Wal-Mart Gourmet

If there's one thing I've learned over my past few weekends at the lake, it's that you can eat healthfully, no matter where you are. Unfortunately, I sometimes participate in food snobbery: I eschew trips to the regular grocery stores for jaunts to Whole Foods; I scoff at rural Alabama's culinary tastes. I know, shame on me. This past weekend at the lake, I was able to create perfectly delicious and nutritious fare with a few simple items purchased at the local Super Wal-Mart. Granted, you won't find tofu or soy yogurt at this low-cost destination, but you will find fresh produce, whole grain breads, natural peanut butter, and organic dairy. You might even save a few bucks in the process. While I don't agree with everything that the Wal-Mart corporation represents, I do think they are trying to provide their customers with more healthful options.

OK, now that my musings on food snobbery have ceased, I'll continue onto the fruits of my 'Wally World" excursion.

Saturday
Much to the shock of my housemates, I made a breakfast of scrambled tofu. "You mean you eat soy sauce, tofu, and peanut butter for breakfast?" "I promise, it's really good!" And this scramble truly was delectable: tofu (the shelf-stable kind--I brought it from home), soy sauce, mushrooms, and PB (no tahini at Wal-Mart). I also had a big, shiny apple.

I made myself a big lunch, but when I sat down to eat it, I wasn't all that hungry. Nonetheless, I managed to polish it off eventually. I stuffed refried beans into two whole wheat tortillas, and along with it I had fresh watermelon, a side salad, and some almonds (purchased from the baking aisle!).
For dinner, my sister and her husband prepared hamburgers and hot dogs, Stouffer's macaroni and cheese, and some other traditional cookout foods. I tried to blend in with a Publix brand veggie burger on a wheat bun (I later added LOTS of onions, pickles, and ketchup), some steamed squash, a peach, and a handful of walnuts.
Later that night, my sweet tooth struck, and I needed some calcium...so I made chocolate soymilk! I shook up 12 oz. of plain soymilk (bought at Wal-Mart!) with some chocolate syrup. Not as healthy as my usual cocoa powder/stevia combo, but delicious, nonetheless. I also had a big bowl of snack mix: Fiber One, Honey Nut Cheerios, and a few dried cherries. This big snack cause a bit of a sugar overload! It sustained me through late-night Sex and the City watching with my sisters:)
Sunday
I made my (almost) weekly batch of banana pancakes yesterday morning. I had never used the lake house's griddle before, so I was a little surprised at how hot it gets! My pancakes burned a bit, but they still tasted good--the charring just added a bit of that "creme brulee" flavor. I used the only whole grain flour available at Wal-Mart: Hodgson Mill Graham Flour. (FYI Graham flour is another name for whole wheat flour). It seemed to work just fine! I drizzled it with some pure maple syrup (another surprising Wal-Mart find).
Before heading out the door to return to reality, I made a quick Mexican salad: lettuce, leftover refried beans, onions, mushrooms, and salsa. I also had a bowl of watermelon, a handful of peanuts, and a few crackers.
I went to Whole Foods yesterday after returning to Birmingham, and I picked up some whole grain graham crackers. I tried them with some almond milk. Tasty, but definitely nothing like the Nabisco variety.
For dinner I put together a dish inspired by the Ashram Recipe Book. I used some of those lentils and rice from last week and added lots of spices (including garam masala that I purchased at Whole Foods). It was a wonderful dish. In addition, I made Dreena's Creamy Cashew Dip for my strawberries. I think I found a new favorite food--this stuff tastes like a healthy version of those iced animal cookies I used to eat as a kid (remember the ones that came in a hot pink bag??) I also added some much needed veggies.
For my smoothie last night, I combined peach Spirutein, frozen peaches, soymilk, and lots of granola/granola plank. Tasty.
Monday
I went to the funeral of a family friend this morning, so I needed a quick breakfast: GoLean with almond milk and lots of flax. I also had some watermelon.
I've been having an intense craving for Waldorf Salad lately, so I picked out a recipe from Vegetarian Express (see sidebar). This dish included apples, raisins, and walnuts; I substituted soy-based mayonnaise for a vegan version of the recipe. I also topped some greens with Cranberry and Stuffing Tofurky and balsamic vinegar; crackers added some necessary starch.
I've also been craving taco meat lately--thus the inspiration for my dinner: TVP with cumin, chili powder, garlic, oregano, and paprika. I stuffed it inside some corn tortillas with mashed avocado, organic cheddar, and salsa. Broccoli, a side salad, and a peach balanced it all out.
OK, now I am off to relax--no tests this week! Perhaps I will waste some time on Amazon...Ciao for now.

