Friday, October 3, 2008

The Remedy

I am drawing inspiration from Jason Mraz for my title tonight...because I have found the remedy to my illness; I am finally feeling more like my normal self! After a visit to the Student Health Center (at which I received mediocre/verging on negligent care), Kristen was kind enough to drive me to a doc-in-the-box tonight where I finally received a long overdue prescription. Woohoo!

Now I am looking forward to my Saturday--there's an on-campus music festival tomorrow, plus my sorority is hosting a "Western-themed" event tomorrow night. The event is held off-campus at a barn, where we can go on hayrides, makes s'mores and dance the night away. It's definitely one of my favorite events, although I am little disappointed that I didn't muster up the courage to find a date...I'm sure there will still be plenty of fun to be had:)

Anyway, as a result of my blah physical condition these past few days, I have been forced to eat blah food. The only advice the Student Health Center had for me was to sip Gatorade and generally consume only "gentle" and "non-spiced" foods like applesauce and soup. In other words, a foodie's torture! That's like putting an extravert into solitary confinement! I followed their instructions to an extent, but I could not stay away from fruits and vegetables for long...

Wednesday
The shake of the evening featured frozen banana, frozen strawberries, soymilk, cocoa, and chocolate rice protein, along with dairy-free chocolate chips on top. Perfect.
Thursday
Breakfast yesterday was not so kind to my stomach, but it still pleased my tastebuds. I had a simple bowl of Whole Foods brand Cheerios and rice milk topped with wheat germ, plus a Rome apple with cashew butter.
Following my pointless visit to the infamous Student Health Center (yes, I do mean infamous), I picked up some tummy-taming groceries at an on-campus store. Among them was a can of Health Valley vegetable soup, which I served with crackers and hummus, almonds, and melon (which is supposedly a "gentle" fruit). This filled me up, but left me unsatisfied...you know what I mean?
My snack yesterday was fabulous, however--cottage cheese with Sunbutter. The utter deliciousness of this snack made me realize why so many people seem to enjoy the PB/cottage cheese combo in their oatmeal and pancakes. Do you have a favorite recipe that combines cottage cheese and nut butter?
One of the few foods I enjoy that is low-fiber is tofu, so I decided that would be a mild protein choice for dinner last night...although I combined it with a few veggies (mushrooms and spinach) along with a sprinkle of garlic salt. I also had some couscous and a vanilla yogurt with cinnamon. The vanilla-cinnamon mixture reminded me of that oh-so-yummy Creamy Cashew Dip from ED&BV. I *might* have to make another batch soon...
The shake last night was an exact replica of Wednesday's...so no pic.

Friday
Upon my return from my trip to the gym, I tried an all new breakfast. I used Bob's Red Mill 5-Grain cereal, rice milk, banana, and chocolate rice protein powder to make a yummy bowl of chocolate-y heaven. Never before have I tried the 5-Grain cereal, nor have I ever added protein powder to my morning oats; so many bloggers seem to enjoy it though, so I figured it must be worth a try. Deeelish.
Another simple mid-day meal today. More soup and crackers, plus a heaping serving of applesauce. The highlight of this meal was definitely the almond butter on top of the applesauce, a recent purchase from Whole Foods. Despite its $8.99 per pound price tag, I gave in and bought a small container of the freshly ground almond butter. Does anyone know if you're supposed to refrigerate this tasty paste?
I returned from my doctor's appointment this evening ravenous for a real meal--one that would actually stimulate my tastebuds and satisfy my inner foodiness. I decided on a tofu stir-fry with tofu, carrots, green beans, onions, garlic, soy sauce and ginger. Along with it, I had couscous, a Romaine salad with peanuts, and cantaloupe with grapes. Sigh. So good.
Before I sign off, I have another question for you all. My friend from stats class (the scone enthusiast) might be coming over to study on Sunday evening (translation: must provide dinner). He is an omnivore, but he has mentioned that he likes vegetarian food too. Any suggestions on what to prepare?

Wishing you a happy and healthy weekend.

11 comments:

Ruby Red said...

I understand the dinner dilemma -- I never know what to serve those omnis! On Thursday night I had to bring a dish to bible study and I brought some ED&BV Super-Charge Me cookies and the mini tofu quiches from Fatfree Vegan. Uhh...I really didn't like the quiches, and even though one girl said she liked them a lot, I would definitely not suggest making those, haha. Maybe chili with beans? Or something with pasta? Those sound boy- and omni-friendly.

I am so glad to hear you are on the path to recovery! After I get sick and then get better again, I count my blessings for being healthy.

Bland foods are definitely a foodie's nightmare! (Though I think saltines are an incredibly appealing choice for sick days.) I must say, your chocolate-strawberry-banana shake from Wed looks AMAZING!

Have fun at the Western event! Maybe you'll meet a cute guy there and you can feed each other s'mores and fall in love. Ugh, I am not so good with the courage thing either. I am a middle schooler as far as it goes with being around boys I have a crush on!

Anonymous said...

