Uncooking On Memorial Day
I find it ironic that on the epitome of BBQing and Grilling is when I decide to have another one of my raw-kicks.
I started my morning with a run, which called for prefueling with chocolate. Lindt is obviously not a raw chocolate brand but still tasty, and even non-raw dark chocolate has a good amount of antioxidants. Chomp on 🙂
I only aimed for 9 miles but ended up doing 11 after I got way too in to my new playlist. I think I’ve listened to some songs by Adam Lambert and Sugarland 5+ times over the past few days. Whoops?
All I’ve been craving lately for lunch has been raw salads. We seriously don’t have enough raw veggies in this house to satisfy that! I used half an avocado squirted with lime juice as the “meat” here, and around it added raw corn, lemon garlic marinated olives, and onions caramelized in a little EVOO(obviously not raw but cooked onions taste 1000 times better than raw in my opinion). The result: delicious. This was like some backwards guacamole salad. Loved it!
It seems my sweet-tooth, which has been in and out recently is back. A Zevia twist tasted perfect mid-afternoon for a boost. Just like a diet Sierra Mist!
The piece d’ resistance of the afternoon was this Memorial Day sundae. I really want to make a maple walnut flavor ice cream! Along with soooo many others. But since there’s only so much room in our freezer, I took some of the ice cream I made with raw milk and covered it in NH maple taffy and freshly toasted walnuts. Yum! Except whole milk ice cream is just too icy as I’ve found out; you really need half and half to make something decently creamy(or coconut milk at a 2:1 ratio with water for a vegan half and half).
It turned out that I went from being the only one with plans for Memorial Day to being the only one home. How does that happen?! Not going to lie: I was a little upset. But instead I decided to make this a golden opportunity to try a new recipe I’ve been dying to make.
First I snacked on some Crazy Richards chunky pb straight for some energy and got the food processor out.
The recipe I wanted to (not) cook was raw taco meat, so I went straight over to Averie’s blog and found her super simple recipe. Here it is below; I followed it to a T except used her variation of swapping out the spices for predone(Trader Joe’s) taco seasoning.
Averie’s Raw Vegan Taco Nut “Meat”
1/2 C Raw Almonds
1/2 C Walnuts
1/3 C Sun Dried Tomatoes loosely packed (If using oil packed, may slightly reduce amount of olive oil added)
1/2 Tsp Chili Powder (or to taste)
1/4 Tsp Cayenne Powder (or to taste)
2 to 4 Tbsp Olive Oil (or hemp, flax, etc.)
Optional: 1 Tsp Salt (or to taste)
Wow! I’ve never had something so flavorful. And I will be making this again. It certainly wouldn’t suit if all you want is that beef-flavor or meat. But if you’re just looking for something fun and tasty, this totally works. I ate it along a gingerade kombucha and home fries made with white potato, sweet potato, red onion, olive oil, salt and pepper. Of course, really Averie would probably hate this dish because it has about a days worth of sodium in it(and I’m eating it with a salt shaker ready and standing by).
And now I’m watching Knocked Up on TV. I love the movie, but some things are just better done when you have the house to yourself 😉
Where do you go for new recipes? This is something I always get asked by people I cook for. Almost all my recipes come or were derived from blogs, FoodNetwork.com, or Allrecipes.com. Maybe this is a bias crowd to ask this question, but really I have to think this is what the internet is for!
When The Weather’s This Perfect
I’m so happy for the enthusiasm for my blogiversary. It was definitely fun looking over old posts and old photos; nothing makes you feel better than seeing a picture and thinking “I look so young and fresh here” until you realize it’s 3 1/2 years old 😉
After yesterday hit 91 degrees, and the night was riddled with thunderstorms and showers, the weather today was just perfect. There’s so much can do on a day like today!
I love it when it’s not too hot that chocolate melts. This was mint-flavored carob, but I’d assume it’d melt if it were too hot, too. There is nothing worse than opening up a chocolate bar only to find melted poo.
When it’s this nice out, part of me feels like I could keep going and going. The other part of me(aka, my knees) remembers all too well the 14 miles from yesterday, so there wasn’t much enthusiasm to go any further. Still, this was a dreamy run.
