Mark your calendar to make multigrain pilaf

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Have you bought your 2016 calendar yet? Or are you a digital calendar person? My husband is flabbergasted that around this time each year I still purchase a spiral-bound, 8×10 paper calendar with monthly overviews that are tabbed, weekly overviews with room to write daily tasks, and a one-page yearly overview. You might have guessed that my husband is an electronic calendar person.

After trying a few times to get the hang of Google calendar, Outlook calendar, and the Cozi calendar app, I’ve decided that, yeah, I’m a paper calendar kind of girl. I see the advantages of electronic calendars. Who wouldn’t want to have access to their calendar and to-do list on their phone, laptop or iPad?

I also like the idea of sharing calendars digitally with my husband and family to coordinate schedules, sports practice pickups and vacation days. And whoever thought up the electronic reminders for upcoming events on the calendar is a scheduling genius. But, alas, it’s not for me.

With my paper calendar, I can write things down. I guess you could call me one of those “writer-downers.” Writing it helps me remember it. I’m sure there is some brain science behind this; but sometimes I can remember what I need to do without even looking at my calendar because I remember writing it in my calendar.

I also like marking things off my to-do list. There is such satisfaction in crossing through completed items in black ink. (Goodbye, tasks! I’ve achieved my goal to cross every one of you off!) And then there is the pleasure of turning the page after a hard or hectic week. (Adios, hell week! See, I’m turning the page so I don’t have to see you ever again.)

Something else you can never do with a digital calendar: look up what you did two years ago in March. I had to do this recently. My eldest son is applying to several colleges and some of them wanted to know the date we took a campus tour at their university. Like we would remember that. But I am happy to say, I was able to find the dates by pulling out my 2013 paper calendar.

Now according to all calendars, paper and electronic, the holiday season is upon us. That means lots of delicious, celebratory dinners. Remember that one of my goals this year was to incorporate more whole grains into my diet? Well, that includes holiday dinners, too.

This week’s recipe comes from “Cooking Light” magazine. It features three low-glycemic, high-fiber whole grains: barley, brown rice and bulgur. If you are diabetic, this pilaf is a delicious substitute for regular white bread stuffing. Barley does contain gluten, so those with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity should be aware.

I substituted wild rice for the bulgur when I made this and liked the extra color it added. You can play around with the grains, but be sure to add or subtract the amount of water you will need accordingly. If you are a digital calendar and list person, add these ingredients to your electronic grocery list. The rest of us will write them down on a piece of paper.

Multigrain Pilaf with Sunflower Seeds

4 teaspoons canola oil, divided

1/3 cup sunflower seed kernels

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

2 teaspoons butter

1 cup thinly sliced leek (about 1 large)

2 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley

1/2 cup brown rice

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup uncooked bulgur

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil, sunflower seeds and 1/4 teaspoon salt; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan; set aside.

Heat pan over medium heat; add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and butter. Add leek; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add 2 1/2 cups water and next 3 ingredients (through rice); bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat and simmer 35 minutes. Stir in cranberries and bulgur; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until grains are tender. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, sunflower seeds, parsley and pepper. Serve immediately.