How To Make Ice Cream–Learning From My Mistakes
No matter what it is, I always get things done. Whether I do it the easy way or the hard way, the right way or the wrong way, well… that’s another story.
Last night, I churned this most decadent chocolate chip ice cream. Definitely use premium ingredients when making your own ice cream.
Ingredients like Organic Dark Chocolate and vanilla bean paste. Really, how can you go wrong with these? Well, if you go wrong with every other aspect, you can probably go wrong.
Don’t bother with vegetable gums even when not using egg yolks unless you really know what you’re doing. I added xanthan and guar gums to this, but I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.
When there’s a puddle of half-frozen ice cream on your counter, don’t call someone at the store asking for more half and half and hang up with the words “Oh my God, I have to clean this up *click*”.
Don’t get in to a fight when you’re brought back half and half that’s not guaranteed from hormone-free cows when you aren’t even planning to use that night. Certain fights can wait for the morning.
Always mix in ingredients and any alcohol flavorings at the very end since that can inhibit freezing in the machine.
When the ice cream maker is done churning, it’s not ready. Period. I don’t care what an ice cream machine recipe says. You need to shove it in the freezer and you need to manually churn it every 5 minutes for about an hour or it’s never going to come out right.
Don’t take the most unflattering photo in the world of ice cream, unless you’re really hiding a puddle of cream behind you and need to clean that up FAST.
When all else fails, add more chocolate chunks.
And if you get caught eating straight from a bar of bulk baking chocolate, try not to look so guilty and smile for the camera.
And at the end of the night, when all else seems lost, remember this: a microwave is a hell of a lot easier to work than an ice cream maker.
What was your last kitchen disaster?
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 11 so far )Comedic Aspirations And An Iron Stomach
This morning, I realized I have at least 2 things in this world that no one can take away: a sense of humor and an iron stomach. I took my act to my Twitter feed last night.
Chocolate Covered Strawberries, 2% Fage
This snack was damn good, but I’m pretty sure it was a little hot and heavy for a Monday night alone watching How Alien Moons Are Made.
Oatmeal, Divine Milk Chocolate
Oatmeal
Divine makes the best milk chocolate on the planet. Their secret ingredient? Dried cream. So fattening and rich it’ll knock your socks off. Luckily, this was late enough at night that I wasn’t wearing socks anymore.
So yes, that’s my thinly veiled plea for you to follow me on Twitter. You only have to listen; how the hell will I know if you aren’t really laughing out loud over the web?
Then there’s my iron stomach…
Vanilla Goat's Milk Yogurt, Blueberry Vanilla Granola Plank
When I woke up, I just needed food so I grabbed a vanilla goat’s milk yogurt and a blueberry vanilla honest foods‘ granola plank. I was a huge fan of the vanilla goat milk; now that “was like ‘woah'”. The granola plank wasn’t bad, either. It definitely satisfied the cereal craving I needed.
Bulk French Chocolate
And then I realized I needed to run now or it would be too hot so I grabbed this plus a little more chocolate and got out the door. I know you aren’t supposed to swim 30 minutes after you eat, what about running? It turns out, I have an iron stomach.
11.15 Miles
And it was hot! I came back dripping in sweat; you could have fried an egg on me but a) it would have been salty as hell and b) my iron stomach did not want food at the time.
Grape Bot Water
Instead, I tried the grape Bot water, which was perfectly lightly sweetened and packed for refueling electrolytes. And now I think the iron stomach wants more! So I’m off to the kitchen.
Do you wear socks when you sleep? No way, Jose. When I’m in bed I want to feel free to wiggle my toes. I can’t understand wearing socks in bed unless you have really cold feet.
72 Bitter-Sweet Hours
What could have been bitter? Over the past 72 hours, I…
As if that wasn’t all sweet enough, last night was a blast, too. We had family friends over for dinner. There were hors d’oeuvres…
Cheddar Food Should Taste Good Chips
I snacked on raw carrots and grape tomatoes and these Food Should Taste Good chips I had to try after hearing them referred to as Doritos. I disagree; they’re much classier and mroe sophisticated than Doritos. but they definitely have that Mexican tang that regular cheddar chips don’t. Anyway, yum!
