A Little Less Wimpy

I woke up this morning to gray, rainy skies and a temperature gauge that read 47*. Boo. What happened to our summer-like weather? I am quite the wimp when it comes to running in unpleasant weather; I much prefer the constancy of the treadmill. However, I have no treadmill at home, and I really needed to run today. I had opted for alternative (indoor) forms of exercise for the past two days--and I have my 5k tomorrow! So, to avoid being completely unprepared for my first race, I put my big girl pants on--I ran in the nasty weather. My experience ended up being relatively successful: I survived the chilly drizzle of rain and returned home with a feeling of accomplishment. What about you? Are you more of an indoor or outdoor exerciser?

I have been thoroughly enjoying the leisure of spring break by trying some new combinations in the kitchen. Take a looksie:

Wednesday
I ended the day with a favorite Spirutein flavor: Nutty Berry Burst. As I've mentioned before, this variety has a flavor pleasantly reminiscent of pistachios. Anyway, this rendition included strawberries, non-dairy vanilla ice cream, and soymilk, topped with a little PB2 and cashew granola. Fab-yoo-lus.
Thursday
Remember when I re-purposed my French toast batter as a pudding? Well, I've been at it again, but this time I mixed it into my morning oat bran. Once I had prepared the tofu-banana mixture and cooked the oat bran, I combined the two and blended them with my hand blender. The end result was a silky smooth bowl of goodness. I topped the oat bran with wheat germ and Sunbutter.
After an intense day of shopping, I returned home famished. I quickly made a batch of Better Bunny Salad (which I have also made here, here and here) using pineapple, currants, walnuts, carrots, and vegan mayo. I served it atop a bed of greens; I also toasted up a new kind of bagel that I found at SuperTarget. Cherry and pomegranates, in the same item? In a bread item, no less? Clearly, I was destined to try this product. One drawback: as I was waiting for my bagel to toast, I noticed that the ingredients list includes sucralose (aka Splenda).
In response to a recent craving for muffins, I decided to make a batch yesterday afternoon. I drew inspiration from my all time fave cereal, GoLean. Whole wheat flour, bananas, applesauce, almond milk, and agave nectar made for some delicious vegan treats. I am thinking a muffin parfait is in my future...
For dinner, I made yet another recipe from Totally Vegetarian, the Pumpkin Bulgur Chili. I know, this sounds like another odd use for pumpkin, but it has proved to be quite the versatile ingredient this week. This thick stew turned out delicious! I had never used bulgur before, but I now know that its texture is eerily similar to ground beef when incorporated into soup. Anyway, other main ingredients of the chili include red beans and toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds). I went back for seconds on this one!
The smoothie last night featured perhaps my second favorite fruit for blended concoctions, cherries. I combined cherry Spirutein, cherries, soymilk, and cashew ginger granola.
Friday
Clearly, after my nippy run this morning, all I wanted for breakfast was a big bowl of warmth. One of Katie's recent posts reminded me of the wonders of her oatmeal creations, so I decided I would make a pumpkin variation of her Oatmeal Raisin Pudding. I made this once before, and it was total heaven then, just as it was this morning. I topped it with walnuts and currants and served it with a bowl of strawberries and peaches.
I spent the day shopping for various kitchen items with Mom, which as you all know, is one of my favorite pastimes. I swear, I really am 21, not 85. Anyway, when we returned home, I made myself a piping hot curry dish with red beans, red onion, tomatoes, garam masala, curry powder, cumin, paprika, and turmeric. I soaked it up with an Ezekiel pita and served it alongside an apple and a salad with Ginger Miso Dressing. My sister Lea has been obsessing over this dressing for months, and I couldn't find it until just recently. It tastes exactly like the dressing they use at Japanese steakhouses. I really enjoyed it, but its texture is a little thick for using on salads. It has the consistency of hummus or peanut butter, making it difficult to distribute among the greens.
Regarding my last post's topic, I have decided to respond to specific questions and comments via e-mail. Otherwise, I'll leave you a note in the comments section. Just thought you'd like to know for future reference:)

Some pretty awesome giveaways are taking place in the blogosphere these days:
-Heather Eats Almond Butter is giving away coupons for Turtle Mountain products, which happen to be personal favorites. I *love* their fruit-sweetened non-dairy ice cream and their cinnamon bun soy yogurts. Enter my midnight tonight!
-If you head over to Lucky Taste Buds, you'll have the chance to win a $20 gift certificate for Mix My Granola. Were I to win or order from the site, I know for sure that my mix would include mangoes, almonds, and coconut. What would you include in your ideal mix? Enter by March 16 at 8AM.

Ta-ta for now, bloggies!

Oh, Puffy Coat, How I Miss Thee

During my freshman year, I participated in the Duke tradition of tenting, so I purchased the very necessary "puffy coat." It was big, red, and served its purpose fabulously. I decided not to bring it to school this year for several reasons: 1) It would have required a suitcase of its own...something I am unwilling to furnish considering the baggage fees that are now in effect. 2) It made me resemble a toasty marshmallow that had been aflame a tad too long. 3) I simply didn't think I needed it this winter. Well, it turns out number three was FALSE. Weather.com informed me that it felt like 6* this morning at 9AM. I managed to survive my errands today with some clever layering, but that puffy coat would have been way more convenient. Sigh. Live and learn. How do you keep warm in the dregs of winter?

