Drowning in Food Points

Although living in an on-campus apartment is quite convenient, it does have one major drawback: I must purchase a dining plan. As you may have noticed, I haven't been patronizing the university's eateries with quite the same regularity as last year, when I lived in a dormitory setting. The combination of having access to a full kitchen and simply becoming bored with the eateries' offerings, I prefer to prepare meals at home most of the time (with the occasional purchase at the mediocre salad bar). While I am able to use my dining plan at the on-campus grocery store for canned beans, Amy's burritos, and $6 boxes of cereal, it never seems to diminish my never-ending supply of dining funds. The result of this lack of on-campus spending translates into a major food points surplus--due to last semester's excess points and my moderate spending habits this semester, I have to spend $1300 before April 28th. Yikes! If only I were able to use food points at Whole Foods...Anyone else have experience with this?

Alright, now that I have my dining dilemma off my chest, we can proceed to the eats:

Monday
After class, I was surprised to find myself with extra time--now that my tutoring appointments have ended (for now), I don't have to rush around so much. I took advantage of the extra time by preparing some homemade bean stew: pinto beans, cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, garlic, tomato sauce, and curry powder made for a tasty dish. (I made a similar soup here). Toast and applesauce with cashews rounded it all out.
As per usual, I had my dining committee meeting on Monday night. Afterward, I was pretty hangry so, I grabbed a salad from the salad bar, then came home to prepare some killer accompaniments. I heated up some of TJ's chickenless nuggets and baked up a quick batch of sweet potato fries. Served up with plenty of organic ketchup, this meal was pretty awesome. That's Woodstock dressing on the salad.
I decided that I have been neglecting my beloved Nutribody protein for far too long, so I made a simple strawberry-blueberry smoothie with it. Yum.
Tuesday
Due to the rapid rise in temperatures, I decided that I could start having smoothies for breakfast again. Yes, I know--it's an addiction. Anyway, this one included peaches, banana, and rice milk; that's a mini bagel with cashew butter on the side.
Lunch was an old standard: scrambled tofu with broccoli. Seriously, what did I eat before I had scrambled tofu?! If you care to reminisce, here is a link to the very first time I made it. This batch tasted especially fabulous--somehow it turns out better when I use a fresh jar of tahini. I stuffed the mixture (well, as much as would fit) into an Ezekiel pita and had some greens and a blood orange on the side.
As I mentioned above, there is an on-campus grocery store where I may use some of my plenteous food points. I often browse the aisles and find some surprising products, such as this one: concentrated pesto. To be honest, I don't think I've ever had normal pesto. Nonetheless, this introduction to the food proved to be relatively pleasant. I squirted a couple tablespoons of the green goo with some whole grain angel hair pasta and squash. I had more greens (trying to use up the bag before it gets slimy!) topped with chopped apricots and a dish of fresh blackberries from TJ's.
For the smoothie last night, I used another Spirutein packet, this time in the Tropical Fruit flavor. Strawberries, pineapple, and coconut made this concoction pretty awesome.
Wednesday
I took the time to make a breakfast parfait this morning, and the end result was decidely berry-tastic. TJ's blueberry Greek yogurt, frozen blueberries, fiber cereal, and almonds made for a delicious breakfast treat. Oh Trader Joe, how I love thee. PS Lately, I've been sampling different brands of Greek yogurt (*gasp* venturing away from my beloved Fage?!). For all you Greek yogurt fans, what's your favorite brand/flavor?
It doesn't look like I'll be able to get into the Duke-UNC game tonight, which is a major bummer. I'll likely end up watching it on TV with some buds. What are your plans for this evening?

Jingle Bells and Gingerbread

Tonight I write to you from the couch, as I sip gingerbread tea and peruse the Williams-Sonoma catalog. Ah yes, life is good.

I had my last exam this morning, and I have been in celebration mode ever since. I finally got to enjoy my little reward that I have been saving all week--the latest issue of Clean Eating. This issue contained plenty of ideas for the next few weeks; I am so excited to get cooking!

Anyway, as a result of waning motivation to study, I've been quite creative in the kitchen these past few days. Check out the goods:

