Prep Day

Today was all about preparation for me. In the next 8 days, I have a few important events: my mom's birthday, my first day of classes, and, of course, my sister's wedding. So I spent most of today in a constant state of preparation: picking up my mom's present, touring the campus to figure out where my classes will be, and trying on my bridesmaid dress...The present pick-up was successful, but I went to a wrong building on campus, and my dress was too long. Oy.

As per usual, cooking has continued to be a source of pleasure in the midst of this craziness. I have had several successful dishes in the past few days, which makes me and my tummy quite content.

Wednesday
The evening smoothie consisted of cherry Spirutein, frozen cherries, nonfat organic plain yogurt, and pumpkin flax granola. I wasn't expecting much from this smoothie, but it ended up being delectable and the perfect consistency. Two nights in a row with successful smoothies--I'm on a roll.
Thursday
This breakfast changed my day. Seriously. I was in a good mood all day because of it. I tried the vegan banana pancakes recipe from Sweet Eats. The original recipe includes chocolate chips, but I didn't want that much of an indulgence yesterday morning. I enjoyed mine with some sliced peaches with cinnamon and a mug of chai green tea, which was a gift from a neighbor. This one gets two thumbs up.
Lunch was intended to be a pasta salad, but I think it ended up having a 2:1 ratio of veggies to pasta. This dish included broccoli, yellow bell pepper, carrots, mushrooms, tofu, and some whole wheat pasta in a light balsamic vinaigrette. I also had some apple slices with melted peanut butter.
I made an attempt at a "pulled seitan" BBQ sandwich for dinner yesterday. The texture wasn't exactly right--it felt more like a sloppy joe than a pulled BBQ sandwich. I made the sauce out of tomato sauce, mustard powder, a little agave, and apple cider vinegar. I enjoyed mine on a whole wheat bun with a salad and some almonds.
Friday
I had another decadent breakfast this morning using my new PB & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams PB. I was sweating buckets after my run this morning, but that didn't stop me from making a piping bowl of banana oats (check out that steam!). I topped it with a spoonful of said PB, and it was out of this world. This PB is like not-so-bad-for-you Nutella. My dad dipped into the jar after dinner this evening to use it as an ice cream topping. Not a bad idea...
Lunch was supposed to be a Mexican pizza, but ran out of time, and I got hungry, so I rushed through the preparation. I had intended to crisp it up in the oven, but ultimately I just nuked it in the microwave to warm it up. Here's what went into this concoction: a whole wheat tortilla, sweet vidalia salsa, mashed avocado, and cubed tofu dusted with chili powder. I think it was tasty, but I was in a rush to get to the alterations place. I also had a side salad and a big apple.
Dinner tonight was inspired by those Chinese Chicken Salads I see on so many restaurant menus these days. Mine included a random bunch of leftover veggies: lettuce, yellow bell pepper, carrots, tomatoes, green beans, water chestnuts, and seitan (which was simmered in ginger, rice wine vinegar, and garlic). I also had watermelon and some rice cakes with apple butter. Random but good.
That's the extent of my culinary adventures for now. Be back Monday!