Who's that Greasy Kid?

In my experience, it's an unspoken rule that once you sit in a certain spot in a classroom more than twice in a row, that seat is marked as "yours." My linguistics class generally follows this policy in that everyone in the classroom generally sits in the exact same spot for every class period. It's actually quite an interesting sociological phenomenon. Anyway, being the creature of habit that I am, I take part in these shenanigans week in and week out, so I always sit next to the same two people--one is my friend with whom I served on an editorial board, and the other is a male whom I have named "the greasy kid."

Every day he sits next to me for our 11:40 class, and he has always brings new form of fast food. Monday was a Panda Express sesame chicken concoction, while today was a Big Mac with fries. I don't mind if my neighbors bring food (after all, I have been known to munch on a Clif bar during class), but this stuff has an odor that permeates the entire classroom, much less the 5 foot radius around our two seats. I swear, on Monday I smelled a note of sesame orange in my button-down, hours after class was over.

Anyway, it's gotten to the point that I have considered--gasp!--changing seats, mid-semester. I'll probably just suck it up and learn to live with this mystery grease-fan, who I am sure is a perfectly nice guy. Have you ever dealt with an unpleasant habit of a classmate or coworker?

OK, sorry. Rant over.

Monday
I discovered another combination that comes close to the mango-vanilla hemp deliciousness: peach-coconut-vanilla hemp. This would be a good stand-in if you're running low on mango.
Tuesday
Another Tropical Tuesday! I made a pineapple smoothie with more coconut (yes, I am mildly addicted), plus a whole wheat mini bagel with Brazilnut butter and cinnamon. Good fuel before my gender and language quiz.
The pre-run snack was yet another PB Mini Clif. Once again, it was fantastic fuel, accompanied by tasty PB breath.
For lunch I tried a product that has been lurking in my cabinets for a while. I've seen so many bloggers use Annie's whole wheat shells with white cheddar, and it was available at the on campus grocery store (read: I can use food points rather than my own $$). I finally made a batch using rice milk, and I added edamame for protein (and color). The other items you see are a Romaine salad and unsweetened applesauce with flax. Hello, power fuel--this kept me full through a few hours of tutoring.
Kristen and Shen took over the kitchen table last night to study for biochem, so I ate my meal at my desk--I had lots of work to do anyway. I made a simple vegan chili using leftover pasta sauce, chopped onions, kidney beans, cumin, chili powder, and ground red pepper. On the side: corn, spinach salad, plain kefir with cashews. Nice and comforting:)
The shake of the evening was a bit of an experiment, as I used a new protein powder--the vegan chocolate rice protein. It was kind of a bummer. Not chocolatey at all. At least the frozen banana and chocolate chips (which sank to the bottom) made up for the lackluster protein component.
Wednesday
Overnight oats were on the menu this morning, using Jenn's method of soaking the oats in water overnight and adding the creamy ingredients in the morning. This morning I added nonfat kefir, coconut, cinnamon, cashews, and stevia. It was alright, but a little too soupy--I think it would have worked better if I had Greek yogurt on hand. With my budget, that won't be happening any time soon.
The exercise fuel was a baggie of pretzel sticks. Almost entirely carbs (and salt!). It got the job done though.
Lunch was ratatouille-inspired. I cooked up half an eggplant with a bit of jarred tomato sauce, onions, garlic, and kidney beans for protein. To soak up the goodness, I had an Ezekiel pita, plus a salad with peanuts, cranberries, and balsamic vinegar. Once again, perfect for a busy afternoon.
My evening meal was inspired by a recipe from Rudi's Bakery. Check out their website--they have lots of great recipes for herbivores and omnivores alike. Anyway, this is the vegan tempeh reuben, sans cheese and saurkraut because, well, I don't have any. I still made the vegan thousand island dressing though (after a trip to the campus store for sweet relish). I had a big honkin' serving of broccoli with leftover garlic from the tempeh's poaching liquid. That's a glass of rice milk on the side.
I have a random question for you all: I mentioned above that I made a full box of mac and cheese--can you freeze the leftovers? My intuition tells me no, since it would get mighty mushy. What do you think?

