Snacks in a Sack

As of 11 PM this evening, the last round of recruitment has come to an end. Tomorrow is Bid Day, so I will be able to return to the blogging world...and I guess return to the world of homework and responsibility.

Anyway, as a result of my crazy schedule these past few days, I have become an expert on packing portable nibbles for between-party snacking. I apologize for the boring nature of my diet this week--I tried to avoid repetition and to maintain a minimal level of nutrition in my on-the-go meals. Check it out:

Wednesday
After I signed off last time, I prepared a quick lunch of scrambled tofu, complete with some of my favorite veggies. Spinach and mushrooms went into this tofu scramble, in addition to the usual tahini, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. I had some toast and a few clementines on the side.
We had the night off from recruitment parties, so I happily used my free time to attend the Duke basketball games. I arrived in line at about 5:30, with a Prana Bar carefully concealed in my pocket (no outside food is allowed, as I discovered here). Not long after I arrived, torrential rain took over campus; the winds grew stronger and hail descended upon us. The temperature was also a toasty 20*F. Oh, the things I do for the Blue Devils. I was one of the last few people granted entrance into the game. Weather troubles aside, we won the game, and I was able to thoroughly enjoy my coconut acai Prana bar. I will be reviewing this in the future! Afterward, sorority duties beckoned for a late-night workshop, so I grabbed a quick Greek salad on campus. A few of my my roomie's Swedish fish assortment *might* have swum their way into my mouth as well...
The smoothie of the evening was delightful--I used two of my favorite things: cherries and Nutribody protein (which I reviewed here).
Thursday
With still limited groceries available in my apartment, I made a simple breakfast out of toast with mashed banana/almond butter and a dish of plain yogurt.
For lunch, I threw together a simple chickpea salad wrap, made with vegan mayo, a touch of mustard, and kelp granules. I also had a salad with pecans and clementines.
I prepared another on-the-go dinner for the evening: a snack mix consisting of GoLean, soynuts, currants, and peanuts; I also had an apple and a Larabar.
It turns out that my sorority provided sandwiches from Panera between parties, so I saved my PB&J for later in the evening. I also grabbed a bunch of grapes.
Friday
After a blissful night of sleep, I prepared an awesome bowl of oats: oatmeal, banana, vanilla extract, a crumbled pistachio Larabar, and dried cranberries all went into this little bowl of heaven.
I then restocked my pantry and refrigerator with a trip to Whole Foods. When I returned, I made a quick tofu hash with mushrooms, corn, and red onion, as well as garlic, oregano, and Bragg's for flavah. On the side, I had a spinach salad with wheat germ and raspberry vinaigrette, and a dish of peaches with flax and cinnamon.
When I returned, I discovered that I had a package waiting for me at the post office:
VeggieGirl was kind enough to send me an assortment of Larabars. She and I arranged a little food exchange, and I requested a few Larabars, selected by the expert herself! Thanks, Liz!

Dinner was yet another "moveable feast." I packed tomato basil hummus to be enjoyed with pita and carrots as well as an apple, PB Bumpers with peanuts, and a string cheese for snackage.
I am headed to bed in a bit--I aim to get about 8 or 9 hours tonight. What is your ideal amount of sleep? In high school, before the academic rigors and social opportunities of college life had entered my life, my body would naturally awake after precisely 9 hours of sleep. Is your sleep schedule consistent? Do you make sleep a priority in your life?

I will update you on the rest of the weekend in Monday's post...ta-ta for now.

Itchin' to Run

As I mentioned a few posts back, I've recently been suffering from lower back pain (specifically in the sacroiliac joint). The pesky pain still lingers, and not only does it mean I can't wear high heels (major bummer for a shoe addict like me!), but it also means I can't run (an even bigger bummer). Fortunately, I can do low-impact exercise without any pain, so I've been making do with the elliptical trainer and stationary bike at the gym. However, it's just not the same. When was the last time you heard of an "elliptical high?" While running does have the benefits of cardio training and leg toning, I love it for the way it makes me feel. Once that last mile is completed, the sense of accomplishment simply can't be matched. *Sigh* Does anyone have any tips for treating back pain?

Oh yeah, I'm here to talk about food. Here's the scoop:

