Back in the Saddle

Well, I have returned to school, the land of less exciting eats. Don't worry I have some pictures to share with you, nonetheless. I don't have any classes on Mondays, so I have some time today to gather myself for the days ahead and make my weekly trip to Whole Foods :)

Saturday
First up are some Sloppy Joes that I made last Saturday. I used the Snobby Joes recipe from Veganomicon as my starting point, but as always, I didn't really stick to the recipe. I used the lentils, tomato sauce, mustard, and garlic suggested in the recipe, but then I substituted the ubiquitous broccoli slaw for the chopped veggies. Oh, and I was a bit heavy-handed with the mustard too--my tastebuds just can't get enough Grey Poupon. I enjoyed these Snobby Joes atop a whole wheat hamburger bun with salad and green beans.

Sunday

OK, so maybe it doesn't look very appetizing (you should have seen the look on my dad's face when he saw it!), but it was TASTY. I scraped the pot clean for every last bit of that sauce. Anyway, the next morning for breakfast I made a quick smoothie with Spiru-tein (I highly recommend it!), almond milk, and frozen strawberries. To go along with it, I made some bran muffin tops with TJ's high fiber cereal. I used a recipe from the All Bran website, http://www.all-bran.com/. I reduced the sugar content by half, used brown sugar instead of white, used flax + water for the egg, and almond milk for the skim milk. Like I said, I hardly ever follow a recipe. Call me a rebel.

Here is picture when they were fresh out of the oven. I made a half recipe to produce just 6 muffin tops (minus one, because I scarfed one down before I took the picture!).

They were quite moist for not having any oil in them! I let them cool on a plate before wrapping them up and putting them in the freezer for the next time I am home. Now that I look at them, they kind of look like hamburger patties. Oh, well!

Monday

I have now returned to the dorm life, so here are a few pictures of my meals since I have been back. My breakfast this morning was a "parfait" but I don't really have any pretty glasses to make it a true parfait, so it's really several layers of flavor in a bowl. Today's had Fiber One, pumpkin, plain Stonyfield Farms yogurt with cinnamon, and wheat germ.

I just finished up lunch. I went to a place on campus called The Refectory (it's in the Divinity School), and they specialize in local, organic, and vegan food. I love it because I know that everything I eat there is natural, no trans fats or mystery ingredients here. Anyway, I got what I get every time I visit: their famous vegan chili, side salad, a carton of vanilla Silk, and a big honkin' apple.

And with that, I have successfully eaten another vegan lunch! Now I am off to Whole Foods...enjoy the rest of your Monday!

Luxurious Friday

I can't believe it's already Friday--where did the week go?? Even though I am a little sad that my spring break is coming to an end, I spent today feeling like a goddess. Not only was my food scrumptious, but I also had a bit of a "spa" day. This morning I stocked up on the only lip gloss I wear (besides Chapstick), and later I went to the nail salon for a pedicure with my mom and sister. I do not normally spend my days participating in such uber-girly activities, but it was a great way to relax.



To start off my day of luxury, I decided to make myself vegan French toast. I didn't use a recipe, which was a mistake in retrospect. The bread didn't really "set up" correctly, so the slices were a tad mushy--perhaps I used too much almond milk? Nonetheless, it was a tasty dish. I spread the toast with homemade pumpkin butter; on the side was mixed berries with wheat germ.

After stocking up on beauty supplies and a quick Target run (OK, maybe not so quick), I returned to the homefront for lunch. I used up our somewhat mushy avocado and some leftover smoked tempeh to make a quasi-BLT, even though I used spinach instead of lettuce and tempeh instead of bacon. At least I got the tomato part right. Since I used up so much of our loaf of bread this morning for breakfast, I decided to make it into a wrap. I had this with some broccoli slaw and natural applesauce.

My free-form tofu/squash shepherd's pie that I had for dinner tonight didn't turn out exactly as planned, so I'll post a picture of last night's dinner instead. I made a pseudo-chicken salad with seitan and tofu; with a dollop of Nayonaise and a few chopped walnuts, it turned out pretty tasty. I enjoyed it atop an open-faced whole wheat hamburger bun.

Yet another vegan meal! Actually, come to think of it, all the meals I posted today were vegan...maybe cutting out dairy wouldn't be so hard after all...