Now I am off to relax before another busy day tomorrow. Good night all!

Hiding from Hanna

It's a quiet night here on campus--the effects from Hanna are supposed to roll into town tonight. According to the weather man, strong winds and lots of rain are ahead. Cross your fingers that it doesn't affect the Duke-Northwestern game tomorrow night! Anyway, we're all hiding from the storm tonight. Sounds like an ideal night for a movie...

Anyway, I've got some awesome eats to share with you this evening...

Wednesday
After I signed off last time, I made a smoothie in my new blender. I didn't mention this last time, but I discovered that it has a convenient "Smoothie" setting. Plus, it creates a lot less noise than the MB, so I feel a little less guilty about firing up a blender every night at 11:30. Some people live near noisy frat boys, some people must live near a smoothie enthusiast. Anyway, this concoction included HempShake, soymilk, frozen cherries, and pumpkin flax granola.
Thursday
Despite the arrival of my new blender buddy, I have still been using the MB. I used it yesterday morning for a quick strawberry smoothie (that's wheat germ on top). I also had a whole wheat mini bagel with Brazilnut butter. I randomly added a dash of cinnamon, and it turned out to be a great combination.
My pre-run snack was pure carby goodness: pretzel sticks and a banana. I ran well, but my quads were sore.
Lunch was another salad bar creation: mixed greens, steamed broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, cucumber, kidney beans, and sunflower seeds. Boring, I know.
I had to introduce myself to my tutoring students yesterday afternoon, so I didn't return home until later in the day--I was so hungry! I have been jonesin' for chocolate the past few days, so I tried a Jocolat bar (by Larabar). SO delish. Even better with almond milk. In a frog cup.
Last night marked the return of Cashew Ginger Tofu. I know all must be sick of seeing this stuff so often, but seriously, I think this is what they eat in heaven. I enjoyed it with couscous, salad, and more woody honeydew.
Thursday's smoothie was very similar to the previous evening's. The only difference is that I added a frozen banana to this one. It added great texture and taste--cherry + banana = ultra sweet, the way I like it. (I had a little overflow as a result of the banana addition: see cow cup).
Friday
Since Fridays are my free days, I took the opportunity to sleep in this morning (til 8:30!). My muscles were still sore, so I used the elliptical and stationary bike today rather than running on the track. It was great--I made a little headway into my magazine stack, but I'm still working on my August Self. I returned home to make a breakfast that I had planned out last night. Just before bedtime, I put a slab of tofu in a baggie with Bragg's, vinegar, and cumin and let it marinate overnight. This morning, I grilled it on my George Foreman (you can't see them but the tofu got some killer grill marks). I placed the tofu on a toasted whole wheat mini bagel along with sliced avocado and salsa. Total food fugue.
I journeyed to Whole Foods this morning and picked up some new items...including quinoa! I wanted to participate in the Secret Ingredient Challenge from Sports Nutrition Living, so I made sure to get some of this protein-rich grain. I had a few issues cooking it correctly--I do NOT recommend the microwave method! The charred cooking container is now in the trash can, and my kitchen smells like burnt popcorn. I finally achieved success, however, and I mixed the red quinoa with lentils, mushrooms, garlic, basil, oregano, and red wine vinegar. Salad, almonds, and an organic nectarine rounded it all out. (PS I always buy organic nectarines because they are one of the "dirty dozen," meaning they easily retain pesticide residue).
After a last minute Kroger run, my roommate (her name is Kristen for future reference) and I returned to the apartment not feeling up to cooking much. I finally got the motivation to heat up some tomato soup and make a grilled hummus sandwich. I added ground red pepper to the sandwich before I put it on the grill. It ended up being a great sandwich--the onion, pepper, and tomato had a little party in my mouth when I dipped it into my soup. On the side I had haricot verts and plain yogurt with cashews and cinnamon.
I am off to watch a movie. Stay safe from the storm!

