Oh, Puffy Coat, How I Miss Thee

During my freshman year, I participated in the Duke tradition of tenting, so I purchased the very necessary "puffy coat." It was big, red, and served its purpose fabulously. I decided not to bring it to school this year for several reasons: 1) It would have required a suitcase of its own...something I am unwilling to furnish considering the baggage fees that are now in effect. 2) It made me resemble a toasty marshmallow that had been aflame a tad too long. 3) I simply didn't think I needed it this winter. Well, it turns out number three was FALSE. Weather.com informed me that it felt like 6* this morning at 9AM. I managed to survive my errands today with some clever layering, but that puffy coat would have been way more convenient. Sigh. Live and learn. How do you keep warm in the dregs of winter?

I've been enjoying plenty of hot eats the past few days to keep me warm as well:

Wednesday
After I signed off last time, I made a simple lunch: Better Bunny Salad (recipe from Rudi's) atop a bed of greens, and a few mini tomato-basil hummus sandwiches.
I went over to a friend's dorm room to watch the Duke-GA Tech game on TV and to hang out with buds. While there, we ordered from Cinelli's. I ordered the Penne Cinelli, which features white beans and escarole. Delish.
Once home, I made a creamy strawberry-peach shake with Nutribody protein, soymilk, and vanilla non-dairy ice cream. Heaven!
Thursday
With plentiful bananas on hand, I decided to make banana fingers for breakfast: bananas dipped in plain yogurt (with cinnamon) and rolled in crushed spelt flakes. That's almond butter in the center for dipping.
Lunch was an old but simple fave: a black bean burrito. Mine included salsa, mashed avocado, and little lettuce for crunch. I also had a salad and a few clementines.
Just before heading out to a church group meeting, I made an Italian-inspired menu: pan seared tofu (seasoned with garlic, basil, and oregano), tomatoes with squash, salad with Woodstock dressing, whole wheat couscous, and a dish of grapes. Yes, I ate the whole thing.
My frozen fruit supply was running low, so I made an odd smoothie last night out of cherries, pineapple, soymilk, Nutribody, and soymilk. It turned out quite sweet and delicious.
Friday
I needed something hot for my morning meal today, so I made a quick tofu scramble with broccoli and the other usual ingredients. I served it alongside a Rudi's English muffin and some more grapes.
I trekked all the way to Whole Foods, amidst the single digit temperatures, and returned with some good loot:
Highlights include a new flavor of Cascadian Farms granola and...a White Chocolate Macadamia Clif bar! There is no joy like that derived from a new Clif bar.

Afterward, I made lunch: baked potato topped with black beans, salsa, and mashed avocado, plus a salad and clementines.
Dinner this evening was another hot one: grilled hummus/mozzarella sammie with sugar snap peas, an apple, and a salad with Goddess dressing.
What are your favorite warm-up foods? I am always in search of new dishes to keep my body toasty:)

Enjoy your weekend! Stay tuned for product reviews on Sunday...

Lucky Day

I must be livin' right because I have experienced some fortuitous events today! I went to my 8:30 stats class this morning, as usual, and when I checked my e-mail afterward, I found an e-mail saying that my linguistics class had been cancelled for today! No class means no daily quiz either, so I was beaming at the computer screen when I opened that message.

As a result, I got a jump start on my day. I had volunteered last week to bake some goodies for a "Chi O Study Break," and, as of last night, I was not sure when I was going to be able to make that happen. Thanks to my suddenly flexible schedule, I was able to attack the baking project right after my run. Plus, when I went to the on-campus grocery, they had all the ingredients I needed!

I think that perhaps my elevated spirits might also be due to the fact that I got the chance to bake...firing up the oven and filling the apartment with sweet smells is an instant mood-lifter:)

I have plenty to share with you today, so let's get to it:

Friday
The evening's smoothie was another new success, both in terms of taste and texture. I combined frozen strawberries and cherries with my last Nutiva hemp packet and soymilk. My pumpkin flax granola made a perfect accompaniment.
Saturday
After a much needed sleep-in session, I went for a run and returned to make an Apple Pie Parfait. I made some cheater's baked apples by thinly slicing a Rome apple, sprinkling it with cinnamon, and nuking it in the microwave for a few minutes. The other layers of the parfait were plain organic yogurt and a few scoops of bran flakes. The topping was the best part--a big dollop creamy PB. I still have a jar of crunchy PB in the fridge, but it doesn't even compare to this--I am a die hard creamy girl. How about you? Are you a crunchy or a creamy fan?
Before heading out to the music festival on campus, I made a quick but absolutely delicious lunch. I sliced up a Sunshine burger, placed it atop a bed of greens, and drizzled both with a new dressing I whipped up: dijon mustard, vegan mayo, lemon juice, agave nectar, and dill weed. I practically licked the bowl. On the side, I had some crackers and a few grapes.
I came back later to change quickly before the "Western event" I mentioned in my last post. Dinner was another quick one; I combined black beans, bell peppers, cumin, and chili powder, rolled the mixture into pita halves (makeshift tortillas), and topped with salsa and guacamole. I also had some pineapple.
Amongst the many fun activities of the evening (hay rides, dancing, etc.), there was also a s'mores table. My friends and I roasted marshmallows at the bonfire to make the perfect dessert sammie. I am not normally a fan of marshmallow, but the chocolate and graham cracker made up for it:)
Sunday
I woke up hungry yesterday morning, and the air was crisp with the beginnings of fall, so I decided a bowl of pumpkin bread oats was in order. I combined oats, water, pumpkin, and ginger in a pot on the stove, and once they were cooked, I added chopped almonds, cinnamon, and raisins. My mom's legendary pumpkin bread recipe also includes cloves, nutmeg, and allspice, but I don't have that extensive of a spice cabinet (yet!). This was so good and so comforting.
After church, I came home to start lunch for my study buddy and me. I decided on vegan chili for the midday menu. Into the pot went onions, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, Boca crumbles, cumin, ground red pepper, garlic salt, and chili powder. I also put some grapes on the table for munching. My guest said he liked it...I hope he wasn't just being nice! Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I filled my afternoon with studying/chatting, Skyping with my friend (who is abroad in Madrid), and uploading Facebook pics. Entirely unproductive. Anyway, time got away from me, so I needed another quick dinner before my meeting last night: Italian herb encrusted tofu (grilled on good ol' Georgie), couscous, zucchini, and a sliced apple with PB. Yummy.
The smoothie of the evening incorporated a recent splurge item of mine: frozen blueberries. My grocery bill was looking to be pretty moderate this week, so I decided that some tasty berries wouldn't hurt. I combined them with strawberries, vanilla hemp, and soymilk. Delish.
Monday
I had a simple but tasty morning meal today: toast with mashed banana combined with Sunbutter, plus the last of my cottage cheese. This was such simple breakfast that I actually got to class early today. Sweet.
Since I didn't have my second class today, I actually didn't need a pre-run snack, although I ate it on the way back from the gym. Whole Foods brand Cheerios with dried cranberries.
I came back and made a batch of my mom's famous graham cracker brownies, which has quite possibly the shortest ingredients list of any baked good: graham crackers, chocolate chips, and sweetened condensed milk. Hardly healthful or vegan, but they always get rave reviews. I wonder if they make sweetened condensed soymilk?
Lunch this afternoon was leftovers: I heated up the rest of yesterday's chili and poured it over a baked sweet potato. (I promise there IS a sweet potato underneath all that chili!) A salad with cashews and some grapes finished it off.
Whew! I will leave you with a few pictures from my weekend. Pardon my large, nasty tongue:)