Chop, Chop!

Vegetables are not the only thing I've been chopping lately...I cut off 10+ inches of hair today! I typically go through hairstyle cycles of long-short-long-short...so this is my third time to donate to Locks of Love. I'm sure someone else will appreciate my hair much more than I did. Check out the new 'do:
I have lots to share with you today, so I'll just dive right in.

Wednesday
As promised, I tried a new protein powder on Wednesday evening: Nutiva Berry Pomegranate HempShake. I have tried Nutiva's chocolate variety before and loved it, so I was pretty pumped to try this flavor, plus it includes a popular superfood: pomegranate. I am happy to report that this flavor was a hit--I'll be using it again in the future.
Thursday
For a quick breakfast yesterday, I whipped up a pineapple smoothie in the MB. The smoothie was good, but I think my beloved Bullet is dying a slow death...good thing I have a spare! On the side I nibbled on some honey roasted peanuts and Kashi Cinnamon Harvest cereal.
My packed lunch included a Health is Wealth vegan Chik Patty on whole wheat (with Nayonaise and mustard), broccoli slaw (with red wine vinegar), and a tropical trail mix I made from raw cashews and diced dried papaya. I think this was a tasty lunch, but I can't really say--it started to raining (er, pour) as I was eating it (outside), so I stuffed everything in my mouth and ran! I was soggy for the entirety of my anatomy lab. Boo.
For dinner, I inadvertently cooked up a meal consisting entirely of vegetables: steamed squash, salad, a baked potato, and spinach/beans cooked in Annie's BBQ sauce and cumin. I highly recommend cooking your veggies in BBQ sauce. Oh, and my prankster dad snuck that teal M&M into the picture without my realizing it. Yum, candy-coated squash.
The shake of the evening included another Nutiva HempShake flavor: Amazon Acai. I was psyched about this one too for its inclusion of acai, another uber-trendy superfood. Maybe it was just the combination of ingredients, but this flavor tasted a little too "hempy" to me. I still ate it (of course), but the amazing Amazaon acai wasn't so amazing in my opinion.
Friday
Today I woke up refreshed and ready for the weekend...so I had another breakfast parfait! I can't really make these during the week because it's a more labor intensive dish than, say, oatmeal or cereal. Displayed in my new $2 parfait glass is two crumbled bran muffins, vanilla soy yogurt, and sliced peaches. Yum!! Allison from Sweets by Alli requested a recipe for the muffins, so here it is (adapted from Clean Eating Magazine):

Agave Wheat Bran Muffins
1 c wheat bran
3/4 c soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
2/3 c whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 T flax + 1 1/2 T water
1/2 c vanilla soy yogurt
1/3 c agave nectar
1 t vanilla
1/4 c pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 375*.
In medium bowl, combine wheat bran with soymilk and let stand for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients in another bowl.
In the bowl with the wheat bran mixture, add flax + water, soy yogurt, agave, and vanilla.
Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ones.
Spoon batter into lined or greased muffin cups and bake for 15-18 minutes.
Eat:)
My lunch today was incredible. I still can't get over how tasty it was (yet so simple!). I decided on a "cookout" theme (because I'm cool like that), and here's what I came up with: broccoli slaw (with Nayonaise, rice wine vinegar, and stevia), baked beans (ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, and minced onions), BBQ Soy Crisps (purchased for $1.79!!), and fresh strawberries. In all honesty, I baked the beans for only 15-20 minutes--no time for that slow-cooked nonsense.
For dinner I made a dish from V-con: Israeli couscous with pistachios and dried apricots. I didn't have any dried apricots, so I used dried pluots (plum/apricot hybrid). I really like the texture of this Israeli couscous--it's not whole grain, but it's more fun to eat. Steamed zucchini, spinach salad, and an Stonyfield organic blueberry yogurt also joined the party.
Check out what came in the mail today...my Amazon order! Living Harvest Vanilla Spice Hemp Protein, new ear buds for running, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. I just finished The Poisonwood Bible and really liked it, so I thought I'd read another book by Barb. Plus, her daughter just graduated from Duke:)
OK, I apologize for this excessively long post. Happy 7-11 Day--celebrate with a healthy homemade slurpee!

Water, Water Everywhere

Hello, everyone! I write to you from the lake house...hopefully Blogger will cooperate from this location. I spent my 4th of July playing on the lake--we hopped in the car as soon as I got back from my run this morning. Overall, it was a great day on the water: plenty of people and fun, but it started to rain on our return back to the house. A rain storm while on the water is a unique experience--the rain drops really hurt! Oh, well. It was still a great way to spend the day. I can't wait to see what the rest of the weekend brings.

Thursday

After my post on Wednesday, I decided to whip up a batch of Honey Wheat Bran Muffins from Clean Eating Magazine. As per usual, I made a zillion substitutions, using soy milk and vanilla soy yogurt, a flax egg, and agave rather than honey. They came out tasty, but rather...flat. Despite this reluctance to rise, I had two for breakfast, along with some blackberries and almonds.

