Summit Takeaway and Toasted Quinoa

on August 17, 2009

Sorry for not posting last night — after a jam-packed weekend of blogging and a late flight, I just wanted to come home and crash!

I tried to keep my eating as healthy as possible at the airport (which is sometimes hard when you’re a vegetarian — I ended up getting Starbucks oatmeal with cashews and a banana at 8 PM!), munched on some Trader Joe snacks, drank a lot of water, and relaxed. It felt great!

I’m back at home and the place looks SO clean! Thank you, Husband!

I was really excited to have a home-cooked breakfast. After a week of traveling, it feels good to cook my own food and get back to normal living!

This toasted quinoa yogurt bowl was great. I got the idea from the Body + Soul magazine, which was handed out at the Summit.

This morning, I rinsed 1/4 cup of quinoa and patted it dry. Then, I mixed in 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of water, and 1 tablespoon of ground flax. After spreading it out on a baking sheet, I toasted the quinoa for 13 minutes at 375.

I added the cooled toasted quinoa to a bowl of banana, blueberry, and vanilla Stonyfield yogurt.

So delish!

Summit Takeaway: Organization Week

Of all the things I learned at the Summit, the one thing I really took away from the experience was the power of ORGANIZATION!

I met so many lovely and intelligent ladies at the Summit who were GREAT at keeping their lives organized (and thus sane!). You guys know that I could use more organization (and saneness), so I am declaring this week Organization Week.

This is how I currently stay organized:

(Obviously, this was Summit week!)

I really like my paper datebook and don’t plan to change that aspect of my life, but there are several other areas I’d like to improve in. Since I only have to work at 1 job this week, I’m going to tackle one area everyday:

Sunday: Figure out how to use G-mail to my advantage.
Monday: Unpack and, in the process, organize closet and throw away/donate old clothing.
Tuesday: Research meal planning and whether it will work for us.
Wednesday: Organize utility closet. It’s a disaster and always stresses me out.
Thursday: Finally finish preparing marathon training plan.
Friday: Make a list of all my friends’ and family members’ birthdays. I’ve ALWAYS wanted to do this!
Saturday – Sunday: Look for ways to re-vamp Healthy Tipping Point and make it a better blog.

I think this week will be a fun learning experience! What are your tips for staying organized?

{ 59 comments }

Mrs. LC August 17, 2009, 4:47 am
That toasted quinoa looks awesome! Makes me wish I hadn't had breakfast yet. 😉

Re: meal planning. Sometimes it can be more stressful (and more expensive) to plan out really detailed meals for every night. Since you're so busy, maybe look into researching a few easy variations that you could use the same ingredients for (i.e. plan on polenta, baked beans and salad one night; bake the polenta for crutons for another night's salad; make a one dish meal with leftover baked beans, a grain, and some veggies, etc.). Then you can plan to also try out a couple new recipes you've been meaning to try. Best of both worlds! Just allow for flexibility in your menu planning, or it will probably stress you out more. 🙂

Hope that helps! Have a great Monday! 🙂
healthymadison August 17, 2009, 5:12 am
My method of organization is what my sister deems as "obsessive." However, it works for me and I am very organized!

I have a planner/calendar like you do. I color code, by highliters. I use orange for social activities, pink for Zumba teaching jobs/classes, yellow for graduate school/work, and blue for appointments/meetings.

It rocks and is such a pretty planner!
Katy S. August 17, 2009, 5:14 am
I dusagree about and stressfulmeal planning being more expensive and stressful. Ever since my husband and I started doing it over a year ago we cut our grocery bill inhalf every month because we aren't always running to the store and it's less stressful because we both know what's for dinner and whoever gets home first starts dinner. I understand meal planning might not be for every type of personality but as long as you are flexible with the meal plan I really don't understand how it can be more expensive and stressful.
inmytummy August 17, 2009, 5:18 am
I got nothing in the organization department. Please share anything you learn!
vegetarianontherun August 17, 2009, 5:31 am
Great goals for the week! I just moved and I am bagging up a bunch of stuff to take to goodwill! I am interested to see how meal planning goes…
Kelsey August 17, 2009, 5:35 am
i'm putting this recipe in my favorites!!! it looks so delicious and i've never had quinoa before!
i loved reading the summit recaps, thanks for doing those!
Madelin August 17, 2009, 5:35 am
That breakfast looks really interesting, might have to give it a go! I can't do meal planning unfortunately but I admire those who do, I just never know what I'm going to feel like on the day and don't like to be pinned down. I usually just base my meals loosely around the nice produce I can get from week to week and that always differs.
Paige@ Running Around Normal August 17, 2009, 5:36 am
Mmm I should try that toasted quinoa! Looks great.

