Fall Recipe: Savory Pumpkin Quinoa

I was introduced to quinoa recently. I have known about this "superfood," but I never actually tried it. What put me off is the amount of time it takes to prepare. I'm not one to regularly cook rice or other foods that take 20+minutes just to absorb water. Unfortunately, with quinoa there is the added step of rinsing before cooking. As I did not have a fine enough strainer, I ended up lining a regular colander with a kitchen towel and using that to rise in.

I had no idea what to do with the quinoa once I had made it (and I made a big batch so I could avoid the "long" cooking process). I added some Indian spices to the first small amount, and that was pretty good, but it was like adding a dry spice to plain rice - it lacked body. So, naturally, I got online and started searching. I had some leftover pure pumpkin from a candy-venture earlier that day so I searched for pumpkin quinoa recipes. What I found was a great hearty, healthy dish full of fall flavors.

Savory Pumpkin Quinoa

The original recipe from The Wannabe Chef can be found by following the above link. Here is my version (close to the original, but with a few tweaks)

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each sage, rosemary, thyme

Heat the oil and add the diced onions and pepper until the onions are translucent and the pepper is cooked through and slightly charred.

Add the pumpkin, salt, herbs and quinoa to the pan. Mix thoroughly and allow everything to heat through.

Serve hot.

This is a great comfort food and it's great the next day. Filling and lasting lunch to take to work on gloomy days, too!

Summer Reading Challenge: Close, but Not Quite

Well, here it is. The last day of summer and I am part way through my 17th book. My own personal challenge was to read 20 books this summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day). While I know the first day of autumn isn't until September 22, my life is about to go crazy.
I will only have Sundays off in which to frantically cram in my homework. I already know that I have a group project in one class and I know my availability is far more severely limited than anyone else in the group. I'm feeling overwhelmed and stressed already.
I am disappointed that I did not reach my goal of 20 books this summer. I know I put in a fair effort towards reaching it, but I also know that my goal of 50 books this year is almost certainly not going to happen now. It was going to be a stretch even if I had made my goal.

Do you all have any goals you set for yourself during the year or season? Did you reach them?