Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Running in Heels

All I have to say is that I better have killer legs by the end of the semester.

Allow me to explain. Duke has 3 campuses: East, West, and Central to which students are transported via buses. Most of the time, I choose to walk to class from Central campus because it's a mere 10-15 minute walk, and I am far too impatient to wait for buses. However, with the recent dip in temperatures, I have been relying on the bus with far more frequency. Somehow I never seem to get the schedule right though and find myself running to catch the departing vehicle. It wouldn't be such a big deal if I actually wore sensible shoes now and then, but my unhealthy appreciation of heels prevents that from happening...Sexy calves, here I come!

Here's what I've been using to fuel my dashes to the bus stop:

Monday
I made coconut black beans again, which was inspired by this recipe from VegWeb. I obviously didn't have a lot of the ingredients on hand, so improvised. On the side, I had couscous and a salad with cashews.
I had my weekly dining meeting in the evening, so I made a pit stop afterward at the salad bar, where they had...steamed edamame! Clearly, that was the highlight of my day. When I came home, I added some of Annie's Shiitake Vinaigrette and added some crackers and cantaloupe as accompaniments.
The smoothie of the night was another berry bonanza with strawberries, blueberries plus the other usual suspects. Oh, and an extra-large dose of granola:)
Tuesday
Due to the crap-tastic weather we had yesterday (i.e., cold and rainy), I knew I needed a hot breakfast to start out the day. Steamed rice milk poured over crumbled Weetabix and a banana with the scraps of the Sunbutter jar did the trick. PS Why is it that all my nut butters run out at once?! I can't afford to replace them simultaneously!
Yesterday's lunch shall be labeled this post's FOOD FUGUE. It was fan-freaking-tabulous. Here's what spawned the fugue: sweet butter lettuce topped with steamed asparagus, tofu cooked in soy sauce/vinegar/garlic/ginger, cashews, and blood orange segments. I had some of those addicting crackers on the side.
After an afternoon of tutoring, I returned looking for relaxation...so I cooked dinner, of course. I made Lindsay's Spicy Teriyaki Chickpeas. I didn't have any pineapple salsa (again!), so I subbed chopped pineapple. That's couscous, broccoli, and a salad with peanuts on the side.
The smoothie last night was pretty awesome. Let's just face it, I'll love anything with mango it. Here's what went in the blender: frozen mango, frozen peaches, Nutribody protein, and soymilk.
Wednesday
Today's breakfast consisted of a trusty time-saver: overnight oats. Last night I combined oats with rice milk, stevia, and cinnamon; I added warmed & spiced pumpkin and almonds this morning. I had another blood orange on the side.
For those of you who eat overnight oats regularly, do you enjoy it hot or cold? I always assumed it was meant to be consumed cold, but I'm up for a little variety.

As I mentioned above, I have found myself in a sudden nut butter dearth. If you could choose just one nut butter to enjoy forever more, which one would you choose?

Alright, I suppose I should get ready for my Faulkner class now. Ta-ta for now!

20 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Hang in there, girl - I hear ya on trekking all over campus like crazy.

**Nut butter choice = HAZELNUT BUTTER!!!!!!!!

Anon said...

choosing nut butters is like choosing a family member ;) althought i think i would have to pick Almond Butter! PB is a close second... i love the edamame appearance - i always buy it at school. btw my organizational behavior teacher graduated from Duke and keeps bragging about it lol the guys in my class hate it haha

Anonymous said...

I too have a love for heels...Aren't they so fun!

Delicious eats! I love cold overnight oats...oats, soymilk, cinnamon, flax, topped with fresh berries in almonds...maybe a dallop of yogurt on top. DIVINE!

Anonymous said...

I just had a Wheetabix Biscuit!!! I like em plain out of the box maybe with a little PB.

Faaaabulous eats my darling. Just fabulous =)

Erica said...

Hey girlie! I use to be the same way (wearing heels to class) but finally I gave in and bought cute sneakers and uggs and used them!

mmmm steamed edamame! I bet that salad was amazing.

Favorite nut butter hmmmm I really love natural PB but veggie girl is right- hazelnut butter is amazing too

Anonymous said...

Things in this post I would like to consume:

1. Coconut Black Beans
2. Teriyaki Chickpeas
3. Mango Peach Smoothie

Perhaps not all at once, but damn...they all look good!

If I had to choose a nut butter...it would be basic peanut butter. It's so versatile :)

fleur said...

Hazelnut everytime, but maybe I should try something new

HangryPants said...

You are seriously the best eating college girl around!

Anonymous said...

