You've Got a Friend in Me

These past few days have been all about reuniting with friends. Study abroad programs are quite popular at Duke, so a large percentage of the junior class has not been on campus since last May. Hence, I hadn't seen some of my buddies for 8 months! Yikes! I've been thoroughly enjoying my run-ins with pals from the past all day; reconnecting with friends always lifts my mood.

I have received some fun Christmas presents from my friends while back at Duke. They know me so well--I received plenty of dishes, a cookbook, and a signed Duke basketball poster with a cute green bracelet. Thanks, friends!
While we're on the topic of friends, I just want to mention that one of my favorite aspects of the blog world is the support and friendship I have found in readers and fellow bloggers. Thanks for making my life a little brighter with your comments and companionship!

My eats have been a tad boring lately due to my super-busy schedule. Here's a look at what I've been munching:

Monday
I ended my busy day of travel in the typical way: with a large, refreshing smoothie. I combined unsweetened vanilla Spirutein (from Sarah) with strawberries, banana, soymilk, and cashew granola. Delish.
Tuesday
Yesterday morning, I had about an hour to eat breakfast, shower, and primp before recruitment activities began again. Thus, a very easy breakfast: mango-rice milk smoothie with coconut and toast with cashew butter.
I packed a lunch to nibble on between parties: hummus sandwich, trail mix made up of pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries, and a big honkin' apple.
I also tossed this bar into my bag at the last second. I think eventually I will have sampled every single "chocolate brownie" flavored bar on the market. I love me some chocolate.
For dinner, I headed out to Elmo's Diner again with some buds. I ordered the exact same things as I did on this occasion, so no pictures. Just as delicious as ever:)

The smoothie of the evening used yet another Spirutein packet given to me by Sarah; this flavor is called "Nutty Berry Burst." I combined it with soymilk, strawberries, and banana. I really enjoyed it due to its very prominent pistachio flavor. YUM!
Wednesday
I kept it simple this morning so as to have plenty of time to get to my classes (first of the semester!). I had a bowl of spelt flakes with rice milk, banana, wheat germ, and almonds. Yet another deluxe cereal bowl, yet another tasty breakfast.
I will be busy with basketball games and more sorority activities later in the day. I keep all my activities straight with my Franklin Covey planner (mine is red with polka dots) and this new wall calendar. How do you keep your life organized?

Be back soon!

Back to Be Babied

I have returned to Birmingham for Thanksgiving, and I am so glad. My weekend presented some unexpected emotional escapades, so I was ready for a big hug from Mommy. Hopefully, a week of family and food (two of my most favorite things!) will prove to be just the remedy for my wounded heart.

The past few days have been filled with last-minute meetings before the break, basketball games, and delayed flights. As a result, my meals continue to consist of simple standards. Let the week of culinary creativity begin!

Friday
A peaches 'n cream shake! I combined frozen peaches, cinnamon, vanilla So Delicious, Nutribody protein, and soymilk. What a perfect way to celebrate Duke's win over Michigan!

Saturday

One of my favorite winter-time breakfasts last year was heated shredded wheat; I stole the idea from a Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats commercial. to indulge this cold-weather craving, I treated myself to a box of Autumn Wheat at Whole Foods on Friday. For this breakfast, I heated the tasty little squares with rice milk, and I served it alongside an apple with almond butter.

For lunch, I tried out a new variety of Amy's burgers, the Texas burger. I enjoyed this one on a whole wheat sandwich thin with salsa and hot sauce. On the side, I had a salad with Annie's Goddess dressing, plus a banana.
Dinner was spent out at a place called Piazza Italia, where I had spaghetti with puttanesca sauce and vegetables. I apologize for the lack of picture, but I assure you that it was delicious!

Sunday
This was my attempt at green oats, but I am not happy with the results--the color is not nearly vibrant enough! I made applesauce oats and topped it with a broken up pistachio Larabar. Tasty, but not quite the taste of the rainbow I had intended.

After another basketball game (and another victory!), I prepared a simple hummus sandwich with a salad and a banana with almond butter. Yawn.
I had several sorority-related events to attend in the evening, but I managed to make the evening meal a tad more interesting than lunch. I cooked red onion and zucchini with ginger and peanut sauce, then added some frozen shelled edamame for protein. I also had some plain yogurt with the rest of my pom seeds--gotta use up those leftovers!The smoothie of the evening was a classic: strawberries, banana, Nutribody protein, and soymilk. Can't go wrong with that.
Monday

My cereal this morning ended up being an alternative form of raisin bran: I combined spelt flakes with currants, rice milk, and wheat germ. On the side I had a banana with almond butter.

I had to work quickly for lunch; my cab was coming at any minute. A sliced apple, Sunbutter, pita, carrots, and a blob of hummus made for the perfect mix-and-match meal. I tried the hummus on the apple, Sunbutter on the carrots, lots of tasty combinations here!

When I finally returned home, I made a quick dinner out of a lonely Sunshine burger in the freezer on a wheat bun, plus steamed veggies, a salad, and a vanilla Greek yogurt. Random, but delicious.
Now, I am off the attack the depths of the freezer for my evening shake. Keep your fingers crossed that I'll find some frozen fruit!