I stay organized with my iPhone toodledo app. Well, I guess I try to stay organized. It's still difficult!
Mrs. LC August 17, 2009, 5:48 am
I should have clarified what I meant regarding meal planning potentially being more stressful and expensive. Expensive: if you're picking out recipes you want to make and aren't careful, you could end up spending a lot more $$ on ingredients you don't have/ don't normally buy. Stressful: It doesn't stress me out, but I could imagine how if I worked two jobs and maintained two blogs, I could be short on time and the prospect of feeling like I have to make a certain thing just because it's on the "menu" could be frustrating. That's why I suggested to ultimately be flexible.

Be flexible, be smart and do what works best for you. 🙂
Eliza August 17, 2009, 5:52 am
My partner and I plan out dinners for the week. We used to take turns cooking, but he started med school recently and so far hasn't had time. Lunch is usually just leftovers, and for breakfast we just have some staples on hand. It works pretty well for us, but we do spend a lot of money on groceries.

I kind of like cleaning…I get stressed out by mess, so for the most part my apartment stays pretty together.
brandi August 17, 2009, 5:52 am
i love the idea of the toasted quinoa!

I'm not that great at organizing, but I try! I write a lot of lists, usually one per day somewhere of things I need to / want to get done that day. Plus I have a paper calendar at work for somethings and google calendar for some stuff, too.

I do meal planning for us to make sure we have everything for 4-5 different meals a week (we eat leftovers a lot). That helps me A LOT because I base my grocery list off of the meals + things we've just run out of. I'm not good at going in and just buying random stuff. Plus, we have a tight budget we have to stick to, so I have to have a plan for grocery shopping or I'll just buy tons of stuff we don't actually need.
Mellissa August 17, 2009, 5:57 am
A few things I do to stay organized- I make a list of weekly goals for work and life, I try to plan out meals for the week, and one I am almost embarrassed to admit…. I have my clothes picked out the night before and they are either in my gym bag or out on the bathroom floor. It saves me so much time in the morning! I have been doing this since I was 5.
Nina August 17, 2009, 5:58 am
I have always wanted to have all my friends and families birthdays on a list too!! For some reason the task just seems so daunting to me. Good luck with that.
I have to learn how to use Gmail more actively as well.

