Peanut Butter, Basketball, and Sisterly Love

Yep, my weekend consisted of three of my favorite things. The ChiO crush party on Friday was a blast; even though all the juniors (myself included) were designated as "sober sisters," we all managed to have lots of fun. Yesterday, I headed over to the basketball game, where we defeated Virginia, 79-54. Sweet. To top off all this weekend fun, I managed to try not 1, not 2, but 3 additional flavors of my new Peanut Butter & Co. products. Life is good.

How did you spend your weekend?

Although I did consume a healthy amount of peanut butter this weekend, it's not all I ate. See for yourself:

Friday
Before heading out for the evening's festivities, I was sure to adequately fuel myself. As a sober sister, I had to be there for the entirety of the event from 9 PM-2 AM. Oy. Anyway, here's what I cobbled together: Amy's Bistro burger on whole wheat with organic K+M, a salad with tomatoes and walnuts, and a dish of grapes.
When I returned from the party, I was famished from all that dancing...so I made my smoothie at 3AM. Yes, my neighbors love me, I am sure. Anyway, here's what went into my concoction: frozen banana, soymilk, cappuccino Spirutein, and a few dairy-free chocolate chips.
Saturday
I suppose you could call this breakfast, even though I didn't eat it until about 12 PM...yes, I actually slept in for once! I made a tropical parfait: plain yogurt, spelt flakes, mango, coconut, and cashews.
For lunch, I made the best of leftovers my making a two-bean chili: chickpeas, black beans, tomato sauce + water, chili powder, cayenne, and onions. On the side I had a baked potato, salad, and a blood orange.
After some hard-core homeworking, I was ready for some grub. I took the lazy route and just made a big salad with soynuts and served it alongside rice crackers and an apple with White Chocolate Wonderful PB. The apple with PB was by far the best part of this meal--the Cameo apple (which I purchased for 99 cents/lb at WF!) was the perfectly sweet accompaniment for the PB. It was almost like dessert. Almost.
The smoothie of the evening featured one of my favorite Spirutein flavors: bluberries 'n cream. I combined that with blueberries, soymilk, and a bit of granola.
Sunday
Before heading out to chapel, I made my customary stovetop oats, this time with strawberries and rice milk for a super creamy texture. Then I plopped a dollop of Dark Chocolate Dreams PB on top...that's just the tip of the PB iceberg you see below; much of it sunk to the bottom of the bowl, which made for a lovely surprise at the end of my meal. Chocolate-covered strawberry, anyone?
I didn't get a chance to eat "lunch" until after the basketball game at 4:30 PM. Yeah, so I was ready to eat anything in sight. I relied on my freezer goodies this time: I heated up a Tofu Scramble Pocket by Amy's Kitchen. While I much prefer my own scrambled tofu creations, this product is great for occasions when time is short...or you're just too hungry to prepare anything for yourself. I served it alongside a salad with Woodstock dressing and a dish of grapes.
Dinner was another spontaneous affair. I made a hummus pocket sandwich and ate it with some steamed veggies and an apple with cashew butter.
The smoothie last night featured unsweetened banana Spirutein with a banana and a sliced peaches for good measure.
Monday
Inspired by a recipe I found in the Skippy cookbook my dad received for Christmas, I made a PB "quesadilla" except there was absolutely no cheese involved. I spread a wrap with Cinnamon Raisin PB and sliced bananas, then threw it on the George Foreman. I also had some cinnamon-spiked yogurt on the side. It was quite melty and delicious.
Now for a completely random question: What kind of toothpaste do you use? I am squishing out the final bits of my tube, so I need to replace it ASAP.

OK, maybe I'll actually be on time to my Faulkner class today. Whatevs--blogging is worth missing a few minutes of class:)

Oh, Puffy Coat, How I Miss Thee

During my freshman year, I participated in the Duke tradition of tenting, so I purchased the very necessary "puffy coat." It was big, red, and served its purpose fabulously. I decided not to bring it to school this year for several reasons: 1) It would have required a suitcase of its own...something I am unwilling to furnish considering the baggage fees that are now in effect. 2) It made me resemble a toasty marshmallow that had been aflame a tad too long. 3) I simply didn't think I needed it this winter. Well, it turns out number three was FALSE. Weather.com informed me that it felt like 6* this morning at 9AM. I managed to survive my errands today with some clever layering, but that puffy coat would have been way more convenient. Sigh. Live and learn. How do you keep warm in the dregs of winter?

I've been enjoying plenty of hot eats the past few days to keep me warm as well:

Wednesday
After I signed off last time, I made a simple lunch: Better Bunny Salad (recipe from Rudi's) atop a bed of greens, and a few mini tomato-basil hummus sandwiches.
I went over to a friend's dorm room to watch the Duke-GA Tech game on TV and to hang out with buds. While there, we ordered from Cinelli's. I ordered the Penne Cinelli, which features white beans and escarole. Delish.
Once home, I made a creamy strawberry-peach shake with Nutribody protein, soymilk, and vanilla non-dairy ice cream. Heaven!
Thursday
With plentiful bananas on hand, I decided to make banana fingers for breakfast: bananas dipped in plain yogurt (with cinnamon) and rolled in crushed spelt flakes. That's almond butter in the center for dipping.
Lunch was an old but simple fave: a black bean burrito. Mine included salsa, mashed avocado, and little lettuce for crunch. I also had a salad and a few clementines.
Just before heading out to a church group meeting, I made an Italian-inspired menu: pan seared tofu (seasoned with garlic, basil, and oregano), tomatoes with squash, salad with Woodstock dressing, whole wheat couscous, and a dish of grapes. Yes, I ate the whole thing.
My frozen fruit supply was running low, so I made an odd smoothie last night out of cherries, pineapple, soymilk, Nutribody, and soymilk. It turned out quite sweet and delicious.
Friday
I needed something hot for my morning meal today, so I made a quick tofu scramble with broccoli and the other usual ingredients. I served it alongside a Rudi's English muffin and some more grapes.
I trekked all the way to Whole Foods, amidst the single digit temperatures, and returned with some good loot:
Highlights include a new flavor of Cascadian Farms granola and...a White Chocolate Macadamia Clif bar! There is no joy like that derived from a new Clif bar.

Afterward, I made lunch: baked potato topped with black beans, salsa, and mashed avocado, plus a salad and clementines.
Dinner this evening was another hot one: grilled hummus/mozzarella sammie with sugar snap peas, an apple, and a salad with Goddess dressing.
What are your favorite warm-up foods? I am always in search of new dishes to keep my body toasty:)

Enjoy your weekend! Stay tuned for product reviews on Sunday...