Good News, Bad News

The good news is that Hanna left minimal damage around here--lots of wind and rain overnight, but nothing too serious. As a result, the Duke football game was not even delayed! The bad news is...we lost. Oh, well. To be honest, I don't go to football games to admire the team's superior athleticism...I go to people-watch! It's almost as good as the airport in that respect; there are so many people from all different cross sections of the population in one place. Anyway, here is a pic of my friends and me in the stands (I'm the one on the left):
I can't wait for basketball season!!

Despite the rain and disappointing outcome of the football game, I managed to eat pretty well over the weekend. Check it out:

Friday
I can't wait until my Living Harvest Hemp arrives--those flavors lend themselves better to creativity. With the berry pomegranate Nutiva, I feel like I must use at least one of the fruits pictured on the package (cherries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, etc.). I know, it doesn't make sense. Anyway this one included strawberries and banana, plus the usual components.
Saturday
I was a little bummed about the weather on Saturday morning. I attempted to venture to the gym, but the hurricane force winds turned my poor umbrella inside out--I decided the gym wasn't worth risking getting hit my debris. Plus, I could hear my mother's voice inside my head, "You had to get stitches, why?!" Anyway, I used my jump rope and did some strength training in the apartment instead. Afterward, I poured myself a big bowl of Fiber One with dried cranberries, cashews, and soymilk.
Lunch was a bit on the messy side. I cooked up some tofu with leftover pasta sauce and some oregano. I had intended to eat it inside a wrap (as shown), but I attempted my first bite, everything just sort of plopped onto the plate and my hands. Fork and knife will do! I also had a spinach salad, pistachios, and a nectarine.
Here's a fun snack suggestion: French vanilla yogurt with a crumbled graham cracker and a few almonds. Delish.
Before heading out to the game, I need some fast fuel. I wasn't anticipating partaking in the stadium fare: Chick-fil-A and pepperoni pizza. No thanks. Instead, I had a grilled banana-PB sandwich and some raw veggies.
Smoothie was strawberry-mango. Good, but not enough mango action.
Sunday
I had my usual Sunday stovetop oats yesterday morning. This version included oats, whipped banana, almond butter, cinnamon, and a drizzle of agave nectar. So tasty.
Lunch came from the freezer: just a Boca burger in a pita with avocado and salsa. That's an All American Boca burger you see, the only kind available at SuperTarget. I think I still prefer the vegan variety. I also had some cooked spinach and a nectarine.
I wasn't in the mood to cook anything before my meeting last night, so I just randomly threw some staples together: Ak-maks with tahini and ground red pepper, a big salad, and cherry yogurt with wheat germ.
I hate to be boring, but my smoothie time last night was a repeat: just wonderful, sweet cherries.
Monday
I had toast today for breakfast--with a twist. I combined canned pumpkin with cinnamon, agave nectar, and ground flax seed to create a nutty autumnal spread. I also had some plain yogurt with apple slices.
My pre-run snack consisted of PB Puffins and a banana. Can't go wrong with that combination. I had to run on the treadmill today because the track was closed for an event--that was not fun. I like setting my own pace intuitively, not by pushing buttons.
Afterward, I came home to compose an Italian-inspired dip. Using the MB, I combined white beans, spinach, oregano, garlic, and lemon juice.Those are chopped almonds on top. I think I was a bit heavy handed with the spinach in the end (shocker!), but it was still delicious. I spread it on whole wheat pita triangles.
Oh yeah, check out what my guy friend brought me today in statistics class: an apple cinnamon scone! Yeah, that's right: a guy who bakes and isn't ashamed of it. Love it. I might have to enjoy this for an afternoon snack...
I have a dining committee meeting, Bible study, and Jon and Kate Plus Eight tonight, so I better get some work done. Be back Wednesday!

The Home Stretch

I am so close to being done with summer classes! I can't wait to have a few weeks to chill before I head back to Duke...for more classes. I am posting now because I have my anatomy final later today at 4PM and then my nutrition final tomorrow at 8AM--not much recovery time! So rather than blogging this evening when I should be studying, I thought a midday post would be best.

Friday
Excellent smoothie night! Almonds/Pistachios+cherries=party in a blender. It's amazing the wonders that ice cream can do... Saturday
Nothing like a weekend breakfast of scrambled tofu. What did I do before I discovered this stuff? Anyway, this one had tahini, ginger, garlic, turmeric, soy sauce, and green onions. Whole wheat toast points and amazing cherries rounded it all out. Saturday was my big study day, but I took a short break for a simple lunch. I opted for an old standby: hummus, lettuce, and red onion stuffed into an oat bran pita with a side salad, cashews, and a big orange.
I didn't give much thought to dinner until my stomach started growling, so I made an easy dip that I have made before, spinach artichoke dip (from the Chicago Diner Cookbook). In case you can't tell, I went a bit heavy on the spinach...maybe more of the Nayonaise next time? I spread it on Ak-Maks and cucumbers, plus I had a side salad and a banana with hazelnut butter for dessert. The banana-hazelnut combo is far superior to that of apple-hazelnut.
My shake of the evening deserves a spot in my top five frozen concoctions. Almonds and cocoa make for an incredible taste sensation! Maybe next time I'll try carob powder instead of the Special Dark Cocoa...
Sunday
Another simple pre-church meal: Van's whole wheat waffles with almond butter and blueberries.
After some light studying, I got really hungry. I made another batch Absent Egg Salad (tofu, vegan mayo, paprika, celery, lemon juice, and a bit of dijon mustard). I wrapped it up in a whole wheat tortilla and served it with a salad (with added honey roasted peanuts for crunch) and some more of those fabulous cherries. I perused the new J.Crew catalog while I munched.
For dinner, my whole family (sisters and spouses, mom and dad, plus me) all headed over to some friends' house for a little shindig. I snacked on some tortilla chips before dinner, but I refrained from any alcohol. The dinner menu consisted of burgers, potato salad, fruit salad, pasta salad, baked beans, Caprese salad, and peanut butter pie. The hosts were kind enough to give me the heads up, so I brought my own Gardenburger to heat up in the M-wave. Of course I ate my mom's famous baked beans (vegetarian recipe!), lots of fruit salad, and some of the Caprese salad too. I felt a little awkward bringing out the camera, so no pics. Sorry!

The shake was bad last night. I guess I was overdue for a failure since my last two were so exceptional. Boo.
Monday
I am getting so repetitive in my breakfasts, guys. I apologize...but they're still tasty:) Another muffin parfait/trifle today. This time I used some carob muffin tops I found in the freezer (I think I made them in March??) The addition of plain yogurt, blueberries, and sliced almonds made for a divine breakfast treat.
That's it for now. Next time I post it will be from my new computer!