My one tip for staying organized for me is my outlook calender. I put everything in it.
Whitney@whitsgettingfit August 17, 2009, 6:07 am
One, well two words: Google Calendar.
Elizabeth Jarrard August 17, 2009, 6:08 am
now on my to-do list for this week=make toasted quinoa! that is such a great idea!!!
can't wait to read your tips and comments about organization. i really need to work on that too!
lilveggiepatch August 17, 2009, 6:11 am
I'm glad you tried the toasted quinoa… I was ogling it (and all the other B+S recipes) on the bus home.
Amanda August 17, 2009, 6:11 am
I would love to hear what you research/come up with in regards to meal planning. Right now, I live by myself and have dinner with my boyfriend a few days a week. Usually we are just doing the "look in the fridge/freezer/pantry and see what we can make" idea, or I am running out for ingredients. We are moving in together in a few months and I have definitely considered meal planning – maybe 3 actual recipes per week, and then staples/what is on sale.
Runeatrepeat August 17, 2009, 6:14 am
I am in the midst of getting organized too! Right now I am using a white board for my meal planning and I was going to post about it tonight.
Lizzy August 17, 2009, 6:21 am
gosh i'm always looking for ways to organize my life. i want to do the same (starting today too) actually cause i just feel like i never have everything situated. Hopefully we can all tackle this together cause that would be great! I use the same date-book planner method with diff colors and what not, so i know that has helped, but i'm always stuck to a computer, so i'm hoping that i can find a calender on here and try using that as well! i hope everything goes well. Share all your tips!
NYgirl@heart August 17, 2009, 6:27 am
I have a classic case of ADD so organization skills are lacking here. Honestly I use my cell phone for everything–I put meetings and appointments in there, but I don't have as much going on as you do. (when I had a Mac at work I used ICal, and Dennis bought me a Palm Pilot about four years ago that I barely touched..oops)
About meal planning:
We usually go shopping once a week, so when we go we'll try to figure out three meals for that week. We eat leftovers and have at least one day be a "free for all" day where we'll just make our own quickie dinners. And at least once a week I make home made pizza (usually Sunday) Planning three meals takes the pressure off and helps us stick to a plan. We haven't had to go to the store in the middle of the week since we started doing it. Leftovers are key!
eatingmachine August 17, 2009, 6:33 am
if you plan meals so they work for you meal planning is good-I'm a meat eater, so I cook up meat that I can use for more than one meal at least once a week. I also do things like prep veggies all at once, and make enough rice for a couple meals when I cook it. If you meal plan make sure you do it where you can be flexible-I put in at least one "lazy" day where we do leftovers or can go out to eat.
I sit down once a week and go over what we have on hand, what I want to eat, and what's on sale. It's helping me not end up with an overflowing fridge and freezer, and no wasting food
The hardest part for me was getting to where I was ok committing to making all the decisions (I HATE making decisions), and also feeling like my fiance was ok with whatever I planned.
Anonymous August 17, 2009, 6:33 am
I recently had an AH – HA moment about time management, because I used to think I was the queen of it . . . but actually I wasn't that good 🙁

This is what's key – you have to be realistic about how much you can get done in one period of time. I used to pile 50% more on my to do list in a day then I had the time or energy for. And I did this at work and at home. Which makes for one very unsatisfied girl!

Good Luck – and thanks for the toasted quinoa idea, I must try it soon.
haya August 17, 2009, 6:33 am
that breakfast looks so yummy! who woulda thought to toast quinoa. i'm excited about reading my magazine, once i finish unpacking.

i keep trying meal planning but i just can't seem to stick with it. once we become a household of 2 again, i will give it another serious go.

all my best stay on top of crazy life tools are from the kath school of organization: gmail superstars + labels, todoist and a mostly awesome memory (that only occassionally slips up). love your plan for the week!
Niki August 17, 2009, 6:51 am
So great that you are getting organized!! I stay pretty organized with my paper date book, it's my life! Haha. As for meal planning, it doesn't really work for me because I find I spend so much more money! I usually think of 1 or 2 meals I will fix for the week and then just by staples like sandwhich stuff, pizza stuff, salad stuff, tons of fruits and veggies, cereal, etc and make my other meals from those. Much cheaper than planning out 5 meals!
Sammie August 17, 2009, 6:51 am
Yum!! That quinoa sounds delicious. I am going to have to look up that recipe. What a great sub for granola.
It was so nice to finally meet you. I hope you enjoyed your trip to Boston. It really looks like you guys were able to get in some fun on Sunday. Glad you made it back to Florida safely.
leslie August 17, 2009, 6:56 am
i am so trying that toasted quinoa – it looks perfect!

thanks for all your hard work this weekend. i had such a wonderful time!
recipesforcreativity August 17, 2009, 7:00 am
That toasted Quinoa idea is fabulous! I'm going to try that.

How do I stay organized…with a date book. I like writing things down on paper and seeing them in front of me. Sometimes I write down six-week action plans and check things off as I go. Those are usually career related. I do like to use spreadsheets on the computer to plan workouts for the month, though.

