Free at Last, Free at Last!

As of 10:00 AM yesterday, I am officially done with my summer classes. How did I spend my first day of freedom, you ask? Yelling at iTunes in frustration, as I attempted to transfer files to my new computer. Why, oh why, does it have to be so difficult? I ended up losing about 300 songs, which I had to re-load (from CDs). Bah.

Before I forget, I'll post my mom's awesome baked beans recipe. A reader requested it when I mentioned it in my last post, but I thought a few others might enjoy it as well. This recipe actually comes from my great Aunt Winifred's cookbook, The Southern Hospitality Cookbook, with a few modifications to make it vegetarian.

Easy Baked Beans
-1 (24 ounce) can of vegetarian baked beans
-3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
-1 cup catsup -1 very large onion, diced
-1 teaspoon prepared mustard (I use more--you know how I love my Grey Poupon!)
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into a greased, flat, 2-quart casserole. Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 1.5 to 2 hours. Yield: 12 (very small) servings

Very simple, but it always gets rave reviews at family get-togethers.

Monday
After my last post, I headed into the kitchen to prepare my lunch. Nothing fancy, just Health Valley canned vegetarian chili with a scoop of guacamole, whole wheat toast points, salad, and melon (picked out from a leftover fruit salad).

Following my anatomy exam, I was drained of mental energy, so I just made a quick grilled hummus sandwich on a whole wheat bun with roasted red peppers; I also had a few asparagus spears, a side salad, and a banana with Sunbutter.
My shake magic has returned! I just can't get over how good the berry-almond combination is.
Tuesday
I woke up a tad late yesterday, so I needed a quick but fulfilling breakfast before my nutrition exam. I decided on a tropical twist: a pineapple smoothie and a mix of Kashi Honey Sunshine cereal, dried papaya, and raw cashews.
I needed fuel after my test and my workout, so I made a hearty lunch: chili topped sweet potato, salad with sliced almonds, and the last of those wonderful cherries.
For dinner, I made some agave-glazed tofu with whole wheat couscous, snap peas, and salad. I satisfied my sweet tooth with a banana and chocolate PB.
My shake was another success! I used the last of the almond-pistachio ice cream and added a new flavor: mango raspberry. No complaints!
Wednesday
Yesterday, I was ecstatic to receive some awesome samples from the people at Bear Naked. They sent me two of their "Naked" varieties, plus the Peak Protein blend. My dad and I tore into the Yumberry Goji Currant this morning. Did you know that there is actually a fruit called "yumberry?" I figured it was just a cute, fictitious berry, but no--it actually exists (according to the Bear Naked package), and it makes this granola irresistibly sweet! In addition to the unique flavors, I really enjoyed the fact that there were plentiful fruit pieces. Check out the size of that currant! As for the rest of my tub of goodness, it included stovetop whipped banana oats, hazelnut butter, and wheat germ. This one definitely cause a Broccoli Hut signature "Food Fugue."
For lunch, I decided on another breakfast-y meal: Greek-style scrambled tofu, Ezekiel pita, spinach salad, and an orange. To make my scramble "Greek," I added roasted red peppers, oregano, and garlic. Maybe I should add olives next time?
I was jonesin' for some pizza, so I made one with...broccoli, of course! Red onion, garlic, basil, and a tad of organic mozzarella also joined the pizza party. I also had a side salad, plus chocolate almond milk and walnuts with a few dark chocolate chips for dessert.
I'm headed to a Bunko party tomorrow night. My sister is the hostess, and she has assigned me to bring the "healthy food." I thought I would bring some fruit with the cashew dip from ED&BV, but I am looking for some other options. What is your favorite (relatively) nutritious party food?

Good night all!

Chi-Town Recs

Hello everyone. I have finished my exams--yay!--so now I can focus on my plans for the weekend. We're headed to Chicago this weekend, where we'll have a quick visit with my Nana, plus my parents, Lea, and Ryan will attend a wedding.
So, my question is this: What's your favorite thing to do in Chicago? I've visited Chicago throughout my entire life, so I've already experienced most of the tourist-y attractions. The Chiago Diner is already on the agenda, but other than that, I am open to any and all suggestions!

Thanks in advance!

The Home Stretch

I am so close to being done with summer classes! I can't wait to have a few weeks to chill before I head back to Duke...for more classes. I am posting now because I have my anatomy final later today at 4PM and then my nutrition final tomorrow at 8AM--not much recovery time! So rather than blogging this evening when I should be studying, I thought a midday post would be best.

