Friggin', Fraggin' Frugal

As you might expect, I went for my weekly shopping trip to Whole Foods yesterday. Once there, I was amazed to discover price increases--over the span of a week. The yogurt I normally buy (Stonyfield Nonfat) is now 99 cents per cup compared to last week's 89 cents, and I can't even afford almonds anymore. I usually buy a one pound bag, but that would set me back $6.39! Granted, nuts are a high-price item, but last week I am sure they were $5.99/lb. Frozen fruit is of course more expensive these days since berry season is pretty much complete, so it looks like I will be buying frozen peaches and pineapple chunks for a while. At least I got some steals on fresh produce (local eggplant! organic apples!).

These increasing food prices particularly sadden me because generally I am a frugal person, but I choose to spend money on food; I have habitually opted to have high-quality groceries be my "luxury" items. I acknowledge that I could shop elsewhere at places that perhaps have better prices (Kroger, SuperTarget,etc.), but 1) I don't have a car, and these places are not as proximal to campus, and 2) I find that other stores do not carry the quality or brands of products that I like to buy.

I apologize for this rant, but I just became quite irked when I realized that I haven't been able to afford $1.79 Larabars for the past few weeks (I still haven't tried the PB Cookie or Coconut Creme Pie flavors!). Mom, if you're reading this, those would make excellent stocking stuffers for Christmas :)

When I look at my diet over the past few days, I realize that perhaps food that good and good for you is worth a few extra bucks...

Wednesday I have been neglecting my Nutiva hemp protein for a while, so I decided to use that for my smoothie the other night. This one included strawberries, coconut, and soymilk. I love the texture that shredded coconut provides--I used it both within the smoothie itself and on top. Thursday
The love affair with coconut continues...A whole wheat mini bagel with cashew butter and shredded coconut, plus a peach-soymilk smoothie with wheat germ. I was busting at the seams after this one--this breakfast gets two thumbs up on satiety. My last class on Thursday got cancelled so I headed to the gym earlier than usual. An earlier gym time and a super-filling breakfast left me in need of a smaller pre-run snack: the other half of a chocolate chip Clif bar. For lunch, I used a great recipe from VegWeb as inspiration. The combination of spices and tahini, plus the buttery chickpeas made for an excellent dish. That's couscous and a salad with carrots on the side. I got creative in the kitchen that night. What I ended up with was an agave-mustard tofu dish. I simply combined minced garlic, dijon mustard, agave nectar, a little soy sauce, and some water and poured it over some slabs of tofu and baked it in the oven for about 25 minutes, turning once. YUM!! I am definitely on a sweet-tangy kick lately, so I really enjoyed this. Along with it, I had steamed brussels sprouts, red quinoa, and a salad with peanuts, orange slices, and Bragg's. The blender concoction of the night ended up being a thin shake. I used a frozen banana, soymilk, cocoa chili hemp, and coconut. The flavor was awesome, but next time, I'll use less liquid, because this didn't have the right consistency. Friday
After sleeping in a bit and making a leisurely trip to the gym, I decided on a fall-themed breakfast. I made stovetop oats with unsweetened applesauce and cinnamon, topped with wheat germ and crunchy PB. (Note the article about Panda Express on the front page--there are some intersting comments at the end of the piece). Following my depressing trip to WF, I came home to use up some leftovers for lunch. I cooked some chickpeas with canned tomatoes, basil, and oregano. I stuffed that mixture into a pita and served it alongside a salad with balsamic vinegar, a juicy peach, and pistachios. I had a "sisterhood retreat" last night, so a few of us girls headed to McAlister's Deli for dinner. I ordered the Taco Salad with the veggie chili (sans cheese and sour cream). This was my first time to McAlister's, and I think I would return again--they had lots of veggie options, and it's all pretty substantial, not just pathetic salads. I didn't take a picture, but here is what it looked like (from http://flickr.com/photos/lamarstyle/347942406/).
The evening consisted of many goofy games--and much snacking, of course. I managed to find a few healthy options. Someone was wise enough to bring fruit!
So I snacked on lots of grapes, an apple, plus a few pieces of candy. Not quite as nutritious as my usual smoothie, but tasty. Here's a picture of the snack table, post-snackfest: Now I am off to relax and maybe do some stats HW. Enjoy your afternoon!