Seasoned Fries, Roasted Brussels, Chipotle Chicken
I can’t believe I didn’t take a picture of all the food; there was a lot! But this was my plate: potato fries(I made these for myself because there were only sweet potatoes otherwise and I wanted white), roasted brussels, and chipotle marinated Amish chicken. The chicken was remarkably good, and that’s coming from someone who usually thinks poultry is too “bland”. I suppose we would have expected no less from something grabbed from Whole Food.
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
My mom made chocolate covered strawberries for dessert while I baked these blondies and our guests brought ice cream. It was all plenty rich for us.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Blondie With Tahitian Vanilla Gelato
This was my first plate. I get the irony of Talenti gelato on a dairy-free blondie but I don’t care; this was too good for words. The blondies came out so moist and everyone loved them.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Blondie
I didn’t really take pictures of what else I ate but just assume I kept picking at the blondies and that’s why there’s less than half the pan left. After everyone left, I turned on Iron Chef and curled up with this:
Bulk French Chocolate
Buying chocolate in bulk was a genius move. I have no idea how much chocolate this was, but it was all excellent. And there’s something so satisfying about biting in to a chunk of chocolate.
Today is being devoted to leftovers:
Oatmeal With Peanut Butter, Chipotle Chicken
Lots and lots of leftovers:
Chipotle Chicken
I wasn’t “feeling” greek yogurt this morning for protein, so why not chicken just to get it out of the fridge before it goes bad? I’m curious how this is going to play out on a run…
So what’s been bitter? Over the past 72 hours, I tried going without stevia. I don’t use any artificial sweeteners, but have often used natural stevia in tea and coffee and a few other things. I’ve never gotten a bitter taste to it; it’s always been sweetness. And I think it’s perfectly fine in moderation and all. But, trying to go without it, I noticed my sweet tooth in general grew smaller and I discovered so many other pleasantly-bitter flavors.
Starbucks Sumatra Decaf
I’ve been drinking black coffee, unsweetened iced tea, and dry seltzer, all of whose flavor I’ve been enjoying more and more without added sweetness. It took just a little getting used to, but I don’t really miss anything.
Virgil's Root Beer
I did get one craving for a sweet drink, so I just had one sweetened with cane juice. This wasn’t my favorite beverage, but that was because of the flavoring and not the sweetening. I’m totally open to trying more, too.
2% Fage With Organic Strawberry Conserves
Plain yogurt has become less repulsive in all its tart-glory. It helped to find Fage on sale, which is creamier and dreamier than any other brand in my opinion, but the same holds true for Oikos and Chobani plain.
French Bulk Chocolate
And, of course, my favorite bitter treat is, was, and always will be, dark chocolate, which doesn’t need much to taste juuuust right. Have you ever had/used stevia? Like it? Hate it? I do enjoy it and think there’s nothing wrong with using it. But even now that the 72 hours are up I’m not rushing to throw some in my drinks.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 20 so far )Mother’s Day Brunch On Broadway
Happy Mothers Day! I have been loving today; it’s felt like my own very holiday even though I’ll never be a mom(and I’m OK with that)! And I think everyone else, including my own mom, has enjoyed it as well 😉
8 Miles 69:03
I ran a well-paced 8 miles while watching the newest Dr. Who(This episode freaked me out! for anyone else likewise addicted). I wanted to push it to 10 or even 12, but I just new my legs would appreciate me so much more if I didn’t, so I saved those miles for a rainy day.
Blueberry Chobani With Sprouted Almond Butter
I had some time before my family would arrive so I refueled with a blueberry Chobani and Better Than Roasted sprouted almond butter. Blueberry and almond is such a magnificent combination!
Better Than Roasted Sprouted Almond Butter
I couldn’t help myself from finishing off the almond butter jar(it was a small one) when my parents were running late. I’ve never made this parallel before in my mind, but isn’t nut butter straight from the jar like a vegan’s form of turkey jerky from a bag? I think so. Once everyone did arrive, we set off to this place for lunch:
Nick's On Broadway
Despite being in Providence almost a year, I haven’t been able to get myself to Nick’s On Broadway until today. It was highly recommended by Heather and Sabrina and was voted in the top 59 breakfast places in America! Even though the wait was an hour, I had a feeling it would be well worth it for Mother’s day brunch.
