Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Call Me Even Steven

As we bid adieu to 2008, I look back on the year as one filled with new beginnings for me: I decided to pursue a career as a nutritionist; I became a runner; and, of course, I began writing this blog. 2008 will for sure be a year to remember. What will you remember about 2008?

Milestones aside, I can't help but be a little annoyed that we are moving into an odd-numbered year. Maybe I am just weird, but I simply prefer even numbers. Perhaps 2009 will cure me of my distaste for odd numbers...

Alright enough about my numerical hang-ups. Let's get down to business so the partying can begin!

Monday
Immediately following Monday's post, I settled down to make dinner. The centerpiece of the meal was Lindsay's African Kale and Yam Mash (although I used sweet potatoes). I served the mash alongside some pan-fried tofu, which I had seasoned with garlic powder and cumin. A salad with Woodstock dressing completed the meal.
The shake of the evening featured strawberries, banana, chocolate hemp protein, soymilk, and chocolate syrup. Yummy, as always.
Tuesday
I woke up yesterday craving some scrambled tofu. This version included spinach and green onions...I think I was a little heavy-handed with the turmeric, because this dish was practically glowing yellow. On the side, I had a whole grain English muffin and a few clementines. PS I stocked up on chopsticks at World Market over the weekend:)
I was hungry by the time lunch rolled around, so I kept it simple with a hummus veggie wrap. That's shiitake-sun dried tomato hummus along with steamed kale and baby bellas inside the wrap. I also had a salad with Goddess dressing and an apple.
Speaking of 'shrooms, have you heard about these new vitamin D-infused mushrooms? Somehow the folks at Monterey Mushrooms have managed to grow mushrooms with significant amounts of the sunshine vitamin. Personally, I am excited about this innovation, since most natural food sources of vitamin D are not ones that I include in my diet (egg yolks, cod liver oil, salmon). Supplements and sun exposure are alternative sources, but I prefer to not use supplements, and sun exposure poses the hazard of skin cancer. With the benefits of vitamin D becoming increasingly apparent, these fancy shrooms seem like a perfect solution. Read more about it here.

Whew, I apologize for the tangential nature of this post. Anyway, here's dinner: whole wheat waffles (made with my new waffle maker!) with strawberries, plus a new kind of Greek yogurt mixed with pumpkin.
The shake last night consisted of peach Spirutein, soymilk, peaches, and non-dairy vanilla ice cream. Peaches 'n cream, to the max.
Wednesday
After a very chilly run this morning, I knew I needed a hot bowl of oats to warm me up. I combined vanilla almond milk, oats, cinnamon, pumpkin, and banana, then topped the combination with cashews and chocolate chips. This was my first time combining chocolate with pumpkin...I haven't decided whether I like it or not. I am so accustomed to my usual pumpkin-raisin combination.
I got the chance to visit The Fresh Market this afternoon, where I picked up a few out-of-the-ordinary groceries:
Today's lunch was a simple tofu salad: silken tofu with vegan mayo, paprika, celery, and a tad of whole grain mustard. I stuffed it into a pita and served it alongside a big salad and an apple with my new Mighty Maple PB.
Before I let you go for your evening of celebration, check out what I got in the mail yesterday:
Thanks to Robyn from Gnu Foods for sending me these samples! I am stoked to finally get a chance to try all the flavors!

Happy New Year!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

happy new year! i hate odd numbers too lol... which i think i got over when the day i picked to get married was the 13th of september lol... cant get any more ODD than that ;)

love your snacks & meals, esp that peaches n cream smoothie...

hope you have a fab 2009!

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

I soooo agree about the odd number thing, haha - they're just... well... odd!! ;-)

Loooove the kale-yam mash (reminds me of the B-S-Cubed dish that you inspired!!), the smoothies (which you also inspired), the waffles made with your new waffle-maker, the hummus (interesting information on the mushrooms!!)... holy yum!!

Happy New Year, dear Caroline!!

Anonymous said...

I hate odd numbers too =( I hope the yeat makes up for it!

Love the scramble, kale mash, smoothies, and waffles! Great eats as always.

Happy New Year!!!

Erica said...

OW! I can't wait to hear how the Gnu bars are!

My response is going to sound a lot like love of oats haha- I hate odd numbers! Josh and I got married in 2007 but only because it was too long to wait for 2008 ;) We did get married on 8/4 though!

Happy New Year!!

Anonymous said...

Happy oh-nine!

Odd numbers bother me too but for some reason my odd-numbered years are most enjoyable than the even-numbered ones. Strange! The vitamin-D infused mushrooms sound interesting! Oh the wonders of molecular biology and biotech!

Have a wonderful day!

K from ksgoodeats said...

Even Stevens!! Love Shia ;)

Your waffle looks divine! Interesting about the shroomies and vitamin D.

I am SO jealous of your gnu bars!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Anonymous said...

I'm envious of your tofu-eating. I'm allergic to soy and really miss tofu!

Anonymous said...

I am definitely a fan of even numbers - I hope that this year will prove us wrong!

Love the Gnu bars! Robyn hooked me up, too! I hope you like them :o)

That African Kale and Yam Mash sounds really good, especially with the tofu!

Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

Wow, kale and yam mash is sooooo delish! I've never had it before and now I plan to have it at least three times weekly!! Great dish and so healthy, too! Pan fried tofu was perfect! Super combo!!
Thanks and Happy New Year!
Mary and friends

ChickPea said...

LoveofOats: Haha...I think your wedding date will forever change how you feel about odd numbers!
VeggieGirl: I thought the same thing about the kale-yam mash--kale and sweet potatoes just belong together:)
I hope you have a happy new year as well!
Shelby: Thanks! Have a great '09.
Erica: I will def keep you updated on the Gnu bars...have you tried them before?
Haha...I am hoping to get married in an even year...2012, maybe? I guess I have to find a boyfriend first!
Jillian: There seems to be a theme here--lots of people hate odd numbers despite good things happening in the odd years...Thanks for commenting!
K: Ha! I am glad someone got my Even Stevens reference. I was a total Disney Channel junkie back in the day.
Sally: Oh, I am so sorry to hear about your soy allergy! I try to limit my soy intake due to its ambiguous effects on health, but do enjoy it a lot!
EatingBender: Glad you got some Gnu love too--let me know what you think of 'em!
Mary: The yam-kale mash was really delicious; you should definitely order Lindsay's cookbook if you haven't already (which is where I got the recipe). Happy New Year to you too!