Saturday
It was another busy day on Saturday, so I planned ahead with another batch of overnight oats, this time using oats rather than the multigrain cereal. Liquid-y mess successfully avoided. This combination featured oats, rice milk, cinnamon, dried cherries, and chopped hazelnuts (a new nut for me!). I had a dish of grapes on the side. What are your favorite ways to use hazelnuts?
Once I returned from the day's events, I settled down to a long overdue lunch: scrambled tofu with zucchini, a whole wheat sandwich thin, and an apple. Hit the spot.
After getting some essential tasks done (such as blogging and posting pictures to Facebook), I finally got hungry for dinner. A can of bamboo shoots called to me from the pantry, so I made a veggie stir fry with broccoli, peppers, ginger, soy sauce, and garlic; I topped it off with some honey-roasted peanuts. I also had some whole grain couscous, salad, and plain yogurt with cranberry sauce. Holy fiber!
The smoothie of the evening featured blackberries, strawberries, soymilk, and acai hemp protein. Wow, that sounds like a hippie concoction if I've ever heard one.
Sunday
You know what Sunday morning means--stovetop oats! I made a bowl of pumpkin oats with ginger and cinnamon, topped with cashew butter and apple butter. Fall in a bowl. Yum.
After chapel and a few hours of studying, I re-fueled with a delicious tofu salad wrap. I combined silken tofu with my favorite, dill-agave-mustard-vegan mayo combo and wrapped it in a spinach flatbread. Along with it, I had a salad with chopped almonds and a dish of grapes.
My Sundays are pretty formulaic, aren't they? I had another quick hummus-based meal before chapter last night: a hummus and sun-dried tomato sandwich, green beans with chopped pecans, and a big apple.
The smoothie consisted of strawberries, raspberries (a recent Target purchase), soymilk, and berry hemp protein. I finished up the last of my pumpkin flax granola:( I'm not too sad though because I have a new variety just waiting to be busted open.
Monday
I woke up on edge today; my morning agenda included asking a boy to an upcoming semi-formal. As a result, I kept it simple with a bowl of GoLean, topped with banana and rice milk. On the side I had a basic trail mix of almonds and dried cranberries.
For lunch today, I had intended on making a tofu quiche with my remaining silken tofu. However, once I made it home and had finished chopping, I decided I was too hungry to let it bake for the required 30 minutes. Tofu hash it was! I combined tofu, spinach, red onion, tomato, Bragg's liquid aminos, and nutritional yeast for quite the delectable mish-mosh. I served it up with whole wheat toast and an apple with Sunbutter.
I had my usual dining meeting tonight, and Dunkin' Donuts brought us food, in hopes of coming to campus. The coffee and egg sandwiches held no appeal, but I just couldn't say no to the delicious pumpkin muffins. My baked good of choice probably wasn't vegan, but I simply can't resist pumpkin! Although I would like to make a meal out of baked goods, I balanced it out with a trip to the salad bar afterward. I nabbed some field greens, mushrooms, broccoli, bell peppers, chickpeas, and a container of honeydew. Once home, I added some Woodstock dressing to the salad. SO GOOD.
I am off to study for a midterm and listen to Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" for the ten-millionth time. Gotta love Monays. Toodles.

Buzzing and Blending

So sorry for yet another delayed post today; Friday nights are not always conducive to posting for a college student's schedule. I celebrated Halloween by going out to dinner with friends (Elmo's again!), making a Target run (where I happened to run into a certain someone), and checking out some the Devil's Eve festivities on campus. I buzzed around in the cold as a bumble bee this year, although I ultimately ended up having an hours-long conversation with one of my dear friends. Alas, I have no crazy Halloween partying to report, but I wouldn't have spent my evening any other way:)

This morning was my sorority's philanthropy event, a mocktail blend-off to support Make-A-Wish Foundation. I contributed my beloved Bullet for the contestants' use--it seems to be no worse for the wear. In retrospect, I probably should have participated myself, considering how much I love all things blended!

Here's what I've been chowing on for the past few days:

Wednesday
To be honest, I don't really remember what went into this smoothie. I think it was soymilk, berry hemp protein, blackberries, and banana.
Thursday
Just hours after receiving them, I seized the opportunity to use some of those sandwich thins. I toasted the wheat variety and spread them with a combination of almond butter and agave nectar. On the side I had some grapes and cottage cheese.
Thursday afternoon was packed with things to do and people to see: advising appointment, marketing the blend-off, working out, plus my weekly RUF meeting. As a result, lunch was a tad pathetic: black eyed pea spread (with cumin and hot sauce), zucchini, carrots, crackers, and an apple with PB. Snore.
For dinner, I made another quick hash, using crumbled tofu, spinach, bell peppers, and soy sauce. I also made a quick serving of mashed potatoes (instant--don't judge!), salad with dried cherries, and cranberry sauce with walnuts. YUM.
Again, I am not quite sure what I put in this smoothie (where has my memory gone?!), but I think it was a combination of berry hemp protein, soymilk, blackberries, and strawberries.
Friday
I look forward to Fridays every week, because it means I actually have the time to make a real breakfast. This week, I decided on the Imus Ranch Tofu-Banana French Toast again. I am seriously considering just making a batch of the batter one of these days and eating it straight--it's that good. Anyway, I topped my slices with banana, walnuts, and agave nectar.
After my usual Whole Foods run, I returned home to make another repeat recipe: a Better Bunny Sandwich from the Rudi's Bakery website. Carrots, pineapple, raisins, vegan mayo, and cinnamon make for quite the tasty combination (especially atop a sandwich thin!). On the side I had a "creative" salad: Romaine, mushrooms, wheat germ, and a dressing made up of blackberry preserves and lemon juice. This made for quite the sweet meal.
As I mentioned above, we went to Elmo's Diner for dinner again last night. I ordered the same spinach salad as last time (no mess-up this time), plus a hummus appetizer as my main entree. The menu doesn't lie when it says "spicy!" I love me some pita bread.
My smoothie last night consisted of a frozen banana, acai hemp protein, blueberries, and soymilk.
That's all for now, but before I go, check out my bumble bee get-up:
Enjoy your Saturday!