When the weather’s this perfect, grilling is the obvious option, but there are some things that just taste better in a seasoned pan.
I was craving Spanish potatoes and ground beef. This was so simple, too; just potatoes and onion cooked in olive oil with sea salt, paprika, and black pepper, and then grass-fed ground beef cooked through. A little basil just brightens up everything; it’s my favorite herb to add in the Summer.
I couldn’t wait for Sundae Friday this week; I just had to have fun in the kitchen. I used up the last of the vegan blondies and mixed them with snickerdoodle soy ice cream. It was missing something, though…
Rice whip, anyone?! All vegan; all delicious.
When the weather’s this perfect, I think my diet soda addiction kicks back in. Like I said here, even though I went 96 hours without stevia, I still adore it in moderation.Since the weather was so nice, I took a walk around the neighborhood, and made a delicious snack plate upon my return.
A random plate of raw onion, raw broccoli, and 2 slices vegan Hawaiian pizza. I was curious if leftover gluten-free, vegan pizza had that same magical quality as regular leftover pizza. It does.
For dinner, my mom went out with her girlfriends for the night. That used to mean “breakfast for dinner” for the boys, where the breakfast was poptarts. Thankfully, we’ve all grown up a little since then and can make real food.
When the weather’s this perfect, a Summer Salad is the way to go. This was just dressed spinach with homemade chickpeas, raisins, and Daiya. I think I’ve reached my fake-cheese limit for the day.
Do you take your leftover pizza hot or cold? I like to heat it back up and get it to the gooey cheese state.
What do you feel like doing in perfect weather? I’m 90% sure ice cream will be made tonight. I’m just debating between a very classy chocolate chip or a vegan white chocolate flavor…
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 18 so far )How To Have A Staycation
Staycation: A vacation spent at home or nearby(merriam-webster)
Did you know Italy could be in the town right next to yours? And later in the freezer? Italia est mi amor.
At The Colosseum
On The Ponte Vecchio
The Vatican On Palm Sunday
I’ve been there twice and both times have been pure magic. Looking back at the pictures makes me want to go again. Of course, all of this was pre-foodie days so there’s no pictures  of the mountains of pizza I consumed.
Last night, I decided we’d take a staycation to Italy. Really, do you have to go 1000s of miles to eat good food, overindulge, and open your wallet? Not really. You can do that all at home!
Tomasso
Dinner took place at my favorite Italian restaurant nearby: Tomasso Trattoria. This place is the real deal; I was listening to twitter updates from them all day about how they got a fresh pig in and were roasting it. Heaven.
Roasted Pig With Fennel And Local Greens
For my Secondi I ordered the special: roasted suckling pig stuffed with garlic and fennel sausage, radicchio in agrodolce, local field greens. With a Contorni:
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Roasted fingerling potatoes with sage. Yes, I am 110% a meat and potatoes person. The fennel was too vinegary for my own taste so I passed those off. I loved how rich and fatty and well cooked the meat was; a little salt and it melted in my mouth. And I think white potatoes are my true passion; these were divine. Another great meal in Italy, err… at Tomasso’s.
Starbucks Sumatra Decaf
All good Italian desserts start with a good cup of coffee. This was to die for. I swear, this Sumatra blend didn’t even need sugar or stevia or any sweetness. I won’t say that about a lot of hot drinks!
Scharffen Berger Bittersweet
For dessert, there was a little dark chocolate. I don’t think I’d tried this one before. Tres magnifique!(yes, I know that’s French). But I think the price and smaller portion will have me not buying this one again.
Talenti Tahitian Vanilla Bean Gelato
Finally, it was time to get my Italian gelato. I picked up this brand on this blogger’s recommendation. I love how they add a little lemon for a vanilla flavor–so Italian!
Talenti Tahitian Vanilla Bean Gelato
Dreamy. Creamy. Deliciouso. Do you know the difference between gelato and ice cream? Ice cream legally has 10% or more butterfat, whereas gelato has less. It’s also churned at a slower rate, meaning less air is added into it and the product is denser. That was my Italian history lesson for the day.
Gluten-Free Biscuit With Walnut Butter And Sea Salt
On the flight home, we had a layover in the South, so I ate one of their biscuits and topped it with Artisana Walnut Butter and sea salt. I hate layovers, but I love these biscuits so I went ahead and ate another.
