Stress Fest, Round 1

How is it that it is just the second week of classes, and I have already managed to have stress out? It all started yesterday afternoon when I realized that I could feasibly graduate early (Dec. 2009 rather than May 2010). This would be a great way to save some tuition dollars and get a head start on my nutrition classes. However, then I considered all the things I would be missing if I skipped out on second semester senior year: sorority formals, walking at graduation, just being with my friends. Just thinking about missing those things makes me tear up as I type. I talked to my parents about it, and they gave me the exact wrong answer: "it's up to you, honey." They're letting me make the decision. How dare they! You mean I actually have to be an adult?! Anyway, I think my strong emotions ought to be heeded; I don't want to look back on my years at Duke with regret.

Academic rants aside, let's turn to a topic that keeps me on an even keel: food...

Saturday
When I was uploading photos on Saturday, I accidentally deleted some of my breakfast photos. I did manage to salvage one (below). I enjoyed a blueberry-soymilk smoothie with a dish of PB Puffins and almonds. Great way to cool down after a morning at the gym.
After a very necessary Target run, I settled down to a lunch of revamped leftovers: spinach salad with (local!) organic cherry tomatoes, kidney beans, and tofu. Another peach and toast points with cashew butter are what you see on the side.
Dinner was another spontaneous creation: sliced zucchini, chickpeas, garlic, red wine vinegar, basil, and oregano went into the pan. I had some couscous and chopped broccoli on the side, plus a yogurt with peanuts for dessert. Odd, but good.
I made a smoothie that evening, using some of that Alive! rice and pea protein powder. I snagged a few pouches of the vanilla flavor to last me until my order of Nutiva HempShake arrives. Anyway, this concoction featured frozen cherries (courtesy of SuperTarget), soymilk, and pumpkin flax granola. SO GOOD. The texture of this protein powder is such that it really puffs up once whizzed in the blender. It's like crazy good-for-you Cool Whip.
Sunday
I woke up bright and early on Sunday morning, thinking I needed to be at Chapel in an hour or so. I had gotten all dressed and made up, when my roommate looks at me and says, "why are you up so early?" I had gotten up an hour earlier than necessary. Oops. I took advantage of the extra time by making some stovetop oats with whipped banana and Target brand crunchy natural PB. I am normally very much a creamy girl, but this crunchy stuff isn't half-bad--it provides a nice change of texture. PS Does anyone know a good trick to get rid of PB smell on your hands? I made quite a mess while trying to stir the jar of PB, and my hands smelled quite peanut-ish for the entirety of the church service.
Lunch came together quick again. Inspired by V-con's Corn Edamame Salad, I combined frozen corn, edamame, cherry tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, and ginger. I didn't have time to chill it, so I just ate it hot. That's a sliced white peach with cinnamon (NOT an apple), spinach salad, and pistachios on the side.
Dinner was on campus, just before my first chapter meeting. We went to The Loop again, so I got my Crunchy Broccoli Salad and a bowl of black bean soup. I have a sneaking suspicion it wasn't vegetarian, but no use fretting over it now.

Another Alive! smoothie last night, this time with frozen mango. Please pardon the green color--I promise it tasted good!
Monday
I made overnight oats for breakfast today. I combined soymilk, oats, and dried cranberries last night and added almonds and blueberries this morning. I had forgotten how good this is--perfect for the girl who likes everything soggy:)
My pre-run snack today was a baggie of roasted soynuts and a local "ginger" apple. It was a tasty snack (especially the unique flavor of the apple), but I am not sure it fueled me well for a run. My pace was good, but I just didn't feel top-notch. Maybe less protein for tomorrow's fuel?
I came home for lunch: Goddess Garbanzos in an Italian Herb flatbread, plus a spinach salad. The herbs in the flatbread and the Goddess dressing complemented each other quite nicely.
I finally tried the snack you all have been raving about: a broken up Z bar in yogurt. My budget does not allow for Greek yogurt, so I just used regular plain yogurt and an apple cinnamon Z bar. Quite the treat!
After a dining committee meeting tonight, I just grabbed a quick salad from the salad bar for dinner: mixed greens, red bell pepper, mushrooms, kidney beans, bulghur wheat, and chopped peanuts, plus a cup of melon. The melon tasted like wood, but the salad (especially the bulghur) was excellent.
Wow. This is really long. I apologize for my excessive verbiage.Enjoy the rest of your evening!

Snack Bar Bounty

I am a little embarrassed to admit how many snack bars I have been consuming in the past few days. They're just so darn portable! As much as I would like to have toast with jam or agave as my pre-run snack every day, toting around a toaster with me to class might prove difficult. Plus, I have quite a stash of these various snack bars--imagine a gallon-size Ziploc brimming with the likes of Clif Z, Gnu, and Larabars. What are your favorite (portable) snacks? I need inspiration!

Lucky for you, snack bars are not the only thing I have been consuming lately.

