Procrastination via Organization

Like many of you, I am lucky enough to have today off, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. Many of peers are studiously using this extra day off as an opportunity to catch up on work and prepare for the academic rigors of the weeks ahead. But I'm not. Aside from sleeping in and completing a few minor assignments, I decided it would be a much better use of time to organize my pantry! Exhibit A:
I grew tired of having a cupboard full of miscellaneous bags and chip clips to store my nuts and dried fruit, so I invested in a few storage containers. Now my snacks will be fresh, and my cupboard will be tidy. I derive far too much enjoyment from kitchen organization. How do you keep your cupboards neat?

Anyway, here's what I've been munching since Friday's post:

Friday
I was just itching to use some of new frozen blueberries, so I threw them in the blender along with some strawberries, soymilk, and Nutribody protein.
Saturday
I awoke to another frigid morning, so I made sure to warm myself up after my workout with a hot breakfast. I poured heated rice milk over a few crumbled Weetabix biscuits; I had an apple with almond butter as well.
Almost immediately afterward, I headed out to the Duke basketball game, where we were once again victorious:)
I was starving when I returned to the apartment, so I relied on some freezer goodies, namely an Amy's Texas burger. I slapped that on some bread with salsa and served it alongside a salad with pepitas and a few grapes.
Then it was off to the mall...where I was completely unsuccessful at finding a puffer coat. Instead I ordered this one online when I got home. What do you think? Anyway, I made a quick dinner before a viewing of Father of the Bride with my friends: black beans, peppers, and avocado in a whole grain pita, along with zucchini and a couple clementines.
The shake of the evening was creamy and delicious: frozen banana with chocolate rice protein, soy milk, non-dairy ice cream, and a dusting of cocoa powder. YUM.
Sunday
I made my usual Sunday morning oatmeal, this time with applesauce, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cashews.
After chapel and a little studying, I made a simple lunch: black beans and onions (with a few spices) atop a bed of spinach, a baked sweet potato, and a dish of peaches with wheat germ and pecans.
By the time I got to eat dinner, I was famished again. I came up with an impromptu version of one of my mom's old dishes: mashed potatoes with ham & cheese. I didn't have any "veggie" ham on hand, so I substituted TVP. Also in the mix is dill and garlic. Delish. On the side, I had brussels sprouts, salad with Woodstock dressing, and a few grapes.
The shake took a decidedly decadent note last night, as I combined a frozen banana, dark cocoa powder, chocolate rice protein, soymilk, strawberries, coconut, and dairy-free chocolate chips (I think that's everything...). Fabulous combination!
Monday
I must be on a choco-nana kick, because I used the same combination for breakfast in my oatmeal: oats, dark cocoa powder, banana, cinnamon, and PB. I felt like I was eating brownie batter for breakfast!
You all must get really tired of seeing this meal every post, but I made another tofu scramble for lunch. It's just so delicious and easy! I combined silken tofu with tahini, soy sauce, minced garlic, ginger, turmeric, and sliced zucchini and served it with toast and a salad with clementines. Perfection.
Speaking of repetitive meals, I am a little bored with my eats lately. How do you get out of your dietary ruts? Do you have any favorite cooking websites? Recipe suggestions are always welcome!

Enjoy your Monday!

Pomegranate Crime Scene

After about 2 weeks of hiding behind my wheat germ jar, the pomegranate I purchased was finally put to good use today. I have absolutely zero experience with pomegranates or their seeds, so preparing this mystery fruit made for quite the adventure. After carefully cutting off the top, I began separating the seeds from the membrane...then the chaos began. Those seeds are slippery little suckers! Let's just say that the preparation session concluded with stained counters, a purple-dotted microwave, a speckled T-shirt, and "freckles" all over my body. In short, it looked like a pomegranate homicide had taken place.

Anyway, the hummus-soynut monotony has gladly come to a close. Check out my most recent eats:

Monday
After a failed smoothie attempt using the Vega vanilla chai protein (*gasp* I actually poured it down the drain!), I settled on another strawberry cream shake: strawberries, soymilk, vanilla soy ice cream, and Nutribody protein.
Tuesday
I decided to get creative with yesterday's parfait. I combined plain yogurt (with cinnamon), sliced pear, bran flakes, currants, and almonds. Out of the ordinary and delicious.
In an effort to use up my eggplant, I made a ratatouille with tomato sauce and onions. I served it with couscous, a salad with wheat germ and sweet dill dressing, and a banana with melty PB for dessert.
For dinner, I was craving comfort food, so I heated up some of Amy's baked beans and served them alongside mac & cheeze (based off of this recipe), broccoli, and green beans.
The smoothie last night was a berry bonanza: blueberries, strawberries, soymilk, and Nutribody protein. I am in dire need of frozen fruit! Eek!
Wednesday
Another week, another Banana Bread Blender. This time, I used spelt flakes instead of bran and honey-roasted peanuts for the nut component. Banana with PB...in liquid form.
Lunch today was inspired by a recipe for Baked Bean Stew from Nubella. I omitted the chicken and made a few other adjustments. Toast points and an apple with glorious almond butter rounded everything out.
I just finished a delicious dinner: I made wagon wheel pasta with broccoli and TVP "meat sauce," and I made a killer salad out of greens, sweet dill dressing, pomegranate seeds, and pecans. Whoa.
I promised you pictures of my semi formal outfit for this Saturday:
This is my first time wearing the dress; I hope it will be right for the occasion. PS Anyone have any suggestions on how to do my hair for the evening?

