Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Adding a Little Color

You all know that I am an adamant proponent of eating by color (especially in oatmeal!), but this love of color also extends to my wardrobe, writing utensils, and, most recently, my decorating. My on-campus apartment boasts a nice shade of blah on the walls, floor, and well, on every square foot of the unit. Although I was sure to add plenty of red pizazz in the kitchen as soon as I moved in (as I spend much of my time there!), my roommate and I had not gotten around to infusing the rest of our apartment with color until...last night. Here is a glance at a few new details on the walls, plus a glimpse at my ever-colorful bedding:
I promise my room at home is much more sophisticated...but I'll save that for another post:) How would you describe your decorating style?
This is a food blog, so I suppose I should get to the eats:

Monday
After I last posted, I prepared a delicious and simple lunch out of tofu, veggies, and a cashew sauce I whipped up. On the side I had couscous and clementines. I swear, things taste better when eaten with chopsticks.
I had a busy evening of unnecessarily long meetings, so I satisfied my aforementioned salad craving with a prepared creation on campus. I opted for one of my faves, the Crunchy Broccoli Salad to which I added chickpeas for protein. (There are walnuts hidden beneath all that glorious broccoli). I also had a fruit cup and some pita. I'll try all your creative ideas ASAP!
The smoothie of the evening was a cherry-berry delight consisting of cherries, strawberries, soymilk, and Nutribody protein. I am running low on granola...suggestions for the next box?
Tuesday
I have an early class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I kept the morning meal simple: Fiber One with dried cranberries, and rice milk, plus an apple with cashew butter. Quick tip: Fiber One contains 10% RDA for calcium per half-cup but also contains a small amount of aspartame.
Lunch was a rushed affair, so I just quickly combined spinach, chickpeas, garlic, tahini, and cumin and served it alongside some flatbread and a few clementines.
After a busy afternoon and evening, I relaxed in one of my favorite ways...cooking, of course! I made a simple chili out of TVP, canned diced tomatoes, onions, chili powder, cumin, and ground red pepper. I served this hot pot of goodness with a Rudi's English muffin, a salad with Woodstock dressing, and peaches. This was one of my most enjoyable meals in recent weeks.
The smoothie last night marked the return of my favorite smoothied combo: mango and vanilla! I combined mango, Nutribody protein, soymilk, and topped it with the usual granola. It made my nightly blog reading even more enjoyable:)
Wednesday
This morning's breakfast was a strawberry-banana "waffle tower" as Sarah would say. I topped two waffles with cottage cheese, strawberries, and a broken up Banana Bread Larabar (courtesy of VeggieGirl). Quite delicious, although the banana was not as pronounced as I would have preferred.

I am headed to class now, but I'll leave with you another question to ponder: what's your favorite hot beverage? I just downed a cup of Mighty Leaf orange dulce, and it was pretty amazing.

Be back soon!

16 comments:

Anon said...

love your bedding and the bright colors!! my dorm room has lotsof hot pink and bright oranges. it makes me happy ;) my favorite hot beverage would be pretty much anything (soy) starbucks! especially chai tea lattes and mochas mmm. but on a daily basis i prefer hazelnut creme coffee with a splash of chocolate soy milk.

Anonymous said...

So many questions!

Decorating style - modern, clean lines, dark browns, greens, cream, black, silver accents. Minimal prints/flowers/ruffles, etc.

Granola - make your own custom flavour! So easy, and cheap :D

Fave hot beverage: matcha lattes. Yum.

Erica said...

Hey girl. Love the new color in the place. I have no decorating skill at all! I am trying to work on it as my husband and I are about to move into our new house that we plan to be in for a longgg time!

Favorite hot beverage- Misto from starbucks!

Your salad looks so good! I really love using chickpeas for protein.

HangryPants said...

Love the color. College apts. are so bleh. I especially like the polka dot quilt.

KP said...

Everything looks tasty! And that plate you have on your Monday dish is cute!

I'd say my decorating style is very Asian influenced. I like earth tones and very rich colors along with very earthy designs like flowers and trees, etc.