Wednesday
I decided on a tropical smoothie this time: strawberries, pineapple, Nutribody protein, soymilk, and coconut. Delish.
Thursday
After observing my multiple struggles with the pomegranate, my roommate suggested that I try to make purple oats with pomegranate seeds. Genius! I have yet to experience purple oats in my quest to "taste the rainbow" via my oatmeal bowl. Rather than using the pom seeds as a topping, I added them to the oats during the cooking process, in hopes of achieving a vibrant purple hue. The end result was more of a "lavender," but it was a pretty bowl of oats, nonetheless. I also added some almond butter and wheat germ. Lunch yesterday consisted of a "burger salad" and spicy sweet potato fries. I chopped up an Amy's Texas burger and placed it atop a bed of spinach with mushrooms and tomatoes; I used a few tablespoons of Woodstock dressing as well. For the fries, I seasoned some strips of sweet potato with chili powder and garlic salt, then baked them in the oven for about 15 minutes at 375*; I used organic ketchup for dipping. That's a dish of strawberries on the side.
For dinner, I attempted a new flavor combination with my mozzarella-spinach-apple-onion panini. After browning up the onions for a few minutes, I piled all the ingredients on some whole wheat bread and grilled it on my George Foreman. It turned out to be a delicious sandwich! I had the apple remnants and a salad with pecans and more onions on the side. YUM.
The shake last night featured one of my favorite flavor combinations: chocolate and coconut! Into the blender went: frozen banana, strawberries, chocolate rice protein, cocoa powder, shredded coconut, and soymilk.
Monday
I woke up bright and early for my exam this morning and fired up the blender. Banana Blender Cereal! I used almonds this time. I have discovered that I enjoy this dish most when it's not quite pureed--the unexpected chunks of nuts and banana make breakfast so much more enjoyable:)
I packed a lunch for my airport exploits today. I made a simple Sunbutter sandwich and packed it with some carrots and hummus. For a snack, I munched on a big red apple and a Vega bar. *Potential Product Review Alert*
Once I returned home, my stomach was beckoning, full force, so I just made a quick wrap. Remember the Turk'y roast I had for Thanksgiving? I froze the leftovers before I left for school, so I heated that up and wrapped it up with avocado, field greens, and cherry tomatoes. On the side, I had a salad, broccoli, and a bowl of leftover fruit I found in the fridge.
Now I must decide on what to wear for the (multiple) graduations I am attending tomorrow--one sister is graduating from nursing school and one is receiving her MBA. Suggestions? Do you have any favorite outfits lately?
I shall return later on Sunday for another feature post. Enjoy your weekend!

Tech Toys!

Today marked the beginning of a sales tax-free weekend in Birmingham (read about it here). Sooo, after months of shameless begging and hint-dropping (think: leaving Best Buy ads on my dad's pillow), I got a new computer! In case you're curious, I got a Toshiba Satellite M300. Woohoo! I haven't set it up yet since I should be studying for my exams this weekend; I am still using my old computer to type this post. Perhaps I can use the new computer as an incentive to get through these final academic endeavors...While I was at Best Buy, I also got a bigger camera card. Both of my new toys will hopefully serve this blog well:)

My food has been a bit lame these past few days, so I apologize in advance. My creative juices just haven't been flowing lately. Here are the pics anyway:

Wednesday
Berry-Nut Shake! I didn't use frozen fruit this time--my recent nutrition project revealed that I was getting mucho fiber. I had already had a few servings that day, so I decided to replace it with...ice cream! Check out the chunks of almonds and pistachios! This was so...nutty.
Thursday
I woke up 45 minutes later than I was supposed to yesterday, which made for a rushed workout and breakfast. I quickly made a peach smoothie and put Corn Bran in a baggie with Craisins and walnuts. Another thing my project revealed is that I am deficient in Omega 3 fatty acids--hence the walnuts.
Lunch yesterday consisted of a tofu stir fry tossed in ED&BV's peanut sauce, whole wheat couscous, and I also ate a big fat orange. This was a winner! Afterward, I headed over to give my first nutritional consultation. The "client" was actually one of my dad's former co-workers, who is fully aware that I am not yet a licensed RD. Regardless, it was great practice!
Before dinner yesterday evening, I stared into the fridge for a few minutes, completely uninspired. So, I settled on an Amy's Bistro Burger, topped with avocado on a whole wheat bun. I also made some Ian's Sweet Potato Fries with my new organic ketchup (which is HFCS-free!). I should make this dinner when I am stressed--it's quite the comfort meal.
The shake last night used plain hemp protein (rather than vanilla). The consistency was off last night, so that affected my ability to evaluate the flavor. Better luck next time.
Friday
Yes, another muffin parfait/trifle. I seriously don't get tired of these things. Anyway, this one was a little different because I used a new Snacktrition product, the Fruit and Nut Mix with added calcium and fiber (as if I need the fiber...). At first glance, the mix seems high in sugar--15 grams per serving--but then I realized that dried fruit is included in the mix, so it's not as if I were consuming added sugars. FYI, this mix is not vegan, due to the yogurt chips (which look and taste deceptively like white chocolate chips). Nonetheless, I would buy this in the future--the combination of the almonds, cashews, dried fruit, and yummy yogurt nuggets make it a worthwhile oatmeal mix-in or yogurt topper. Beneath the trail mix were layers of crumbled muffins, plain organic yogurt, and fresh strawberries. Quite the decadent breakfast!
Random and boring lunch today--chickpeas cooked in jarred pasta sauce with oregano and basil, toast points, salad, and an apple with almond butter.
Dinner was rather pathetic today too, but oh-so-fresh. Corn on the cob, local tomatoes, steamed asparagus, and a scrumptious Sunshine burger made for quite the summery supper. I also had a glass of chocolate soymilk.
Now, I need to get the motivation to study...any bets as to whether it will happen?