Alright, I am off to do some sorority activities. Ta-ta for now.

Boys on the Brain

I might otherwise not mention this subject, but considering the overwhelmingly female readership of this blog, I feel like I can broach the topic that has been on my mind all day: boys.

As a nearly 21-year old woman, I am embarrassed to admit that I have never had a boyfriend. Yes, I actually confessed it. I am all about being open on my blog, so there is no use in hiding my (nonexistent) romantic status. Anyway, as a result of my decades-long romance deprivation, my mind has been wandering in the direction of love and marriage lately. I find myself wondering, "Will I ever get married? Am I going to be single for life? What is so wrong with me that I can't seem to nab a man of my own?" I am uncertain as to why my thoughts have assumed this pattern, but I'm sure watching Tristan + Isolde and Ever After within the past two weeks didn't help the situation...Or, perhaps downloading Celine Dion's greatest hits on my iPod was a poor choice.

Romance woes aside, I have a few interesting meals to show you this evening before I get crackin' on studying. I have a psych midterm tomorrow, but I am not sure how effective studying will be at this point given my disgruntled mental state.

Enough chit-chat. Here's the grub.

Friday
After loading up on frozen fruit at Target, I was excited to enjoy cherries again. Unfortunately, this smoothie was a flop. Too liquidy. Boo.
Saturday
Upon my return from an especially difficult run around campus, I decided on a blueberry-banana-flax parfait. Organic blueberry yogurt, sliced banana, Whole Foods brand Cheerios, and ground flax made up this little glass of deliciousness.
After a hot day in the sun at the Duke-UVA football game (at which DUKE was victorious), I was in serious need of fuel, fast. I had the rest of the Annie's rice milk mac and cheese (to which I added garlic and oregano), plus a salad with cashews and a plum.
For dinner that evening, I got a chance to try those TVP crumbles I ordered a while back. I rehydrated them, then mixed them with pasta sauce, oregano, and chopped onions. I stuffed it all into an Ezekiel pita and served it alongside green beans with chopped almonds. Delish.
The uber-delicious shake of the night consisted of frozen strawberries, cocoa Living Harvest hemp, and coconut. The consistency and flavor were both completely "perf."
Sunday
Before heading to the Chapel yesterday, I made myself a big bowl of oats with rice milk and butternut squash. A dash of cinnamon and chopped almonds made it oh-so-good. I bet it would be even better with almond butter:)
I was neither hungry nor creatively inclined yesterday afternoon, so lunch was just a simple glob of hummus with raw veggies and pita bread. I hit all my bases by adding a trail mix (cashew-cranberry combo) and an organic plum.
After writing my snack post yesterday, I was especially inspired to create a new snack combination: PB & J cottage cheese. I just combined cottage cheese with roasted peanuts and a blob of organic blackberry jam.
I was ravenous after my chapter meeting last night, so dinner was a campus special: the Crunchy Broccoli Salad. Remember when I first blogged about it here? Well, I still love it just as much. FYI, my addition of soynuts is perhaps what makes it so delicious. On the side I had a fruit cup and some Milton's crackers.
Another successful smoothie last night: strawberry-pineapple. So tropical, so tasty.
Monday
I just needed something simple today...my mind was otherwise occupied. I had whole wheat toast with Natural Sunbutter, plain yogurt with butternut squash, and another plum. This was SO filling, the way I like it.
Before my run today, I had some original flavor Puffins. I nabbed these at an on-campus grocery store--can you believe that they were cheaper than the box of Corn Bran? They're very similar products, but I obviously much prefer Barbara's cereals.
It had been a while since I had enjoyed my beloved scrambled tofu, plus I happened to pick up some turmeric at Target last Friday, so lunch today was an obvious choice. This rendition included mushrooms and garlic, along with the usual tahini and soy sauce. On the side I had a slice of whole wheat toast, a sliced apple, and a simple spinach salad. I love the colors in this one!
Now, I am off to study evolutionary psychology and mating preferences...I can't seem to escape the subject today. Enjoy your evening!