Where's Johnny Mathis When You Need Him?

With the recent nip in the air and the appearance of Christmas wreaths at my local Whole Foods, I was definitely feeling in the yuletide spirit today: "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" would have made for the perfect soundtrack. Oddly enough, I checked my iPod, and Johnny Mathis's Christmas album was conspicuously absent from my "holiday collection." Somehow, I managed to download every Christmas album my family owns onto Nestor the Nano...except for dear old Johnny's. Hmph. I'll be sure to put that on my Thanksgiving to-do list.

I spent the day in the typical Friday manner: gym, Whole Foods, laundry...plus watching Duke win a championship game:) Here are the goods that I ate in between:

Wednesday
I think this smoothie was a strawberry-pineapple-coconut concoction with the usual soymilk and Nutribody protein. I'm sure it was delicious.
Thursday
I had a presentation yesterday morning for my Gender & Language class, so I spent breakfast worrying/preparing for that. My nervousness was temporarily assuaged by some PomegranPlus waffles with pom seeds and a pear with almond butter.
After the gym, I had to meet with a TA to work on my stat paper. As a result, I didn't return to the apartment until later, so my tummy didn't have patience for creative cuisine. I decided to try something that I've heard is popular in Britain: bean 'n toast. Not bad. I also had some broccoli, a salad with Woodstock dressing, and an orange.
At half-time of the Duke-S. Illinois game, I took a break for dinner. Baked tofu with bottled peanut sauce, stir-fried veggies, and whole grain couscous made for a delicious supper.
The smoothie last night consisted of the absolute last of my frozen fruit: a frozen banana, sliced peaches, soymilk, and Nutribody protein. Tasty, although next time I'll add some cinnamon.
Friday
I treated myself to some tofu-banana French toast this morning. I topped the two slices with pom seeds, sliced banana, and almond butter. Yum.
Lunch today was another "hash" meal; I just threw some leftovers/staples into a pan and hoped for the best. This mish-mash included leftover baked beans, spinach, red onion, nutritional yeast, and Bragg's. On the side, I had a whole wheat sandwich thin and an apple with PB.
I just finished dinner about an hour ago due to the evening's basketball game. When I returned to the apartment, I made a quick tofu scramble with zucchini, tahini, ginger, and soy sauce. I served it alongside pita wedges, an orange, and a salad with mozzarella.
Now I am off to fuss with my pedicure for tomorrow. What's your favorite color of nail polish?

Happy Friday!

Winding Down

**Many thanks to all of your sage wisdom and kind comments in response to my last post. I really appreciate your support.**

Tonight I am finally getting a little down-time...that means the first round of tutoring is through until November; I have finished my homework for the evening; no meetings have crept their way into my schedule--it's just me, a mug of Sleepy Time tea, and Jon & Kate Plus Eight tonight. I haven't been feeling well these past few days, either physically or emotionally, so I am seizing the opportunity to just chill before a busy weekend.

As a result of my various responsibilities and less-than-stellar health, I have been keeping it simple in the kitchen. Check it out:

Monday
I tried another Rudi's recipe on Monday evening--Better Bunny salad. Carrots, pineapple, and vegan mayo made for a simple supper. I added a dash of cinnamon since I didn't have the cinnamon bread called for in the recipe. Placed atop a bed of Romaine and served alongside crackers and cottage cheese with cashews, it made for a balanced and tasty meal.
The smoothie consisted of peaches, mango, vanilla hemp, and soymilk. Coconut made its obligatory appearance.
Tuesday
Breakfast yesterday ended up being great fuel before my psychology exam. I made a peach-soymilk smoothie and spread a whole wheat mini bagel with Sunbutter and apple butter (my most recent find at the on-campus grocery store). Maybe I just liked this meal so much because of the Sunbutter--it makes everything taste good:)
Pre-run, I chomped on a mini brownie Clif bar. Decadent and functional.
For lunch, I just prepared another spontaneous tofu salad and wrapped it in a whole grain tortilla. This version included tofu, vegan mayo, cashews, dried cranberries, carrots, salt, and dill. On the side I had a simple salad and an organic plum.
Dinner was a bit of a recipe flop. I attempted to make a cheeze spread out of nutritional yeast, tahini, corn starch, water, and ground red pepper. As you can see, it turned out a bit watery. I would have started over, but it tasted so good! Tastiness trumps texture issues in my book, so I drizzled it over whole wheat toast. It made for an excellent accompaniment to tomato soup, brussels sprouts, and a salad.
My shake last night was one of the best I have made in a while. I used TWO frozen bananas, chocolate rice protein, dark cocoa powder, and rice milk. It tasted so indulgent, but it was actually quite nutritious.
Wednesday
Prompted by a commenter (Sarah), I decided to try CCV's Banana Bread Blender Cereal this morning. I made a few changes based on what I had on hand--I used rice milk and almonds instead of vanilla soy milk and walnuts. I also added a dash of cinnamon for banana bread authenticity. This was SO delicious!! I can't thank Sarah and Katie enough for the recipe!
The pre-run snack today was painfully boring. I just stuffed some Whole Foods brand Cheerios in a baggie this morning...now I wish I had at least thrown some chocolate chips in for interest.
Lunch was much more engaging for my taste buds. I found a recipe on VegWeb for Coconut Black Beans with Mango. I didn't have any chilies or coconut milk on hand, but I still managed to get the essential flavors into the dish by using shredded coconut and ground red pepper. The contrast of the sweet mangoes with the cumin and black beans made for quite the flavor party in my mouth. I served it alongside baked tortilla wedges and a salad with perfectly ripe avocado.
I have another interesting snack to share with you all this evening--another scone! I was greeted with this crumbly little baked good this morning in stats class, prepared by my (male) friend, the baking enthusiast. Love those Craisins.
Dinner this evening was pretty streamlined: just a Boca burger, baked sweet potato, and steamed zucchini with oregano and basil. I also had the last of my kefir with a blob of cashew butter.
The sextuplets beckon for my attention...be back soon.

