One Scatter-brained Sister

For some unexplained reason, I have been quite the scatter-brained sister lately. On Wednesday night, I failed to set my alarm for the next morning. I awoke approximately a half-hour late, to the considerate questioning of my dear roommate:
"Caroline, did your morning class get cancelled?"
"What? Aw, crap."
I was quite appreciative of her awakening me--I had to turn in a paper that day!
Then, today I was daydreaming in the shower until I discovered that I had shaved the same leg three times. Hmm. It seems I need a little assistance in maintaining focus these days.

On another note, I have been visited by the sample fairy several times these past few days. First my personalized granola from MixMyGranola:
There's still time to enter my giveaway...you have until 11:59 PM tonight to enter!

I also received a few goodies from McCann's:
Any tips on how to prepare Irish oatmeal?

Finally, I also received this book from the people over at POM Wonderful.
It provides an insider's perspective on starting a business and marketing it successfully. I can't wait to read it...however, it will likely have to wait until after school is over.

Despite my recent flightiness, I have not been so distracted that I have forgotten to eat. Here's what I've been chowing on lately:

Wednesday
My mom has this really awesome (and really easy!) recipe for pizza dip for which I have been having an intense craving. So, I called up my mom, got the recipe, and set to work. The recipe calls for cream cheese, but I had the "genius" idea of substituting homemade tofu cream cheese. I whipped up the tofu concoction (which was quite tasty), then spread it in the dish and added the other layers (tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and veggie toppings--I chose artichoke hearts). Twenty minutes later, I had a bubbling mess. Although it tasted alright, the tofu cream cheese had totally disintegrated in the baking process. Lesson learned: stick to the real stuff next time. Those are baked blue corn chips and a salad with balsamic vinaigrette on the side.
For dinner, I had sorority ceremonies to attend for several hours, so I brought my dinner along: a Tofurky-hummus sandwich, an apple, raw veggies, and almonds.
Once home, I whipped up a delicious shake: cappuccino Spirutein, frozen banana, non-dairy vanilla ice cream, and soymilk with a few chocolate chips for garnish. Who needs Starbucks?
Thursday
Yesterday morning was the day of the "absent alarm" incident. After scrambling to put on a T-shirt and yoga pants, I still managed to make breakfast. My roommate remarked, "Hey, you still managed to eat breakfast!" Of course. Breakfast before beauty. I made CCV's Banana Bread Blender again with GoLean, soymilk, frozen banana, almonds, cinnamon, and a little coconut. OK, so my version really doesn't much resemble the original recipe, but it was tasty, nonetheless.
For lunch, I drew inspiration from the most recent issue of Clean Eating magazine. There is a recipe for a Caribbean Tuna Salad, which sounded delicious, but I made significant substitutions to make it vegetarian- and time-friendly. I used chickpeas for the tuna and used prepared peanut sauce with lime juice and jerk seasoning to make the dressing. That's mango and bell pepper in the salad and pita on the side. I'll include the magazine pic too, just for fun.
More sorority ceremonies that night, so I brought by dinner again (in my eco-friendly sack): asparagus-avocado-tomato wrap, grapes, and soynuts with dried apricots. I also brought some little PB cracker sandwiches for snacking.
My shake last night was...weird. I combined strawberries, dark cocoa, chocolate rice protein, soymilk, and non-dairy ice cream then topped it off with a bit of PB2 and high-fiber cereal (I need that crunch!). Not my best effort.
Friday
After a blissful 8-hours' sleep, I prepared a filling breakfast favorite: scrambled tofu. I switched it up this time and put it in a wrap. The green you see is asparagus and scallions. I also had a perfectly ripe orange on the side.
Following my Whole Foods trip, I came home to prepare a simple lunch: hummus pizza. I used leftover Greek hummus (from Tuesday), tomatoes, and an Ezekiel pita. Due to the oregano, olives, and tomatoes, it really did smell like pizza in the apartment! I had some greens with raspberry vinaigrette and an apple on the side.
Another night of sorority ceremonies, another sack dinner: PB & apple butter on whole wheat with grapes, and raw veggies with this bean dip. For snacktime, I brought a Jamfrakas bar and almonds.
Whew! I am pooped. Sorry for the monstrous post...but before I go, a friendly reminder:

Time's a-tickin'...enter the MixMyGranola giveaway before it's too late!

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

In the midst of this miserably rainy day, I cannot help but channel my inner Jack Johnson; I am sitting, waiting and wishing--for spring break. In precisely 15 days, I will be headed for a weekend of fun in DC (where I will dine at Nora and Rock Creek), plus several days of relaxation at home (where I will participate in this 5K). My motivation for schoolwork is waning, but I've still got two tests and a paper separating me from my freedom. Wish me luck in the upcoming weeks!

What are you looking forward to these days?

At least I have my cooking to distract me from the monotony of classes...

Monday
Although the dining committee had intended to dine out at a local Mediterranean place, that plan somehow crumbled. To be honest, I was a bit bummed. Instead, I grabbed a quick salad from the salad bar to which I added my own navy beans. I also made a pesto potato salad, as inspired by Ellie Krieger. I used that pesto in a tube again, and my love for pesto grows each time I use it. Anyone have a good recipe for homemade pesto?
I opted for a classic combo for the smoothie: strawberry-banana. Never fails to satisfy:)
Tuesday
I found myself with a little extra time yesterday morning before class, so I decided banana fingers would be a good breakfast option. I dipped banana in plain yogurt, then rolled it in crushed Peanut Butter Pows cereal. That's Sunbutter on the side--perfect consistency for dipping!
For lunch, I tried out one of my new TJ's finds, Low-Sodium Butternut Squash Soup. This soup tasted notably sweeter than others that I have tried, likely due to the absence of salt. I played up the sweetness factor by adding a dash of cinnamon and handful of pecans. Along with it, I had a grilled hummus sandwich, greens, and peaches.
Last night was pasta night for me. I made a quick puttanesca sauce out of tomato sauce, basil, oregano, minced garlic, ground red pepper, and olives. I added white beans for protein and poured the goodness all over some whole grain angel hair pasta. I had a salad with red bell pepper strips as well.
Last night's smoothie was a new delicious combination for me: strawberry and mango. Let's face it: I'll eat anything with mango in it.
Wednesday
In contrast to yesterday morning, today I was running short on time, so I whipped up a quick Banana Bread Blender. This rendition included frozen banana, GoLean, spelt flakes, soymilk, cinnamon, vanilla, and cashews. I just love this stuff--it's like good-for-you pudding! You're a genius, Katie.
Given the present weather conditions, all I feel like doing now is changing into my H&M lounge pants and red fuzzy slippers. What's your relaxation uniform? Are you a fan of sweats or yoga pants? We all have our individual lounging preferences, I think:)

Enjoy your Wednesday!

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!