Bunco Bash

Good evening, everyone! I write to you from a Chicago hotel room, freshly showered and eager to share some food pics. I realize that I am a bit behind on posting--my usual Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule was interrupted by a busy travel itinerary. A full report of the Chicago eats will be posted soon, but for now I will update you on the latter half of last week.

When I signed off last time, I asked for some nutritious party snack ideas. The overwhelming majority of you suggested fruits and vegetables, so I did indeed decide to center my food contributions around nature's bounty. The snacks were for an alleged Bunco party. I don't even know what Bunco is, nor did any of the guests participate in any kind of game...in other words, the group just needed an excuse to mingle. More on the party later...

Wednesday

Double mango smoothie! I used mango-raspberry Soy Delicious and frozen mango chunks. FYI: Foods with a faint green tinge can be delicious. I promise.

Thursday

I needed a quick breakfast before heading out for some errands with my mom, so I just toasted up some Van's waffles and stole an idea from fellow bloggers--I topped them with mashed banana and nut butter. I added my own twist though, by using Sunbutter instead of the traditional PB. I know, I'm such a rebel.

I was starving by the time lunch rolled around, so I needed something hearty. I turned to a simple dish, red beans and rice. I added chili powder, S + P, and a dash of cinnamon. It turned out to be delicious, plus it is a complete protein! A spinach salad and peaches with sliced almonds filled out the meal.

Immediately following lunch, I started on the dips for the party. After considering your valuable feedback, I decided to make fresh guacamole and the Creamy Cashew Dip from ED&BV. I served the guac with fresh veggies and baked Tostitos Scoops; I heartily recommend those chips by the way--they boast a short ingredients list, they're low in fat, and most importantly, they can shovel a lot of dip at once! With the cashew dip, I served fresh strawberries, plus some cinnamon Teddy Grahams. Hey, a little Teddy love never hurt anyone, did it? Oh, and my sister Katie (the hostess with the mostess) prepared some authentic pigs in a blanket. Maybe I could convince her to make vegan ones for the next party? When pigs fly...(Sorry, I couldn't resist).After the party, I returned home famished. The party food was good, but it was no replacement for dinner. After a few minutes of shoving random things into my mouth, I decided I would just make a special smoothie. Frozen cherries make anything special in my book.

That's all I'll post until my Chicago recap. Get excited for the next post--think tofu crab cakes, plus asparagus in multiple forms...Ciao.