Thinking, That's All: The Flag

Every year it sneaks up on me.

I don't notice until I'm strolling around the neighborhood the night before Memorial Day, blissfully and ignorantly enjoying the long weekend, that our streets are lined with a plethora of red, white and blue, stars and stripes.

And?

We don't have a flag flying in front of our own house.

Again, I've forgotten to purchase the very symbol used for displaying our gratitude and gratefulness to the service men and women who have laid down their lives for the freedom we enjoy in this country.

It's got to be something like growing up as as the only kid on the block and not having a Christmas tree come December.

Except without the flag and its freedom, a family might not be able to celebrate Christmas or any of the other holidays we embrace during December at all.

So maybe it's a little more than not having a Christmas tree, and I've just never totally verbalized it in my own head before.

But the little things we do in our everyday life and take for granted are wrapped up in the freedom my family so much enjoys. Like just today, and I doubt we even thought about it, we dipped our toes into some of that goodness found wrapped in the freedom our flag proclaims.



We worshiped vividly, sang our hearts out and partook in communion at church ...

and I checked in publicly on Facebook  {because we're allowed Internet access to all sites}

and it wasn't against the law that we were in a place of worship

and I read Time magazine articles criticizing our government

that the United States Postal Service delivered to my mailbox

and E and I went on a walk where we spent most of the time saying aloud "Thank you, God, for ..."

and my neighbors just smiled instead of reporting us to the police.

None of that came without a price; lots, so many men and women have paid it with their lives, with the best of their years spent in service to the citizens who hold tight to this freedom even when they don't realize it.

And I don't even have a flag in front of my house, flying in gratitude because I have the right to have forgotten.

I know the spouses, the children, the mothers, the fathers, the friends of these fallen soldiers haven't had the choice of having forgotten.

I assure you, as I go about my day and the days to come, enjoying my various freedoms however big or seemingly small, I will remember.

And the flag?

It will become a permanent resident standing victoriously, billowing from the steps of our front porch.

Lest we never have the audacity to forget again. 

G., 21 months, Memorial Day Parade, 2009 

Living Healthfully: Curried Quinoa and Sauteed Vegetable Salad

This versatile dish has been a staple in our house since half of us have bid gluten a not-so farewell.

We love eating this curried quinoa and sauteed veggie dish for a variety of reasons: it's tasty, it's healthy and it's versatile, perfect for eating alone or atop a bed of greens.

We also love taking this dish, adapted from a Body Ecology Diet recipe, to parties and picnics because even gluten lovers think it's fabulous, so perhaps give it a spin this weekend as we celebrate Memorial Day. 

Ingredients:

1 cup of soaked {eight hours} quinoa

1.5 tablespoons of curry powder

1 teaspoon of Herbamare or sea salt

2 tablespoons of extra virgin coconut oil {you *could* use butter, but it's SO much better with coconut oil!}

2 medium sweet onions

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

1/2 green pepper

1/2 red pepper

1 cup of peas

Directions:

First begin boiling 2 cups of water for the quiona. Add the quinoa to the boiling water with a bit of oil and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and allow the quinoa to sit and continue to fluff while continuing with the recipe.

Chop all veggies into small chunks and put each aside in separate bowls.

In a large skillet pan, melt the coconut oil and add the curry powder and Herbamare or sea salt. After about 30 seconds of letting the spices simmer in the oil, add the onions to the mixture. Simmer until translucent. Place in a separate bowl after cooking.

Add a bit of coconut oil to the same pan, sauteing the squash and zucchini. Mix the cooked squash and zucchini with the curry and onion mixture. 

Boil the peas until tender. 

By this point, the quinoa should be fluffy looking. Remember that sauteeing pan? Add the cooked quinoa to the sauteing pan with a bit of coconut oil and roast it for about 5 minutes. This brings out a nutty flavor. 

In a very large bowl, mix the quinoa with the curry and veggie mix. Add the peas and the chopped raw peppers and enjoy!

{For more awesome gluten-free recipes, like the artichoke asparagus salad pictured with the curried quinoa above, I highly recommend the Body Ecology Diet book! Please know that links to the Body Ecology site are affiliates and if you make a purchase through them {thank you!}, I receive a bit of commission.}