End of Summer Blues

As of today, I have a week until I head back to Durham. While I am excited to see my friends and be back on campus, I am always a little reluctant to leave behind the comforts of home. I can say so-long to my relaxed schedule, fully-stocked pantry, and afternoon excursions with Mom. Returning to school means returning to reality and to life as a (semi) adult. Wah.

As a result of my dwindling summer, I have decided to make the most of my access to a full-size kitchen. Check out what I've been whipping up these past few days...

Wednesday
I haven't shared a snack with you all in a while, so I thought I would post one of my favorites: whole grain graham crackers dipped in strawberry yogurt. Yum.
I had some of that split pea soup to use up, but I was really not in the mood for soup again (plus I just can't stand eating the same thing twice in a row). Soo, I made shepherd's pie! I combine the leftover soup with mushrooms, a few tablespoons of TVP, sage, thyme, and garlic. After letting it cook down for a few minutes, I plopped it into a mini casserole dish and topped it with mashed potatoes and parsley for garnish. For dessert I had a piece of toast with Sunbutter.
For my shake, I used another frozen banana. So it was heavenly, of course.
Thursday
Another beer mug smoothie! The drinking receptacle makes all the difference. Anyway, this one had pineapple, almond milk, wheat germ and shredded coconut. I also had a small bowl of GoLean with cashews.
I was still jonesin' for scrambled tofu after my failed attempt a few days ago, so I made it again. This time, I covered the tofu in Smoky Avocado Sauce from ED&BV, and I added some chili powder for some kick. Avocados make pretty much anything edible. I also had some toasted corn tortillas, fresh cherries, and a simple spinach salad.
For dinner, my mom had asked me to prepare some ratatouille for her and my dad to enjoy after they returned from a wine and cheese party. I had to sample my own cooking, of course, so I had a big bowl of that with an Ezekiel pita and a salad (with walnuts). I also had an Oikos yogurt to satisfy my insistent sweet tooth.
The smoothie last night was not so good. Those darn blackberry seeds really detract from my enjoyment of the smoothie.
Friday
I had a doctor's appointment this morning, but I got up early, just so I could fit in my workout and a big bowl of stovetop oats. This morning's mound of goodness included whipped banana, blueberry flax (from Trader Joe's), wheat germ, and pumpkin flax granola. Yep. This spurred a food fugue.
I was kinda wiped after my doctor's appointment (note to self: two Benadryl capsules is too many). So, I was not especially in the mood to cook. I made a simple almond butter and jelly sandwich. I found this Tree of Life jar in the back of the fridge--I am definitely a strawberry girl when it comes to PB&J, none of that grape nonsense for me. What's your favorite way to enjoy a nut butter sandwich? Anyway, I wasn't all that hungry, so I just had some (perfectly ripe) honeydew and a spinach salad for my side dishes.

A long nap seemed to cure me of my grogginess, so I made a dinner that actually requires a recipe: Orange Sesame Tofu from ED&BV. I remembered to cut back on the maple syrup this time, so I enjoyed it much more this time around. I also had a salad with cashews and a mound of veggies. My sweet tooth beckoned again, so I finished off the meal with whole grain graham crackers, almond milk, and a few white chocolate chunks.
Olympic track and field is on...be back Monday.

Olympic Obsession

I have returned to reality, but I'm not too disappointed--the Olympics have kept me entertained. I can't help it--I turn on the TV, and I just soak up every little nugget of trivia. Yes, add the Olympic games to my ever-growing list of obsessions. I'm sorry to say that my cooking is nowhere near as exciting as the meals I enjoyed over the weekend. Maybe I should try some new recipes to spice things up? Send any recommendations my way.

Monday
It was around lunchtime when we returned home from the airport. I was hungry but totally not in the mood to cook anything. After rummaging around in the fridge, I salvaged some rice and beans, strawberries, and a salad. Those are BBQ soynuts on the salad. This did not satisfy.
By dinnertime, my creative juices had returned, so I tried my hand at a Mexican-inspired tofu dish. I made a sauce out of low-sodium V8, cumin, chili powder, garlic, lime juice, S + P, and cilantro. Then I baked the tofu for 10 minutes, flipped and stirred, and baked another 10 minutes. It turned out alright, but I don't think I'll repeat this dish. On the side, I had some toasted corn tortillas (cut into triangles) dipped in guacamole (made from avocados on their last legs!).
The shake of the evening made up for my mediocre dinner, however. Good thing I decided to freeze our bananas before we left--they make such excellent additions to shakes and smoothies.
Tuesday
Upon waking to a drizzly and gray morning, I decided that it would be a warm breakfast kind of day. Since I had OD'ed on oats over the weekend, a grilled breakfast sammie was in order. This one had the last of my almond butter and sliced banana. I also enjoyed a container of Fage with my new tiny spoon from Crate & Barrel.
The soggy weather continued into midday, so I had another rainy day meal for lunch: Health Valley Split Pea Soup, Ak-maks, spinach salad with local tomatoes and Snacktrition Fiber Cashews, plus freshly cut honeydew. Tasty.
I used a repeat recipe for dinner, Edamame Pesto from Food to Live By. I tossed it with whole wheat radiator noodles, mushrooms, red onion, and broccoli. I also had a side salad and a travel mug of chocolate almond milk. Can you tell I like anything related to cherries?
The smoothie last night was fabulous! Frozen cherries pair well with the PomegranPlus granola.
Wednesday
I took advantage of a little extra time this morning and put together another breakfast parfait. I am out of muffins (!), so I used some of the never-ending Weetabix with plain organic yogurt, blueberries, walnuts, and some more of the Bear Naked Native granola. I think eating it with a little spoon makes it taste better.
Today's lunch was a bit of a flop. I started out making scrambled tofu but decided I wanted to use broccoli as a mix-in (shocker!), but the veggie-tofu ratio got out of hand. As a result, I didn't taste much of the tahini's creaminess; the garlic and poultry seasoning were a little too subtle too. A spinach salad and fresh cherries rounded it all out.
I'm off to read a bit...or maybe check on the Olympics. Ciao!