Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Name that Christmas Movie

"We slept in!"

Can you guess from which Christmas movie I selected today's quote?
Anyway, that was what I was thinking this morning. Of all days, I chose the last day of stats class to set my alarm incorrectly. My roommate kindly alerted me to my mistake about a half-hour before class started! THANK YOU KRISTEN! To top it all off, we had a stats paper due today, and the professor had explicitly stated that it was due promptly at 8:30 AM, otherwise points would be deducted. Fortunately, I made it to class in time and turned in my paper without any crisis. Whew!

Here's what I've been munching on lately:

Monday
I've been jonesin' for a grilled cheese lately, so I made one for dinner on Monday. I grilled up a quick sammie with mozzarella, spinach, and tomato on my George Foreman and served it along side salad (with soynuts and Woodstock dressing) and fresh pineapple.
The shake was pretty awesome: strawberries, banana, chocolate rice protein, special dark cocoa, coconut, and soymilk made a delectable dessert.
Tuesday
While at school, I rarely opt for a savory breakfast, mostly because I wake up earlier here than at home; veggies and protein just aren't nearly as appealing at 8AM as they are later in the day. Anyway, yesterday was different for some reason, and I was craving some tofu scramble. I used silken tofu this time, along with the usual ginger, tahini, soy sauce, and turmeric; I added broccoli...well, because I love broccoli. I made it into a breakfast sandwich and served it alongside a big green apple.
I had no idea what to have for lunch, so I pulled a classic Caroline maneuver: let's just dump a bunch of items into a pan and hope it tastes good! I call this a Rainbow Black Bean Hash: I combined spinach, corn, black beans, red onion, chopped tomato, ground red pepper, and chili powder and let it all simmer in its colorful goodness. On the side, I had some peaches with flax, cinnamon, and a touch of stevia.
Dinner was inspired by Lindsay over at the Happy Herbivore. I made her Spicy Teriyaki Chickpeas with Pineapple Salsa. Technically, I didn't have any pineapple salsa, so I just served the chickpeas alongside a pile of chopped pineapple. The other items on the plates are: whole grain couscous, snap peas with pecans, and a spinach-squash salad.
My shake last night was absolutely fantastic. Seriously, it competes with my favorite mango-vanilla hemp combination. I combined 1.5 frozen bananas with soymilk and a cappuccino Spirutein packet, then topped it with a dash of cocoa powder. Something about the Spirutein makes the drink so fluffy and cloud-like; it was almost like eating mousse! It also reminded me of a Starbucks Frappuccino...but much better:)
Speaking of Starbucks, what is your standard coffee shop order? I don't drink coffee, so I always order a grande hot tea, Tazo Passion flavor. Sometimes I'll spring for the seasonal drinks too...pumpkin latte, anyone?

Wednesday
Last night I prepared a breakfast cookie like all the cool kids have been doing in the blogosphere. Mine featured chocolate rice protein, oats, rice milk, almond butter, and mashed banana. Not only was this a tasty treat but also a quite serendipitous breakfast--I never would have made it to class on time if I had had to prepare breakfast this morning!
I made another tofu salad for lunch today, but I put a new twist on today's rendition. This one took on a decidedly Asian flavor with its inclusion of garlic, ginger, orange zest, and cashews. The other ingredients were pretty standard: tofu, vegan mayo, and agave nectar. I stuffed it all into a pita and served it with some field greens and an apple.
Now I am off to settle in for an evening of studying and watching the Rockefeller Christmas Light Up Night!

19 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Is that quote from Home Alone??

Hooray for a helpful roommate!!

No coffee shop orders for me - not a coffee or tea drinker :-)

Enjoy your evening, Miss!!

Maggie M. said...

I'm with VeggieGirl - Home Alone?

Love all of the eats :)

Anonymous said...

I'm going to guess...Home Alone?!

Wow, you food looks great! I love your scramble sandwich...is that a sandwich thin? And that breakfast cookie looks scrumptious!

I made those chickpeas a while ago and they were AMAZING!

Erica said...

yahhhhh home alone! My FAVORITE xmas movie! I love oyur idea of dumping a bunch of stuff you like in a pan! Those random cooking ideas always make the best meals!

K from ksgoodeats said...

1...2...10! Keep the change ya filthy animal ;)

Spinach, mozz, tomato panini + teryaki chickpeas + breakfast cookie = some seriously good eats!

Coffee shop order - black coffee, I'm boring I know. I just like to think I appreciate the simple things in life ;)

Have a great night!

Anonymous said...

Aw, what a nice blog you have here! This is my first visit to your page and I'm loving it already :) Ah ... Home alone has its special place in my heart ... a few years ago, I could not go home for Christmas because I was in intensive care ... the movie (surprisingly) really put me in a better mood! I <3 Home Alone! Hahaha!

