You've Got a Friend in Me

These past few days have been all about reuniting with friends. Study abroad programs are quite popular at Duke, so a large percentage of the junior class has not been on campus since last May. Hence, I hadn't seen some of my buddies for 8 months! Yikes! I've been thoroughly enjoying my run-ins with pals from the past all day; reconnecting with friends always lifts my mood.

I have received some fun Christmas presents from my friends while back at Duke. They know me so well--I received plenty of dishes, a cookbook, and a signed Duke basketball poster with a cute green bracelet. Thanks, friends!
While we're on the topic of friends, I just want to mention that one of my favorite aspects of the blog world is the support and friendship I have found in readers and fellow bloggers. Thanks for making my life a little brighter with your comments and companionship!

My eats have been a tad boring lately due to my super-busy schedule. Here's a look at what I've been munching:

Monday
I ended my busy day of travel in the typical way: with a large, refreshing smoothie. I combined unsweetened vanilla Spirutein (from Sarah) with strawberries, banana, soymilk, and cashew granola. Delish.
Tuesday
Yesterday morning, I had about an hour to eat breakfast, shower, and primp before recruitment activities began again. Thus, a very easy breakfast: mango-rice milk smoothie with coconut and toast with cashew butter.
I packed a lunch to nibble on between parties: hummus sandwich, trail mix made up of pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries, and a big honkin' apple.
I also tossed this bar into my bag at the last second. I think eventually I will have sampled every single "chocolate brownie" flavored bar on the market. I love me some chocolate.
For dinner, I headed out to Elmo's Diner again with some buds. I ordered the exact same things as I did on this occasion, so no pictures. Just as delicious as ever:)

The smoothie of the evening used yet another Spirutein packet given to me by Sarah; this flavor is called "Nutty Berry Burst." I combined it with soymilk, strawberries, and banana. I really enjoyed it due to its very prominent pistachio flavor. YUM!
Wednesday
I kept it simple this morning so as to have plenty of time to get to my classes (first of the semester!). I had a bowl of spelt flakes with rice milk, banana, wheat germ, and almonds. Yet another deluxe cereal bowl, yet another tasty breakfast.
I will be busy with basketball games and more sorority activities later in the day. I keep all my activities straight with my Franklin Covey planner (mine is red with polka dots) and this new wall calendar. How do you keep your life organized?

Be back soon!

Buzzing and Blending

So sorry for yet another delayed post today; Friday nights are not always conducive to posting for a college student's schedule. I celebrated Halloween by going out to dinner with friends (Elmo's again!), making a Target run (where I happened to run into a certain someone), and checking out some the Devil's Eve festivities on campus. I buzzed around in the cold as a bumble bee this year, although I ultimately ended up having an hours-long conversation with one of my dear friends. Alas, I have no crazy Halloween partying to report, but I wouldn't have spent my evening any other way:)

This morning was my sorority's philanthropy event, a mocktail blend-off to support Make-A-Wish Foundation. I contributed my beloved Bullet for the contestants' use--it seems to be no worse for the wear. In retrospect, I probably should have participated myself, considering how much I love all things blended!

Here's what I've been chowing on for the past few days:

Wednesday
To be honest, I don't really remember what went into this smoothie. I think it was soymilk, berry hemp protein, blackberries, and banana.
Thursday
Just hours after receiving them, I seized the opportunity to use some of those sandwich thins. I toasted the wheat variety and spread them with a combination of almond butter and agave nectar. On the side I had some grapes and cottage cheese.
Thursday afternoon was packed with things to do and people to see: advising appointment, marketing the blend-off, working out, plus my weekly RUF meeting. As a result, lunch was a tad pathetic: black eyed pea spread (with cumin and hot sauce), zucchini, carrots, crackers, and an apple with PB. Snore.
For dinner, I made another quick hash, using crumbled tofu, spinach, bell peppers, and soy sauce. I also made a quick serving of mashed potatoes (instant--don't judge!), salad with dried cherries, and cranberry sauce with walnuts. YUM.
Again, I am not quite sure what I put in this smoothie (where has my memory gone?!), but I think it was a combination of berry hemp protein, soymilk, blackberries, and strawberries.
Friday
I look forward to Fridays every week, because it means I actually have the time to make a real breakfast. This week, I decided on the Imus Ranch Tofu-Banana French Toast again. I am seriously considering just making a batch of the batter one of these days and eating it straight--it's that good. Anyway, I topped my slices with banana, walnuts, and agave nectar.
After my usual Whole Foods run, I returned home to make another repeat recipe: a Better Bunny Sandwich from the Rudi's Bakery website. Carrots, pineapple, raisins, vegan mayo, and cinnamon make for quite the tasty combination (especially atop a sandwich thin!). On the side I had a "creative" salad: Romaine, mushrooms, wheat germ, and a dressing made up of blackberry preserves and lemon juice. This made for quite the sweet meal.
As I mentioned above, we went to Elmo's Diner for dinner again last night. I ordered the same spinach salad as last time (no mess-up this time), plus a hummus appetizer as my main entree. The menu doesn't lie when it says "spicy!" I love me some pita bread.
My smoothie last night consisted of a frozen banana, acai hemp protein, blueberries, and soymilk.
That's all for now, but before I go, check out my bumble bee get-up:
Enjoy your Saturday!