Open Kitchen
We watched the chefs in the open kitchen while we waited, and the smell of homefries, eggs, and toast with butter was absolutely intoxicating. We got a table earlier than expected and someone wasted no time:
Drinks Galore
That would be my grandmother with both a sangria and a bloody mary in front of her. She actually ended up with neither and drinking a decaf coffee instead, but I thought the photo was funny 😉 I sipped the bloody mary and even though I have nothing to compare it to I have to say it was really really good, and that’s from someone who hates horseradish. My one complaint was that the decaf coffee, which I did have, wasn’t terribly hot at all. I was so excited for my meal.
Local Hereford Beef
Homefries
I ordered a local cut of beef with a side of homefries. Between Providence and the Garden Grill Cafe, I’ve grown a love for homefries and had to try Nick’s; they were deliciously and not overly oily at all while still being crisp and delicious.
Local Hereford Beef
The beef was perfectly cooked and seasoned, with a nice herby crust and a rare center. I love the emphasis on local, which is something I’ve found a lot of in Providence. It’s easy to want to eat from within your own state when it’s the smallest in the country 😉 On the way out the head chef, Derek, wished us well and a happy Mother’s day, which I thought was a great, personal touch. Overall I had a fantastic time at Nick’s and can’t wait to go back again.
Whole Foods Bag
We did some grocery shopping and I had a HUGE craving for what was in the bag. Can you guess what it might have been?
Sweet Scoops Madagascar Vanilla Frozen Yogurt
Ice cream! The real, dairy deal. No coconut milk would have sufficed for me, and this was so good. It tasted like straight up vanilla extract, which I know a certain blogger would appreciate if she could tolerate dairy.
Microwave Vegan Chocolate Fudge
And now for my dessert-dessert, I’m eating the last piece of microwave vegan chocolate fudge. This would be such a sadder moment if I didn’t also pick up earth balance and have something in the fridge cooling at this very moment 😉 Check back tomorrow for a new and delicious recipe! And now I need to get back to Leap Year; I have 3 hours before it expires which worries me even though it’s only 90 minutes long.
What do you order at brunch? I don’t usually crave eggs. And as much as I love the smell of toast I cant tolerate the gluten. But one thing my brunch has to have is homefries. I’m awful at making them myself and, when they’re done right, I could eat them as my main course!
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 18 so far )Shape Up RI Half Marathon Race Report
But first, I’m going to make you sit through the prefueling.
Mint Dark Chocolate And Raisins
Oatmeal With Vanilla-Maple PB And Raisins
Not too exciting, except for the random raisin cravings. I think my body needs iron! I figured after a mostly vegan day that might be the case. As always, sleep was not easy on a Saturday night on campus; I woke up to loud music around 1am. Fortunately, I was tired enough to sleep through most of it and got 7 hours or so, waking up promptly at 6:30.
Amazing Grass Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bar
My pre-race “breakfast” was an Amazing Grass chocolate peanut butter protein bar. I chose this because it’s nutritionally dense and covers all the macro’s and micro’s well. It had agave nectar for slow burning energy peanut power for satiety.
Standing at the starting gate could not have felt more “real”. Looking around, seeing all the other runners and marathoners was definitely inspiring. Even though I promised myself not to feel any pressure to sign up for another race in the near future, this definitely got me on a high that had me thinking. And then the gun went off!
Rehydrating
Miles 1-2: Its here! Its here! It’s really here! I was very excited to be running. And I had no clue how fast I was going because my Garmin kept bouncing between 8 and 6; I was just hoping the people I was with were running a reasonable pace.
Miles 3-4: Ugh. Providence is hilly! And the hills set in early. At least by this point I was on the part of the course that I used to run daily, so I knew the terrain like the back of my hand.
Miles 5-6: At the 5 mile marker, I was not on pace for meeting my goal. I really stepped it up and took the downhills like a madmen. Unfortunately, they changed the layout of the course so I was a bit confused where we were going; but I was going and going strong.
Crossing The Finish Line
Miles 7-9: Do not underestimate the power of people cheering from the sidelines. I never felt more loved than at this stretch with all the spectators. At a time when my head was saying “You’re only half way there”, everyone else was cheering “Half-way, half-way!”
Miles 10-11: I always try to run strong, be composed, and keep a level-head. At this point, I told myself it was OK to fight, struggle, and swear, so long as I won in the end.
