Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Back to Routine

At last, some sense of normalcy has returned in the Yoder household. All the family has headed home (excepting the newlyweds, who are still on their honeymoon), and a routine has been established. To illustrate the remarkable change, consider this scene:

Mom: "Caroline, let's see what's on the Style Network."

Me: "Oh, it looks like it's another episode of 'Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?'"

Mom: "Ugh. Turn it off. I don't want to even think about weddings for a looong time."

Bear in mind, this statement emerged from the lips of a woman who has lived and breathed wedding plans for the past 11 months. I must say that I am glad to have my normal mother back:)

My meals should be more typical these days too...

Monday
My love of chocolate has returned again. My smoothies were so healthful for a while there--just fruit, yogurt, and spirulina. Alas, my virtue was short-lived. I had a chocolate-banana shake on Monday, using banana, banana Spirutein, and chocolate non-dairy ice cream (So Delicious, fruit-sweetened). I love the texture of the So Delicious when it's whipped in the blender--very fluffy and "cloud-like." I used the "Awesome Chocolate" flavor, and the carton does not lie--my shake was awesome.

Tuesday
Once again, I needed a quick breakfast after my run (and before my nutrition class) yesterday. I combined plain soy yogurt with cinnamon and pure maple syrup, for a cheater's maple cream topping. I put it on a toasted Rudi's Flax English Muffin, and I had some leftover, so I put a blob on mound of fresh berries. Pretty good for an improv breakfast.
After class, I made a curried pseudo-chicken salad using tofu, Nayonaise, Grey Poupon, curry, raisins, and sliced almonds. I stuffed it all in an Ezekiel pita and served it along side some organic greens and a sliced kiwi. This was SO good. The sweetness of the raisins and the acidity of the mustard created a great flavor combination. For dinner I made an "everything but the kitchen sink" salad. Here's what went into this mess: canned kidney beans, mashed avocado, roasted red peppers, fresh cucumber, yellow peppers, and cherry tomatoes. I also had some whole wheat toast and brussels sprouts. I had another decadent shake last night, using chocolate So Delicious, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Spirutein (!), and a splash of vanilla almond milk. I topped it with a few dark chocolate chips. I was drooling over this one as I poured it into my cup. Wednesday
I kept it simple today for breakfast. My class today was cancelled, so I was able to sleep in and fit in an extra-long workout. As a result, I was hungry by the time I got to the kitchen, so I settled on a "bowl meal" breakfast. Today's mixture included Kashi GoLean, puffed rice, Plain Light Silk, sliced almonds, and fresh blueberries.
Lunch was a quick one too. I just crumbled some tempeh on top of organic greens. There are also some walnuts on there, in case you can't tell--they kind of blend in with the tempeh! I added some raisins too. A piece of Ezekiel toast rounded out the meal. Dinner was inspired by Self Magazine. I save most of the nutrition articles from my magazines, including the ones for the diet "challenges." They often include daily sample menus. Please understand that I am NOT trying to lose weight--I just like to use the menus for new meal ideas. Anyway, one was as follows: "breaded pork chops with steamed spinach and a sweet potato." I thought that sounded pretty balanced, so I made my own version by breading some tofu with wheat germ and baking it at 350*. I used Grey Poupon as the "glue." Two of my addictions in one dish--Grey Poupon and wheat germ! I also had a side salad and some cashews to add some necessary fat. I will leave you with a picture I took today, when "the subject" wasn't aware. He's pretty much deaf these days, so it's easy to sneak up behind him...Now I'm off to study for an anatomy quiz.

12 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

It's always nice getting back into a comfortable routine :0)

Aww, your dog is precious!!

Good luck studying!!

Anonymous said...

LOL i had to laugh when i read your post about the style network & wedding shows... i was obsessed w/ them before i was engaged and about 4 mo. into the engagement... now i'm totally sick of them!!!

Anonymous said...

The grey poupon tofu is genious!!

No Longer Using said...

i love the picture through the doorway! :) that's sad that your dog is getting deaf. my dog is getting old, too... she'll be 14 next month.

i have a couple of questions:
1. where do you get your spirutein? i have never seen it before.
2. what kind of soy yogurt do you use? and have you found this in larger containers than the single serving?

thanks :)

Anonymous said...

Great pictures and some tasty looking food!

I love the picture of your dog :)

As a side note, chocolate actually has some healthy properties, so long as you are sticking to the healthier types of chocolate (mainly dark chocolate). Its great for mood balancing and it has antioxidants, so keep on eating! (in moderation of course)

Here's a brief article about the health benefits of chocolate: Dark Chocolate Is Healthy Chocolate

(I'm a librarian, I can't help but provide research assistance haha)

ChickPea said...

VeggieGirl: Fred appreciates your compliment--he IS precious to me.
Loveofoats: Yep, I've had my fill of wedding shows for the next few months at least. There's only so much I can take!
Foodfashionlife: Thanks! It's a more healthful alternative eto the traditional egg wash method.
Lacey N: Fred is 14 too! He's still going strong though.
1. I get my Spirutein from two places: luckyvitamin.com and my local health food store.
2. I use Silk Plain Soy Yogurt. You can get it in big 32 oz. tubs at Whole Foods. I've found the vanilla 32 oz. tubs at my local grocery store too.
Eric: You're right chocolate DOES have some healthful properties, but I don't think the form I was consuming it in is the healthiest way to enjoy it. I'm all for enjoying a piece of dark chocolate every now and then (or every night as I used to be in the habit of doing...). Thanks for the article!
PS That is so cool that you're a librarian...my aunt is a librarian, and she is such a valuable resource.

Danielle said...

back to a routine :) how comforting! i can't believe i'm going to have to create a new one so soon! i just wanted to send you my best wishes while i take a temporary leave from the blogosphere, i hope to see a few fun posts in the broccoli hut when i get back ;). take care!

Anonymous said...

What times do you typically eat your meals and snacks or desserts (if you have any)? How long in advance do you begin preparing ie: lettuce, cooking, before you actually make it. Like you I live in a dorm, and don't know how you manage it all!

Also, a while back in school you ate lentils. How do you cook them in a dorm?

ChickPea said...

Danielle: We'll miss you!! I wish you safe travels and the best of luck on your journey:)
Anonymous: I am at home for the summer, so the meals you have seen for the past month or so were prepared in a full-fledged kitchen. I eat breakfast at around 9:30 (after my run--I have a small snack at about 8), lunch is anywhere from 1-2:30, snack is at 5,dinner at 6:30 or 7, and my evening snack times vary. It usually takes me no more than 15 minutes to prepare my meals.
At school I used Westbrae organic canned lentils. There is very little sodium, and they're so versatile for recipes.

Anonymous said...

Definitely get a food processor when you can! They are absolutely amazing! I would go with Cuisinart, which is the brand I got. I'm so excited to try new recipes with it :)

Those shakes you make look so good. I'm craving one this morning but alas, I have only green tea. I need to learn how to make good shakes.

ChickPea said...

Eric: Thanks for the recommendation. Perhaps I'll do a little research on getting a good deal on a Cuisinart.
Shakes are wonderful, but I am afraid that I have become addicted to them. I rationalize it by considering it my (relatively healthful) indulgence for the day. BTW, a green tea shake wouldn't be a bad idea!

Erin said...

Your shakes as of late look scrumptious. I've been thinking about getting some spirutein to amp up the protein in my smoothies.