This Week's Q&A: "Cooked" Quinoa, Doubling Sauces, Being Minimalist with Kids, Work Discrimination, & Carbs

Posted by:Lindsay S. Nixon Category: FAQ

You've got questions...


Q: I have a question about the Hippie Loaf. Is it 1 cup of dry quinoa cooked, or do you cook enough quinoa to produce 1 cup?

A: Measure out already cooked quinoa. I can't speak for everyone's recipes, but with mine (and this is generally true with most published cookbooks and recipes in magazines, etc.), if it indicates "cooked" (i.e., 1 cup cooked rice), it means you measure out 1 cup of already cooked rice. :)

Q: So far, I totally LOVE your book! I'm getting ready to cook the sweet and sour tempeh in EHH and am curious how much sauce you make for the accompanying veggies.

A: Thanks! It's a matter of preference. You can just add the veggies on the side, or you can double the sauce to really coat the veggies well. Enjoy! 

Q: Do you have any advise on being minimalist with children?

A: Jacqueline wrote a guest blog post about being a minimalist with kids.

In the Q&A Minimalist series, a few Herbies who are minimalists with kids also gave advice.

Q: My new boss seems to be discriminating towards my healthy lifestyle... what are your thoughts on this? How do I handle it? My lifestyle seems to really bother her and she gets nasty about it. I am not pushy, I keep to myself.

A: I'm sorry you're going through this. I had a temp job once where the supervisor seemed to have something against my plant-based lifestyle. For example, she kept having the IT department block webpages like happycow.net, to prevent me from being able to see what vegan food options were around the areas we were working in. When I complained about the practice, noting that websites like Yelp, which do the same thing, and restaurant websites like Burger King or Taco Bell were not blocked (and therefore it was unfair to block a similar website I needed to use to find lunch); she had the legal team send me a nasty letter about how I'm not a special class and have no legal standing. So much for pleasantries, I guess! (I quit that day. I was quite... colorful in my younger years). Anyway, I would tell someone in HR and try to talk to your boss. Make sure to check out my posts on negativity (The Secret to Handling Confrontation and Dealing with Negativity and Response to Naysayers (How to Deal With Negativity About Your Diet). Specifically, why people act this way. Understanding "why" can help you navigate better.

Q: What are your thoughts on carbs?

A: Carbs are the bodies preferred fuel. We need to eat carbs — and lots of them. Of course, I mean eat whole grains and starches like potatoes, not processed crap like white bread. Eat your carbs! They are healthy and won't make you fat. Fat makes you fat :) For more information, I highly recommend you read The Starch Solution by Dr. McDougall.

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