Protein Packed 15 Minute Meal

This post is written by my friend Erin Motzenbecker who owns a fantastic food and fitness blog. She's a yoga instructor and quite the little foodie with some great stuff up her sleeve. If you haven't already checked her out please drop by her blog to show her some love.

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So, today I mistakenly took Tylenol that was expired while I was trying to remedy a headache and that definitely backfired. Luckily I only took a small dose, but it still made me so nauseated I could hardly stand it! I was completely light-headed and it felt like all the blood was rushing to my stomach at the speed of light - terrible feeling, let me tell you. When I told people about this they were shocked - doesn't everyone know that you're not supposed to take that stuff past the date on the bottle? If this is the first time you're hearing this, I hope you're taking notes! ;)

Anyway, I'm feeling better now. But once the worst of my feeling totally nauseated was over, I was feeling hungry but definitely not in the mood for a full meal that would take any exceptional amount of time. Look out Rachel Ray - this one took about 15 minutes. Oh, AND it's good for you, too! Take that!

Cook quinoa in water as a 2:1 ratio (so, for every 1 cup quinoa, use 2 c water) for about 15 minutes or until liquid is evaporated and the grains are soft. Once cooked, give a turn of the olive oil around the pan once. Add chopped mint, salt & pepper, roasted red peppers (I sliced mine and put them in the oven on broil for 15 minutes - came out perfect), and a squeeze of lemon juice. Boil egg for extra protein! The mint & lemon will soothe an upset stomach, and the protein from the egg and quinoa are good for easing nausea.

Save this one for the next time you have a sour stomach, whether it was self-inflicted or not ;)

But, to save yourself some agony, try these remedies for headaches instead of reaching for the Tylenol:

• Tiger Balm - my personal favorite (I buy this little travel-size disk at Whole Foods and it costs about $2! Can't beat that.)
• A dab of mint essential oil on the temples
• A neck/shoulder massage from your partner ;)
• Get the tension out of your hips! (We carry a shocking amount of stress in our hips and tension = aches. Work out the kinks!)

If you could share one piece of advice with someone, what is it? Any home remedies you care to share?