Return of Blue Devils Basketball

Sorry to be so late in posting my third installment of the week; I have been busy immersing myself in the joy that is Duke basketball. Upon my arrival to campus in 2006, I developed an intense love for Duke basketball, an odd occurrence for a girl who hadn't taken much interest in professional sports for the first 18 years of her life. Some of you may have heard of the "tenting" tradition at Duke. We students camp out on the lawn in front of Cameron Indoor Stadium for 2 months in order gain access to a single game, the match against our cross-town rival, UNC at Chapel Hill. I was one of those crazy kids, sleeping in a tent in 20* weather in hopes of getting good seats for the much-anticipated game. After an experience like that, it's hard not to remain a loyal fan.

After enduring the torturous summer and fall months without basketball, the 2008-2009 season is finally under way. Last night was the annual "open practice," in which the coach (the legendary Coach K) allows the public to watch the team as they hone their skills. This afternoon I attended the annual Blue White Scrimmage, an event in which the Duke players divide into teams and play against one another. It was great to be back in Cameron--the atmosphere of the stadium is like nothing else. Once you step inside, you can sense the energy bouncing off the walls, and the abundance of team spirit becomes infectious.

OK, now that I have exposed myself as a complete basketball junkie, I suppose I should address the foodie stuff.
Wednesday
I took a temporary hiatus from harvest-time on Wednesday evening and decided on a tropical theme for smoothie time. Strawberry, pineapple, and coconut combined with vanilla hemp and soymilk always make for a winning combination. Thursday
I liked CCV's Banana Bread Blender so much the first time that I gave it another try yesterday morning. Not only is it incredibly delicious, it is so simple too--one-bowl breakfasts are quite the boon when you are without a dishwasher. For lunch, I picked out a recipe from the hummus section of ED&BV, White Bean Hummus with Basil and Thyme. I had neither fresh basil nor thyme, but I made do with dried varieties. I wasn't precise with my measurements as I was ultimately aiming to use up the rest of these never-ending Great Northern Beans, but the flavors ended up spectacular nonetheless. You can hardly go wrong with tahini and garlic:) I spread the scrumptious goop on toasted whole wheat and served it alongside a salad, green beans, and a gorgeous Fuji apple. Kristen and I received a surprise package yesterday: a Halloween tin from the Popcorn Factory! Thanks, Mom and Dad:) Here are a few of the highlights: I whipped up dinner in record time on Thursday. Between Facebook and homework (the two activities that take up most of my time), I completely lost track of time--meaning I had limited time before my church group meeting. I ended up making dinner, scarfing it down, and doing the dishes within the span of about 30 minutes--beat that, Rachael Ray! Anyway, I selected another ED&BV favorite, Peanut Passion Sauce as the star of my dinner. I quickly baked some tofu in a screaming hot oven, steamed some asparagus, and cooked up a serving of whole grain couscous. I added a rather unphotogenic orange at the last minute. I wish I had been able to take my time and enjoy this feast. I realized last night that I have been neglecting the chocolate chili variety of my Living Harvest hemp for far too long. I combined strawberries, chocolate hemp, soymilk, and dairy-free chocolate chips for a chocolate-covered strawberry, in liquid form. Yum. Friday
I have attempted vegan French toast multiple times but never been completely satisfied with the results. After a thorough perusal of my favorite cookbooks, I found a recipe that looked like a winner: Tofu Banana French Toast from The Imus Ranch Cookbook. I blended silken tofu, half a banana, vanilla extract, rice milk, and agave nectar to make a thick batter for the bread. A dip in the batter and a few minutes in the pan made my whole grain bread go from boring to sensational. I topped the slices with cinnamon, pecans, agave nectar, and the rest of the banana. *Food Fugue* PS One great advantage of the vegan French toast is that you can eat the extra batter without worries of food-borne illness...plus it kept my hunger at bay while I waited for the toast to cook! Following a big shop at Whole Foods, I came home to prepare a simple but tasty lunch. I made a grilled Tofurky-tomato sandwich on whole wheat, a Waldorf salad (apple, vegan mayo, almonds, and raisins), plus a salad of mixed greens . Do you like my new fall-ishplacemats? After the open practice, my friends and I hit up one of our favorite local eateries, Elmo's Diner. We have dined there regularly since arriving at Duke, and I have never had a bad meal there. Last night, I opted for the Vegetarian Taco Salad (sans cheese and sour cream) and a side of fresh fruit. The salad was delicious, but a little spicier than I was expecting! I had to get some mint tea to calm down my tastebuds. I didn't get any dessert at Elmo's, but I ended up needing a little something sweet when we returned to the apartment. Kashi cookie to the rescue! I washed it down with an ice cold glass of rice milk. Look for a review in the future:) The smoothie last night was nothing new--just my favorite combination evah. Yep, peaches, mango, vanilla hemp, and soymilk. Whew! I need to actually get some work done this weekend, so I must conclude this lengthy post. Before I go, I'll leave you with some basketball pics.