Giveaway Time....

This Gluten Free giveaway is just my way of thanking all of you for following me, giving comments, encouragement, love and support. If I can help just one person live a healthier life (gluten free or not) than I am fulfilling my passion!

Here’s how you enter:
Join my facebook page Kiki's Kitchen and ENTER A COMMENT BELOW this photo about how GOING GLUTEN FREE has changed your life

— Just 1 entry per person.

 

...Here's what you win:
Quinoa 365 Cookbook by Patricia Green ans Carolyn Hemming
Rainbow Quinoa by Alter Eco Fair Trade
Pearl Quinoa by Alter Eco Fair Trade
Cacao Nut All Natural Granola Snacks by Paleo People
Cappuccino Crunch All Natural Granola Snacks by Paleo People
Candy Cane Decaffeinated Green Tea by Celestial Seasonings

Note: Contest is open to Canada and U.S Only. I apologize I can’t offer it further. Winner will be chosen randomly via random number generator. The winner will be chosen on

FEBRUARY 22th.  Good luck everyone!!

Mexicali Quinoa Salad

1 1/2 cups quinoa

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed if canned

1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1 1/2 cups cooked corn (cut from about 2 large ears)

3/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

3/4 cup finely chopped red pepper

1 small jalepeno, deseeded and minced

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

For dressing

5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste

1/3 cup olive oil

In a saucepan of salted boiling water cook quinoa 10 minutes. Drain quinoa and rinse under cold water. While quinoa is cooking, in a small bowl toss beans with vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and cool. Add beans, corn, jalepeno, bell pepper and cilantro and toss well.

Make dressing:
In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, salt, and cumin and add oil in a stream, whisking.

Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well with salt and pepper to taste. Salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

I AM Stronger....

I AM Stronger….

I have always known for certain that things happen in your life for a reason and that people appear when that reason is unknown. The Universe works in mysterious ways! I have had quite the exciting year of starting new things and it’s only getting better. I’m exactly where I should be surrounded by the people that make me happy. I am fully aware of this fact and in turn great things are happening all around me. For once I’m not afraid to take new risks or start something new. I may try and fail but if I don’t try I may miss something miraculous! I attract to myself whatever I give my energy or focus to; whether wanted or unwanted. If your thoughts are obsessed about being lonely or broke and you truly believe these thoughts then guess what?

Words and thoughts are powerful. They can love, hate, scold, soothe or praise. They can impact self-esteem, lift us higher or make us believe that we can’t accomplish something. When you speak to yourself or another you have the power to choose your words. Are you deciding to come from a place of love and encouragement by building yourself up or from a place of bitterness, criticism and judgment? …..only YOU have the choice!! I challenge you (and myself) to try being kind to yourself and others by not using negative or defeating words. Can you be successful for an hour, a day, a week? It’s really a simple thing….to change your thoughts. I may not be an expert but I know enough to understand that positive thoughts (happiness, fulfillment, achievement, joy, worthiness, enthusiasm, calm, well-being, ease, energy, love) will give you positive results. Negative thoughts (judgment, unworthiness, mistrust, resentment, fear, tension, anxiety, hate, anger) will get you negative results.

I surround myself with positive things, literally. I gaze around my house to find words like, dream, enjoy, believe, friends. Everywhere I look brings me happiness and a feeling of serenity. People ask me, “What’s with the quotes all the time?” It’s simple, I feel as though they are my mantras. They keep me positive, grounded and focused on what I want out of life and the type of person I want to be. I had to make a drastic lifestyle change (Celiac and IBS) over the past few years and it hasn’t always been easy or smooth sailing. Sure, there are times when I feel sorry for myself and just as a child reaches for a blanket or a teddy bear I reach for my quotes. Wise people before us at the beginning of time said these remarkable things that pertain to my life NOW. I find comfort in that.

Imagine starting to believe in yourself and your possibilities. Imagine believing you deserve everything you want out of life. Imagine getting everything you want out of life. I’m a believer and it’s happening!! The difficult road that I travelled for those many months has brought me to my rainbow. On the toughest of days I would often repeat this quote to myself…."Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain." Those are the days that I learned the most about myself, my resilience, passion, character but most of all; my strength. Wow! I’m a strong person. Did that just happen or did I have it all along? I may have lost it momentarily but it’s back indefinitely!!

You Are What You Eat

We’ve heard it since childhood: you are what you eat, but there really is a lot of truth in that statement. After all, food fuels the body and the type of food we eat affects our body’s metabolism, digestive processes and overall health and well-being. Toxic food =toxic energy and emotions. You in fact attract what you put out into this world.  If you’re going through some type of turmoil it’s important to make healthy food choices.


Think about your eating patterns.  Do you eat when you're anxious, frustrated, bored, angry, sad, or lonely? Sometimes, the foods chosen during these times are high in fat, salt, sugar, and calories.  Often, people soothe themselves with food and rarely is it a plate of veggies and hummus.  If you’re feeling down take a look at the types of foodsthat you’ve been consuming.  Ask yourself this, why is it you crave or  turn to ‘bad’ foods when you are feeling this way? Have you ever noticed how sluggish and heavy you feel after eating fried or fatty foods? Your body is definitely telling you something.“This is wrong. This is unhealthy and not good for my body.”  What are you expectingto happen after that proverbial slice of chocolate cake? 



We learn to associate food with love and nurturing. Since childhood we may have received a special treat to make us feel better when we were hurt or sick or as a  reward.  As adults, we may be continuing to reward ourselves, raise our spirits, or search for love and acceptance through food. It is not surprising that so many people confuse hunger for food with their hunger for emotional happiness. Afterall, food is friendship. Food is love. Food is soothing. Food is unconditional. Food is… only a temporary solution. Since we are not aware of the connection with food and ourfeelings, we often eat unconsciously.



The results of good or bad nutritional choices are not immediate. If we overeat, or eat too much fried or fatty foods, we might feel guilty, but we usually don’t see dramatic physical changes the next week. This lack of immediate “cause-and-effect results” makes it hard for us to appreciate that good nutritional choices really do make a difference in our health as we age. I ask this of you, the next time you're stressed, upset or sad and are walking to the fridge to crush those feelings. Stop! Turn around and walk away. Change your routine, change your thinking, change your habits.....and by doing this WILL change your life!!!