Even though this is a food blog, I hope it won't turn your stomach too much if I leave you with a picture of my lovely feet, post-pedicure. Enjoy your weekend!

Big Bowl Breakfast and Vegan Lunch

Today felt just like spring! It's so exciting to see all the Cherry Blossom and Pear trees in bloom! It was so nice to have the sun shining all day...notice the lovely sunshine in my breakfast photo below. My morning meal was rather haphazard, actually. After I got out of the shower this morning, I was famished! I had no idea what to prepare, and I didn't have the patience to try a recipe, so I made what VeggieGirl refers to as a "bowl meal." In other words, I just dumped whatever looked good into a bowl and dug in. The items that happened to arise in my visual field today were cottage cheese, crumbled Weetabix biscuits, and frozen mixed berries. I topped the scrumptious mountain with a bit of Stevia and cinnamon. Yet again, I have discovered that often the best dishes are those that are completely spontaneous.

Much to my delight, I received my copy of Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan in the mail yesterday. I had been informed that it was on back-order for a few weeks, so I was pleasantly surprised by the arrival of this beloved green book. For lunch today I decided to make the White Bean Spread from the sandwiches section. I was particularly drawn to this recipe because of its inclusion of cashews--after yesterday's lunch I can't get enough of them! This was a really easy recipe to make too: I just dumped all the ingredients into my trusty Magic Bullet Blender and within seconds I had a tasty spread. I put a thick layer on a toasted oat bran pita with some fresh spinach. On the side I had some broccoli slaw (spritzed with Bragg's Liquid Aminos) and the last of the oranges.

Needless to say, I was once again quite satisfied with my dairy-free lunch. I am making a new resolution to try to enjoy at least one vegan meal per day. Both today's and yesterday's mid-day meals were free of animal products, and they were by far the superstar meals of the day. I think I'll be enjoying my lunches a lot more from hereon:) So, to all you vegans out there, or those of you who just happen to enjoy the earth's bounty, please send me your favorite vegan lunch ideas! Enjoy your evening.

Cashews Make Everything Better

Howdy, everyone! It's officially humpday--the week is already halfway over! Not such good news for me, since it's my spring break. As a result, I had to check off a few things on my to-do list today. First up was a visit to the doctor's office to finish immunizations, etc. The appointment was early, so all I had time for beforehand was some whole grain toast with rhubarb jam and a mug of Lemon Zinger tea. I didn't get to eat a real breakfast until afterward at about 10:30, so I was in the mood for a protein rich morning meal.

What you see here is a Rudi's Organic Whole Grain English Muffin with egg whites (cooked in ramekins in the microwave--I was hungry, so I was too impatient for the stovetop!). I sprinkled some 2% mozzarella and chili powder on top. One thing you'll learn pretty quick about my cooking is that when in doubt, I add either chili powder or cinnamon, depending on whether the dish is savory or sweet. They're definitely my fave spices! I rounded it out with a sliced Gala apple.

I had an appointment for a haircut at 1, so after breakfast I did a quick workout and showered without stopping for lunch. BIG mistake. I didn't end up getting lunch until about 3:30! Needless to say I was a tad famished. I decided to use up some of my leftover seitan in the fridge, so I made a stir fry using sliced mushrooms, broccoli slaw (it comes in a bag from the produce department), ginger, and a couple squirts of Bragg's Liquid Aminos. This all went atop some whole grain noodles to make a very large bowl of food--no complaints here! At the last minute, I decided to add some cashews for satiety--that turned out to be a great decision, hence the title of this post. The contrast of the nuts' salty crunch with the vegetables' watery crunch made for a delectable dish. I am typically a fast eater, but this bowl of food was gone in record time! I also had an orange on the side (not pictured).

Well, the microwave beckons with the water for my Pumpkin Spice tea, so I must bid you adieu. Peace be with you :)

Lazy Day

Happy Tuesday! Today was a pretty uneventful day--just did some grocery shopping and went to the mall to look for some new gym shoes. Does anyone have any recommendations? I was looking for Nike Shox, but they're pretty expensive...would def have to be an Easter present! I like the ones that are iPod compatible though. Decisions, decisions...