PS Get excited for product reviews tomorrow!

Hiding from Hanna

It's a quiet night here on campus--the effects from Hanna are supposed to roll into town tonight. According to the weather man, strong winds and lots of rain are ahead. Cross your fingers that it doesn't affect the Duke-Northwestern game tomorrow night! Anyway, we're all hiding from the storm tonight. Sounds like an ideal night for a movie...

Anyway, I've got some awesome eats to share with you this evening...

Wednesday
After I signed off last time, I made a smoothie in my new blender. I didn't mention this last time, but I discovered that it has a convenient "Smoothie" setting. Plus, it creates a lot less noise than the MB, so I feel a little less guilty about firing up a blender every night at 11:30. Some people live near noisy frat boys, some people must live near a smoothie enthusiast. Anyway, this concoction included HempShake, soymilk, frozen cherries, and pumpkin flax granola.
Thursday
Despite the arrival of my new blender buddy, I have still been using the MB. I used it yesterday morning for a quick strawberry smoothie (that's wheat germ on top). I also had a whole wheat mini bagel with Brazilnut butter. I randomly added a dash of cinnamon, and it turned out to be a great combination.
My pre-run snack was pure carby goodness: pretzel sticks and a banana. I ran well, but my quads were sore.
Lunch was another salad bar creation: mixed greens, steamed broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, cucumber, kidney beans, and sunflower seeds. Boring, I know.
I had to introduce myself to my tutoring students yesterday afternoon, so I didn't return home until later in the day--I was so hungry! I have been jonesin' for chocolate the past few days, so I tried a Jocolat bar (by Larabar). SO delish. Even better with almond milk. In a frog cup.
Last night marked the return of Cashew Ginger Tofu. I know all must be sick of seeing this stuff so often, but seriously, I think this is what they eat in heaven. I enjoyed it with couscous, salad, and more woody honeydew.
Thursday's smoothie was very similar to the previous evening's. The only difference is that I added a frozen banana to this one. It added great texture and taste--cherry + banana = ultra sweet, the way I like it. (I had a little overflow as a result of the banana addition: see cow cup).
Friday
Since Fridays are my free days, I took the opportunity to sleep in this morning (til 8:30!). My muscles were still sore, so I used the elliptical and stationary bike today rather than running on the track. It was great--I made a little headway into my magazine stack, but I'm still working on my August Self. I returned home to make a breakfast that I had planned out last night. Just before bedtime, I put a slab of tofu in a baggie with Bragg's, vinegar, and cumin and let it marinate overnight. This morning, I grilled it on my George Foreman (you can't see them but the tofu got some killer grill marks). I placed the tofu on a toasted whole wheat mini bagel along with sliced avocado and salsa. Total food fugue.
I journeyed to Whole Foods this morning and picked up some new items...including quinoa! I wanted to participate in the Secret Ingredient Challenge from Sports Nutrition Living, so I made sure to get some of this protein-rich grain. I had a few issues cooking it correctly--I do NOT recommend the microwave method! The charred cooking container is now in the trash can, and my kitchen smells like burnt popcorn. I finally achieved success, however, and I mixed the red quinoa with lentils, mushrooms, garlic, basil, oregano, and red wine vinegar. Salad, almonds, and an organic nectarine rounded it all out. (PS I always buy organic nectarines because they are one of the "dirty dozen," meaning they easily retain pesticide residue).
After a last minute Kroger run, my roommate (her name is Kristen for future reference) and I returned to the apartment not feeling up to cooking much. I finally got the motivation to heat up some tomato soup and make a grilled hummus sandwich. I added ground red pepper to the sandwich before I put it on the grill. It ended up being a great sandwich--the onion, pepper, and tomato had a little party in my mouth when I dipped it into my soup. On the side I had haricot verts and plain yogurt with cashews and cinnamon.
I am off to watch a movie. Stay safe from the storm!