I read in a mag somewhere that some actress said she used to vacuum in heels to get a calf work out - you are going to have some sculpted pins girl ;)

So I'm thinking you should open your own restaurant and have a franchise in D-town so I can eat all this fabulous food you make!

I'm a Barney Butter girl through and through so Almond although Cashew is a close 2nd! I like the new addition at the end of your posts by the way :)

K from ksgoodeats said...

PS. I've only found the lentil dip of heaven at WFs but I haven't looked at my local grocery stores. I'm going back to get some more tomorrow!

peony in a nutshell said...

I love cashews there my fav :)
love the blog
xxx peony

Erica said...

Hey! I think the burger would be good with crumbles! Or maybe some sort of ground up chickpea mixture. Yum!

Anonymous said...

Heels really do get those calves a workin don't they. I should wear them on a daily basis. Easy strength move! I'd probably break a leg or two in the process though. Maybe my bones are more important than my calves with my occassional clumsiness haha.

Loving the FOOD FUGUE! I need to pick up some more cashews, I just ran out!

I don't think I'd ever want to be forced to choose one nut butter, but I guess if I was I would have to go with pb. It works with anything and it's prooobably the cheapest :)

Anonymous said...

Crunchy almond butter!!!

I know what you mean about not having all the jars run out at once. I have to divy up how much I have of each kind so I don't run out at inopportune times!

Anonymous said...

I definitely made sure all my classes were on north campus when I live down south. What was I thinking? We best have killer calves!

I haven't tried that Annie's shiitake dresssing but it sounds yummy!

Love the food fugue meal. Those crackers definitely look like they would be addicting!

I love my overnight oats cold. I've never tried them warm before. I wonder what it tastes like?

If I could choose one nut butter...I'd have to say good old peanut butter.

Anonymous said...

Wow, you have great eats! I wear heels to work and they kill me at the end of the day. The things we do for beauty! Have a super day!

Anonymous said...

Is that a new feature with the "you might like...*post*"? I've read a lot of yours through Google Reader, so I may have missed it. I love all things mango, too! And edamame makes me happy :) Thanks for the reply, I'll shoot you an e-mail!
Oh, & I just finished my 1st jar of crunchy Sunbutter- great! But I "regularly" either get fresh-ground almond/peanut butter from the health-food store (ground there at the store!) or Skippy Natural Crunchy!
p.s. cute skating pics :)

Sophia Lee said...

omg, everything looks so good esp the coconut black beans! I've only had PB so far, though I'm dying to try almond butter...but it's SO expensive!

Anonymous said...

If you can run in heels at all you're just plain talented. :)

That Annie's dressing looks interesting. Is it sweet or more savory?

ChickPea said...

VeggieGirl: Somehow I knew you'd say hazelnut butter...
Andrea: Haha, I know it IS a tough choice! I LOVE almond butter too:) Sorry to hear about the annoying teacher--I swear not all Dukies are like that!
Courtney: Wow, your overnight oats sound delicious--I might have to copy you!
Shelby: Haha, I don't think I have ever tried Weetabix plain. I like the PB idea though!
Erica: Seems like I need to get some hazelnut butter...
I'll let you know if I try the burgers with veggie crumbles.
Marianne: Feel free to indulge in 1,2, and 3:) PB is always a safe choice!
Flower: Hmm there seems to be a trend here.
HangryPants: Haha thanks!
K: That would be so fun to open up my own restaurant...although I am not sure many Durhamites would want that much tofu;)
Can you believe that I've never tried Barney Butter?! I am just so reluctant to pay for shipping, I guess.
I wish I could find that lentil dip at my WF...enjoy your next tub.
CosmicWild: I love me some cashews too! Thanks for visiting the blog!
LighterPortions: Haha, I am none too graceful either, so it's surprising that I haven't broken a bone yet!
PB is def the cheapest. It's like $1.50/jar compared to like $9 for almond butter. Sigh.
Lovinmytummy: I wish had as much forethought as you do...I am almost completely out!
EatingBender: I def recommend the Annie's dressing--perfect for Asian themed salads (duh). The warm overnight oats could be good, but I kinda like the stiffness that cold oats have--it makes it like pudding!
strongandhealthy: Hey thanks for commenting! Yes, I do sacrifice for fashion...
OrangePop: Yep, that is a new feature; it's called LinkedWithin. Seems like a cool way to introduce older posts to new readers!
Don't you LOVE Sunbutter?!
Burp: I hear ya on the pricey almond butter. PB is so tasty and a lot cheaper!
Katie: Well, I am not exactly graceful when I run in heels--definitely spastic. The Annie's dressing is definitely savory, although it might be kinda fun to experiment and make your own sweet version!