Read, Run, Repeat

That's all I do these days: read and run. I suppose a heavy reading load is to be expected for an English/psychology major, but I spend most of my time reading journal articles, Middle English texts, and Faulkner novels. Scintillating, no? Anyway, I've also been rather busy with tutoring these days, so when I'm not reading, I'm running around campus for an appointment, with the occasional run on the treadmill as well. Who else is as psyched for the weekend as I am? I am ready for a little break from my weekday monotony...

Perhaps I should enter this contest for a California getaway: Rena from Seven Daughters Winemakers recently alerted me to a contest in which the prize is a three-day vacation to the Hollywood Hills. To enter, simply visit 7daughters.com and explain why you deserve a rendezvous in L.A. If you're interested in tasting the Seven Daughters' wine, it's available at Whole Foods and Target fro $14.99 per bottle.

I've been keeping my brain and body fueled with some old faves as well as a few new additions. Check 'em out:

Monday
I kept lunch simple with another batch of Goddess garbanzos from ED&BV. Note the abundance of kelp granules:) I spread it on whole wheat and served it with a salad and grapes.
I squeezed in a snack between tutoring appointments and my dining committee meeting: a True Delight bar! Due to my healthy appreciation of anything coconut, I obviously opted for the Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut variety. It was quite chewy and sweet, with a very subtle banana flavor. I love the hunks of macadamia throughout the bar. I washed it all down with a glass of rice milk. Thanks to Foodbuzz for sending me these!
Dinner was no complex affair either: I loaded up at the salad bar with lots of veggies (including artichoke hearts!), then headed back here to make a quick English muffin pizza. I also had a big dish of cantaloupe.
I indulged myself a bit with my shake that evening. I combined Double Fudge Crunch Spirutein, strawberries, and soymilk, then topped it off with a handful of Annie's chocolate bunnies. Yep, food fugue.
Tuesday
It had been far too long since I had had a waffle tower, so clearly it had to be on the menu yesterday morning. Van's waffles with cinnamon-spiked yogurt, chopped kiwi, and cashews.
For lunch, I made some beans 'n greens, which were accompanied by a sweet potato, salad with Woodstock dressing, and grapes. That's cinnamon and nutmeg on the SP.
I am just so excited to have my beloved ED&BV cookbook back that I had to make another Dreena dish last night: Orange Sesame Tofu. I consistently have problems with the sweetness of this dish; sometimes it's super sweet, sometimes it's not sweet enough. Last night's batch was definitely the latter case. Sheesh. I served it alongside whole wheat couscous with peanuts, steamed asparagus and mushrooms, and a big orange.

Last night's smoothie was pretty plain Jane but delicious, nonetheless: peaches, soymilk, Nutribody protein, and granola.

Wednesday
Weather.com informed me this morning that it felt like 19* outside. Hot breakfast it was! I heated up some rice milk and poured it over a bowl of Autumn Wheat, which I reviewed here. I also had a big apple with Mighty Maple PB.
Come tomorrow afternoon, I will be relieved from much of this week's stresses. What's your favorite way to indulge yourself after a hard week?

Off to Faulkner class. Ciao!

Running in Heels

All I have to say is that I better have killer legs by the end of the semester.

Allow me to explain. Duke has 3 campuses: East, West, and Central to which students are transported via buses. Most of the time, I choose to walk to class from Central campus because it's a mere 10-15 minute walk, and I am far too impatient to wait for buses. However, with the recent dip in temperatures, I have been relying on the bus with far more frequency. Somehow I never seem to get the schedule right though and find myself running to catch the departing vehicle. It wouldn't be such a big deal if I actually wore sensible shoes now and then, but my unhealthy appreciation of heels prevents that from happening...Sexy calves, here I come!

Here's what I've been using to fuel my dashes to the bus stop:

Monday
I made coconut black beans again, which was inspired by this recipe from VegWeb. I obviously didn't have a lot of the ingredients on hand, so improvised. On the side, I had couscous and a salad with cashews.
I had my weekly dining meeting in the evening, so I made a pit stop afterward at the salad bar, where they had...steamed edamame! Clearly, that was the highlight of my day. When I came home, I added some of Annie's Shiitake Vinaigrette and added some crackers and cantaloupe as accompaniments.
The smoothie of the night was another berry bonanza with strawberries, blueberries plus the other usual suspects. Oh, and an extra-large dose of granola:)
Tuesday
Due to the crap-tastic weather we had yesterday (i.e., cold and rainy), I knew I needed a hot breakfast to start out the day. Steamed rice milk poured over crumbled Weetabix and a banana with the scraps of the Sunbutter jar did the trick. PS Why is it that all my nut butters run out at once?! I can't afford to replace them simultaneously!
Yesterday's lunch shall be labeled this post's FOOD FUGUE. It was fan-freaking-tabulous. Here's what spawned the fugue: sweet butter lettuce topped with steamed asparagus, tofu cooked in soy sauce/vinegar/garlic/ginger, cashews, and blood orange segments. I had some of those addicting crackers on the side.
After an afternoon of tutoring, I returned looking for relaxation...so I cooked dinner, of course. I made Lindsay's Spicy Teriyaki Chickpeas. I didn't have any pineapple salsa (again!), so I subbed chopped pineapple. That's couscous, broccoli, and a salad with peanuts on the side.
The smoothie last night was pretty awesome. Let's just face it, I'll love anything with mango it. Here's what went in the blender: frozen mango, frozen peaches, Nutribody protein, and soymilk.
Wednesday
Today's breakfast consisted of a trusty time-saver: overnight oats. Last night I combined oats with rice milk, stevia, and cinnamon; I added warmed & spiced pumpkin and almonds this morning. I had another blood orange on the side.
For those of you who eat overnight oats regularly, do you enjoy it hot or cold? I always assumed it was meant to be consumed cold, but I'm up for a little variety.

As I mentioned above, I have found myself in a sudden nut butter dearth. If you could choose just one nut butter to enjoy forever more, which one would you choose?

Alright, I suppose I should get ready for my Faulkner class now. 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.