On Pondering Peanut Butter

As I am sure you all are aware, peanut butter has been a prominent topic in the news lately. Due to a Salmonella outbreak, several companies are issuing recalls for peanut-containing food products, ranging from cookies to dog food. (For a full list of recalled products, click here).

As an avid lover all things peanut-butter, this news saddens me. After checking and double-checking, I have come to realize that I have a PB Cookie Larabar and a few Clif minis that must be discarded. I have held onto these tainted goods for the past few days for the following reasons: 1) I already ate several of the other PB Clif minis from the same box and did not suffer any adverse side effects, and 2) I keep reading about fellow bloggers who have taken the risk of eating the allegedly contaminated products and survived with no harm done. What do you think? Is it worth the risk to hold onto these peanutty pleasures? I'll probably hoard them for a few more days, in case the folks at Larabar and Clif magically decide to cancel their respective recalls. Otherwise, they'll find a new home in the trash.
My peanut butter dilemma continues, this time due to product unavailability. Many of you are lucky enough to regularly enjoy the wonders of Peanut Butter & Co.'s products. I have no problem locating them in Birmingham, but they have proven to be much more evasive here in Durham. Not at Whole Foods, SuperTarget, or WalMart. Sheesh. Any ideas on where to purchase these jars of decadence?

Alright, now that I have bored you with my peanut butter obsessing, let's get onto the grub:

Wednesday
Dinner was at an on-campus eatery (The Loop), where I ordered my continuing favorite, the Crunchy Broccoli Salad. Fortunately, this one had plenty of walnuts:) I also had a side of fruit.
Despite all that roughage and fibrous fruit, I was still hungry when I got home, so I made a quick grilled two-hummus-mozzarella sandwich. For the hummus, I used the last of my tomato basil, plus a scoop of traditional hummus. For the bread, I used a few slices of light 100% Whole Wheat, a generous gift from Rena at Arnold Bakeries. While I am not trying to lose weight, these reduced-kcalorie slices come in handy when you just want a small sandwich or toast and PB for a light snack. Look for a product review in the future...
The smoothie of the night consisted of one of my favorite but often ignored combos: blueberry-banana. Delicious.
Thursday
I made another Banana Blender concoction yesterday morning, this time with GoLean and almonds. Using GoLean really improves the pudding-like texture. Observe:
For lunch, I had to evaluate another on-campus eatery for the dining committee. I ordered Garlic Veggies and Tofu with the sauce on the side. I also picked up some awesomely ripe melon. Here it is all boxed up:
But, I decided to prettify it for you and add some cashews and crackers to the mix.
Before heading out to a church group meeting, I scarfed down some peanut butter noodles with zucchini, salad, and pineapple.
I was feeling indulgent again last night: the shake included chocolate rice protein, dark cocoa powder, banana, strawberries, coconut, soymilk, and dairy-free chocolate chips. I was really sad when I reached the bottom of my glass.
Friday
Vegan banana pancakes were on the menu this morning. I enjoyed them with almonds and spiced pumpkin.
I headed out to Whole Foods, and picked up some good loot:
Highlights include a new jar of Sunbutter, Peanut Butter Pows, and blood oranges. Yum.

Next up on the agenda was an afternoon of tutoring. I packed a quick lunch before running out the door: Corn Thins with hummus, carrots, trail mix (pepitas + cranberries), and an apple.
For dinner, I used up some white beans by making a white bean stuffing/dressing with whole wheat bread, white beans, garlic, pecans, oregano, basil, and S + P. I also had some broccoli, salad with Annie's Raspberry Vinaigrette, and leftover melon.
This post is getting monstrous! Before I go, check out what finally came in the mail yesterday:
Ta-ta for now!