Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-jig

I made it! We returned to Alabama yesterday afternoon, after a long day in the car. Fortunately, I managed to keep myself well-fueled throughout our sojourn, thanks to a little preparation. Here's what I've been munching on for the past few days...

Tuesday
Tuesday morning, before we got onto the highway, we stopped at a grocery store for some lozenges (I had a wicked sore throat), and while we were there I quickly grabbed a bag of sliced apples. My parents stopped at McDonald's for breakfast to get some Egg McMuffins, but I preferred my own grub: I had those apple slices with some almonds and a cinnamon raisin Gnu bar. It kept me satisfied while I paged through my new cookbook from the Chicago Diner (surprise from the parentals!).

For lunch we stopped at Atlanta Bread Co. We don't have this in Alabama, but it was very similar to Panera, perhaps even better. I ordered the California Veggie sandwich (sans dill sauce and cheese) with a side salad. This was really tasty! There was a thick layer of avocado smeared on this delicious Italian bread (decorated with a pretty tomato). There was a wide variety of soups and sandwiches that I considered; I hope one of these opens up near us. I also snacked on some grapes.
After a long evening of unloading and unpacking, I needed a snack. I dug out one of those muffin tops that made over spring break and poured myself a glass of almond milk. Totally hit the spot. One of my nighttime rituals at home is to have a somewhat decadent smoothie/shake before bed. Usually I use this time to wind down and catch up on e-mail or blogs. Last night's inaugural smoothie time featured pumpkin, vanilla Spirutein, pumpkin pie spice, and a squirt of agave nectar.

Wednesday

Upon my return from an awesome run outside this morning (in my nifty shoes), I made myself some simple toast with cashew butter and agave. I also had a container of plain yogurt with pumpkin mixed in. In case you can't tell, I just opened up my first bottle of agave nectar--love it!

We made a Target run this morning, (where I got two different kinds of nut butter--score!) and when we returned I was really hungry. I turned to the freezer for inspiration and decided to use one of my vegan Chik patties by Health Is Wealth brand. I had forgotten how much I liked these! I spread a whole wheat bun with Nayonaise and mustard to make a killer chik sandwich. I had last night's leftover salad with balsamic vinegar, plus a big Fuji apple on the side.
Dinner tonight was made on the fly, since my family was having Target brand frozen pizza--not exactly what I was craving. I had to come up with something with about 5 minutes notice, so I decided on some Amy's vegetarian baked beans, steamed brussels sprouts, and a baked sweet potato. Afterward, I also had some sliced peaches with a squirt of agave.
Now I need to catch up on everyone's blogs and pick out a few recipes to try from my new cookbooks...What are you favorite recipes from ED&BV and Veganomicon?

Shake, Burger, and...Squash?

Aside from the whole veganism fiasco, I had a pretty lazy weekend. I have a test on Wednesday, but my first final isn't until next Monday, so I took it pretty easy these past few days. My friend and I caught up on some Iron Chef, and I got myself organized for the weeks ahead. Call me lame, but it was relaxing and enjoyable.

When reviewing the pictures of my Saturday meals, I realized that I had a shake for breakfast, a burger for lunch, but then I messed up the "fast food" theme for dinner...read on for details.

Saturday

For breakfast on Saturday, I used up my last packet of chocolate Soytein powder (which incidentally has 300mg of calcium!). I combined it with a frozen banana and almond milk, as per usual. I kept it simple, with just some Cheerios on the side.

Once I had gulped down my shake, I headed over to assemble some gift baskets for Faculty Appreciation Week; my sorority decided to put together some simple gifts to win some brownie points:) After a morning of rigorous cookie baking, I was hungry for a big honkin' sandwich. I was not in the mood for another tempeh sammie, so I dug out my last Boca burger from my teeny freezer. Lettuce, tomato, onion, agave ketchup, and a mustard smiley made for a scrumptious burger. I ordered a side salad and some fruit from a campus eatery; raw cashews completed the meal. (Sorry for the dim pictures...the roomie was napping again!)

Saturday night was an icky one; everyone was holed up in their rooms, hiding from the rain. I didn't really have ingredients to make something special, so I had to improvise. After much dithering, I got some steamed veggies and a side salad from that same campus eatery, in hopes of coming up with something tasty from my dorm pantry. I smothered the veggies in tomato sauce and served the mixture over whole wheat couscous. Soy nuts added some protein to the salad, and I had some of that allergen-free trail mix for dessert.