Oats In A Butter Toffee Peanut Butter Jar, Plain Oikos With Local Honey
The best part of a staycation? No jet lag. No unpacking. And only a slight sense of “OH, I really need to hit the gym now after that”. Yes, I do believe I’ve found a love for staycation, along with my pre-existing loves for local raw honey and butter toffee peanut butter. Speaking of Naturally Nutty, you can win some in Averie’s giveaway! Let’s recap:
How To Have A Staycation
1. Pick the cuisine. Italian? French? Hell, you could take a whole tour across Europe if you want!
2. Find the local spot. Look for the best “authentic” restaurant. Now is not the time to drive around and stop at the first place called “Georgio’s” only to find it’s a greasy pizza joint.
3. Plan the night out. From dinner to dessert, just have a plan and things will run smoother.
4. Make use of groceries. Now might be a good time and excuse to buy that French wine you’d been eyeing that was out of your budget. Like my gelato, the food frontier doesn’t just have to be in a restaurant.
5. Forget about the costs. Since a staycation is meant to be taken in place of a mini-vacation, treat it like one and let your worries go for the time being.
6. When in doubt, take a rain check. Didn’t get reservations at the restaurant of your dreams? Unless the staycation needs to be taken that day, put it off until you can do it right.
Where do you want to take your next staycation? I think Greece is on the travel plans for me.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 14 so far )Too Much Nature For Me
Sometimes, I have to look at how my post makes me seem and laugh; I swear I’m not too crunchy granola, really 😉 I do have limits to my love of nature. Bloggers, do you feel like your blog persona is never the true you?
Vegan Peanut Butter Fudge
I snacked on vegan peanut butter fudge before my run. Not only was I nervous about the thought of a 14-miler after 3 days of not running, but to make things work I looked out my window and say a big, black ball in my draveway. It turned out to be a wild turkey, and this one looked mean 
He left and soon enough I was off.
14 Miles
The highlight of the run, by far, was running past a beautiful, big brown cow who looked straight at me going by. The decaying possum on the side of the road I had to pass twice? Yeah, not so much. Oh, and the joy of everything was just finishing!
Raw Salad With Cherry Tomatoes And Olive Cashew Cheese, Multigrain FTSG Chips
Since raw food takes no cooking, why not have a raw meal for quick post-run recovery? I mad a simple salad with arugula, spinach, basil, and olive oil, and tossed grape tomatoes in sea salt and black pepper.
Raw Olive Cashew Cheese
We bought this cheese on this occasion at Grezzo’s and I finally dethawed it. Wow, is it delicious! It doesn’t really remind me of cheese, or cashews. It’s so unique. And somehow I insist I’m not that crunchy granola 😉
Red Delicious Apple
Dessert was an apple, and then I was off!
Wolf Hill Farm
Raw Local Honey
I went down to the local farm to get more honey. Apparently, I can go through almost a pound of honey a week–who knew?! I love supporting a local farmer, but… I really wish the middle aged woman running it would buy a support bra with all that support I’m giving. Now she is that crunchy granola.
Plain Chobani With Honey And Crunchy PB
This afternoon snack was a no-brainer: yogurt with honey and peanut butter. So good! It helps to mask that plain favor I despise so much. Have you seen the new blue containers? I think I dig them more than the pink, but it’ll take some getting used to.
Coconut Ice Cream With Crunchy PB
And before dinner I polished off a coconut coconut milk ice cream to make room in the freezer. Adding peanut butter to ice cream is never as good than ice cream with peanut butter already in it. I think it needs a little extra sweetness.
Black Beans With Daiya, Peppered Potato Wedges With Caramelized Onions
Dinner was a lot of carbs with a new recipe! I’ll be posting it Saturday night, so potato fans keep an eye out 😉 I have just come to love the white potato over the past few weeks. Maybe I was Irish in a past life? The only thing that disgust me is cleaning the potato itself, especially once it’s started to grow stars. Ew, ew, ew! Too much nature for me.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 12 so far )An Eventful Day In Boston Part 1
Good evening! What’s a perfect way to spend an evening?
