Ch-ch-changes

I am loving all of your valuable feedback! I haven't made any final decisions on how I will change the blog once I get to school, so please keep on comin' with the suggestions and comments. I want to make this blog intriguing and enjoyable--for you and me.

Anyway, I have been making the most of my last few days at home. My mom and I made a few last minute shopping trips, and I've been doing my favorite running route this week. I made my current favorite recipe last night (Cashew Ginger Tofu), plus I also did a little experimenting of my own in the kitchen. A nice way to relax before the storm of academia enters my life...

Monday
I discovered a great combination--cherries and strawberries. To be honest, I got the idea from the HempShake package, which pictures cherries, strawberries, and raspberries, among other things. I switched up my topping too--I used Clifford Crunch instead of granola.
Tuesday
I tried a new component for my parfait yesterday morning--Annie's Bunny Love cereal. Frankly, I chose the cereal 1) because it was on sale and 2) well, because it's bunny-shaped! It turned out to be a pretty good purchase; it reminds me of slightly sweeter, more porous Cheerios. Anyway, it went into the parfait glass with plain organic yogurt, Enjoy Life's Mountain Mambo, and a mix of strawberries and blueberries.
After several hours of packing (and going up and down stairs), I needed to refuel. With a can of refried beans I need to use up, I made mini Mexican pizzas. I topped 4 corn tortillas with the beans, salsa, and sliced avocado. Spinach salad and peaches with wheat germ and cinnamon also made an appearance.
As mentioned earlier, I made my fave dish of the moment, Cashew Ginger Tofu. I really am addicted to that sauce--maybe I should just make a huge batch of sauce and put it on...broccoli?
It's been a while since I had whipped up a chocolate-y shake (and by a while I mean a few days). I decided to bust out my artistic skills with the chocolate syrup.
Wednesday
I had another doctor's appointment this morning, so I needed a quick and portable breakfast. Smoothie and cereal to the rescue! The slurpable component was a combination of strawberries, blackberries, and soymilk; the crunchy component was Clifford Crunch, honey-roasted peanuts, and Nature's Path Oaty Bites.
A workout and a few errands later, I was famished. I experimented with a new way to make mock-tuna--I combined chickpeas, Nayonaise, a touch of dijon mustard, lemon juice, olives, and dill. This dish presented a host of new flavor pairings for me, and I really enjoyed it. I plopped the mixture on a bed of spinach and served it with an Ezekiel pita and an organic nectarine.
Tonight is my dad's first night of classes for the semester, so my mom took the time to make meatloaf for dinner before he darted off to teach. I wanted to follow suit, so I had planned on making a tofu loaf (something I have never tried), but I nixed the idea when I read that the recipe required pureeing the tofu. Call me crazy, but I think the best part about tofu is its texture, you know, being able to bite into it. Plan B turned out pretty well--I made tofu cutlets instead. I dredged the tofu slices in sage, dry mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, and dried parsley; I also threw baby bella mushrooms and diced onion into the pan. Add a zigzag of organic ketchup, and you've got a tasty dish. In an effort to continue the "meat and potatoes" theme, I also had a baked sweet potato, brussels sprouts, and salad. Completely satisfying.
With that, I bid you farewell until my next post--from Durham! Remember, keep contributing your thoughts and suggestions for future blog changes. Thanks in advance!

Wacky Weather, Wacky Eats

Yesterday was an abnormal eating day for me. First, I went out to lunch with my sister, my mom, and a few friends after my nutrition class. We went to Brio, where their idea of vegetarian is pasta primavera...or pasta primavera. I'll fill you in on the deets below, but let's just say I ended up having two lunches. Then, around 5 PM, serious thunderstorms rolled into town. The power went out, I was left without internet, entertainment, and means of cooking. Even if I had wanted to be a good student and work on my nutrition project, I couldn't.

Translation: boring evening.

However, once my dad returned from teaching his class, we headed to Jason's Deli, which is home to a pretty impressive salad bar. To kill some time afterward, we visited a nearby Banana Republic, where I scored a pencil skirt on sale. Fits me like a glove! The power was back when we returned home, thank goodness--is it sad that I was worried about my Soy Delicious melting?

So, long story short, I didn't do a lot of cooking yesterday, but I still managed to do a lot of eating...as per usual.

Monday
Sorry to be so boring. I just can't get enough of the vanilla hemp-mango combination!

Tuesday
I opened up a fresh box of Clifford Crunch yesterday morning. I topped it off with some plain Silk, and I also sliced up an apple to dip in Sunbutter. This cereal reminds me Alpha Bits from my childhood, except moderately good for me.

As I mentioned above, I went to Brio for lunch. Along with the bread basket, they serve these awesome rosemary-flax crackers--yum! I also ordered the Zuppa di Gigiorno, minestrone. I was hoping for copious legumes but basically got vegetable soup + 2 chickpeas. Boo! More olives would have been nice. Yes, I know I am a fuss-budget. When I returned home, I made a quick wrap out of a whole wheat tortilla, guacamole, firm tofu. I also had a lovely plum. Then I was full.
Upon our return, I also noticed a box waiting for me. It was a box full of samples from Snacktrition. Yay! This company bakes their almonds with calcium to increase their modest existing calcium content. They also have some fiber-rich cashews and trail mix. I can't wait to try them!
Dinner at Jason's consisted of a ginormous salad and lots of their tasty little crackers. Do not be fooled by this picture--that plate is big. Here's what went into my scrumptious mountain: spinach, yellow bell peppers, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and...roasted red pepper hummus! I put some of the hummus on the crackers, which were slightly sweet--the combination was phenomenal! I stashed a few more crackers in my mom's purse before we left--yeah, I'm that classy.
I am trying to increase my kcalories a bit these days, so I made an extra large shake last night. Let me just say that the almond pistachio Soy Delicious was not affected in the least by the power outage. This must be what they eat in heaven.
Wednesday
Remember my chocolate PB? Well I found it lurking in the shadows of the cabinet this morning, so I made a breakfast panini with it. Sliced banana and said PB on whole wheat, plus a Chobani with cinnamon and the banana remnants.
A note on the lady bug cup: this one doesn't belong with the rest. All the other cups say "Baa" or "Woof," but a lady bug doesn't make a sound, so they put "Lady Bug." Couldn't they think of just one other animal that makes a sound?! OK sorry for the rant.
Random lunch today. I combined tahini with chickpeas, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, and roasted red pepper, then stuffed it in a pita. Pretty tasty, if I do say so myself. Broccoli slaw and mixed berries rounded it out. I swear organic berries taste better than conventional.
Dinner was pretty simple: Corn Edamame Salad from V-con, local tomatoes, and an apple with my new hazelnut butter.

Last day of class tomorrow! Wahoo! Happy Humpday!