I have been turned on to Quinoa as a vegetable and as an alternative to potatoes and rice and makes a good base for a meal. It appears expensive but a little goes a long way. A pound costs about $3-5 depending on where you shop and I have found a pound does about 6-10 single serving meals. 1/2 cup of dry quinoa yields about 1 1/4 cup cooked.

• First prepare the Quinoa.
• Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a small strainer or by running fresh water over the quinoa in a pot. Drain. I also like as an alternative, quickly roast the Quinoa in a dry saute pan until it starts to pop. This "cooks off" the dry powder and gives the quinoa a nice roasted flavor.
• Put quinoa and water in 1 1/2 qt. saucepan; about 1 cup of water for  each 1/2 cup of quinoa; bring to boil. I also add a teaspoon of olive oil into the boiling water. Reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until all water is absorbed (10-15 minutes). When done, the grain appears translucent and the germ ring will be visible.
• While the quinoa is in preparation, saute yellow squash, some chopped broccoli, onions and garlic. Be creative, try other vegetables or even diced chicken or lamb.
• When the quinoa is done, pour into the saute pan, turn down the heat add a handful of raisins, a few pinches of cumin and oregano. Cover and let the the juices of the vegetables be contained.

Again be creative, don't be afraid to try something you like. While cooking throw in some zuccini for example, or cherry tomatos. Or both.

SERVES 10 -12

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups dark raisins
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons water
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Directions

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

1. Combine sugar, water, vegetable oil, raisins, and spices in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Take pan off heat and let cool for 10 minutes
2. Dissolve baking soda and salt in 2 teaspoons of water and add to raisin mixture (it will foam).
3. Blend in the flour and baking powder. Mix well.
4. Pour the batter into a greased 9 inch square pan and bake for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick unserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Let cake cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Reprinted from the recipe zaar.

You can't get enough of it. It's chocolate, it's raspberry cream, it's cheesecake, it's spongecake... it's whatever you like. If you have an afternoon to take a break from job-searching, go ahead and google a recipe for your favorite. BUT, Trader Joes and Whole Foods and your local bakery are just waiting for you to walk in and splurge. Go ahead, reward yourself for a day well done.

Lemons: They're full of Vitamin C, copper, magnesium, calcium and potassium, and they're good for boosting the immune system and aiding digestion. Some say they work to fight cancer. And, depending on where you live (or if you have a lemon tree of your own) they can be a NoJobSurvivor Frugal Food. AND, who knows... starting a lucrative lemonade stand could even help pay the bills!

Basic Lemonade Recipe:

• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 4 cups of water
• 3-4 large lemons

Add sugar to warm water and stir to dissolve. Juice the lemons and strain into a bowl. [Tip: roll the lemons around on the counter first, it will loosen the juice.]

Add the lemon juice to the sugar/water and refrigerate. You may want to add more of one or two of the ingredients, depending on your taste. Adjust for ice usage as well.

Enjoy!

Salmon -- can help your heart and mood:

Vitamins B6 and B12 are natural at lifting mood and energy. Vitamin D provides high levels of serotonin, a key neurotransmitter that influences mood.

A new Swedish study suggests that a weekly serving of fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, whitefish and char) increases men's protection from heart failure by 12 percent. The men who consumed a moderate amount of fish oil (marine omega-3) - found in cod liver oil and other fish oils -  also showed increased protection from heart failure.

The study also showed eating fatty fish or omega-3 fatty acids more frequently than weekly did not gain more heart protection as men who never ate fatty fish or omega-3 fatty acids.

Check out these NoJobSurvivor Salmon Recipes.

• Simple Salmon Cakes
• Mood Salmon

Add your favorite recipe in a comment or blog it.