Miles 12-13.1: The last mile is always the easiest. There were signs and people everywhere, and at this point I knew I had my time even if I slowed down considerably. I crossed the line with an official time of 1:37:51 and grabbed the medal at the end with enthusiasm.
Hardware
Overall: I could not hold my water today! I think I peed 5 times before the race, and had to again the entire time through. At the end, I was probably dehydrated because I didn’t drink a lick, but it all worked for me. That just goes to show how nervous I was. But I did it! I beat my goal. And I feel no pressure to run off and sign up for another one 🙂
My parents were at the finish line. I really had no plans for after the race but I decided to come home for the day(I really didn’t have the energy to do my own laundry, haha). I made a little breakfast for the car ride.
Oatmeal With Vanilla Peanut Butter
Cherry Fage With Trail Mix
I have no clue what was in this trail mix, but it was delicious; I might have to go back and buy the whole bin. All I know is that the giant chocolate swirls were superb. And with the sweet cherry from the fage, it was definitely a magical pairing. I might have to get this again later on when I go back to RI to have for a dessert 🙂
I’m plenty happy being on my couch, reuniting with Tivoed shows(hello, Little People, Big World), and am about to fix that iron problem with something off the grill! Yum 🙂
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 25 so far )These Legs Were Made For Walking
That’s just what they do. One of these days the legs Are gonna walk all around you.
RISD Art Sale
First Baptist Meeting House
Downtown
I feel like I went everywhere today, and all by foot! So much for rest day? But it was fun! I did not expect the RISD art sale to be in swing again. There was so many amazing paintings and potteries, any of which I’d have been lucky to own. When I hit downtown, Providence couldn’t have reminded me of Boston any more, and for the first time. I’ve never really seen the city like this; all my time so far has been rainy or cold but today was perfect. Of course, the reason for my walking extravaganza was this:
Registering
I can’t believe the half-marathon is just tomorrow! The nerves are starting to set in, as this will be my first “real” half-marathon. The Race For The Border was fun, but it felt more like 250 people getting together in New Hampshire to run around a bit. This feels real. The best part of the walk back was knowing that I started lunch at 9:30 and it’d be waiting for me.
Vegan Cheesy BBQ Fries And Beans
I think I’ve hit vegan heaven.
Vegan Cheesy BBQ Fries And Beans
I’ve been really intrigued by Caitlin’s combination of sweet potatoes and BBQ beans. I also loved the combination of sweet potato fries and Daiya from last night so much I knew I wanted it again! Why not combine the two in a poutine-like fashion? This was divine. The flavor came through as some salty, sweet, and fatty bit of deliciousness with crisped potato fries, soft beans, and gooey Daiya. I’m going to need several more plates of this over the Summer.
Groceries
My options for the early afternoon were work or do chores. I’d rather do chores. I walked down to Eastside Market and my little Whole Foods to get some ice cream(majorly on sale), 3lb of organic sweet potatoes, beans(dinner), a bar(my “breakfast” tomorrow), and some chocolates(longly considered and purchased enthusiastically).
Organic Pink Lady Apple
I snacked on an organic apple for rehydrating from all the walking until I was ready for something more “desserty”.
Mint Chip And Vanilla Frozen Yogurt
This hit the spot. I used the last of my mint Sweet Scoops frozen yogurt with a good amount of Elan’s vanilla. Cost per scoop, this is hands down the best vanilla ice cream out there. It was only $3 for a quart on sale! It’s local to New England and the flavor is absolutely fantastic; it tastes like a fresh, frothy vanilla milkshake all the time. And, of course with me, the ingredient list is rather clean.
Oatmeal With Vanilla Peanut Butter
As big as my chocolate tooth is, my vanilla tooth is right there with it; I had a small bowl of oatmeal with some 365 peanut butter mixed with Madhava’s vanilla agave. Vanilla makes for the best everything: peanut butter, chocolate, cookies. God bless vanilla.
Root Beer Zevia
And a cool Zevia beverage after returning from the dining hall with some greens for dinner. I just hope in hindsight that the concentrated erythritol or stevia here doesn’t cause any running discomfort tomorrow morning.