For nibbling that night, I put together another snack mix, this time with corn bran cereal, dark chocolate chips, and dried fruit.

Sunday

Shockingly I did not have my usual bowl of Cheerios before church yesterday. Considering I have about 5 boxes of Weetabix in my closet, I figured I better start using those up. (I ordered a box of 12 from Amazon at the beginning of the semester). I had two biscuits with almond milk and cinnamon; a perfectly ripe kiwi also joined the party.

Yesterday's dinner was mediocre, but I thought I would show you anyway, for kicks. I ordered that same crunchy broccoli salad that I did a few weeks ago, but this time I added tempeh instead of soy nuts. Fruit and my favorite flavor of yogurt--Creamsicle--rounded out the dinner.

Monday

This morning I had a stellar breakfast. I had pumpkin oatmeal with cashews and a peach smoothie. It might seem like an odd combination, hot and cold, but it kept me full for hours. I made it through my trek to the writing studio and Whole Foods without any complaints from the tummy.

I picked up lots of goodies at Whole Foods today, but I will wait 'til next time to show you the inventory, otherwise this might turn into another novel. As a sneak peek, here is my lunch that I concocted using my new loot: a spicy tofu wrap with salsa and chili powder in an Ezekiel wrap, a large salad, and a juicy organic pear.

I have a meeting with the dining committee tonight to which Flamer's will be providing food. Their menu shows that they have a veggie burger, so I hope they bring one for me. What is the best veggie burger you've ever had at a restaurant?

A Sigh of Relief...(Sort of)

It's another late post for me--my special blogging time keeps getting postponed these days. Anyway, after limping over to a few tutoring appointments and Whole Foods, I decided that I needed to go to the Student Health Center today for my ankle. When I went online to schedule an appointment, the first one they had open wasn't until next Monday. Yes, that's Duke Hospital at its best. Determined to get some treatment, I trekked over to the SHC in hopes of snagging a walk-in appointment. Lo and behold, I was with a doctor within 15 minutes. Yay! They hooked me up with a sweet ankle brace and some gel pads for my shoes. She said I can still exercise, which is good, but I really just want to get better! Keep your fingers crossed for me :(

Another source of relief is the fact that I finished my two research papers. Woohoo! Now I just have exams to worry about...Nonetheless, now I have more time to play with my food.

Friday

To be honest, Friday's breakfast was kinda lame. I had a smoothie with blueberries, almond milk, and ground flax. I decided to add some water at the last minute, which was a big mistake. The end product was too liquidy and not very blueberry-ish. Blah. I also had a Kashi peanut butter granola bar (the chewy kind). It was from an old Costco pack from a while ago, and I think it passed its prime. Double-blah.

In an effort to include more indulgences in my diet (yes, I have to remind myself to have treats every now and then!), I will be including a few more (relatively healthful) desserts in my posts. On Friday evening, when my roommate and I were watching my new favorite movie, August Rush, she offered me some of her dark chocolate--with ground espresso beans. What a tasty treat! It reminded me of the dark chocolate-covered espresso beans that my mom puts in my stocking for Christmas every year.

Sunday

On Sunday mornings before I head to chapel, I invariably have the same thing: Cheerios with almond milk and sliced banana. I wake up later on Sundays because it's my day off from the gym, so I don't really need a big breakfast. It's easy. It's quick. It's Cheerios--who can say no?

Yesterday's lunch, however, was much more exciting. I made chili with tempeh and beans. I didn't use a recipe (as always), but it turned out pretty darn delicious. I enjoyed it over some whole wheat couscous; a juicy orange and a veggie salad from Subway rounded out the meal.

Monday

This morning I was in a bit of a rush, so I just threw something together before my tutoring appointments. I used the remnants of my frozen peaches as an oatmeal topper. Note to self: defrost peaches before cooking the oatmeal. My oatmeal ended up being a tad watery. Along with that I had some Beach Bash trail mix from Enjoy Life foods. They specialize in allergen-free products, which means they're gluten-, dairy-, nut-, and soy-free. This was another freebie:) The dried pineapple really hit the spot!

Finally, lunch today was fantabulous. I used up the rest of the spicy veggie tempeh by dipping it into a peanut sauce that I made. I just heated some PB with soy sauce and a little water to make a simple, yet tasty condiment. I also had a big salad--I attempted to choose Asian veggies to complement the lunch's theme...

Now, I plan to settle in for the evening and catch up on everyone's posts. Ta-ta for now.