I've been enjoying plenty of hot eats the past few days to keep me warm as well:

Wednesday
After I signed off last time, I made a simple lunch: Better Bunny Salad (recipe from Rudi's) atop a bed of greens, and a few mini tomato-basil hummus sandwiches.
I went over to a friend's dorm room to watch the Duke-GA Tech game on TV and to hang out with buds. While there, we ordered from Cinelli's. I ordered the Penne Cinelli, which features white beans and escarole. Delish.
Once home, I made a creamy strawberry-peach shake with Nutribody protein, soymilk, and vanilla non-dairy ice cream. Heaven!
Thursday
With plentiful bananas on hand, I decided to make banana fingers for breakfast: bananas dipped in plain yogurt (with cinnamon) and rolled in crushed spelt flakes. That's almond butter in the center for dipping.
Lunch was an old but simple fave: a black bean burrito. Mine included salsa, mashed avocado, and little lettuce for crunch. I also had a salad and a few clementines.
Just before heading out to a church group meeting, I made an Italian-inspired menu: pan seared tofu (seasoned with garlic, basil, and oregano), tomatoes with squash, salad with Woodstock dressing, whole wheat couscous, and a dish of grapes. Yes, I ate the whole thing.
My frozen fruit supply was running low, so I made an odd smoothie last night out of cherries, pineapple, soymilk, Nutribody, and soymilk. It turned out quite sweet and delicious.
Friday
I needed something hot for my morning meal today, so I made a quick tofu scramble with broccoli and the other usual ingredients. I served it alongside a Rudi's English muffin and some more grapes.
I trekked all the way to Whole Foods, amidst the single digit temperatures, and returned with some good loot:
Highlights include a new flavor of Cascadian Farms granola and...a White Chocolate Macadamia Clif bar! There is no joy like that derived from a new Clif bar.

Afterward, I made lunch: baked potato topped with black beans, salsa, and mashed avocado, plus a salad and clementines.
Dinner this evening was another hot one: grilled hummus/mozzarella sammie with sugar snap peas, an apple, and a salad with Goddess dressing.
What are your favorite warm-up foods? I am always in search of new dishes to keep my body toasty:)

Enjoy your weekend! Stay tuned for product reviews on Sunday...

A Leisurely Celebration

Amidst the chaos of the Christmas season, from frenzied mall adventures to last-minute cookie baking, the peacefulness of Christmas Day always takes me by surprise. I always appreciate the slower pace of the holiday; it gives me a chance to truly enjoy the company of my loved ones, without worrying about the next item on my Google Calendar. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope you all had a chance to enjoy some leisure time yesterday:)

As the family's foodie and health nut, I received several presents related to healthful cooking and fitness. Check 'em out:

Each member of the Yoder clan has a matching stocking, knitted by my Aunt Susan. They're extra large (and stretchy) to make room for plenty of candy, socks, and underpants!
A few books: Simply Organic Cookbook, Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven, and a book about my fashion icon, Audrey Hepburn.
A new pair of Air Pegasus running shoes.
My very own waffle maker!
A Christmas teapot. Also note my lovely apron--the top part reads "Eat Your Veggies"
I also received a heart rate monitor and a Wii Fit. May this year be my healthiest yet!

In this time of festivity, I got the chance to try a few new recipes...Enjoy!

Wednesday
It's a family tradition that we enjoy Stouffer's lasagna for Christmas Eve dinner before attending the evening church service. I had picked out a vegetarian baked penne recipe to prepare for myself, but unfortunately, time slipped away from me, so I relied on my good friend Amy. I heated up the Garden Vegetable Lasagna and served it alongside a salad and my first glass of wine as a 21 year old. The lasagna was perfect--the veggies amazingly retained their fresh taste, and there was just enough cheese. Yum.
When we returned from church, my sisters and I decided to use up some leftover cookie dough by making "Rudolph" cookies:
Before heading to bed, I whipped up another cherry smoothie: frozen cherries, soymilk, cherry Spirutein, and PB granola.
Thursday
My sister prepared quite the indulgent spread for the family on Christmas morning: biscuits 'n gravy (with sausage), bacon, and fruit salad. A crustless tofu quiche was on the menu for me, featuring tofu, tahini, soy sauce, garlic, broccoli, and mushrooms. Essentially, I put all the ingredients I use for scrambled tofu into a blender and baked it in the oven. It turned out delicious!
My brother-in-law Major wanted me to take a picture of him thoroughly enjoying his bacon:
My family takes turns opening presents on Christmas morning to ensure that we all appreciate each gift we're given. With 7 people and 5 dogs, our present-opening session took 4 hours! After that marathon, I needed a little fuel before heading out to see Marley and Me. I opted for "Better Bunny Salad" with a simple salad and whole wheat pitettes.
For the big dinner, I prepared a lentil loaf with lentils, onions, pasta sauce, and oats. I was in charge of the salad again (as I was for Thanksgiving), but this time I used field greens, pomegranate seeds, and Alabama pecans. The salad was served with Annie's raspberry vinaigrette. I also had green beans, cranberry sauce, and a few sips of white wine.
My shake of the evening was particularly festive, as it featured Egg Nog Spirutein (which incidentally includes no eggs). I combined it a frozen banana, soymilk, nutmeg, and a gingerbread man.
Friday
After a fantastic morning run at my high school's track, I refueled with a blueberry-rice milk smoothie and a Rudi's bagel with cashew butter.
My mom and I headed out to do a few returns and check out the sales at Banana Republic. I ended up with 3 shirts for $44! Score! Anyway, when I returned, I was famished and cold...chili it was! I combined diced tomatoes, chili beans, onion, cumin, oregano, and cayenne for a hearty winter stew. I topped it with mashed avocado and served it with greens, whole wheat pitettes, and a plum.
Although today seems strangely like a Saturday, the weekend is just beginning. How are you all spending your time off this weekend?

Enjoy your evening!