Tonight I am finally getting a little down-time...that means the first round of tutoring is through until November; I have finished my homework for the evening; no meetings have crept their way into my schedule--it's just me, a mug of Sleepy Time tea, and Jon & Kate Plus Eight tonight. I haven't been feeling well these past few days, either physically or emotionally, so I am seizing the opportunity to just chill before a busy weekend.
As a result of my various responsibilities and less-than-stellar health, I have been keeping it simple in the kitchen. Check it out:
Monday
I tried another Rudi's recipe on Monday evening--Better Bunny salad. Carrots, pineapple, and vegan mayo made for a simple supper. I added a dash of cinnamon since I didn't have the cinnamon bread called for in the recipe. Placed atop a bed of Romaine and served alongside crackers and cottage cheese with cashews, it made for a balanced and tasty meal.
The smoothie consisted of peaches, mango, vanilla hemp, and soymilk. Coconut made its obligatory appearance. 
Tuesday Breakfast yesterday ended up being great fuel before my psychology exam. I made a peach-soymilk smoothie and spread a whole wheat mini bagel with Sunbutter and apple butter (my most recent find at the on-campus grocery store). Maybe I just liked this meal so much because of the Sunbutter--it makes everything taste good:)
Pre-run, I chomped on a mini brownie Clif bar. Decadent and functional. 
For lunch, I just prepared another spontaneous tofu salad and wrapped it in a whole grain tortilla. This version included tofu, vegan mayo, cashews, dried cranberries, carrots, salt, and dill. On the side I had a simple salad and an organic plum. 
Dinner was a bit of a recipe flop. I attempted to make a cheeze spread out of nutritional yeast, tahini, corn starch, water, and ground red pepper. As you can see, it turned out a bit watery. I would have started over, but it tasted so good! Tastiness trumps texture issues in my book, so I drizzled it over whole wheat toast. It made for an excellent accompaniment to tomato soup, brussels sprouts, and a salad. 
My shake last night was one of the best I have made in a while. I used TWO frozen bananas, chocolate rice protein, dark cocoa powder, and rice milk. It tasted so indulgent, but it was actually quite nutritious. 
Wednesday Prompted by a commenter (Sarah), I decided to try CCV's Banana Bread Blender Cereal this morning. I made a few changes based on what I had on hand--I used rice milk and almonds instead of vanilla soy milk and walnuts. I also added a dash of cinnamon for banana bread authenticity. This was SO delicious!! I can't thank Sarah and Katie enough for the recipe!
The pre-run snack today was painfully boring. I just stuffed some Whole Foods brand Cheerios in a baggie this morning...now I wish I had at least thrown some chocolate chips in for interest. 
Lunch was much more engaging for my taste buds. I found a recipe on VegWeb for Coconut Black Beans with Mango. I didn't have any chilies or coconut milk on hand, but I still managed to get the essential flavors into the dish by using shredded coconut and ground red pepper. The contrast of the sweet mangoes with the cumin and black beans made for quite the flavor party in my mouth. I served it alongside baked tortilla wedges and a salad with perfectly ripe avocado. 
I have another interesting snack to share with you all this evening--another scone! I was greeted with this crumbly little baked good this morning in stats class, prepared by my (male) friend, the baking enthusiast. Love those Craisins. 
Dinner this evening was pretty streamlined: just a Boca burger, baked sweet potato, and steamed zucchini with oregano and basil. I also had the last of my kefir with a blob of cashew butter. 
The sextuplets beckon for my attention...be back soon.