Good luck this week!
Sabrina August 17, 2009, 7:07 am
TIP! for the bdays…. put one hard copy as an attachment in your email for future reference, and then load each one into your calendar with a 1 day reminder. i have been doing this since i graduated college and i never miss anyone's bdays!

i need to organize my life too!
peanutbuttr plz August 17, 2009, 7:07 am
your breakfast looks REALLY good!! the only way I can stay organized- lists, lists, and more lists. good luck on your to-do list 🙂
BOBBI McCORMICK August 17, 2009, 7:09 am
I am a little ocd when it comes to organization! I love organizing :). On sundays I spend at least one hour planning out my weekly, meals, social life,workouts, and cleaning! I think if you take things one step at a time, it makes things a whole lot easier!

Have a fun Organization week!
Bridget August 17, 2009, 7:09 am
Caitlin…it was SO great to meet you this weekend!! You girls did one incredible job, and should be so proud! You're a great speaker too!
I love that toasted quinoa, what a great idea. I need to dive into that magazine.
I can't wait to read all the organization tips because thats something I want to work on too…esp unpacking into the new house!
thedallasceliac August 17, 2009, 7:14 am
For work, I make to-do lists for everything. Checking something off is fun to do and having everything in one place makes it easy to remember what needs to be done.

For personal stuff, I put appointments in my blackberry so that it blinks at me incessantly until I either hit ignore or complete whatever it is.
tryingtobefit August 17, 2009, 7:14 am
I keep a calendar with me at all times! Like the one in your picture. I right down everything that I have planned to do. It helps me stay calm and not as stressed.
Kailey (SnackFace) August 17, 2009, 8:03 am
Ahhh! I just did some may-juh catching up on the weekend. Number one: you look gorgeous in the photos. Number two: I must make it to next year's!

I admire this renewed desire to get organized! I am more organized at school. It's kind of sick, but at the beginning of each week, I write out what I'm doing every single hour for each day. It's obsessive, but I'd lose my mind if I didn't! And I have to use old paper and pen for that. No idea why!

I hope you have a great start to the week!
Deva@Vorilee August 17, 2009, 8:04 am
My method of organization is scattered, and I actually have a to-do list for the coming two weeks that includes going through old clothes and my closet and cleaning out our second bedroom!
Tiffany Iriana August 17, 2009, 8:07 am
I'm so excited to try the toasted quinoa recipe. I've had a bag of it in my pantry for a little while and wasn't feeling especially inspired by any recipe until this one.

As for organization, I'm pretty OCD with staying organized. I use a combination of my Blackberry and Google Calendar/Gmail. I use the Gmail labels AGGRESSIVELY and while it takes a little effort to keep up with labeling each email, but it's worlds easier later when I need to find something. I have a "add to contacts" and "needs response" and then everything else goes into what organization or event or project it's for. And everything in my calendar gets an alert, so I get a text message or an email or a pop-up to remind me shortly before.
Sarah (Running To Slow Things Down) August 17, 2009, 8:08 am
Toasted quinoa sounds perfect! Can't wait to try that out! 😀

I like to stay organized with calendars and check list. Having something to cross off with a sharpie makes me feel productive. 😀
April August 17, 2009, 8:18 am
That toasted quinoa looks awesome! Do you think you could make it ahead of time (like the night before)? I am not a morning person, so I know I would never get up early enough to make that before work! 🙂
Ali August 17, 2009, 8:21 am
Aw! That was nice that your husband cleaned up for you! That is the best, coming home to an organized space. I actually spend about 2 hours after I got home yesterday doing that, since I was busy with the summit all weekend! That Quinoa looks awesome: going to try that soon.
D August 17, 2009, 8:22 am
I've noticed that, aside from switching to a vegetarian diet, your meals have remained pretty consistent since you started the blog. It's not a criticism, as I think your blog is a wonderful example of healthy eating and your meals are always lovely and wholesome, but I was curious as to how you feel about other bloggers who are always trying new trends? I enjoy all different healthy eating viewpoints, but I think you're one of the few who haven't tried some kind of raw, dairy-free plan with chia seeds and groats and dehydrators etc. You obviously know what works for you, and I want to reiterate that I'm not being critical in the least (knowing your own needs/wants is admirable when everyone else is jumping on bandwagons), but what are your thoughts on this?
Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point August 17, 2009, 8:33 am
april – haha i knew someone was going to ask me that!! im not sure — i must say this really didnt take too long (i stuck the quinoa in the oven before jumping in the shower and it was ready when i got out). it was good enough to make it again, so i'll try doing it overnight soon!