Homemade Iced Tea
Sipping half-caf iced tea with lemon and stevia. Superb. Last night, I was flipping back and forth between Survivor and Brothers & Sisters. All I can say is WOW to both of them. Brothers & Sisters got a little predictable towards the end, but that didn’t make it any less good. Anyway, the food.
Green & Black's Ginger Dark Chocolate
I absolutely love this chocolate now on my 2nd bar. And I might have bought another at Whole Foods since it was on sale. Maybe. Anyway, I’ll have to throw up a review page for it. All I can say are ginger and chocolate were meant to be. I also had a handful of baby carrots around this time, which I saw a better option than more chocolate. Again, maybe.
Oatmeal With Butter Toffee Peanut Butter, Local Raw Honey
Before hitting the hay I made a bowl of oatmeal with Naturally Nutty‘s butter toffee peanut butter and some local raw honey on the side for dippage. Yum! The honey is definitely a new addiction; I snuck down stairs afterwards for another scoop. Did it help me fall asleep? Probably not, but it was good.
Speaking of sleep, I woke up with my alarm, hopped in the bathroom, and then started getting all my clothes ready, and still felt really really tired. After I put in my contacts, I saw that I set my alarm for 6:20 instead of 7:20. Whoops. I couldn’t fall back asleep, so I just made an extra special breakfast.
Cooking A Hash
Practice makes perfect; that’s what the owner of Nick’s On Broadway told me himself. Let’s just think of him as my hashpiration 😉 This one started with earth balance, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, red onion, and basil. I then added some EVOO for a different flavor.
Sweet Potato And Potato Home Fries With Basil, Scrambled Tofu, Mighty Maple
This one was much better than the other ones I’ve made(all 2 of them); I think the earth balance added a much needed butter flavor but from a vegan source. The scrambled tofu was so much simpler than I would have thought: just tofu and nutritional yeast cooked in whatever fat the potatoes didn’t take up. And it was all super tasty and filling.
Maybe it’s just because I’ve been stuck home the past week, but Boston seemed so alive today. Several schools, including my dad’s college, were having graduations, so joyful families were everywhere. I started my day at Whole Foods to get some coffee(the same one where Gisele Bundchen shops), and then meandered to the graduation I was attending.
Cashew Cookie Larabar
I snacked on a cashew cookie larabar beforehand. It was a terrific ceremony and it was great to congratulate everyone. But rather than stick around I was really excited to go to my favorite Boston restaurant and keep the raw vegan theme rolling. I took the T and walked down to the North End(not easy for someone self-proclaimed “T-literate”). But look what I found when I got there!
"Grezzo Is Closed"
Yes, it’s true, unfortunately. The owner explains the reasons on her blog here. In the larger picture, I’m very sad to see the very thing that introduced me to raw veganism disappear like that. I felt like it was a Boston institution. On a much more limited scale. What was I to do for lunch? I was starving by this point and in a part of Boston I almost never go. Would I find somewhere good? Would I ever eat raw again?
Have you ever had a favorite spot close down on you? Where was it?
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 20 so far )Get Me Out Of The Kitchen
I could have sworn I wrote a post like this before. Regardless, even if I didn’t name it this, it’s a common problem I have: I get in the kitchen and you can’t get me out of there.
Roasting Potatoes
Sun Tea
When I got home from my run, I showered and immediately had 4 projects going in the kitchen at once. 2 of them were rather simple. I started making half-caf sun tea using 7 tea bags and some room temperature water. That I’ll refrigerate later and sweet with stevia and lemon to serve as iced tea. And I threw some potatoes in the oven to bake because I like to always have a few fully baked potatoes lying around to throw into a hash. Speaking of hash…
Home Fries And Rosemary
I threw 2 previously baked potatoes, some red onion, rosemary and EVOO in a pan to cook into home fries for lunch. I’ve been assured that, while these aren’t currently as good as some of my favorite restaurants’, it just takes time and practice.
Vanilla Cashew Cream
And while I had that on the stove, in the blender I threw together the ingredients for raw chocolate chip ice cream. At this point, it was like a thick and frothy vanilla milkshake I could have just drank there. But I resisted because lunch was ready.