Belated Anniversary

In the midst of my cooking fugue last week, I forgot to mention that May 9th was my blog's two month anniversary! I am so glad that I decided to join the blogging community. Blogging has provided me with a network of fellow foodies whom I can count on for support (and cooking tips!). Here's to another two months, and beyond!

This past weekend at the lake was thoroughly enjoyable. My sisters and their spouses all joined my parents and me for a summer kick-off. It was nice to be at the lake and actually see water there--last summer's severe drought made the lake more like a desert canyon.

Although I love the lake, it's definitely part of rural Alabama, so our only grocery store options there are the Super Wal-Mart and a small Winn-Dixie; neither carry the foodstuffs to which I've grown accustomed. This limited grocery selection made cooking a bit difficult, plus my sister had to borrow my camera for the weekend. She was taking pictures for her Mother's Day gift:) These facts, combined with my desire to just relax, made for a bit of a culinary hiatus. However, I still have a few pictures to share with you all.

Friday

Just after I finished my last post, we started packing up the car. My parents heated up some Jimmy Dean Delight sandwiches (egg, turkey sausage, cheese on an English muffin), but I opted to make a tasty vegetable wrap with mushrooms, tomato, and organic mozzarella on an Italian flatbread. I nuked it for a couple seconds in the microwave, and it turned out delicious! Next time, I might try grilling it on my George Foreman :) I also had a big organic apple on the side. I didn't have to time to scarf down anything else!

Saturday

On Saturday morning (pre-grocery run), I was faced with bare cabinets and expired refrigerator contents. Since I had a delightful experience with peanut butter oatmeal a few weeks ago, I decided to make that again. Plus, it requires just two ingredients that we always have on hand: oatmeal and peanut butter. Yum! I've included two pictures, because I want to show off the cute bowls that I get to bring back for my apartment next year. I love square bowls and plates, especially ones with adorable flowers on them!

Sunday

Upon our return from the lake last night, we didn't really have time to cook up something special for my mom, so we headed to Whole Foods. My dad got some salmon burgers, cole slaw, and curried cauliflower for the rest of the family to share. I picked up some Wild Wood Tofu Burgers and some of Rudi's Organic Whole Grain English Muffins. I smeared some avocado on it for a hearty sandwich. I had some fresh organic strawberries and a spinach salad on the side. I had never tried these tofu burgers before, but they are they delicious! They're pricey though, so I'll be sure to savor the other one that came in the package. Next time I want to try Sunshine burgers. What do you all think of them?

Monday

After a delightful run this morning (65* and sunny!), I concocted an equally delightful breakfast. I made a muffin parfait, which consists of crumbled up bran muffins (those same ones that I had in the freezer), organic plain yogurt with cinnamon, strawberries, and sliced almonds. I got the idea for this from a Fitness or Self magazine a few years ago, and it's been one of my favorite breakfasts ever since. I am a fan of soggy foods, so I love how the crumbled muffin soaks up the moisture from the yogurt and strawberries. This is a fun dish because you mix it up so many ways: use banana muffins, sliced banana, and chopped peanuts; use blueberry muffins with blueberries and walnuts....the variations are endless!

For lunch today, I made vegan nachos. After preparing my nutritional yeast queso (recipe from VegWeb.com--Thanks Vegan Nurse!), I realized I didn't have any tortilla chips! Luckily, I had some whole wheat tortillas, so I just cut them into wedges and toasted them in a 300* oven while I heated up my black beans. The end result was a mediocre plate of nachos. I may have to play around a bit with a few different recipes until I am satisfied. I also had a side salad with mushrooms. I am off to make dinner...I'm thinking of making the Blackened Tofu from ED&BV. I'll let you know how it goes. Happy Monday!