Anonymous said...

HOME ALONE! I know everyone guess it already, but let me demonstrate that I knew that before I read it: It's the part where both parents sit up in bed at the same time and it's past 7:00 and then the music gets all crazy while they rush around and of course leave Kevin HOME ALONE!
WOOO I love that movie!

Tina said...

Home Alone!

One of my favorite Xmas movies! Need to watch it ASAP!

Anonymous said...

I totally knew it before I read everyone's comments :o) I love Home Alone! It was filmed in the neighborhood I lived in as a baby! I'm glad you were able to get to class on time :o)

My standard coffee shop order is a vanilla latte, but during the holidays I often get peppermint mochas - so yummy!

Your word verification code for me was "crave" - I think it accurately describes what I am feeling after reading this post!

Anonymous said...

HOME ALONE! KEVIN -"AHHHHH"! yes, I realize everyone has already answered it :)
I always love getting ideas from your food pics.
Question: Do you plan your meals ahead so you know what groceries to buy? I live off-campus...no student dining and I plan...but the meals can get pretty boring!

lauren said...

thanks for the request on foodbuzz! I LOVE the story behind your blog name...so funny and sounds like something my dad would say!

Anonymous said...

Hey! Thanks for your comment- I had read your blog before but in my adding frenzies I never added u, i will NOW :D I love your plates (tar-jay?) AND my coffee shop order is a skinny vanilla latte! Have a great Friday and weekend :-D

Anonymous said...

AND i forgot- love the name :D I really don't meet any Carolines, but I really like the name, good thing we're representing.

Ruby Red said...

Good to hear that you got to class in time to turn in your paper -- you must have been freaking out!

The grilled cheese looks good. I had a grilled Teese (hehe) for lunch today, as well. I just got some mozzarella Teese in the mail on Wednesday and it's really good; it melts and it does it fast!

I like your "dump everything in a pan and hope it's good" method. I need to try that more often! Sometimes I am so famished when I get done with class and have zero cooking energy.

Ahhh, and I definitely have to try your better-than-a-frappuccino creation! It sounds awesome. As for coffee shop drinks, I am an espresso fanatic. Starbuck's espresso is stale, bitter, and just plain nasty, so I only go to coffee shops that use fresh, locally roasted beans. It makes all the difference in espresso! I know I'm a dork about it but oh well... I order a soy cappuccino or a soy latte.

ChickPea said...

VeggieGirl: You are correct! You probably save a lot of $$ by not drinking coffee or tea..
Magpie: Right! Thanks:)
Shelby: It IS a sandwich thin. The chickpeas are def going to be seen around here more often.
Erica: Sometimes spontaneity is the key!
K: I LOVE that part. Kevin is just so clever. Simple isn't a bad thing--I like my tea straight sometimes too.
Lola: Great to have you here. Thanks for sharing your story with us; I'm glad Home Alone cheers you up as much as it does me!
Erin: You are totally correct. Sounds like you've watched it just as much as I have!
Tina: I think I'm starting a trend...
EatingBender: Mmm a peppermint mocha sounds pretty awesome right now. Now I'm "craving" one.
Grkgrl: Yes, I do plan to a certain extent. I pick out a few protein sources for the week (tofu, black beans) and pick a few recipes that incorporate them. Otherwise, I just supplement according to what produce I have. I never plan meals for the weekend though--they're always so unpredictable!
Lauren: I LOVE your blog. I can't wait to catch up on old posts:)
Carolinebee: You are so right about the plates--Target!! Mmm a vanilla latte sounds pretty perfect for a chilly night like this.
Ruby: I've never seen Teese anywhere...where do you buy it? I've never had much luck with vegan cheeses, so maybe that one would do the trick.
I knew you'd be the coffee expert--your creations always sound so professional and yummy.

Anonymous said...

Hi I found a post on your website while google searching shirataki noodles. I was wondering if you have any tips for me, as I've never used them before but hear so many great things about them. How do you cook them? Like regular pasta? And do they taste like regular pasta? Thanks.

ChickPea said...

Anonymous: Hmm that's interesting that you found my blog via shirataki search, since I don't think I have used them since starting this blog. I have used before, however. You don't need to boil them like regular pasta; you just have to drain and rinse them REALLY well, then pop in the microwave for a minute or so. Their texture struck me as a little "jelly" like, so I prefer not to use them. Regular pasta is much better, but spaghetti squash is a good substitute, if you're looking for a lower-calorie alternative to pasta.

Anonymous said...

I looked at the search, and it turns out you didn't mention shirataki in the post it led me to, but a commenter did in your post, so I guess that's why it led me to your blog. Anyway I'm glad it did, thanks for the suggestions.

ChickPea said...

Anonymous: Ah, that explains it. Enjoy your noodles!