Home Fries, Veggie Burger, Gingerade Kombucha
For protein, I had a Wildwood shitake veggie burger alongside the home fries and a gingerade kombucha to wash it all down and rehydrate.
Home Fries With Red Onion And Rosemary
Again, not as good as when I get it at Nick’s or Garden Grill, but getting better. The red onion and sea salt are really key for the flavor. I can’t wait to try this again with part sweet potato.
Vegan Chocolate Fudge
10 Miles
Before my run I ate a piece of microwave vegan chocolate fudge and that powered me through 9 laps of the neighborhood. I definitely did not feel fast today but after 3 days of outdoor running on hills I guess that’s to be expected.
Organic Fuji Apple
I snacked on an apple a little later on in the afternoon after I cleaned up all my messes(a food processor is not the same as a blender when it comes to liquids). Eventually, my cashew mixture had chilled…
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cup cashews
- 1 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup amber agave
- 1/4 cup vanilla bean infused sugar
- 1/2 cup cacao nibs
In a blender, puree the first 4 ingredients until they are fully mixed. Store this liquid in a container in the refrigerator for a few hours to chill. Once ready, pour into ice cream maker and work to manufacturer’s directions. Add the cacao nibs 5 minutes before being done. Eat immediately or keep in a tight container in the freezer.
This was so fun to make! I can’t wait to make quarts and quarts of ice cream this Summer. I let this sit in the freezer for a bit but I think the texture was actually better right after being churned. It definitely had a cashew flavor, but not in a bad way. This would be better with an actual vanilla bean but my way costs considerably less. Did I mention it was delicious? Let’s just pretend the cashews have no calories.
Raw Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
…What? Was I supposed to have only one bowl? Yeah, not happening. While I could try to make some excuse that this is raw and that somehow makes it healthier, ice cream is ice cream. I will say that this is a really fun way besides oatmeal to get in some NUTrition.
Baked Beans, Broccoli And Turnip In Soy Sauce
My dinner was boring compared to that. I really wanted to keep eating raw: raw salmon, that is. But as much as I love rural America for its honey, I do not love it for its lack of Whole Foods and cheap sushi bars. I told myself if I wasn’t going to feel ethical eating that fish, I should just be happy eating beans. And I am. Seriously, buy 365 baked beans. They will change your opinion on canned goods.
Favorite raw vegetable? I don’t like many vegetables raw but baby carrots I don’t mind. Here’s a note: raw turnip does not taste all that good. Keep that in mind.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 14 so far )What Would You Do?
My newest Friday night television obsession is the ABC show What Would You Do? The whole show is based on what used to be a 20/20 segment where they put real people in morally compromising situations with hidden cameras to tap their reaction. Since I’ve been watching 20/20 and this segment for 5-6 years, I was excited for this(You can go ahead and do the math; you’ll just find out I turned into a grandpa at a really young age). As much as I wanted to recommend this show, I didn’t have much to say about it. That was until I had a What Would You Do? moment in my own life.
At the gym, someone clearly left their Debit card and hadn’t noticed since they weren’t around the entire while I was there. I’ve seen lost personal property at the gym before and left it, but since this clearly had the person’s name on it I decided to take it and find them. When I tried to find a school email, they weren’t in the system; at this point, I thought I’d made a huge mistake and wanted to go throw it back on the gym floor and forget about it. Instead, I used one of my most prominent skills: Facebook stalking. I was able to track them down and message the person, who actually cancelled the card right away and said thank you but that I could tear it up. What would you have done in my situation? In their’s? I think we both did the best thing; I definitely would have been hesitant to take anything from the gym if I didn’t think finding the owner would be reasonably easy, so if it were a real gym I’d probably have turned it in to the front desk and went on my way(there’s no staff there; it’s just a single room of machines).
Butter Toffee Peanut Butter Oatmeal
Cherry Fage With Lemon Ginger Macaroon
For breakfast I had a bowl of oatmeal with Naturally Nutty Butter Toffee Peanut Butter; how is it that I haven’t eaten this peanut butter in weeks?! It may not be vegan, but it’s perfection. And on a cherry fage I crumbled my last lemon ginger macaroon from Emmy’s Organic. You know you’re a blogger when you forget that “real” macaroons have egg whites in them and aren’t raw. They also aren’t this yummy.
