Good news!

Hi friends! Sorry I disappeared on ya yesterday….. but it was an exciting day!!

I’M AN AUNT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!

After a full day in the hospital, my sister-in-law gave birth to a baby girl, named Charlotte. I can’t wait to meet her!! I missed out last night, because they were expecting her to give birth around 2 am, and they didn’t want us waiting in the hospital all night long. But I can’t wait to meet her today! I love babies! (I’m also terrified of holding newborns!! They’re so fragile! I always make sure I can sit down while holding them!)

The news kind of threw off my day, because I was anxiously waiting by my phone to hear news! My brother-in-law (the proud papa) dropped off their cat for me to watch over the next couple of days, so we have extra company in our apartment right now! I keep the kitty’s food bowls on my counter top, so that my pup won’t eat all of his food, but that did kind of throw a wrench into my morning juice– he was eating on my counter, right where I normally make my juice!

So, I resorted to Plan B:

Breakfast millet porridge! This was my first time cooking millet, so I was nervous! I used a 1:4 ratio of millet to water, brought it to a boil, then covered and let simmer for 15 minutes. Voila!  A thick porridge was sitting there waiting for me.

I chose millet this morning, because it is a unique grain– it’s the only grain that remains alkaline after being cooked! [source] Remember my discussion on alkalinity?  Here are some other benefits of millet:

Millet is highly nutritious, non-glutinous and like buckwheat and quinoa, is not an acid forming food so is soothing and easy to digest. In fact, it is considered to be one of the least allergenic and most digestible grains available and it is a warming grain so will help to heat the body in cold or rainy seasons and climates.

Millet is tasty, with a mildly sweet, nut-like flavor and contains a myriad of beneficial nutrients. It is nearly 15% protein, contains high amounts of fiber, B-complex vitamins including niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin, the essential amino acid methionine, lecithin, and some vitamin E. It is particularly high in the minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. [source]

The verdict? Pretty tasty! The texture kinda reminded me of grits. I topped our servings off with cinnamon, Himalayan sea salt, a splash of vanilla, and some pure maple syrup. YUM! Next time, though, I’ll make less! I wasn’t sure about serving size, so I ended up making way too much. For future reference, a 1/4 cup of dry millet would make a great single serving!

We ate lunch out with one of my good friends, and we started off with delicious side salads– with a salad dressing that I can’t WAIT to re-create! I’ll be experimenting ASAP. We also splurged a bit and shared the BEST roasted vegetable quesadilla I’ve ever had! Totally worth it.

I also had a little slip-up. A few cookies may have made their way into my mouth yesterday! Dang it! I made it through 3 full days of sugar detox. Me: 3, Sugar Monster: 1. I will be on the winning side of this battle! I totally slipped into that “special occasion” mentality, and wanted to celebrate with something sweet! But I’ve made peace with it, and am just trying to move on.

Luckily, dinner was very healthy:

Huge bowls of mixed greens, topped with fresh red peppers and my favorite vinaigrette. We passed on the goat cheese last night, but I ended up really missing it! That cheese is the perfect finishing touch.

Alright, I’m going to get ready to meet my new niece!

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Something to do: Enter PK’s Le Creuset giveaway!