Monday
As is typical, my sweet tooth came on full-force Monday evening. So...I tried another Clif Z bar. This time it was the chocolate chip variety. I won't say much about it until my product review, but for now, let's just say that the regular Clif chocolate chip is superior, in my opinion.
I also made a smoothie that night (like I said, I just can't get enough sweet!). This one was a new combo for me because I combined strawberries with chocolate HempShake and soymilk. I'm not the biggest fan of fruit with chocolate, so this was an experiment for me (that, and I didn't have any of the berry HempShake left...). The verdict: success! It tasted like a chocolate-covered strawberry. Imagine that.
Tuesday
One of the things I didn't like about living in a dorm last year was that I couldn't have a toaster--how's a girl supposed to enjoy her frozen waffles without a toaster?! (I tried microwaving them--it's not the same). I didn't hesitate to take advantage of my new-found toaster access yesterday morning: GoLean waffles with mashed banana/cashew butter and plain organic yogurt. Love it.
My pre-run snack was a Carrot Raisin Odwalla bar and an apple. You may remember these bars from earlier posts. I ran about 4 miles on the track again; I followed that with some arm strength work.
Afterward, I grabbed one of my favorite on-campus salads, a Greek salad with Romaine, artichoke hearts, olives, feta, and sundried tomatoes...I never seem to tire of it.
By the time dinner rolled around, I was famished, but I had no idea what to make. It was one of those "maybe staring into the cupboards will give me inspiration" moments. I finally just started throwing things into the pan: leftover kidney beans, tofu, salsa, chili powder, and garlic salt. I stuffed it into a pita and served it alongside a salad and a few almonds. This was so tasty! Sometimes the best dishes are the spontaneous ones.
Wednesday
I needed something fast this morning, so I made a breakfast mound of deliciousness: Fiber One cereal, Corn Bran, almonds, fresh blueberries, wheat germ, and soymilk. This took a lot of chewing, but it was worth the effort.
Snack today was great: blueberry Clif Z bar and a banana. Blueberries and banana were meant to be together.
I picked up another favorite campus specialty today for lunch: Bean Taco Salad from the 'Dillo, which consists of a few tortilla chips, lettuce, tomatoes, pineapple salsa, traditional (cooked) salsa, and raw salsa. I added guacamole, which is quite possibly the best add-on ever--fresh taste and only 30 cents!
I spent dinner this evening with the dining committee for a casual get-together at Baba Ghannouj. I ordered the Baba Ghannouj Veggie Platter, which comes with falafel, baba ghannouj, hummus, tzaziki, pita, Greek salad, and stuffed grape leaves. The dips were awesome, but the falafel was bit too hard for my taste.

Before I go, I wanted to request some more meal suggestions: quick breakfasts. I am getting bored with my morning meals, so I am looking to expand my repertoire. If you have a favorite, I'd be delighted if you would share it with me.

PS Happy Birthday to my sister Lea!

Speedy Post

Hello all--I am taking a quick break from studying muscles (of which there are WAY too many) to post a few pictures. The commentary will be brief...a rare occurrence on this blog!

Monday
The shake of the evening was a winner: Chocolate and Chocolate Peanut Butter So Delicious, Cookies N Cream Spirutein, and Silk soymilk. Heaven in liquid form.
Tuesday
Another tofu scramble, but this time without the tahini. I added some vegan cheddar and sliced mushrooms as well. A whole wheat mini bagel and an orange rounded it all out.
Lunch after class consisted of jarred pasta sauce (Classico brand), farmers' market squash, Gimme Lean sausage, and pasta, all mixed up in a delicious mound. I had some trail mix for "dessert;" there were raw almonds and Craisins.
Since a few of you have asked that I post pictures of my snacks, here is just one example: Oikos Greek yogurt with blueberries and carrots dipped in hummus.
Dinner was whipped up in about 5 minutes--whole wheat couscous, kidney beans, garlic, broccoli, and minced onion. I also had the obligatory side salad, plus an unpictured banana with PB.
For my shake, I combined whole frozen strawberries, strawberry Spirutein, plain soy yogurt, and Nature's Path Pomegranate granola.
Wednesday
I enjoyed a lovely breakfast outside this morning--it was unusually mild today. I had Quaker Multigrain cereal with a half banana mixed in, plus a Nutiva chocolate hemp shake made with almond milk and the other half banana.
Just before heading to class this afternoon, I made a tofu/hummus wrap (using two flavors of hummus!) on a whole grain tortilla. I also had a Greek salad with Romaine, roasted red pepper, Kalamata olives, and balsamic vinegar. The sliced apple satisfied my sweet tooth.
For dinner I made a strange ratatouille out of leftover hearty tomato soup, zucchini, and leftover chickpeas/fava beans. I dipped whole grain bread in this delicious dish, and I had some mixed berries too.
Ciao for now!