Winding Down

**Many thanks to all of your sage wisdom and kind comments in response to my last post. I really appreciate your support.**

Tonight I am finally getting a little down-time...that means the first round of tutoring is through until November; I have finished my homework for the evening; no meetings have crept their way into my schedule--it's just me, a mug of Sleepy Time tea, and Jon & Kate Plus Eight tonight. I haven't been feeling well these past few days, either physically or emotionally, so I am seizing the opportunity to just chill before a busy weekend.

As a result of my various responsibilities and less-than-stellar health, I have been keeping it simple in the kitchen. Check it out:

Monday
I tried another Rudi's recipe on Monday evening--Better Bunny salad. Carrots, pineapple, and vegan mayo made for a simple supper. I added a dash of cinnamon since I didn't have the cinnamon bread called for in the recipe. Placed atop a bed of Romaine and served alongside crackers and cottage cheese with cashews, it made for a balanced and tasty meal.
The smoothie consisted of peaches, mango, vanilla hemp, and soymilk. Coconut made its obligatory appearance.
Tuesday
Breakfast yesterday ended up being great fuel before my psychology exam. I made a peach-soymilk smoothie and spread a whole wheat mini bagel with Sunbutter and apple butter (my most recent find at the on-campus grocery store). Maybe I just liked this meal so much because of the Sunbutter--it makes everything taste good:)
Pre-run, I chomped on a mini brownie Clif bar. Decadent and functional.
For lunch, I just prepared another spontaneous tofu salad and wrapped it in a whole grain tortilla. This version included tofu, vegan mayo, cashews, dried cranberries, carrots, salt, and dill. On the side I had a simple salad and an organic plum.
Dinner was a bit of a recipe flop. I attempted to make a cheeze spread out of nutritional yeast, tahini, corn starch, water, and ground red pepper. As you can see, it turned out a bit watery. I would have started over, but it tasted so good! Tastiness trumps texture issues in my book, so I drizzled it over whole wheat toast. It made for an excellent accompaniment to tomato soup, brussels sprouts, and a salad.
My shake last night was one of the best I have made in a while. I used TWO frozen bananas, chocolate rice protein, dark cocoa powder, and rice milk. It tasted so indulgent, but it was actually quite nutritious.
Wednesday
Prompted by a commenter (Sarah), I decided to try CCV's Banana Bread Blender Cereal this morning. I made a few changes based on what I had on hand--I used rice milk and almonds instead of vanilla soy milk and walnuts. I also added a dash of cinnamon for banana bread authenticity. This was SO delicious!! I can't thank Sarah and Katie enough for the recipe!
The pre-run snack today was painfully boring. I just stuffed some Whole Foods brand Cheerios in a baggie this morning...now I wish I had at least thrown some chocolate chips in for interest.
Lunch was much more engaging for my taste buds. I found a recipe on VegWeb for Coconut Black Beans with Mango. I didn't have any chilies or coconut milk on hand, but I still managed to get the essential flavors into the dish by using shredded coconut and ground red pepper. The contrast of the sweet mangoes with the cumin and black beans made for quite the flavor party in my mouth. I served it alongside baked tortilla wedges and a salad with perfectly ripe avocado.
I have another interesting snack to share with you all this evening--another scone! I was greeted with this crumbly little baked good this morning in stats class, prepared by my (male) friend, the baking enthusiast. Love those Craisins.
Dinner this evening was pretty streamlined: just a Boca burger, baked sweet potato, and steamed zucchini with oregano and basil. I also had the last of my kefir with a blob of cashew butter.
The sextuplets beckon for my attention...be back soon.

Healthy Habits: Get Snackin'

For this edition of Healthy Habits, I thought I would highlight a question I get a lot: What do I eat for snacks? My snacking habits might be a bit of a mystery to you all because I mostly just post meals (and smoothies, of course). My snacks are more spontaneous creations (read: I'm too hungry to make it look pretty for the camera), plus they can be repetitive, so I choose not to post them very often. Nonetheless, I am an avid snacker, and I have developed a few guidelines for smart snacking.

A lot of people the misconception that snacking is "bad." Not so. Eating between meals is an excellent way to keep your energy levels up and to keep your metabolism chugging. For me, it is also a great strategy to fill in nutritional gaps within my diet; food groups that I don't often incorporate into meals can easily become part of a balanced snack. A final advantage of snacking is that it fits easily into a fast-paced schedule. That is, if you're running short on time, you likely don't have time to sit down to a 5-course meal, but you might have a few minutes to spare on a snack.

Although I consume multiple snacks per day, most people seem to be most interested in keeping those mid-afternoon munchies at bay. Thus, I will focus on the ever-popular afternoon nibbles. My basic formula is:

healthy fat + calcium source (dairy/non-dairy/dairy alternative) + fruit or whole grains

This pattern works for me because:
1) I often lack dairy in my meals, so snacktime is a great occasion to balance out my diet and ensure that I am getting adequate calcium
2) The combination of protein, fat, and healthful carbs (i.e., fiber) keeps me full for a few hours until I am ready to prepare dinner.
3) There are myriad combinations of these food groups! Keeping it interesting is simple.

