of that but he would hand it to me and I’d just put it in my coat pocket and forget about it as soon as I walked out the door.
I’m such a mess.