d – good question, actually. i do feel like my eating has "improved" in terms of cleaniness and wholesomeness, but im really not one to jump on food bandwagons. i think its fun to TRY a vegan meal or a raw meal (since those are diets you mentioned as examples) or even a gluten-free meal or a slow-food meal (other examples of "trends" in the blog world) but i really do not like removing entire food groups from my diet (except, of course, meat).

for many people, raw/vegan/slow/gluten free/whatever is not a trend but a lifestyle. i really respect people like that, especially if they have found a lifestyle that works with their bodies and benefits them. i especially respect them if they eat like that due to allergies or food intolerances.

but i do agree that some ways of eating go through phases of being really "cool" in the blog world. in many ways, i think food trends (healthy ones) are great because they expose people to different options and (hopefully) more variety. it's just not for me to dabble in different food lifestyles that much. i know what works for my body and i'm happy with the way i eat. i think its important to be consistent with your food choices as well.
Ada August 17, 2009, 8:48 am
Wow that quinoa breakfast looks gorgeous! I'm impressed by your determination to stay organized:)
Courtney August 17, 2009, 8:56 am
I still use an "old fashioned" to-do list and then use the calendar feature on my itouch that syncs to my calendar on my laptop.
I love having a written to-do list so I can cross things off and actually feel like I'm accomplishing something!
I like to take one bigger goal (i.e. organize utility closet) and break it down into 3 or 4 smaller goals that are easily attainable. This keeps me from getting frustrated because I can't get it all done. I can always get a few small things done that will lead to the whole project being completed.
Courtney
Adventures in Tri-ing
Anna August 17, 2009, 9:09 am
Your breakfast looks great! I would like to plan my meals for the week, but it can get tricky. Especially if you make lots of last minute plans like I tend to! While planning is a great idea sometimes I like to take things day by day though so it doesn't seem overwhelming. It's just what I have foudn to work best for me. But that being said, I always have the staples in my kitchen so I can whip up a meal anyday of the week.
Julie August 17, 2009, 9:11 am
My tips for staying organized – lead an uneventful life! Take it from me, when you have nothing to do, you don't get stressed!

In all seriousness though, my one organizing saviour is meal planning. On Sundays I jot down all my meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner – for the week. I makes it so easy for me beause I go to the gym after work so when I come home for dinner I'm ready to eat and knowing all day what I'm going to be making makes it very convenient. I also prepare some of my meals on Sundays and freeze them…like I bake tofu or bread and bake eggplant for sandwiches and pannini's. Meal planning is my secret love.
Oh I have one more, I plan out my bills to pay in microsoft outlook. I get paid bi-weekly so I put that in the calendar and figure out when to pay what bills so I don't overdraft or go broke.
Amber (Girl with the red hair) August 17, 2009, 9:35 am
I have a planner that I scribble in – kind of like that one 🙂 One of my goals is to figure out a more organized way to keep track of my life!

Re; meal planning, I tried it last year and found it REALLY useful. BUT, it does take dedication. I would sit down every Sunday for about an hour and plan out my meals for the week and then spend about an hour to two hours getting all the groceries for it. But if you can set aside some time to do that then you might find it useful!
Sally August 17, 2009, 9:41 am
My husband and I are big on meal planning. We usually talk it over on Saturday and make a list to go grocery shopping first thing Sunday morning. We make a big batch of something to take for lunch all week, and then we usually plan meals that will last for two nights. On Friday/Saturday night we frequently have egg frittatas to use up whatever leftover ingredients are lurking in the fridge. We do a lot of cooking, but this really works for us.