Hemp Oil Dressed Greens, Chickpea Salad With Raisins And Daiya
Chickpea Salad With Raisins And Daiya
I’m really digging this Daiya. I don’t even like real mozzarella this much! I figured because it’s so flavorful it must be loaded with added sugars. Nope! There aren’t any! It puzzles me, but all I care is that it’s good. And there’s never enough room on the plate for my greens, so instead I just put them in a separate bowl after dressing with Foods Alive sweet and sassy; you can’t tell but that’s fully packed in.
OK, kiddos, since I won’t have time to post in the morning, here’s my game plan: I’m going to try to be asleep by 10:30 tonight to get hours and wake up at 6:30. After my morning routine, I’ll either be walking or getting a ride down to the starting line at 7, snack on my Amazing Grass chocolate peanut butter protein bar, and the race will start at 8. My goal is to do it in under 1:40, and my bib is 3761. Nervous? Yes. Excited? Yes. But I figure that’s all part of the recipe for success. As the best of them say, here goes nothing!
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 14 so far )Can Carob Compete?
Before last night, I had never tried carob.
Mint Carob Bar
I had known about it for months now, and even have had this bar since November. Still, I hadn’t really tried carob, not because of what it is, but because of what it isn’t: chocolate. Carob has been marketed as “the new, healthy chocolate”. Hold the phone; what was wrong with our old chocolate? Chocolate-specifically cocoa powder which is found in higher concentrations in dark chocolate–can be packed with antioxidants. Dark chocolate only has fat from cocoa butter and relatively low added sugar. Carob, on the other hand, has no antioxidants and inherently more sugar than cocoa. The only advantage might come in its lack of caffeine, or for anyone allergic to chocolate(if you are, I am so so sorry you have to sit through 90% of what I eat). But how did it taste?
Mint Carob Bar
This certainly was sweeter than dark chocolate, and it’s hard to tell if that’s from a disproportionate amount of carob/cocoa powder or because carob naturally has higher sugar content. The texture was what threw me; this was rather chalky, and not at all smooth like my favorite dark chocolate. As for the benefits of carob, it’s easier to obtain in its raw state than cacao. It also boasts more calcium(or, in its case, calci-yum). I did like it, but I’m certainly not running out to buy carob powder or recommending it to anyone not allergic to chocolate(again, sorry!).
Baby Carrots And Broccoli
I also had healthy snacks like baby carrots and tiny broccoli florets. Actually, I ate this right after my dinner post. I love roasted broccoli, but it’s about 1/2 as filling as steamed broccoli, and 1/10 as filling as raw. Don’t get me wrong, though: The flavor is a thousand times better. Can you tell I’m good with numbers, particularly food math?
70% Dark Chocolate With Vanilla Peanut Butter
Like I said, chocolate is irreplaceable. The texture is smoother; the flavor is richer; and think of all those antioxidants! I enjoyed Endangered Species Organic Smooth Dark Chocolate with a shmear of 365 peanut butter sweetened by Madhava vanilla agave. The chocolate bar looks damaged because it was in my pocket all last Friday and got melted along the way, but it tasted delicious. And I was so happy Grey’s Anatomy was back new last night! That show has had me addicted since Season 1.
Oatmeal With Vanilla Peanut Butter
This morning I actually forced myself to sleep in until 8; otherwise I just wouldn’t have known what to do with myself. I muddled around/read blogs until I was hungry for breakfast. It was more of my non-chocolate addiction:365 peanut butter sweetened by Madhava vanilla agave. I have yet to see this agave in a store, but if I do I’m buying them out. And I’m sure the overall price is better than buying a fancy nut butter, since 365 only cost me $1(Get those Whole Deal coupons before they go!).
Plain Yogurt With Raspberry Conserves And Vanilla Almond Butter
Of course, fancy nut butter will always be a part of my life, like vanilla almond butter from Naturally Nutty. I prefer things like nuts or trail mix on my yogurt so much more than granola; and I never have to think if it’s gluten-free or not!
Have you tried carob? Like it or not? It was fine, really; but it will never be a part of my life like chocolate is.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 14 so far )Ice Cream For A Cause
Hello, hello! I feel like this weekend totally flew past me between the auction Friday night to Avery’s birthday party to now being back in my dorm room and attending classes again with little to no transition in between. When the flow goes, go with it!
