Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Who's that Greasy Kid?

In my experience, it's an unspoken rule that once you sit in a certain spot in a classroom more than twice in a row, that seat is marked as "yours." My linguistics class generally follows this policy in that everyone in the classroom generally sits in the exact same spot for every class period. It's actually quite an interesting sociological phenomenon. Anyway, being the creature of habit that I am, I take part in these shenanigans week in and week out, so I always sit next to the same two people--one is my friend with whom I served on an editorial board, and the other is a male whom I have named "the greasy kid."

Every day he sits next to me for our 11:40 class, and he has always brings new form of fast food. Monday was a Panda Express sesame chicken concoction, while today was a Big Mac with fries. I don't mind if my neighbors bring food (after all, I have been known to munch on a Clif bar during class), but this stuff has an odor that permeates the entire classroom, much less the 5 foot radius around our two seats. I swear, on Monday I smelled a note of sesame orange in my button-down, hours after class was over.

Anyway, it's gotten to the point that I have considered--gasp!--changing seats, mid-semester. I'll probably just suck it up and learn to live with this mystery grease-fan, who I am sure is a perfectly nice guy. Have you ever dealt with an unpleasant habit of a classmate or coworker?

OK, sorry. Rant over.

Monday
I discovered another combination that comes close to the mango-vanilla hemp deliciousness: peach-coconut-vanilla hemp. This would be a good stand-in if you're running low on mango.
Tuesday
Another Tropical Tuesday! I made a pineapple smoothie with more coconut (yes, I am mildly addicted), plus a whole wheat mini bagel with Brazilnut butter and cinnamon. Good fuel before my gender and language quiz.
The pre-run snack was yet another PB Mini Clif. Once again, it was fantastic fuel, accompanied by tasty PB breath.
For lunch I tried a product that has been lurking in my cabinets for a while. I've seen so many bloggers use Annie's whole wheat shells with white cheddar, and it was available at the on campus grocery store (read: I can use food points rather than my own $$). I finally made a batch using rice milk, and I added edamame for protein (and color). The other items you see are a Romaine salad and unsweetened applesauce with flax. Hello, power fuel--this kept me full through a few hours of tutoring.
Kristen and Shen took over the kitchen table last night to study for biochem, so I ate my meal at my desk--I had lots of work to do anyway. I made a simple vegan chili using leftover pasta sauce, chopped onions, kidney beans, cumin, chili powder, and ground red pepper. On the side: corn, spinach salad, plain kefir with cashews. Nice and comforting:)
The shake of the evening was a bit of an experiment, as I used a new protein powder--the vegan chocolate rice protein. It was kind of a bummer. Not chocolatey at all. At least the frozen banana and chocolate chips (which sank to the bottom) made up for the lackluster protein component.
Wednesday
Overnight oats were on the menu this morning, using Jenn's method of soaking the oats in water overnight and adding the creamy ingredients in the morning. This morning I added nonfat kefir, coconut, cinnamon, cashews, and stevia. It was alright, but a little too soupy--I think it would have worked better if I had Greek yogurt on hand. With my budget, that won't be happening any time soon.
The exercise fuel was a baggie of pretzel sticks. Almost entirely carbs (and salt!). It got the job done though.
Lunch was ratatouille-inspired. I cooked up half an eggplant with a bit of jarred tomato sauce, onions, garlic, and kidney beans for protein. To soak up the goodness, I had an Ezekiel pita, plus a salad with peanuts, cranberries, and balsamic vinegar. Once again, perfect for a busy afternoon.
My evening meal was inspired by a recipe from Rudi's Bakery. Check out their website--they have lots of great recipes for herbivores and omnivores alike. Anyway, this is the vegan tempeh reuben, sans cheese and saurkraut because, well, I don't have any. I still made the vegan thousand island dressing though (after a trip to the campus store for sweet relish). I had a big honkin' serving of broccoli with leftover garlic from the tempeh's poaching liquid. That's a glass of rice milk on the side.
I have a random question for you all: I mentioned above that I made a full box of mac and cheese--can you freeze the leftovers? My intuition tells me no, since it would get mighty mushy. What do you think?

Now I am off to relax before another busy day tomorrow. Good night all!

16 comments:

Nicole said...

I haven't had to deal with any greasy classmates, but I hate it when people talk to me when I don't want to be spoken to in class! Yeah, it's okay when class isn't going on, but when I'm trying to take what we're learning I don't care to hear about your party-tastic weekend!

Anonymous said...

Wow, I love all of your smoothie combinations...and the overnight oats! I usually add all the liquid ingredients at night, just because it gives more time for the oats to plump up and get thick and creamy =)

Anonymous said...

i have some of that same mac and cheese in my pantry that i need to try! they sell it at on my campus too so i can use my 'dining points' to buy it. i always feel like i'm playing with fake money when i use them--even though I actually am paying for it in the end! i don't think i would try freezing it though, i think it would mess up the texture too much. just stick it in the fridge and have some leftovers in the next few days.

i laughed at your greasy kid story. it's so true about people sticking to the same seats and if how it's pretty unaccepted to break the trend. if you move then it's like you're taking someone else's seat! i haven't had anyone with a really bad habit before, but i can't stand when people sitting near me are sick and are sniffling and coughing. i don't want to catch whatever they have but i feel rude moving after i've already sat down. oh the dilemmas of college life...

Tara said...

Your food is always so yummy, fresh, and healthy looking!! I love the idea of the tropical smoothie too. I gotta try that!

Emma said...

At uni people eat all sorts in lectures- one time a girl was eating pizza with a knife an fork (very subtle haha!) but luckily it wasn't near me so I didn't mind. I am pretty sure that the lecturer would not have been impressed if he had seen her though!

