Snookums, quinoa is a grain. Granted a grain with high protein which makes it more valuable in some lifestyles compared to others. I think it's neither bad nor good. As far as carbs go, it's on the healthier side, but it can make blood sugars rise too fast in those who have issues with moderate glycemic foods. Maybe that is why you woke up starving? As for the quinoa tasting bland... I never toast it, but then I never toasted rice or couscous either. I'm just not that patient :) however I always toast my spices and then cook my dishes. I think it really pays off in my quinoa dishes which are just studded with all the spices. I also tend to layer my spices, for example we might do a black bean mango quinoa salad... So I flavor the black beans with cumin chili powder, I toss the chopped veggies with lime juice, and I season the quino with toasted Mexican oregano, smoked paprika, coriander and cumin, and a smidgen of tomato paste. Then I top with avocado and and a bit of fresh mango pico. If you are not supersensitive to moderate glycemic foods then give the quinoa another try. Green goos take a while to master. You'll find your perfect recipe in time. It took me forever to get a good ration of chia seeds in ours.

I decided we were going to go on the smoothie kick too. We have to make some changes. we went to GNC and got their protein powder, they have a diet plan for it. Several were on sale and the big containers were buy one get one half off. He also told me about the green coffee bean extract pills that he put his mom on along with the same powder diet plan and she was losing weight so I got some of them. We went to Bed Bath and Beyond and I looked at the Nutribullet, black magic bullet, the Ninja professional 700wat and decided on the Ninja since it had the most powerful motor. I had a 20% off coupon. We will shop tomorrow after we clean out the fridge, freezers, and pantry. I hope we like it.

The ninja is on sale this week at Canadian Tire. I have the Prep Pro and the larger system that you can make dough in. I also bought one for the summer home and have given this as gifts many times over. No one has complained. This takes the place of a blender and a food chopper. It makes ice cubes into almost snow in seconds. Word of caution the blades are like razor blades as me how I know...hard to do dishes with five fingers in bandages. Ninja Master Prep Pro is a revolutionary food and drink maker Professional black and stainless steel design Transform ice cubes into perfect, creamy frozen drinks and desserts in the blink of an eye 450-watt motor head with one-touch pulsing for maximum control and consistent results New precision Ninja Blades are twice as fast Splashguard and non-slip bases Removable parts are dishwasher-safe Includes: 48-oz pitcher and 16-oz bowl Sometimes this also comes with three sizes of pitchers, all have covers to store in the fridge. They will all probably be on sale the week after Christmas. I have purchased it for 24.99 a couple of times.

Vitamix for sure. We adore ours. It was recommended to us by this French chef who we love at our favorite restaurant. We make amazing soups in ours and it makes blending so easy. My husband was able to get a very generous discount on it because he qualifies as a reseller for some reason even though he is a chiropractor. If someone wants to buy one, I could try to convince him to pass the discount onto my GW friends if you wanted to order through his office :)