I've been wanting to try putting the Alive! Shake powder in my oats but I'm afraid of the results...do you think it would be good? Did you add you powder before or after you cooked the oats?

Kimberly said...

Yes, do refrigerate the almond butter! The oils in nuts are quite delicate, and will go rancid quickly if you don't keep them cold.

I agree that veggie chili (maybe with some cornbread) is a great option for omnis... or perhaps a stir-fry or Indian curry (I find that if you've got a great sauce and fresh bread on the side, they won't even miss the meat.) My failsafe dinner menu for hungry college boys, though, was always Emeril's Very Veggie Lasagna, along with some yummy bruschetta and a salad. Easy, cheap, and filling :)

Glad to hear you're feeling better!

Little Miss Sunshine said...

I agree soup with rolls are an awesome omni friendly meals - I recently gave my brother some Amy's Lentil soup, he LOVES it! For dessert, cookies are the easy way to go, haha!

Ooo, you should refrigerate almond butter, you don't want the $$ to go into the trash - better to be safe than sorry :)

Anonymous said...

You know that I always heart your tofu, Chickpea, don'tcha?

I need to try some Sunbutter one of these days as well.

HAPPY HAPPY WEEKEND!!!!!! :)

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Jason Mraz = hot. And I just found out that he is a raw foodist, which I thought was interesting, haha :0)

LOVE YOUR SHAKES AND HOT BREAKFASTS, ESPECIALLY!!!!!! Holy yum.

As others suggested, I think you should prepare a hearty chili dish (along with some of those brilliant roasted sweet potatoes of yours that I use for meal-inspiration!!) for your dinner guest :0)

Have fun today!!! Get some boys!!! ;0)

Anonymous said...

I def think pasta might be a good option.. most guys love pasta and you can add veggies and beans and even some good cheese (fresh mozz, bazil, tomatoes etc. and even cannenelli beans.) I recently made the boca chicken patties for one of my guy friends and he didnt even know it was not real meat haha. Or even burritos using refried beans, cheese, guac etc! And a nice side salad to go with the meal.

Anonymous said...

Ooh, the Western-themed event sounds like so much fun! I hope you have a good time :o)

I don't think I've heard of Rome apples before! What are they like compared to others?

"This filled me up, but left me unsatisfied...you know what I mean?" Yes - I definitely know what you mean! I hate being sick; it's definitely a foodie's worst nightmare :o(

Yay for cottage cheese and nut butter! I remember when people used to think I was weird for eating it with PB...I'm glad you liked it with Sunbutter!

I was wondering the same thing about the fresh ground nut butters. I've tried it both ways and found that it tastes the same, so perhaps you don't have to?

By the way, that scone from your last post is scrumptious! As far as cooking for your friend goes, I would do something fall-themed. The chili that others suggested would be a good choice! I'm sure you'll make something wonderful, so I'm not worried :o)

Again, have fun tonight!

Little Miss Sunshine said...

Hey Caroline, just popping by to ask you some question about the Magic Bullet, I recently saw one blender that is very similar to the bullet, but at a fraction of the price, the only downside is that instead of a 5 year warranty (that comes with the bullet), the cheaper 'house' brand only comes with a 1 year warranty ... so, which one do you think I should go for? Did your bullet broke down within the first five year??

Eh, sorry to trouble you when you aren't feeling so well! :( Thank you so much for your response and hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

Anonymous said...

Hey Caroline! I just saw your comment on my blog and wanted you to know that I added your post about butternut squash oatmeal and yogurt to the list for this week's secret ingredient. Considering I've never heard of adding butternut squash to either, I'd say it's quite the innovation :o)

Happy Sunday!

ChickPea said...

Ruby: Hmm, yeah I think it's probably safer to stay away from the Fat-Free recipes for omnis; you want to make the best impression possible about vegan food! I am taking your chili suggestion!
Yes, I am so thankful for my health right now--kinda sad that it takes an illness for me to appreciate it, huh?
Haha, the Western event was actually a "date function," so I didn't do too much boy scamming--wouldn't want to start a cat fight.
Shelby: I'm sure it would taste fine if added the Alive!, but it would probably turn a funky green color--wouldn't bother me!
Kimberly: Thanks for the tip--I stuck it in the fridge as soon as I read your comment. Thanks for the suggestions too!
Cecilia: I appreciate all your help--I will file it away for future reference:)
Gliding Calm: YOU are the queen of tofu--your baked tofu always looks so delicious!
VeggieGirl: I definitely did not know that about Jason Mraz. He's even cooler in my book now.
Chili is set for the menu this afternoon:)
SportsNutritionLiving: So many wonderful ideas--I will be set for a a few months on what to serve my omni friends!
EatingBender: The Western event was fun--look for details in my next post!
Rome apples are a great variety--kind of a cross between Red Delicious and Fuji?
Looks like chili is the unanimous choice for the meal today!
Cecilia: I have not had my MB for 5 years yet, and it has not died on me yet. It's a pretty reliable little gadget, as I use it almost every day. The non-name brand one is probably a safe choice too though.
EatingBender: Thanks! They're simple ideas, but I hope other people might enjoy them:)