You could try taking something that smells really good to take away the smell- maybe a litle body spray, some yummy smelling lip balm or something to make the environment a little more pleasant for you?

Tempeh looks yummo! It makes me want some now... : )

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Girl, I've dealt with that already as well; and I totally called out 'The Greasy Kid'!! He moved, and I got my seat back, haha!! Score!! :0D

You and I were definitely thinking alike, with the Tropical theme in food - stay tuned for my next post) which I'm going to try to get up by tonight!).

Broccoli with loads of garlic = HOLY YUM.

Hmm... I THINK that you can freeze the leftovers, but honestly, I'm not 100% sure. Sorry!! :0(

Anonymous said...

Hello, I was just curious about kefir. I recently found it at a decent price at my grocery store and they have the Stonyfeilds strawberry, blueberry, and peach flavor. I was wondering if you just had the plain kind and if you had a way of explaining the taste?! I really want to try it but wonder if it tastes like a yogurty milk or just what it's like. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Hey Caroline, it's Sarah again. Did you ever make the banana blender cereal I wrote you about? No worries if you didn’t. I was just curious what you thought of it if you had!

ChickPea said...

SweetPotato: I completely understand what you mean. Remember my baker friend? He is a LOT like that.
Shelby: I'll try your method for overnight oats next time--thanks for the tip!
Sarah: Yeah, we call food points "Monopoly money" here because of that "fake money" factor. I think you're right on the freezing situation though.
Ugh. I hate cold season for the very reason you mentioned. I hardly ever get sick, but I always feel vulnerable when I am sitting next to someone who is hacking up a lung. Ew.
Tara: I have been on a tropical kick lately, mostly because of my newfound love of coconut!!
Emma: Haha, very subtle! People are so crazy when it comes to what is considered "acceptable" for the classroom. Everyone has their own rules, I guess.
VeggieGirl: Yay! More tropical food--I hope yours included coconut:)
Laura: Kefir is just OK in my opinion. Honestly, the reason I bought it is because it was a lot cheaper than the cottage cheese. It tastes like tangy yogurt, just in liquid form. I bet the flavored ones would be better though--I might give those a try sometime. Anyway, it's a good source of calcium, but I don't think I would ever "crave" it like I do yogurt.
Sarah: I have not gotten a chance to make the blender cereal you mentioned, although it is definitely on my to do list. I don't have any flake cereal on hand these days, so I will have to get a box soon. What kind do you recommend?

Anonymous said...

"I swear, on Monday I smelled a note of sesame orange in my button-down, hours after class was over."

You are hilarious. I can totally see how much that would stink (quite literally), and also understand the issue of the unchanging seat. It's such a funny thing. I wish you the best of luck, Caroline!

Oops! Although I totally appreciate you posting the ingredients to the hemp mix - would you also mind telling me the recipe for the smoothie that you make? I'm sorry for the confusion!! But the ingredients of the protein mix are very stellar :o) I just was also wondering what you put in the smoothie besides the protein mix and the mango! I'm pretty sure it's soy milk - am I right?

Thanks for the shout out! Too bad the kefir turned out a bit soupy, but next time you are able to get your hands on some Greek yogurt, I promise it won't disappoint!

Hm, I'm not sure on the mac and cheese - but hopefully someone will know, because that's definitely a problem I've run into before!

I hope you have a great weekend!!

Anonymous said...

WHere I work they do not eat healthy and we always order lunch.. i feel like I am the annoying one who is always so picky... it amazed me sometimes the kind of food they eat and just are ok with which is so far out of my thiking/way of living!
I would NOT freeze the pasta because I dont know how it would hold up

Anonymous said...

I really like it with Flax Plus or with any of the Arrowhead Mills flake cereals. But I wonder if it would work with oats too. I don't see why not!

-Sarah

HangryPants said...

You are absolutely correct - two, three times max, in the same seat means it is yours!

Anonymous said...

Your eating habits are really impressive for college. I have been finding myself eating all carbs but it requires nothing to clean. You also go to a rigorous school. I know you enjoy cooking and so do I, but I just have so much work I barely have time to sleep let alone cook and do dishes. Any suggestions? Like when do you have time to cut lettuce, prepare all your faboulous veggies like eggplant.

Also, I have been finding I get home from class starving! But I don't want a full meal calories wise. Unfortunately I have been doing just that. What are your favorite snack combos?

Last thing what time do you typically eat meals. Sorry for all the questions. I am just so impressed how healthy you are at college!

Anonymous said...

opps the but in my first sentence was supposed to be "because". I hate doing dishes they seem to take so much time!

ChickPea said...

EatingBender: Haha, glad you can empathize with my situation!
I wrote a post about how I make my smoothies a while back; it should be filed under "Healthy Habits." As for the specific mango-hemp combo, I use soymilk, vanilla hemp, and frozen mango--and that's it! I usually top with granola:)
SportsNutritionLiving: I totally agree with you on the picky thing--I feel so annoying, but it's something that's obviously very important to me.
Sarah: Thanks for the recs--I got some flake cereal tonight at Target. Can't wait to try it!
HangryPants: Haha, so true!!
Rebecca: You're right, it is a struggle to balance housework with schoolwork. I hate not having a dishwasher!! Anyway, here is how I manage my eating:
-Pick out a few simple recipes to try for the week.
-Plan to cook on nights that you know are less hectic.
-Do the dishes when you can! It's not going to hurt if they sit there for another few hours...
-For snacks, I always have some sort of fat (usually nuts or nut butter) combined with either yogurt or fruit. That usually keeps me satisfied until dinner time.
-My meal timing is not exemplary, but here it is anyway:
8 AM Breakfast
12 PM pre-run snack
3 PM lunch
5 PM snack
8 PM dinner
12 AM snack

Hope that helps!