Friday
Excellent smoothie night! Almonds/Pistachios+cherries=party in a blender. It's amazing the wonders that ice cream can do... Saturday
Nothing like a weekend breakfast of scrambled tofu. What did I do before I discovered this stuff? Anyway, this one had tahini, ginger, garlic, turmeric, soy sauce, and green onions. Whole wheat toast points and amazing cherries rounded it all out. Saturday was my big study day, but I took a short break for a simple lunch. I opted for an old standby: hummus, lettuce, and red onion stuffed into an oat bran pita with a side salad, cashews, and a big orange.
I didn't give much thought to dinner until my stomach started growling, so I made an easy dip that I have made before, spinach artichoke dip (from the Chicago Diner Cookbook). In case you can't tell, I went a bit heavy on the spinach...maybe more of the Nayonaise next time? I spread it on Ak-Maks and cucumbers, plus I had a side salad and a banana with hazelnut butter for dessert. The banana-hazelnut combo is far superior to that of apple-hazelnut.
My shake of the evening deserves a spot in my top five frozen concoctions. Almonds and cocoa make for an incredible taste sensation! Maybe next time I'll try carob powder instead of the Special Dark Cocoa...
Sunday
Another simple pre-church meal: Van's whole wheat waffles with almond butter and blueberries.
After some light studying, I got really hungry. I made another batch Absent Egg Salad (tofu, vegan mayo, paprika, celery, lemon juice, and a bit of dijon mustard). I wrapped it up in a whole wheat tortilla and served it with a salad (with added honey roasted peanuts for crunch) and some more of those fabulous cherries. I perused the new J.Crew catalog while I munched.
For dinner, my whole family (sisters and spouses, mom and dad, plus me) all headed over to some friends' house for a little shindig. I snacked on some tortilla chips before dinner, but I refrained from any alcohol. The dinner menu consisted of burgers, potato salad, fruit salad, pasta salad, baked beans, Caprese salad, and peanut butter pie. The hosts were kind enough to give me the heads up, so I brought my own Gardenburger to heat up in the M-wave. Of course I ate my mom's famous baked beans (vegetarian recipe!), lots of fruit salad, and some of the Caprese salad too. I felt a little awkward bringing out the camera, so no pics. Sorry!

The shake was bad last night. I guess I was overdue for a failure since my last two were so exceptional. Boo.
Monday
I am getting so repetitive in my breakfasts, guys. I apologize...but they're still tasty:) Another muffin parfait/trifle today. This time I used some carob muffin tops I found in the freezer (I think I made them in March??) The addition of plain yogurt, blueberries, and sliced almonds made for a divine breakfast treat.
That's it for now. Next time I post it will be from my new computer!

Tech Toys!

Today marked the beginning of a sales tax-free weekend in Birmingham (read about it here). Sooo, after months of shameless begging and hint-dropping (think: leaving Best Buy ads on my dad's pillow), I got a new computer! In case you're curious, I got a Toshiba Satellite M300. Woohoo! I haven't set it up yet since I should be studying for my exams this weekend; I am still using my old computer to type this post. Perhaps I can use the new computer as an incentive to get through these final academic endeavors...While I was at Best Buy, I also got a bigger camera card. Both of my new toys will hopefully serve this blog well:)

My food has been a bit lame these past few days, so I apologize in advance. My creative juices just haven't been flowing lately. Here are the pics anyway:

Wednesday
Berry-Nut Shake! I didn't use frozen fruit this time--my recent nutrition project revealed that I was getting mucho fiber. I had already had a few servings that day, so I decided to replace it with...ice cream! Check out the chunks of almonds and pistachios! This was so...nutty.
Thursday
I woke up 45 minutes later than I was supposed to yesterday, which made for a rushed workout and breakfast. I quickly made a peach smoothie and put Corn Bran in a baggie with Craisins and walnuts. Another thing my project revealed is that I am deficient in Omega 3 fatty acids--hence the walnuts.
Lunch yesterday consisted of a tofu stir fry tossed in ED&BV's peanut sauce, whole wheat couscous, and I also ate a big fat orange. This was a winner! Afterward, I headed over to give my first nutritional consultation. The "client" was actually one of my dad's former co-workers, who is fully aware that I am not yet a licensed RD. Regardless, it was great practice!
Before dinner yesterday evening, I stared into the fridge for a few minutes, completely uninspired. So, I settled on an Amy's Bistro Burger, topped with avocado on a whole wheat bun. I also made some Ian's Sweet Potato Fries with my new organic ketchup (which is HFCS-free!). I should make this dinner when I am stressed--it's quite the comfort meal.
The shake last night used plain hemp protein (rather than vanilla). The consistency was off last night, so that affected my ability to evaluate the flavor. Better luck next time.
Friday
Yes, another muffin parfait/trifle. I seriously don't get tired of these things. Anyway, this one was a little different because I used a new Snacktrition product, the Fruit and Nut Mix with added calcium and fiber (as if I need the fiber...). At first glance, the mix seems high in sugar--15 grams per serving--but then I realized that dried fruit is included in the mix, so it's not as if I were consuming added sugars. FYI, this mix is not vegan, due to the yogurt chips (which look and taste deceptively like white chocolate chips). Nonetheless, I would buy this in the future--the combination of the almonds, cashews, dried fruit, and yummy yogurt nuggets make it a worthwhile oatmeal mix-in or yogurt topper. Beneath the trail mix were layers of crumbled muffins, plain organic yogurt, and fresh strawberries. Quite the decadent breakfast!
Random and boring lunch today--chickpeas cooked in jarred pasta sauce with oregano and basil, toast points, salad, and an apple with almond butter.
Dinner was rather pathetic today too, but oh-so-fresh. Corn on the cob, local tomatoes, steamed asparagus, and a scrumptious Sunshine burger made for quite the summery supper. I also had a glass of chocolate soymilk.
Now, I need to get the motivation to study...any bets as to whether it will happen?