Settling In

For the past few days, I have been busy setting up my apartment and preparing for another semester of classes. I'm sure it won't surprise you that my roommate and I fixed up the kitchen, first thing. We both love our food (and cute dishes)! I love my postage-stamp sized kitchen--I just wish it had better lighting! As a result of the poor window placement, my food pictures might be a little blah until I can figure something else out...

Anyway, I have quite a few pics to share today, so I better get started if I want to finish before Jon and Kate Plus Eight comes on!

Saturday
On our first morning in our new abode, my roommate's mother was nice enough to offer to take us to the Durham Farmers' Market. As you might expect, I jumped at the chance! Before we left, I made a quick bowl of Corn Bran cereal with TJ's AntiOXidant trail mix, sliced banana, and soymilk. Remember when the farmers' market came to campus? Well, the actual farmers' market was even better! I loved seeing all the Durham locals selling their vegetables and crafts, plus I met a few cute pooches as well:) I left the market with a sack full of Pink Lady tomatoes and some green and purple bell peppers. Look for them in later meals...
I came back from the market and snacked on this before my run:
After a workout and a trip to Whole Foods, I returned to the apartment famished. I heated up my leftover veggie burger from Ruby Tuesday and dipped it in some organic Heinz. I also had a spinach salad and an apple with cashew butter.
I figured I should use my food points at least once per day, so my roommate and I headed to campus for dinner. It's the return of the Crunchy Broccoli Salad. Unfortunately, this was a rather pathetic example of this favorite salad of mine--not nearly enough walnuts or crunch. Boo. I added my own kidney beans though.
I made my first apartment smoothie! After a few minutes of fiddling with the MB, I finally got it to work in the new location. This one had frozen blueberries, soymilk, and my usual Nutiva HempShake with a granola on top.
Sunday
I had a leisurely bowl of oats before Chapel: banana oats with Brazilnut butter and pumpkin flax granola. Perfection.
I kept it simple for lunch--hummus sammie with tomato, spinach salad, and almonds.
My sweet tooth beckoned mid-afternoon. A Clif Z bar seemed to do the trick. No wonder people love these things!
I was in an experimental mood for dinner, so I made a new version of tofu salad. Shockingly enough, I didn't use any Grey Poupon in this one. Instead, I combine the tofu with cashew butter, ginger, garlic, and chopped purple bell pepper. I stuffed it into a pita and served it alongside broccoli and plain yogurt with wheat germ.
Apartment smoothie, round 2: strawberries, soymilk, HempShake, and granola.
Monday
I was a little anxious this morning due to the start of classes--I always have the feeling that I am going to be late, or I won't be able to find the classroom or something; you'd think I would be over that by now. Anyway, I wanted something comforting as a result of my unease--PB&J! Technically, this was cashew butter and blackberry jam on toast, along with plain yogurt (sprinkled with cinnamon). Note the return of the animal cups!
After my morning classes, I wanted to head straight to the gym (since it's all on the same campus). I didn't want to eat lunch beforehand, however, so I munched on an apple and a baggie of Corn Bran as a pre-workout snack. Once at the gym, I ran about 4 miles on the track and cooled down on the stationary bike for 20 minutes.
For lunch, I hit up the salad bar--lots of veggies with chickpeas and sunflower seeds.
Dinner was another tofu salad concoction: tofu with Annie's Goddess dressing, Bragg's, and a little basil. Spinach, sliced tomato, fresh blueberries, and a baked sweet potato finished it off. No shortage of phytochemicals in this meal!
Whew! Congratualations if you're still reading. FYI, you might have noticed that I featured a lot of new products in this post. I'll be reviewing them in the near future for one of my "feature" posts. Ciao for now.