Avocado Rubbed Kale, Sweet Chili Tofu And Peppers
We packed up the car last night and made it to the Whole Foods in Providence in record time. Of course, we hit up the salad bar while grabbing groceries. My plate had some avocado-rubbed kale, sweet chili tofu, and pepper strips. The tofu was to die for. I can’t begin to explain how crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside it was. And the sweet and heat balanced perfectly. I would have had more, except that wasn’t really my dinner…
Ice Cream Social
As any Rhode Islander knows, there were massive floodings earlier in the month from a huge rainstorm that hit us. Businesses and houses were destroyed, and Whole Foods was holding an ice cream social to help raise money for those families. I can definitely get into ice cream for dinner for charity.
Vanilla Ice Cream Sundae With Chocolate Syrup, Whip Cream, And A Cherry
I was hoping they’d break out the fun and funky pints for this, but they just had 365 vanilla and chocolate 
I got vanilla ice cream with organic chocolate sauce, 365 whipped cream, and a natural maraschino cherry. Sundaes always taste better when someone else makes them for you with a heavy hand. The 365 vanilla is OK, but I’ve definitely branched out from dairy-based ice cream and have had better. Other fun finds(but not purchases) at Whole Foods were the new So Delicious flavors in stock and Daiya vegan cheese!
Red Delicious Apple
Endangered Species Dark Chocolate With Deep Forest Mint
While working on some homework not-so-hard, I had the snack of champions: an apple, mint dark chocolate, and decaf coffee. Could I have had a little more sugar last night? It was all for a good cause–let’s keep that in mind. Last Summer I managed to switch from caffeine to decaf coffee; this year it’s been about weening off the stuff completely from the acidity, but I do have about a cup a day, which is probably an ideal balance of antioxidants and acidity. I don’t think I could/would give it up completely.
Oatmeal With An Egg And The Heat Is On PB
I couldn’t deal with more sugar before bed so I went the spicy route with The Heat Is On peanut butter and a savory Omega-3 egg. It might be hard to believe it through my sweet tooth and all, but I definitely could not go a day without a good deal of savoriness. Sometimes, my garlic tooth is just as big.
Pomegranate Chobani With Quinoa Dark Chocolate
Back to classes and rain meant back to runs first thing, so I woke up at 6:30 to squeeze an 8-miler in before class. Normally, dairy and protein wouldn’t work for me before a run. But it was all I was craving. And since I was going to run anyway, I thought why not have the damn pomegranate Chobani with Alter Eco dark chocolate quinoa.
10 Miles In 86:16
Something must have worked, because I extended my run to 10 miles and ran at a 7mph pace. The best part was finding out through the news that the forecast for Sunday’s half-marathon is sunny and warm! Crossing my fingers…
Cranberry Greek Yogurt With Craisins, Oatmeal With An Egg And PB
Finally, for breakfast I was craving craisins. I just wish there was a bar called that so I could have known what to eat so much easier. I mixed Crofter’s Organic Europe jam in a plain chobani and topped with Tierra Farm‘s organic dried cranberries–holy yum were these soft and squishy! On the side I had oatmeal with another egg and some Teddie’s pb sweetened up a tad. In class I got bored and calculated that I ate around 50g of protein and all before lunch! Sure, you could just take 2 scoops of a powder and call it at that. But I love getting so much nourishment from real food.
Do you have any cooking goals? 2 of the things this weekend inspired me to do are 1) use my food processor to make more complex and delicious raw foods and 2) learn to fry tofu. An ironic pairing, no? Well, if things go my way today, I’ll be incorporating one of those into dinner… Is there anything you want to learn to do in the kitchen?
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 17 so far )I’ve Caught A Bug And I’m Burnt Out
If you haven’t yet got to read my post on food combining and the comments, it’s well worth it! There are good opinions weighed in by experts, and if anything I know I’ve mentioned I’m no expert. What’s there is what I’ve noticed and what works(or doesn’t) for me, but if you have a different experience, please share!
This week, I caught 2 bugs. There was the bug that made me so sick, I couldn’t so much as move out of my chair for 2 hours. That’s not gone, but it’s a lot better now, and I’m sure I’ll feel great again in a few days. When I went home, though, I caught a second bug: The Summer Bug. Since then, all I’ve been able to think about is time not at school. I can’t wait for the opportunity to make real recipes from scratch like when I made white bean and kale soup, or do Summertime activities like pick blackberries and raspberries(with better quality pictures, this year). It’s definitely burnt me out of school with just 1 month to go. I’m trying to stayed focus; I even did homework first thing when waking up this morning. But this bug could be too strong. Have you caught this bug yet? What’s the remedy? Or, let’s just embrace the bug. What are you looking forward to most about Summer?
