Light My Candle

Ever since reading this article in the NYT today, my favorite song from Rent, "Light My Candle," has been playing incessantly in my head. As I walked to the gym, as I waited in the check out line at Whole Foods, even as I was chopping garlic--I could hear Roger and Mimi singing their duet. Quick, someone get a different song stuck in my head! What songs tend to linger in your mind?

Aside from repetitive humming, I have had a busy few days. Here's what I ate along the way:

Wednesday
I looked to one of my Food Network faves for lunch inspiration: Ellie Krieger. Her Chickpea and Spinach Salad with Cumin Dressing sounded intriguing to me, so I made my own version for my midday meal. I simply placed chickpeas on a bed of spinach and dressed it with a sauce containing vegan mayo, ground red pepper, cumin, and lemon juice. On the side, I had some corn thins and an apple with almond butter.
I was craving a hearty dinner that day, so I made an Italian Sub: TVP with tomato sauce, oregano, basil, and garlic on a whole grain bun. Messy, but oh-so-delicious. I also had some broccoli, a salad with Goddess dressing, and a pluot.
The smoothie of the night contained strawberries, peaches, soymilk, and Nutribody.
Thursday
Yesterday seemed like a parfait kind of day, so I made a quick layered concoction with Honey Nut Os, TJ's Honey Greek yogurt, cashews, and sliced banana. Not to toot my own horn, but this was pretty fabulous.
For lunch, I made my tasty Asparagus Salad again, since it spawned a pretty intense food fugue the last time I had it. This rendition included mixed greens, orange segments, tofu (cooked in soy sauce, ginger, and garlic), peanuts, asparagus, and mushrooms. YUM. I also had some rice crackers on the side.
Dinner was spent out with my new "little sister" in Chi Omega. We ate at a campus eatery (the 'Dillo) while we watched the Duke basketball game. I ordered the Black Bean Taco salad (with guac, of course!). Here is a recycled picture from the last time I ate there.
I concluded the evening with a peach-pineapple smoothie.
Friday
After facing the frigid temperatures this morning, I was ready for something hot before heading out the door to run errands...so made some warm oat bran. Yep, I, too, have hopped on the oat bran wagon. I made mine with all anti-oxidant rich superfoods: pomegranate (POM juice), almonds (almond butter), and dark chocolate (dairy-free chocolate chips). It turned out to be quite the morning treat. Thanks so much to Janny from POM Wonderful for sending me samples!
Here's the loot from a rather nippy trek to Whole Foods:
Highlights: Greek Gods yogurt (on sale!), bok choy, BBQ sauce (finally, I can try Jenn's humbecue!), baked blue corn chips, and more Odwalla bars!

After getting a little homework done, I took a break for lunch. I combined chickpeas with broccoli slaw, garlic, tahini, and curry powder; I sopped up the goodness with an Ezekiel pita. That's a sliced Golden Delicious apple and a simple salad with mushrooms on the side.

Several errands later, I returned home for a lovely dinner of White Bean and Walnut Bruschetta from ED&BV. I've made this several times before (yep, that's 4 times), and it never ceases to satisfy. I had a salad with red bell pepper and mozzarella on the side, as well as a dish of grapes.
That concludes this evening's post--hopefully next time I type, I will have managed to rid my mind of the Rent soundtrack. Happy weekend!

Foodie Friends

I just spent a fabulous evening with Alanna, my foodie friend and future roommate. At last, I have found someone who shares my passion for grocery shopping and healthful eating! Our outing began with a trip to Target for a few items related to our sorority...although I also grabbed a few items for myself, of course--Target is like the danger zone in terms of impulse buying. Afterward, we headed to Trader Joe's and scoured the aisles for foodie finds. Highlight purchases of this trip included agave-maple syrup, veggie dogs, and low-sodium butternut squash soup. Keep an eye out for those in my future posts! For those of you fortunate enough to have a Trader Joe's nearby, what is your favorite item? I'll keep a list for our upcoming TJ's excursions:)

We wound up the foodie frenzy with a stop at Evo's...stay tuned to see what I ordered.

Rewinding to earlier in the week, I managed to fill myself up with some pretty tasty eats:

Wednesday
With some green beans and pinto beans in dire need of being eaten, I whipped up an Asian bean salad with Annie's Shiitake Sesame dressing. I had some rice crackers and an orange on the side.
Many months ago, I made a recipe from Ellie Krieger, an Herbed Toasted Pita Salad. I made my own version with black beans, TJ's Mini Pitas, green bell pepper, tomato, and avocado. I love the crunch of the pita! On the side, I had pineapple and broccoli.
The smoothie of the evening included cherries, peaches, and Nutribody protein. A unique but nonetheless tasty combination.
Thursday
With my box of Fiber One finally gone, I decided to open up another cereal from my stockpile, Cascadian Farm's Honey Nut Os. I enjoyed a big bowl with rice milk and dates, as well as a sliced banana with PB.
Ever since I became a vegetarian 5 years ago, I have always loved making tofu salads, especially ones that mimic the flavors of egg salad. While I usually just wing it when preparing tofu salads, yesterday I opted to use this recipe for inspiration. It turned out completely delicious, especially atop that pillowy whole grain roll. I also had some greens with Goddess dressing and a Pacific Rose apple. As my Granddaddy would say, "This hit the spot!"
For dinner, I put George Foreman to work and made a black bean and cheddar quesadilla. I dipped the melty mess in some salsa and served it with a salad (with pepitas), peppers, and peaches.
It's been so long since I've had access to frozen cherries (they don't sell them at Whole Foods)--I had nearly forgotten how much I love them! Since I was able to pick some up at Target last weekend, I made a cherry-licious smoothie last night with cherry Spirutein, cherries, strawberries, and soymilk. Absolutely fabulous. I can't wait until fresh cherries are in season again!
Friday
Continuing with my Girl Scout Cookie-themed oats, this mornings bowl was inspired by Tagalongs. I combined my oats with hot cocoa mix (not to be confused with cocoa powder) and topped them with a blob of regular ol' PB. The end result was quite authentically Tagalong-ish. On the side, I had some strawberries with sliced banana.
Here's a look at my weekly Whole Foods haul:
Check out the special edition yogurt flavors! I am also pretty pumped about trying those Odwalla bars.

I worked up quite an appetite cleaning up the apartment and doing laundry. Lunch consisted of baked beans (pintos, garlic, tomato sauce, dijon mustard, and agave nectar), corn, salad with Woodstock dressing, and an apple. Yum.
After our evening of foodie activities, Alanna and I returned to my apartment to dig into our Evo's grub. I ordered the veggie chili with a side of "Airfries," which have considerably less fat and kcalories than standard fast food fries. I also snagged some of their house-made ketchup in the mesquite and cayenne varieties. You all know that I can't have a meal without some fresh produce, so I also had a small salad and a pluot. Now, I am totally stuffed and content:)
Today's random question: Have you ever noticed that workout wear is friggin' expensive? Alanna and I stopped by the activewear section of Target this evening, and everything was way out of my budget. Where do you shop for affordable workout gear? Or am I destined to a lifetime of college t-shirts and Soffe shorts?

Alright, I am off to chillax. Ciao for now.