Serendipitous Snow

OK, I admit it. I am a weather.com addict. I check it every day in order to anticipate what the coming days might bring, whether it be glorious sunshine or lame wind & rain. As per usual, I checked last night to see what the weather would be at 7AM, the time at which I usually make the trek across campus to the gym. Answer: "12*, windy and icy." Fabulous. A glance down the page indicated that no warming trend was expected throughout the morning. After much deliberation, I decided to deliberately skip my morning class, a transgression I rarely commit.

Lo and behold, I wake up this morning to my roommate rejoicing and announcing that classes had been cancelled! A rather serendipitous blanket of snow had arrived overnight. Hence, all guilt induced by class-skipping was successfully avoided. Sweet.

This weekend was pretty low-key around here; there wasn't much going on around campus, so my friends and I hid from the icy rain and watched a few chick flicks. I also managed to squeeze in another trip to TJ's with Alanna. Check out the eats that kept me going:

Friday
I wasn't much in the mood for cooking, so dinner ended up being a simple veggie bologna wrap with provolone and mixed greens. I'm with Kath--the taste of cheese is never pronounced enough when mixed into sandwiches and wraps, it seems. Anyway, I also opened up a new bottle of Annie's dressing after my beloved Woodstock disappeared. This time, I tried a classic, the balsamic vinaigrette. That's broccoli and a nectarine on the side.
The kind folks at Amazing Grass recently sent me some of their new Amazing Meal protein powder to review for VegFamily. You may remember when I tried (and reviewed) their Berry Greens supplement, but this time I tried out the Amazing Meal original flavor and combined it with soymilk, peaches, blueberries, and strawberries. Fabulous! FYI, Amazing Meal is a combination of hemp and rice proteins (soy-free!).
Saturday
Continuing the simple trend, I had an old fave for breakfast: toast with PB & J. In case you're curious, I used Dickinson's organic all fruit blackberry spread. On the side I had some cottage cheese with banana and cinnamon.
For lunch, I made another Asian Bean Salad, this time using lightly steamed sugar snap peas, mushrooms, green onions, adzuki beans, and Annie's Shiitake Sesame dressing. More of those addictive crackers on the side, plus an orange.
After my trip to TJ's and a very necessary viewing of Bridget Jones's Diary, I made a late dinner out of Mexican Dip. In a glass bowl, I mashed some black beans and added layers of cheddar cheese, salsa, mashed avocado, and finally homemade tofu sour cream. I served all that goodness with some baked blue corn chips and a plate of greens. Definitely spawned a food fugue.
Next up in the Amazing Meal lineup: Pomegranate Mango Infusion. I just blended it with some frozen mango and soymilk, although in retrospect I could have added some POM as well...next time.
Sunday
With my Girl Scout challenge complete, I was left without inspiration for my oatmeal...and then I spied my pretzels in the cupboard next to the oatmeal. Bingo. I cooked my oats in rice milk and vanilla, then topped them with a few pretzels and a blob of PB. Just like those PB pretzels VeggieGirl sent me:)
As per usual, by Sunday I was left with a variety of beans and veggies in the fridge...so I made another veggie-bean stew out of tomato sauce, black beans, adzuki beans, garlic, mixed veggies, cumin, turmeric, and curry powder. I dunked a mini bagel in all that tastiness and served it with grapes and greens with cashews.
I've gotten some great meal suggestions from blog readers, and this one is a new favorite. I stuffed a pita with a Bistro burger, mashed avocado, and melted provolone for a delectable hot sammie. Thanks to Jessica for suggesting this dish! I served it alongside some zucchini, salad, and peaches.
The final installment of the Amazing Meal journey involved a tasty chocolate infusion. I combined it with dairy-free vanilla ice cream (from TJ's!), lots of strawberries, and soymilk. A few Annie's chocolate bunnies decided to join in on the fun. SO GOOD. This was my favorite flavor!
Monday
After sleeping in this morning, I took advantage of my snow day by making a big bowl of choco-nana oat bran. Special dark cocoa powder, oat bran, rice milk, banana, coconut, and chocolate PB made for quite the breakfast treat. I am fast becoming an oat bran convert...
Despite the snow day, I still must venture out to my dining committee meeting tonight. We're discussing some new ideas for eateries to bring to campus. If you're in college now, what's your favorite place to eat on your campus? If you're not college-age, what kind of place would you frequent on a university campus? Outside input is always helpful!

Enjoy your Monday!

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!