My experiment with Caffeine

Over the past few weeks I have been experimenting with caffeine to see what effects it has on me. I very very rarely drink coke nor do I drink coffee so you can imagine what I've been dealing with this past few weeks!!

I started with green tea to ease my self into the experiment... I made one cup of Lipton green tea and added some honey to extra flavor/ sweetness. At first I felt great I could focus clearly and I got SO much done! A few hours later I got a minor head ache and felt a bit tired.

A few days later I drank a Starbucks double shot espresso energy drink. I was alert for a very long time and didn't have much of a head ache as I did with the green tea but it took me a long time to get the caffeine out of my system and took me a long time laying in bed to finally fall asleep.

My last experiment was with 5 hour energy.  I had to drive during the night from Texas to Louisiana and was worried I wouldn't make it all the way there with out falling asleep; so before I started my 6 hour drive I gulped the 5 hour energy drink... WOW no telling how much caffeine is in that tiny bottle of stuff! OMG I was wired and I mean wired!! LOL I arrived at my destination at 1 am and I couldn't stop jitterbugging and didn't fall asleep until about 4 am. I couldn't control my self it was kinda scary to be honest.

That's my story of how caffeine effects me...I'll stick to water!!

Do you have a caffeine issue? Do you drink 3+ cups of coffee a day? What is your favorite from of caffeine?

I'll stick to the green tea if I ever need some pepping up! What an experiment that was!!

"MOM + ENTREPRENEUR = MOMMAPRENEUR" 

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Tasty Tuesday: Quinoa Salad

 Quinoa Salad with oranges, beets, and pomegranate 

 

8 servings, 1 1/4 cups each

Active Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

• 3 medium beets (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups red quinoa (see Tips)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 medium oranges
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1 whole pomegranate, seeded (see Tips)

Preparation

1. Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F.
2. Trim the root end of the beets and remove any greens (reserving for another use); rinse and pat dry. Wrap individually in foil. Roast until tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours, depending on size. (Alternatively, place beets in a microwave-safe dish, add 1/4 cup water, cover loosely and microwave on High until the beets are tender, about 10 minutes, depending on size.)
3. Meanwhile, bring broth, water, quinoa and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Transfer the quinoa to a large serving bowl.
4. Zest and juice 1 orange. Place the juice in a medium bowl. Working over another bowl, cut the remaining 2 oranges into segments (see Tips) and set aside. Measure the juice from the first orange—if it isn’t quite 1/3 cup, squeeze the juice from the membranes until you get 1/3 cup. Add the zest, vinegar (or lemon juice), salt and pepper to the juice; gradually whisk in oil in a thin stream until well combined. Stir in 1/4 cup parsley.
5. When cool enough to handle, peel and dice the roasted beets. Add to the quinoa along with dates and gently combine. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat. Serve garnished with the reserved orange segments, pomegranate seeds and the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate beets (Steps 1 & 2) and quinoa (Step 3) in separate containers for up to 1 day. Prepare the salad up to 2 hours ahead; garnish just before serving.

• Tips: Red quinoa, which you can commonly find in stores where white quinoa is sold, gives the dish a stunning color. If you can only find white, that’s fine too. Rinsing removes any residue of saponin, quinoa’s natural, bitter protective covering. Most quinoa available in the U.S. has been “scrubbed” of its bitter outer coating—check the label to see if you need to rinse it first.
• To seed a pomegranate, fill a large bowl with water. Lightly score the fruit into quarters from crown to stem end, cutting just through the skin. Hold the fruit under water, break it apart and use your hands to gently separate the plump seeds from the skin and white pith. Discard the white pith. Pour the seeds into a colander. Rinse and pat dry.
• To segment citrus, slice both ends off the fruit. With a sharp knife, remove the peel and white pith; discard. Working over a bowl, cut the segments from their surrounding membranes. Squeeze juice into the bowl before discarding membrane, if desired.

Nutrition

Per serving: 305 calories; 8 g fat ( 1 g sat , 5 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 51 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 8 g protein; 8 g fiber; 449 mg sodium; 625 mg potassium.

Recipe gathered from www.eatingwell.com