Motor Mouth

Although I am generally a girl of relatively few (spoken) words, today I just could not keep my mouth shut. Of course, the approaching Halloween weekend and some exciting romantic (!) developments might have had something to do with it, but I was going a mile-a-minute when I talked to my mom on the phone today. I feel sorry for my poor roomie, who upon returning from a long day of exams and tests, was greeted by my motor mouth. Perhaps I should switch to decaffeinated tea?

Before I get started, I want to be sure that you are all aware of Arnold's Name That Sandwich Contest. Just think--you could be responsible for a sandwich revolution! Check out the rules here.

Rena from Arnold Bread was kind enough to notify me of this opportunity and send me some samples of their sandwich thins (which are not available in my area), plus a couple loaves of their new varieties of sliced bread. Hmm, sounds like good material for a future product review...Anyway, I am SO excited to try these items and get creative with my sandwich makin'.
Onto the eats!

Monday
Oh, how I have missed my Nutiva Hemp Shakes. Monday's superb concoction consisted of strawberries, mango, soymilk, and berry pomegranate hemp. Yum.
Tuesday
I fired up the MB for breakfast yesterday morning, despite the sub-40* weather. Nothing gets between me and my smoothies. This one had blackberries and soymilk, and I served it with a mini bagel topped with cashew butter and dried cranberries. Note the lovely Merlot color of the smoothie:)
For lunch, I was jonesin' for some breakfast pizza. My attempt was comprised of scrambled tofu with Boca crumbles mixed in, plus sliced mushrooms and oregano, all on an Italian flatbread. It was tasty, but it would have been even better with soy sausage and onions. On the side is a salad and grapes.
I just can't get enough of that butternut goodness, so I decided to use a recipe I've had bookmarked for a while from Imagine foods (although technically I used Pacific brand's soup). I combined zucchini, onions, and mushrooms with butternut squash and poured the mixture over whole wheat wagon wheel pasta. Along with it, I had a salad with olives, plain yogurt with agave and cinnamon, plus an orange to fend off this cold. Lots of food, lots of satisfaction.
The shake last night again featured the berry pomegranate hemp protein. I blended it with soymilk, peaches, strawberries, and coconut. PS I finally got a big enough cup so that I don't have to deal with overflow anymore--sweet.
Wednesday
It was another Banana Blender Cereal kind of day today. This time I actually used the walnuts that the recipe calls for, rather than substituting almonds or pecans as I have the past few weeks. It turned out delicious and creamy, as always. Next time I might consider adding coconut!
Today's lunch was inspired by a recipe from Rudi's bakery. The original recipe called for turkey, cream cheese, and walnuts, but I ended up using Tofurky, vegan mayo, and almonds (respectively). Yep, those are luscious sliced peaches in that tasty spinach wrap. On the side I had some brussels sprouts and a salad with dried cherries on top.
I was feeling festive this evening (and had an intense desire to procrastinate), so I decided on a Thanksgiving-ish meal. I had some beans 'n greens ( peas with spinach, garlic, and black eyedhot sauce), stuffing, and green beans with chopped pecans. While I ate dinner, I had a pot of cranberry sauce simmering on the stove, so I am just finishing up a dish of that as I type. I simply combined a 12 oz package of cranberries, 1 1/3 cups water, cinnamon, vanilla, and 1/4 cup agave nectar for a tart and delicious treat. This will be so good with pumpkin flax granola!
Before I conclude this rather lengthy post, I will leave you with a picture of my current Clif stash. I recently received a package from my mother with clothes, coats, and --what else--mini Clifs! As you can see, I am fully stocked! I've got a few of the full-size seasonal flavors, plus some Z bars too. I figured you all would be the only ones who would appreciate this:)
Happy Wednesday!

Summer Essentials

I spent most of today shopping for summer essentials with my mom. After finally unpacking all of my clothing from school, I realized that I had no white sandals! Considering how many sundresses I wear during the summertime, I decided that I needed to go shoe shopping; as anyone who knows me can attest, shoe shopping is one of my favorite activities! I found some at Aldo for a reasonable price. Afterward, we headed to The Gap, where I was delighted to discover that I can wear their pants!

I plan on wearing my purchases to a bridal shower tomorrow. Friends of the groom have planned a little shindig for my sister (the bride) tomorrow in Fairhope, AL. Fairhope is about 4 hours from Birmingham, so my other sister, my mom, and I are getting up at 6:30 tomorrow to drive down there. The shower is a luncheon, plus there is a barbecue later that evening. I'll bring my camera, but I doubt I'll be able to sneak pictures. I am not anticipating many vegetarian options; the groom's whole family seems to think I am crazy for eschewing animal products. Guess that means I'll have to bring some of my own grub. Introvert that I am, I am a little anxious about the whole day. Mingling with a room full of strangers is not exactly my cup of tea...Luckily, I think I'll have tomorrow afternoon (between the two events) to exercise and recharge my social battery:)

My meals have been full of summer essentials lately as well. Lots of smoothies, picnic food, and fresh produce--love it!

Wednesday
Wednesday's evening shake was a chocolate-peanut butter swirl. Chocolate Spirutein, peanut butter, and nonfat plain yogurt made this tasty treat. For garnish I used this stuff called PB2, which is basically peanut powder. It's supposed to be a peanut butter alternative; you add water to "reconstitute" it. Obviously, nothing could ever replace the real thing for me, so I just use for decoration and extra flavor in my shakes.

Thursday

As recommended by Romina, I used up one of my many wraps by spreading it with nut butter and banana, then popping it in the oven for a few minutes. This breakfast pizza featured TJ's almond butter, a multigrain flatbread from Target, and a sliced banana. This was delicious! The almond butter got all bubbly and the flatbread was perfectly crispy. It doesn't look very pretty, but it sure hit the spot.

Lunch yesterday consisted of picnic foods. I heated up the last of those never-ending baked beans, and I rolled up a Smart Dog in a small whole wheat tortilla with ketchup and mustard (thanks for the idea, lighterportions!). I also had an apple and a side salad.
For dinner I made a green burger wrap using mashed avocado, a cut up Boca burger, and spinach. In addition to the orange, I also had a side salad and lots of sugar snap peas. Sorry for all my bad close ups--when I make wraps, I should really cut it in half and show you a cross section.
Last night, I broke from chocolate routine and made a vanilla-spice shake. I used this time in combination with Herbateinnonfat plain yogurt, agave nectar, cinnamon, and a sprinkling of Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Granola. I got this granola on a whim at Sam's Club last week (two pack), without ever trying it. Fortunately, I love it! There are visible pepitas and flax seeds throughout, both of which are so healthful!

Friday

I liked that granola so much last night, that I decided to have some for breakfast. I also made a big smoothie with frozen berries and orange juice. I added a few ice cubes, which turned out to be a mistake. Plus, I think I like it better when I use almond milk or no juice at all--the orange kinda threw off my taste buds.

Today's lunch was another wrap, using the other Wildwood Tofu Burger (cut up) with some steamed squash. I also had some almonds and an orange.
Since we're leaving for the weekend, I didn't want to open up another can of beans or another block of tofu for dinner tonight. Instead, I relied on the freezer and found some Quorn Naked Cutlets. In continuing my effort to use up all these tortillas, I made fajitas. I sauteed a green bell pepper with chili powder and garlic and added a cut up cutlet. Mashed avocado and salsa made for the perfect condiments. Although they are not pictured, I also had a side salad and another smoothie (raspberries+almond milk).
Whew! My posts are getting longer these days. Next post might be a little skimpier due to my weekend commitments, so you'll get a reprieve from my epic blabbering. Enjoy your weekend!