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Gorgeous!!!! :-)

**My decorating style = classic chic.

** Favorite hot beverage = steamed hempmilk

Anonymous said...

love the brightness and your little reading pillow/chair thingy! My style is light, calming colors for sure! Very simple, but all the crap from school, dance, etc. keeps adding clutter :D I love SB lattes or mistos, or good ol' hot choc.

Anonymous said...

Your bedding is adorable! My room is a medium powdery blue (it's so pretty) with light colored furniture. Very clean and tidy. I'm looking to add more color once I get to decorate.

I love adding chickpeas to salads, mmm. Oh. my. gosh. And those waffles!!! SWOON! That looks AMAZING!!!

K from ksgoodeats said...

LOVE your decorations! My room is decorated in a Paris style feel: red, pinks, golds, romantic colors/textures. However - the rest of the house (that I have a say in at least) is more Mediterranean in the colors/photos.

I think if I tried to eat with chopsticks I'd probably poke my eye out! Your lunch from yesterday was true perfection :)

Actually - CC on a waffle with a larabar and fruit is true perfection! YUM!

My favorite hot beverage is just plain old coffee, black with two splens (I'm tryyying to break the habit)!

Anonymous said...

I am loving all the bright colors! I would say that my decorating style completely varies. Sometimes I feel like my room should be all about the bright colors, while other times I feel like the simple white + blue or other subdued colors is more my style. My mom is always teasing me about how many bedspreads I've had in my college career!

I love waffle towers! That reminds me that I need to make one of those soon :o)

I just saw your comment about the Pure Bars. I saw that you had tried that flavor, too! I also have one that's Cherry Cashew and one that is Apple Cinnamon. I'll let you know how those taste!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing a part of your world, in your decor! Totally rad! No worries, my room is anything but "sophisticated"- but it's fun & it's "me!" (Orange, mind you!)
My fave hot-drink is coffee with soy, tea with steamed soy, hot cocoa... hmmm.
Your blog-diggity is one of my faves now! I love seeing what Chickpea eats! Thanks for the link to the "shake-post"... very helpful & delicious!

Nicole said...

Your room looks super fun! I love all the colors.

Fabulous eats, too!

Sophia Lee said...

I love that pin-up memo board! I'd say my decorating style is: simple, modern, bright pastel colors, minimal flourishes like prints or intricate decorations.
Fav hot beverage: sugar-free hazelnut americano frm Starbucks!
I love your smoothie creations! do you use fresh or frozen fruits?

Sweet Tooth said...

Just wonderin..are u at Duke?? cuz i know a friend there !! Do you know a Seung-Ah Seo(or Suh) by any chance?? She's Korean:)

Sweet Tooth said...

Are u at Duke?! Just wonderin, cuz i have a friend there~ do you know a Seung-Ah Suh(or Seo) by any chance?? :)

ChickPea said...

Andrea: I love bright colors for that very reason--they keep me happy!
A chai tea latte sounds pretty awesome right about NOW.
Marianne: Hmm perhaps I should make that chocolate macadamia granola! Any other recipes you recommend?
Erica: Good luck decorating your new place!
Hangry Pants: Thanks!
Krista: I love that plate too--my roomie gave it to me for Christmas. I think it's from Pier One if you're curious.
VeggieGirl: I could have guessed your decorating style--you're just so...chic.
CarolineBee: I am looking forward to clearing out my school stuff when I graduate--I need to declutter!
Shelby: Ooh, your room sounds very beachy--very tranquil!
K: I love reds and golds too! My kitchen is all in reds, but I can't really decorate much in there, aside from pots, pans, and kitchen towels...
I think of you every time I eat cottage cheese now--you are the CC queen! I still need to try one of those savory ideas you recommended.
EatingBender: Shockingly, I have had the same bedspread since freshman year...ya think I'll make all 4 years?
Those other flavors sound amazing. They don't sell them at my local WF, however:(
OrangePop: Your decor sounds super fun! I am so glad you like the blog..I just subscribed to yours on Google Reader!
Burp: Mmm isn't hazelnut coffee the best? I use mostly frozen fruits in my smoothies--it eliminates the need for ice, which can water down the taste.
Sweet Tooth: I am at Duke, but I don't think I know your friend. One of my best friends is a member of the Korean community at Duke, so I'll ask her!