I packed my lunch to eat on campus again. This one included a black bean burger (Gardenburger brand) on whole wheat with salsa, carrots with Annie's Goddess dressing for dipping, and loads of fresh berries. Filled me up quite nicely! I wouldn't recommend adding the salsa to the sandwich the night before though--it was quite soggy, and not the kind of soggy I usually like. I was quite lazy for dinner after my full day of classes, so I relied on the pantry for my dinner. I dug out this can of Green Lentils and Brown Rice from Eden Foods. I know, canned rice sounds gross, but this stuff is totally natural and healthy--just be sure to add a few of your own seasonings, as it is quite bland on its own. I added some dried thyme, S + P. I also had a salad with walnuts and some brussels sprouts.
The smoothie of the evening consisted of orange Spirutein, soymilk, frozen pineapple, and lots of granola + crumbled granola plank. I was way hungry last night for some reason.

Friday
As I mentioned above, I didn't have much time after my run for breakfast, so I just had a quick bowl of cereal and some strawberries. I like to mix bland cereals (puffed rice) with sweeter cereals (Kashi Honey Sunshine) to create a nice balance at breakfast.

After a run to Wal-Mart, I returned home for a quick hummus and olive sandwich on whole wheat with spinach and a big juicy apple. I got the idea for sandwich from the Vegan Lunch Box Cookbook.
Some of our guests of the weekend offered to make dinner tonight: they made pulled barbecue sandwiches with baked beans, potato salad, and corn on the cob. I took some of the corn on the cob and discreetly grilled up some tofu with Annie's BBQ Sauce for a protein hit. I also munched on some almonds and a red pear.
Thanks to all of you for your protein recommendations--I made a few online orders last night:) Now I am off to bed so I can rise early for the farmers' market tomorrow morning. My idea of a great way to spend a Saturday!

Another Quick Post

Hi everyone! Sorry, today's post will contain limited commentary again. I hate it when pesky tests must take priority over the fun stuff. Boo! Anyway, here are the weekend's eats:

Friday
I tried a cool new treat on Friday night: Erin's Bakery Mini Breakfast Cookies. These were the peanut butter flavor. They're small but oh-so-peanut-buttery. Truth be told, I went back for another one:)
Saturday
Quick breakfast of strawberry-soymilk smoothie and some Whole Foods brand Organic Flax Waffles with a drizzle of pure maple syrup.
Lunch didn't happen until 3PM, so I was a starvin' Marvin. I made a hearty sandwich out of a Rudi's Flax English Muffin, mashed avocado, Soy Boy 5-grain tempeh, and Annie's BBQ sauce. I am totally in love Annie's products! Oh, and the salad has sliced button mushrooms, Romaine, and Craisins.
Dinner was completely random but so tasty. I grilled up the rest of my eggplant on my good friend Mr. Foreman. I drizzled tahini on top--SO GOOD. TRY THIS. I also had a hearty portion of corn/black bean salad and some plain soy yogurt with fresh blueberries.
I got around to trying my Kashi Vive sample. It was good, but a little too sweet, and that's saying a lot coming from a girl with a healthy sweet tooth. Maybe it would be better mixed with some bran flakes or something equally bland.
The shake of the evening was good in theory but not in taste. I combined a So Delicious Cinnamon Bun soy yogurt with a Chai Latte flavor Spirutein packet and some ice. Really sweet, but the cinnamon flavor didn't sufficiently shine through. What a waste of a good cinnamon bun yogurt.
Sunday
My breakfast was supremely boring so let's skip to lunch. It included a grilled tofu/hummus sandwich for which I used--you guessed it--Mr. Foreman. I also had a salad with salted cashews and balsamic vinegar and some random frozen fruit remnants (peaches, mango chunks).
For dinner, I tried another new product: Amy's cheeseless roasted vegetable pizza. Two thumbs up! I was surprised to discover that there was no tomato sauce on it though. I remember VeggieGirl's review of this product on Iateapie a while back in which she suggested adding additional veggies--I think that's a good recommendation. My family enjoyed it too--after I took my portion my dad and brother-in-law Major finished off the remaining 3/4. Go figure. I also had a salad with chickpeas, plus a bowl of strawberries and a glass of chocolate soymilk. I make the soy milk by whizzing plain soymilk in the MB with special dark cocoa and stevia; this is my current obsession.

Smoothie time featured another attempt at using soy yogurt: strawberry banana soy yogurt, "Nutty Berry Burst" Spirutein, peanut butter, and ice. It was mediocre at best. I am in dire need of a tasty shake--I've had quite enough of these sub-par creations.
Monday
Excellent breakfast this morning: oat bran (cooked on the stovetop) with whipped banana and a healthy dose of almond butter. It's not difficult to figure out why this is a classic:)
For the midday meal, I had tempeh dipped in a rather thick peanut sauce, along with a perfect (Chilton County!) peach, spinach salad, and a few rice cakes. I was hoping for some rice crackers, but the cakes'll do, I suppose. This kept me really full--no growling tummy in class today!
Now I am off to eat dinner! Ciao/chow!