Saturday, July 5, 2008

Water, Water Everywhere

Hello, everyone! I write to you from the lake house...hopefully Blogger will cooperate from this location. I spent my 4th of July playing on the lake--we hopped in the car as soon as I got back from my run this morning. Overall, it was a great day on the water: plenty of people and fun, but it started to rain on our return back to the house. A rain storm while on the water is a unique experience--the rain drops really hurt! Oh, well. It was still a great way to spend the day. I can't wait to see what the rest of the weekend brings.

Thursday
After my post on Wednesday, I decided to whip up a batch of Honey Wheat Bran Muffins from Clean Eating Magazine. As per usual, I made a zillion substitutions, using soy milk and vanilla soy yogurt, a flax egg, and agave rather than honey. They came out tasty, but rather...flat. Despite this reluctance to rise, I had two for breakfast, along with some blackberries and almonds.
I packed my lunch to eat on campus again. This one included a black bean burger (Gardenburger brand) on whole wheat with salsa, carrots with Annie's Goddess dressing for dipping, and loads of fresh berries. Filled me up quite nicely! I wouldn't recommend adding the salsa to the sandwich the night before though--it was quite soggy, and not the kind of soggy I usually like. I was quite lazy for dinner after my full day of classes, so I relied on the pantry for my dinner. I dug out this can of Green Lentils and Brown Rice from Eden Foods. I know, canned rice sounds gross, but this stuff is totally natural and healthy--just be sure to add a few of your own seasonings, as it is quite bland on its own. I added some dried thyme, S + P. I also had a salad with walnuts and some brussels sprouts.
The smoothie of the evening consisted of orange Spirutein, soymilk, frozen pineapple, and lots of granola + crumbled granola plank. I was way hungry last night for some reason.
Friday
As I mentioned above, I didn't have much time after my run for breakfast, so I just had a quick bowl of cereal and some strawberries. I like to mix bland cereals (puffed rice) with sweeter cereals (Kashi Honey Sunshine) to create a nice balance at breakfast.

After a run to Wal-Mart, I returned home for a quick hummus and olive sandwich on whole wheat with spinach and a big juicy apple. I got the idea for sandwich from the Vegan Lunch Box Cookbook.
Some of our guests of the weekend offered to make dinner tonight: they made pulled barbecue sandwiches with baked beans, potato salad, and corn on the cob. I took some of the corn on the cob and discreetly grilled up some tofu with Annie's BBQ Sauce for a protein hit. I also munched on some almonds and a red pear.
Thanks to all of you for your protein recommendations--I made a few online orders last night:) Now I am off to bed so I can rise early for the farmers' market tomorrow morning. My idea of a great way to spend a Saturday!

15 comments:

Emma said...

Good idea about grilling up some tofu for protein. It looks yummy!

I also love the idea of a hummous and olice sarnie. I must try that!

Enjoy your weekend!

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Sounds like you had a nice 4th of July, despite the rain.

Hooray for more Clean Eating magazine recipe trials :0)

Anonymous said...

ugh i hear you about the water everywhere... it's miserable here!

Unknown said...

I love Annie's BBQ sauce! Thanks for the bar suggestions...I haven't had any of the ones you mentioned, so I can't wait to try them! I'm sure you've said this before, but what kind of sandwich bread do you buy? Again, your meals look so balanced and tasty! :0)

Anonymous said...

Saturday morning farmer's markets are so much fun!

Everything looks great! I love soggy sandwiches. Although I can see how salsa would probably turn a sandwich into the bad kind of soggy...ick haha

I like how you KIND of ate what the guests ate by having a proteiny bbq dish, just not the actual pulled meat. I find it fun to have the same meal as my family only vegetarianized while they eat the actual thing haha

Anonymous said...

I don't know if you saw my last question, but I was wondering why it is that your prof thought soy as a supplement is not a good idea or too much soy in general.

Hope you had a good 4th!

Anonymous said...

Sorry one more question to add, but what type of whole wheat bred do you use?

ChickPea said...

Emma: Yes, please do try the sammie--it's a fun way to get the Greek flavors in a new way!
VeggieGirl: Yep, the 4th was great--hope you had a good one too!
Loveofoats: I know, rain + fireworks so do not mix...
Allison: Isn't Annie's the best?! I hope you like some of those bars I mentioned...let me know what you think! I buy a couple brands of bread: Arnold Flax and Fiber, Ezekiel Sprouted Grain, and Nature's Own 100% whole wheat (this is the cheapest of the three and most widely available). Hope that helps!
Katie: Soy has been shown in a few limited studies to promote breast cancer, but multiple studies have also shown that it may inhibit that very same disease. I think it's just a good idea to have more variety in one's diet anyway. When science has not reached a clear verdict, it is best to practice moderation in my opinion.
As for the bread, see the response above.

Anonymous said...

I need to cease reading all the blogs w/photos of food as it is clarifying for me how AESTHETICALLY unappealing my meals are....

:)


M.

Katy said...

Mmm, bbq'd tofu sounds yummy!

ChickPea said...

MizFit: I am sure your meals are pretty, and even if they aren't..who cares?! As long as it tastes good:)
PS I saw HungryGirls mention of you today...cool!
Katy: BBQ tofu is normally really tasty--when you take the time to do it right. This was kind of a half-asked effort.

Anonymous said...

Why do you read hungrygirl's site? Isn't that for dieters?

ChickPea said...

Anonymous: Quite the contrary, I read HG's newsletter because I love food. She is a great resource for new food products and nutritional news.

Erin said...

Glad you had a good holiday, even if it rained a bit! I love a good bran muffin, even if it's flat :)

ChickPea said...

Erin: You're right, bran muffins are great, no matter the shape.