Anyway, my breakfast was pretty boring because I was in a rush to get to the grocery store. I just had some Fiber One with almond milk and some peaches with sliced almonds. I was starving when I got back, so I had a protein packed lunch: California Cobb Salad (romaine, tomatoes, mashed avocado, smoked tempeh, and hard-boiled egg whites). I also had some Kashis, and strawberries with cottage cheese.

My dinner was inspired California Pizza Kitchen. They have a famous BBQ chicken pizza that they sell in the restaurant as well as in the freezer section of grocery stores. To tell the truth, I have never had it, but the way people rave about it made me think I should try a similar combination of flavors. I made myself a flatbread version with stewed tomatoes, 2% mozzarella, seitan, mushrooms, and Annie's Chipotle BBQ sauce. It turned out pretty darn tasty! It was a little soggy toward the end, but otherwise a success! I forgot to take the picture until after I was halfway done. You may be able to see the remnants of my side salad and steamed asparagus on the plate...

Well, those were the highlights of my culinary experience today...I am off to hang with the fam. Enjoy your evening!

A Day in the Life...

Now that I've introduced myself, I thought I would show you what typical day's worth of meals looks like for me (when I have access to a kitchen--I am on spring break right now!). I woke up at 8 this morning and munched on a mini whole wheat pita with rhubarb jam before my workout.

In case you're curious, I did 30 minutes elliptical trainer, 6 miles on the bike, and 10 minutes of ab work. The time really does fly when you have a good magazine to read--I read my Fitness magazines that have been piling up at home while I am off at school. Anyway, after my workout I cooked up some old-fashioned oats; I was inspired by Kath over at Kath Eats Real Foods. I cooked them in 1/2 water, 1/2 almond milk and added sliced almonds and cinnamon.

These were the first fresh strawberries I've had in months, and they were delish! I was expecting them to be "woody," but they were delectably sweet. They were from Florida, so I figured they were semi-local (I live in Alabama). Unfortunately, this breakfast didn't hold me for long--I was ready for lunch when it hit 12:30. I made some chickpea soft tacos with mashed avocado, salsa, and 75% light Cabot cheese. These are corn tortillas, so they're about 6 inches in diameter.

I rolled these up after taking the picture; they were accompanied by a side salad and a juicy peach! After running some errands, I got hungry again around 4:30, so I made myself a bit of an odd snack. Mushrooms are one of my favorite vegetables, even raw! So, I sliced up some of those to dip in hummus (Wild Garden is my favorite brand). I added a light cheese stick and a Florida orange that one of our friends brought us from Florida. Not really a conventional snack, but it got the job done.

For dinner, I tried something I've never tried before--spaghetti squash. I have hearing about the wonders of spaghetti squash for years, but I never got up the motivation to actually try it. Well, I picked up an organic spaghetti squash from Publix the other day (love their produce department!) and decided to give it a try. It turns out that it's pretty simple to prepare: just cut in half, scoop out the seeds, and bake for 45 minutes in a 350* oven. After that, the strands practically fall onto your fork! I topped mine with some stewed tomatoes and leftover tofu. Afterwards I had some Fage 0% Greek yogurt with some more rhubarb jam.

What a treat! Not exactly like pasta, but tasty nonetheless. This was only half of the squash, so I'll need to use the other half in some way or another later this week...got any ideas? I wish I could make spaghetti squash more often, but I don't see it happening while I am living in the dorms! Not to mention I might get some strange looks from the boys playing Halo next to the dorm kitchen!

Now I am off to read some Macbeth or perhaps The Godfather, the two books I am reading right now (great combination, right?). I hope you all have a restful night:)

Introduction

Hello all! I am a newbie to the blogging world, but after exploring some other great foodie blogs, I decided it looked like fun! I am 20 years old, and I love anything related to food. I read about food in cookbooks and magazines, I write about food as a freelance writer, and I even watch the Food Network while working out!

My lifestyle could best be described as health-focused. Exercise and healthful eating are big priorities in my life, and I am devoted to a meat-free lifestyle. Staying committed to these priorities can be a challenge when living in a college dormitory (where my kitchen consists of a microwave and a mini-fridge), so some less-than-stellar meals may appear on here occasionally.

With this blog, I plan on getting creative with my food. After a few years of Tofurky sandwiches and Boca burgers under my belt, I am ready to experiment, both in the kitchen and in the dining world (aka on-campus eateries!). I look forward to sharing my meals and thoughts with you!