Microwave Vegan Chocolate Fudge
Right before leaving for the gym I remembered my fudge in the refrigerator. My runs are a lot better when I do some serious prefueling. Ironically, I thought eating chocolate before a run would just be crazy and cheap. But fudge? Now that’s a class act.
I ran 12 miles on the treadmill. In hindsight, I have to question how sane it is to run on an electric machine when there’s a huge thunderstorm outside. But the thought didn’t occur to me until mile 7 so I kept going. I also got to watch Ice Age and laugh out loud at the line “It’s hard to get fat on a vegan diet.” Someone hasn’t tried my fudge…
Black Beans And Daiya, Spanish Potatoes With Salsa
Black Beans And Daiya
Dr. Zevia
For lunch, I threw together a little Spanish fiesta with foods from the dining hall. I topped black beans with Daiya, which is still pure magic in case you’d thought I’d forgotten. On the side were some Spanish Potatoes and salsa, and a Dr. Zevia to wash it all down(OK, actually to empty the can so I don’t have to carry it out of the dorm).
Microwave Vegan Chocolate Fudge With Vanilla Peanut Butter
Dessert was more vegan chocolate fudge with a little vanilla peanut butter. I have a recipe for vegan peanut butter fudge in my mind! But obviously I don’t want to release it until I can make a test batch.
So Delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Really, the fudge was just an apertif for the main course: So Delicious chocolate peanut butter swirl coconut milk ice cream. I’m going to cry in the time that I don’t have this between moving out of the dorm and settling in at home. It’s that good.
Citrus Kombucha
Righteously Raw Caramel Dark Chocolate Bar
After that I walked to CVS where I got the most perfect Mother’s day card and picked up a citrus kombucha and ate that as a snack with 1/2 a raw chocolate bar. I’ve had this 1/2 lying around for so long frankly because I haven’t cared for it; if you’re looking for raw chocolate, better to try Nibmor or Lulu’s or even make your own with my recipe. Speaking of recipes…
Maple Baked Tofu, Roasted Broccoli And Sweet Potato Chunks With Maple Syrup And Sea Salt
I cooked! OK, it wasn’t anything more than maple baked tofu with roasted broccoli and sweet potatoes. But it felt soooo good to get back in the kitchen and turn on the oven after more meals than I can count from the dining hall or Whole Foods or made of oatmeal. Don’t get me wrong–I love a good meal made for me here and there. But there’s nothing more grounding than making something yourself.
Do you feel like you need to cook or bake from time to time? Clearly, I do. Do you think it’s “hard to get fat” on a vegan diet like Sid the Sloth says? That’s how I used to think–that vegans were sticks who ate grass–, but after learning more and reading so many wonderful vegan blogs I know they can cook with the best of them and it’s still everything in moderation that’s key. I’ll point out everything here today besides the butter toffee peanut butter and Cherry Fage was vegan. And what would you do?
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 13 so far )Ravenous
I’m really happy that so many of you seem to love your fancy nut butters! Sounds like there’s going to be a lot of experimenting in the kitchen this weekend done(and a happy Friday to you, too!) And if you think you’ve seen a post like this recently, maybe it’s because me and Christy are on the same wavelength when it comes to being ravenous.
I kicked off my weekend the best way possible: Going to Whole Foods. Nothing is more relaxing than being at a grocery store even before the lunch crowd sets in. And I was tempted to buy anything and everything new I could find(like a new gelato Lauren introduced me to!). But in the spirit of Project Cleanout, I kept it nice and reserved.
Groceries
Groceries
That would be oatmeal and oatbran(running low), an organic sweet potato, canned goods, a candy bar(whoops. I had a coupon, though), prepared foods, and new kombucha that were on sale.
Lemon Ginger Honest Kombucha
I couldn’t help breaking into one of the kombuchas when I got hungry for lunch really early thinking I was just hungry from boredom. This flavor was good, but a little too sweet and lemony. I probably wouldn’t buy it again even on sale. And besides, I was hungry for food.