All Wrapped Up

The wedding details are all being finalized as I type. I spent today assisting my mother in wrapping up the loose ends of the blessed event. We went to Sam's to buy bulk items for all the crowds that will be passing through our house: Stouffer's Lasagnas, massive bags of trail mix, and enough beer to intoxicate an army. Oh, and I managed to sneak in a bag of Gala apples and some button mushrooms. The matrimonial plans are not the only things being wrapped up today--my food is too! I subconsciously had a wrap of some kind for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They're all relatively different from one another, so hopefully you won't be too bored with today's pics.

Tuesday
I finally got a chance to try a waffle breakfast sandwich! Over the past few months, I have been coveting the breakfasts of you bloggers with toaster access while I was trapped in my ill-equipped dorm kitchen. At last I have both frozen waffles and a toaster! I made my breakfast sammie with Whole Foods brand organic flax waffles and PB & Co. Cinnamon Raisin PB. Fresh watermelon rounded out the morning meal.
Lunch was an old "lazy" favorite of mine; I have been making "Tofuna" since my first days of vegetarianism. I even wrote about it in my college entrance essay! Anyway, it consists of mashed chickpeas, Nayonaise, a bit of mustard, lemon juice, and sometimes paprika. It's not exactly like the real thing, but I appreciate the flavor for what it is. I had some rice cakes, broccoli slaw, and a big apple on the side. I ended up grabbing a handful of cashews too...
For dinner, I made Lindsay's Mock Meatloaf and Katie's Mashed Cauliflower. The two recipes made for an excellent meal! My mom ended up making regular meatloaf after I mentioned what I planned to make for dinner for myself. I wonder if the family would be able to tell the difference between the two...I made a 1/3 recipe, fully intending to save some for the next day's lunch--I love meatloaf sandwiches--but it was so good, I ate the whole thing! Oh well. By the way, I used Weetabix again for the breadcrumbs:)
Last night's shake was phenomenal. I made my favorite flavor: Samoas (coconut with a touch of chocolate). It consisted of: nonfat organic plain yogurt, organic silken tofu, vanilla Spirutein, shredded coconut, and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Yum! I savored every last slurp of this.
Wednesday
I woke up this morning and really didn't feel like running outside in the near 100% humidity (and it was not raining). I used the stationary bike for about an hour instead, then did some strength training on my arms. I am trying to get some definition on my toothpick arms for my sister's wedding (strapless bridesmaid dresses! Eek!). Anyway, my stomach started yelling at me as I did my bicep curls, so I needed a hearty breakfast. Scrambled tofu to the rescue! I love this stuff! I think it's the tahini that makes me love it so much. In case you don't know, I use the Chicago Diner Cookbook's recipe. I wrapped up the tofu in a whole wheat tortilla and had some more watermelon on the side. Delish.
I got inspiration for my lunch from Jen, the VegTriathlete. She posted a recipe for Peanut Veggie Nori Rolls the other day, and the flavors sounded right up my alley: peanuts, pineapple, veggies...I had intended to follow the recipe, but I got lazy and hungry so I didn't soak the veggies, nor did I use fresh pineapple. I used the sauce as a dip, and I used pineapple from a fresh fruit cup (preserved in juice). Despite my laziness, it turned out delicious! I also had the last of the broccoli slaw (tossed in rice vinegar, mustard, and agave) and an unpictured Rudi's Flax English Muffin. Success!
The third and final wrap of the day was pretty boring, as we didn't have a formal dinnertime tonight. My sister and I don't really feel well, my mom was obsessing about some wedding detail, and my dad was at a work function. As a result, I just made a hummus wrap with my new mushrooms and some romaine. I served it along with Acorn Squash Mango Soup, three-bean salad, and an unpictured bowl of sliced peaches with maple syrup.
Now I should probably get myself organized for next week school-wise, since this weekend we'll be celebrating my mom's birthday. Speaking of which, do you all have any birthday cake/dessert recipes to suggest? She likes chocolate and, um, chocolate. I bet Katie over at CCV has a few ideas...Ciao for now!