Hot, Hot, Hot

July has officially arrived; those lovely 80 degree days are a thing of the past. The hot weather has been considerably intensified in our house these past few days, however. One of our air conditioning units broke, so I might just break a sweat as I type this post.

Call me crazy, but I've still been cooking up a storm. Do you think gastronomy can be addictive?

Monday
My mom and I decided to make a spontaneous Target trip on Monday evening. I know, I'm such a wild child. Anyway, as a result it was close to 8 by the time we returned, so I just heated up a Helen's Kitchen meal. It was delicious!I don't have much experience with curry but this one made a good impression. Helen's meals are lower in sodium, vegetarian (this one was vegan), and organic--quite the triad if you ask me. I also had steamed zucchini, salad, and two dried figs. Another shake success! I used the Alive! Apples and Cinnamon flavor this time--like (green) apple pie in a glass:)
Tuesday
As per usual, a quick breakfast on Tuesday: GoLean with soymilk, sliced almonds, and a bowl of farmers' market blackberries. So simple, so tasty.
After class, I made a recipe out of my Healthy Vegetarian Recipes cookbook: Savory Sprouts with Avocado. The recipe involved raisins, garlic, parsley, and oregano. I really enjoyed the avocado/raisin combination, but the brussels sprouts kind of ruined the party. I also had a simple salad with chickpeas, cukes, balsamic vinegar, and crackers.
For snack, I tried a new cracker: Dr. Kracker. I wonder if his PhD is in cracker-makin', because I really liked these little guys. Beware--they're quite thick/hearty and require considerable chewing! Kath would love 'em.
For dinner, I made a baked eggplant sandwich (inspired by the Student's Vegetarian Cookbook) with roasted yellow peppers and dijon mustard. Also pictured are a Helen's Kitchen Tofu Cutlet, salad, and natural applesauce with honey-roasted peanuts. The sandwich was winner.
Chocolate has returned! My shake last night was as one might expect when using chocolate hemp protein--phenomenal.
Wednesday
Another simple breakfast today: frozen cherry-soymilk smoothie with a few handfuls of Corn Bran cereal. Oddly enough, this held me over until 2:30! Maybe it was the fiber?
For lunch I made a black bean burrito with avocado and tons of fresh salsa. I had some trouble closing up this one--perhaps I should have used the tin foil trick I read so much about. I also had a salad and a big bowl of grapes. I had quite a hearty dinner this evening.
I heated up the oven tonight, despite our lack of AC, to make Dreena's Orange Sesame Tofu. I was generally pleased with the dish, but I think I was a bit heavy handed with the maple syrup. Sometimes I just can't control my sweet tooth...Also pictured are steamed zucchini, whole wheat couscous with walnuts, and salad. As you might imagine, I am a tad full right now.
I am off to study the cardiovascular system. Be back Friday!