Cashew Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, Roasted Cauliflower With Nutritional Yeast
Cashew Chicken, Roasted Cauliflower With Nutritional Yeast
The best thing about going to Whole Foods was getting a lunch so that I could just work on my final papers without thinking about lunch. Cashew chicken is definitely one of my favorite Asian foods, but the cashews here had no texture, and I’m pretty sure the gluten ingredient I didn’t think would bother my stomach did On the bright side, the cauliflower was so good. Please, Whole Foods, roast for me more often.
Sunspire Coconut Bar
That filled me up for all of 30 minutes when I busted into my Cookie Friday treat: a Sunspire dark chocolate coconut bar.
Sunspire Coconut Bar
I just love that companies are making more organic junk food! Wait… no, that’s what I meant to say. But…
Organic Cameo Apple
I was still hungry and decided to eat the last organic apple I had. Uhhh, I’m pretty sure this was turning into apple cider vinegar in front of my eyes. Does that look appetizing? Because it wasn’t(I still ate it).
If there’s anything that gets my hunger going it’s rest days and doing serious school work. Not only did I not run today, but I finished two rough drafts of papers I have to write(hold your applause). It felt great to get those partially out of the way, but before I knew it I was making myself a huge Sundae Friday sundae.
Elan's Vanilla Frozen Yogurt With Dark Chocolate Pieces
This had Elan’s vanilla frozen yogurt with 3 squares Endangered Species‘ organic smooth dark chocolate. Even though j’adore this chocolate, it was not bangin’ in this combo; the fact that the ice cream is so sweet over-accentuated the bitterness of the chocolate. Or maybe my taste buds were just off because I was more hungry than usual. Speaking of unusual:
Whole Foods Canned Tuna
Since chocolate and ice cream and candy bars weren’t working(Gosh, I couldn’t imagine why), I decided to go down the protein route and have a can of tuna before dinner. Proof that I am not a smart cookie: It took me about 3 minutes of shopping to realize this was the same tuna I’ve been eating all year, they’ve just changed the packaging of it. You like? I’m not a fan(because it confused me). Anyway, this actually worked to keep me full until dinner.
Yukon Gold Potato Covered In Vegetarian Chili, Broccoli With Seasoned Tofu
I would definitely be guilty of taking the lazy way out due to finals because I cooked 0% of this. I covered roasted yukon gold potatoes from the dining hall with the remnants of a can of 365 vegetarian chili. On the side was broccoli and seasoned tofu(both also from the dining hall) and a can of Zevia because I realized that’s going to be easier to move out of the dorm if it’s empty…
Poll: Would you hurt a fly? I’m talking literally here. I try to be very conscious of animals at all times. I’m appreciative when I eat meat, and even fish like canned tuna fish(I don’t really buy the pescitarian thought that they’re any less conscious than cows). But the one creature I feel no remorse for are flies. They just bug me(pun intended) in a way like nothing else, and I had an epic battle with one for 30 minutes. Evan 1; flies 0
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 15 so far )The Birthday Day
First of all, thank you. For everything. I haven’t had time to say that enough between the half marathon and my birthday, so I wanted to get that out from the start. These past two days have been hectic but I panned them that way after all and so thank you for all your well wishes. Over the past two days, 1) my official time and place was announced as 1:42:10 and 36, 2) Megan wrote this article which I really enjoyed pausing to take the time to read and I think you might as well, and 3) my Wellness giveaway is still running so get your entries in!.
Pumpkin Oatmeal With Butter Toffee PB, Vanilla Cake Chobani With Milk Choc Peanuts
Vanilla Cake Chobani With Milk Chocolate Peanuts
For breakfast I had plain ol’ pumpkin oatmeal with butter toffee peanut butter, which we’re running out of here and at my dorm so clearly it’s time to reorder Naturally Nutty. I sweetened a plain Chobani with 1/2 a serving Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free vanilla cake mix for something really yummy. On top were also one of my favorites–milk chocolate peanuts–making this definitely one special birthday breakfast.
Spelt Banana Goodness Bread
Since it was raining, I took the chance to do something I haven’t done in over 4 weeks: bake! Runners gotta run and bakers gotta bake. Since going low-gluten, I’ve discovered that one of the wheats I can tolerate is spelt. Spelt is an ancient, non-hybrid grain whose gluten is generally accepted better. Hearing that, I whipped up one of my favorite recipes, the banana goodness bread. A good bread has plenty of brown sugar on top to turn into a crust 🙂
Honey Baked Tofu
I decided to do a “practice” for something to make for Easter Sunday and try baking a tofu “ham” with honey and cloves. The result was OK, but it really didn’t come out like I was thinking it would, and I much prefer maple anyway. Who needs to stick to tradition?