Speaking of possible snack combinations, here are a few of my favorites:

At Home or In the Office options
-Plain yogurt with nuts and dried fruit
-Greek yogurt with a crumbled snack bar (such as Clif Z or Mini Clif) and nuts

-Whole grain crackers and cheese, pistachios
-Cottage cheese with ground flax and dried fruit
-Pumpkin Bread in a bowl: plain yogurt with nuts (walnuts recommended), raisins, pumpkin, and cinnamon

On the Go options
-String cheese, small baggie of GORP (Good Ol' Raisins and Peanuts)
-Larabar or Jocolat bar with a to-go carton of soymilk/milk such as Soy on the Go

-Pretzel sticks with a PB packet (such as Justin's) and a piece of fruit

-Apple or banana with nut butter (if using almond butter, it contains calcium AND healthy fat)
-Trail mix: simply combine your favorite cereal with nuts, dried fruit, and your favorite mix-ins (chocolate chips, anyone?)

Here are a few other examples from the past:

This list is in no way comprehensive but rather a mere sampling of what I like and what works for my current schedule.

I hope that demystifies my snacking style for some of you, and I also hope you all find it useful. Happy snacking:)

Stocked Pantry Satisfaction

Today has been yet another full day, despite my not having classes. How does that happen?! The day's schedule included a workout, banana pancakes (!), Whole Foods trip, tutoring, Target trip, laundry...and other such wildly adventurous activities.

I got it all done though, so now I am left with a feeling of accomplishment, combined with a feeling of satisfaction--with 2 grocery runs today, my pantry is pretty well-stocked. I scored some good produce, Sunbutter, and organic yogurt at Whole Foods, while I loaded up on frozen fruits/veggies, canned beans, and a few odds and ends at Target. I am such a foodie/dork--new groceries excite me so to no end.

Despite my collegiate chaos, I have managed to churn out a few interesting dishes these past few days...

Wednesday
I finally got a chance to try VeggieGirl's smoothie recipe! For months now, I have been meaning to experiment with her favorite comination: banana, berries, hemp protein, and spinach. I didn't have any hemp milk on hand (as her version requires), but I think the soymilk served as an adequate substitute. This was my first time adding spinach to a smoothie, and I think I'll continue adding it in the future--it adds lots of nutrition without any difference in taste. Plus, you get cool green flecks throughout the beverage. Sweet. Thursday
Breakfast yesterday was pretty simple, but it included lots of my favorites: butternut squash and almond butter (although not together). On whole wheat toast, I spread the last of my almond butter (a tragic event, as I am too poor to replenish my supply). I also combined a container of plain yogurt with butternut squash, cinnamon, and stevia--this was by far the best part of this breakfast! A juicy peach made for a nice end to the fiberful feast. Pre-run snack was just a simple chocolate chip Clif bar. Tasty and effective, as always. For lunch, I got creative with the most recent secret ingredient, apples. I decided on a vegan tempeh apple sandwich, an idea inspired by a recipe from Whole Foods Market (I am a loyal subscriber and reader of their newsletter). I didn't use the oven as the recipe suggests, but rather used the stovetop for convenience and speed. I *might* have forgotten about the apples simmering, thus their slightly charred appearance. Anyway, that's agave mustard on the bread beneath the apples and tempeh. I was doubly ambitious in the kitchen yesterday, as I tried a Baked Eggplant Moussaka from the Imagine Soups website. Clearly, I didn't follow the recipe precisely, as I did not have all of the ingredients on hand, so I just ended up with a layered vegetable casserole dish. On the side, I had some couscous, salad with kidney beans, and kefir with peanuts. An odd combination, but tasty nonetheless. I discovered yet another tasty flavor duo for my smoothie last night: strawberries and peaches. It was a discovery out of necessity rather than experimentation in that I didn't have much frozen fruit left. The texture on this concoction was perfection, likely due to a greater proportion of fruit. I used the Nutiva Berry Pomegranate hemp for this one. Friday
After a workout at the gym this morning, I treated myself to a batch of banana-chocolate chip pancakes, using the Sweet Eats recipe as a guide. I don't think there are many dishes that can match the euphoria of banana-chocolate chip pancakes. So sweet. So indulgent. So YUM. Before heading out to an afternoon of tutoring appointments, I made a basic TLT: Tempeh Lettuce Tomato (wrap). I cooked the last of my tempeh in Bragg's and garlic, then rolled it into a whole wheat tortilla with lettuce, tomato, vegan mayo and mustard. I served it alongside a salad and a sliced Rome apple (a new Whole Foods purchase).

Following the Target run, I was hungry and not in the mood for a laborious recipe...so leftovers it was! I combined Annie's Mac & Cheese (whole grain, organic) with broccoli and garlic. I also had a basic salad with peanuts for crunch.
Well, I am off to relax with Kristen and catch up on What Not to Wear episodes. G'night all.