"I really do not like removing entire food groups from my diet (except, of course, meat)."
I' guessing that this is a dig at low-carb diets? Grains are a much more modern addition to the human diet than meats and it is very possible to eat a healthy diet and maintain a healthy lifestyle without them.
D August 17, 2009, 9:41 am
Thanks for such a great reply! I've followed your blog from the beginning and like I said, while I enjoy reading about different healthy lifestyles (I personally follow an entirely vegan diet with the exception of fish…it works for me!), it's been nice to follow your blog because you seem pretty happy and confident in your own choices, and I agree that consistency is really important. It seems that in the blog world, everyone suddenly decides that a certain trend or food item is "right", and then you often don't hear about it again after a few weeks. Once again, thanks for taking the time to respond!
Jenni August 17, 2009, 9:50 am
I'm glad you learned how to use Gmail efficiently. That was a huge turning point for me last year. It was my last year of college and I was holding a leadership position in my sorority, as well as taking the maximum amount of credits. It was SO incredibly helpful to set up filters, so that when an email mentioned my sorority name in it, it was automatically marked as such. Emails from professors were automatically marked (and color coded!) with the class name. Organization makes life so much easier 🙂

The quinoa looks GREAT. I just started using flax seed this weekend and am looking forward to trying quinoa. In the mean time, do you think it is possible to sub in whole flax seed for the quinoa, and still use ground flax and syrup? I think I'll try it with some Stonyfield tomorrow morning.

Good luck with this week! 🙂
Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point August 17, 2009, 9:51 am
jenni – prob. the original recipe in B=S called for oil, but i used flax because i know you can sub that in. maybe use some more water? let me know!
Sarah August 17, 2009, 9:54 am
That quinoa recipe looks great – but am I right in thinking the quinoa isn't cooked (except for the toasting)? Isn't it awfully crunchy? We eat a lot of quinoa, but never for breakfast – I should try this out!

Re organization – I used to be a big fat filofax kinda girl, but then my then boyfriend/now husband converted me to a Palm. I now have an iPhone, and I have to tell you, it's revolutionized things – all my stuff is in one place.

I love lists – I love the satisfaction of crossing things off! And for meal planning – on Sunday I sit down w/cookbooks/magazines/whatever and plan out my recipes for the week. I have my shopping list there and I mark down what I need as I go along. Then I also put the meal on my calendar – side dishes and all. A little over-the-top, but keeps us on track with healthy meals and also keeps me focused at the store.
Jogger August 17, 2009, 10:07 am
I'm totally jumping on the bandwagon for this one! I got home from HLS and wanted to scream at the disgusting mess in my house! I am so disorganized, and I have very little space…which makes it even more noticeable!

My goal this week is to make a list like yours and tackle some organizational projects. Thanks for the kick in the pants!
platipus329 August 17, 2009, 10:34 am
For staying organized, I always make a checklist in an email or word document. And as I finish things I put a strikethrough on them instead of deleting, because it's so much more inspiring to see what you've accomplished
Nicole Chow - HealthyChow.com August 17, 2009, 10:38 am
It was so nice to meet you, Caitlin! You are just as fab in person as you are online (if not more!). Thanks again for everything. I'm glad you liked the earrings!
Meg C. August 17, 2009, 10:49 am
Never thought to have quinoa with yogurt – great idea!

Unfortunately I'm not a great organizer, but I'm able to maintain a system where I always have what I need, know where it is, and am rarely ever late. Seems to work out ok.

ps check it out – i have an identity now.
Sleepdreamdress August 17, 2009, 11:37 am
Shut up!! I'm soooo trying that quinoa recipe right now!! Thanks for the idea!

Maggie
Kate August 17, 2009, 12:22 pm
YUM! Toasted quinoa for breakfast? Now THAT I am going to have to try. Watch out, oats!
eatingRD August 17, 2009, 4:10 pm
What a great idea for the quinoa, is it crunchy and chewy? I use a program called OneNote that helps me stay organized, but sometimes I just prefer good ol' pen and paper in a organizer. I like to plan and make lists! lol
seesaraheat August 18, 2009, 5:48 am
I am inspired by your new venture in organization. I do okay with some things but there are other areas, like our spare bedroom, that haven't gotten my attention in months! I like how you are going to do one thing each day…I may have to copy that 😉

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