Honey Pineapple Soyaki Tofu And Asparagus
Spelt Banana Goodness Bread
The honey with some soyaki Trader Joe sauce was actually really good and made it taste a little “tropical”; it reminded me of the Wildwood tofu I reviewed a while ago. For a vegetable, there was asparagus. And because bread tastes freshest, I had a slice of banana goodness bread made with spelt, chocolate chips, and hemp seeds(!!). The hemp added a great subtle nuttiness to it that I preferred to the flax.
Apple
Even though I wasn’t running, I felt like I could eat and eat and eat. This apple came while I was cleaning up dirty dishes and waiting for my next baked good to cook…
Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
You all didn’t think I posted that recipe last night for no reason, did you? I made a batch of gluten free chocolate brownies done peanut butter style. I had such difficulty finding the black beans, wondering why they weren’t with the baking items?! I definitely had no patience, ended up cutting into them way too early, and making 1/4 of the pan turn into crumbs. Nevertheless, I got my slice.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie With Chocolate Chip Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Brownie a la mode, anyone? I’ve actually never understood the combination of cold ice cream and warm brownie–until yesterday that is. It’s not that you want the contrast between the two, you just want brownies and ice cream and so take both 🙂 This was So Delicious, pun intended, but not terribly filling. Why not have more?
Coconut Milk Vanilla Yogurt With Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie
Did you know the same amount of So Delicious ice cream and yogurt has just about the same amount of sugar? In fact, a lot of flavored yogurts are just as sugary as some ice cream brands. Maybe I should have just had the ice cream, lol. At least this had probiotics. And after this grand afternoon snack I was filled well for dinner, which we ate at Tomasso.
Grilled Local Chicken, Sage Roasted Fingerlings, Broccoli Rabe
Holy yum, a dinner I didn’t have to cook! At first, I was a little disappointed the prezzo fisso menu wasn’t that appealing nor were the specials; I ended up ordering(for the first time, too, probably) just off the everyday menu local Misty Knoll chicken, roasted potatoes, and broccoli rabe. Let me tell you, the chicken and potatoes were to die for. Seriously, I have a little for leftovers and can’t wait to have them. I don’t think I’ve eaten local chicken before, either! So it was special after all.
Raw Vegan Brownies
When we got home I whipped, err, processed up dessert. I made a batch of raw vegan brownies using sunflower and hulled hemp seeds; I love that a raw recipe can be so no-fuss and still taste great and exotic! I made a quick and raw coconut milk frosting using about 2 parts coconut milk and agave to 1 part cocoa powder.
Raw Vegan Brownie With Raw Chocolate Frosting, So Delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Brownie a la mode was definitely the theme of the day 😉 The chocolate peanut butter swirl ice cream never gets old; it’s just pure magic, and such a fine, natural replacement for my old Turkey Hill addiction. And anything with frosting never disappoints 😉
Raw Vegan Brownie
I snagged one last brownie, because, ya’ know, they’re best when they’re freshest out of the food processor. They’re also little sugar bombs, which is probably why I was up 2 hours later, but I got to sleep… eventually. All in all, it was a great great day, and that’s coming from someone who has a tendency to inflate the importance of things and create impossible expectations. I drank too many cups of decaf coffee to count, ate a lot of sugar, and couldn’t get out for a run because of the constant deluge here in New England, and I’m OK with all of that because that’s what special days are for.
I can’t believe all the Facebook notifications in my mailbox right now; did it have to send one everytime someone posted on my wall? Now I have the morning to deal with that. I’ve also decided I’m going to try to go low/no added sugar today and without sweetened beverages; after yesterday, my palate is just begging to taste something other than sweet. I managed to keep my breakfast “clean”, but I’ll save that for the next post. In the meantime, here are giveaways for a refrigerator makeover, my favorite brand chocolate, gluten-free goodies, a gluten free cheesecake giveaway, and one for coconut oil.
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