Local White Chocolate Cranberry Gelato
As proof I’ve caught the bug: A shamefully large portion of my night was spent trying to find ice cream shops around Boston and Massachusetts that don’t use artificial ingredients. I’ve got the name of a store with organic gelato in my pocket. Meanwhile, this gelato tasted heavenly. I’m not even a huge fan on cranberries generally but put them(or anything) with white chocolate and you’ve got me. Since I only had a serving of yogurt at breakfast, this clocked me in right around my 3 daily servings of dairy.
Oatmeal With Vanilla Peanut Butter
Another new obsession on the warm front this time is mixing 365 peanut butter with Madhava vanilla agave: ah-mazing. I’ve found adding a little peanut oil makes it a bit runnier, too, but not super thin, so this bowl was perfect. The joy of the night was falling asleep to the sound of rain; I hate being out in the rain but I love listening to it, and the same with thunderstorms.
Tazo Focus
Like I mentioned, this morning I woke up with a goal: to focus. Fittingly, I gave Tazo’s new Focus tea a try. The cocoa peal and orange essence made this smell like orange dark chocolate–yum! The flavor was a lot more subdued, much like any black tea. I think the real therapy came in the aroma, but the flavor was nice with a hint of zest. I probably won’t be drinking it much just because I avoid caffeine generally but this was fun for a change of pace.
Oatmeal With Chocolate Almond Butter And Coconut Milk
Raspberry Greek Yogurt
Hopefully the Summer will include finding a place that sells Justin’s chocolate butters because I’m almost out of the almond, too 😦 Meanwhile, have you jumped on the coconut milk train with me? I could drink the stuff if anything would fit after that. To turn some plain greek yogurt into something fruity, I added Crofter’s Organic raspberry conserve and Madhava raspberry agave; this agave I wasn’t so much a fan of as the vanilla. Do you see my multi-vitamins at breakfast? They’re hiding.
After much delay, I’ve finally given oatmeal a recipe page! I should seeing as how I eat it year round 😉 Check out my way on how to make oatmeal and enjoy the weekend! It’s all rain and gloom here. Perhaps that’s good to quash the Summer bug.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 13 so far )Homemade Nut Butters And Ten Tips To Tweet
Thanks for all the great veggie burger suggestions; keep them coming! I’ve got a whole slew of brands to look for next time I go to Whole Foods and can’t wait to find some fun flavors. I’m also loving the recipe suggestions. I didn’t even think of making my own! For the remaining time at school, I don’t see that happening. But over the Summer it sounds like a fun project.
Sweet Utopia
Last night, my entertainment was Survivor, old SNL skits, and reading some of Sweet Utopia which I mentioned I was sent from Books Publishing Co. to review. I like how it didn’t jump in to recipes but laid out what a vegan kitchen should have and everything that’s going to be called for in this book. What I wasn’t a fan of was the overemphasis on everything vegan; I think I’d rather be wowed by a recipe and look back in hindsight thinking “that was vegan?!” than be convinced going in these recipes will be “different”. I only got 2 recipes in after all of that, but one definitely struck my eye as the most decadent chocolate cake I could think of and I can’t wait to make it some time soon.
Green & Black's Cherry Dark Chocolate Bar
There’s so few joys in life lesser than opening up a new bar of chocolate and seeing the shiny tin foil.
Green & Black's Cherry Dark Chocolate Bar
I snacked on 20 squares Green & Black’s cherry dark chocolate while watching Survivor. I’ve had this a lot on Greek yogurt but not so much on its own. Eating it like this made me realize how intense the cherries were in flavor. Wow! I bet that also means they’re packed with antioxidants, just like the dark chocolate? Yeah, we’ll call this one healthy.
Organic Cripps Pink Apple
We picked up a few organic apples on sale at Whole Foods before I moved back in to the dorm. I didn’t care so much that they were organic that they were fresh; eating this definitely made me feel better than eating one sitting in the cafeteria for who knows how long.
Chocolate Pecan Butter Ingredients
I got a fun idea in my head watching SNL reruns: chocolate pecan butter. Don’t you love it? I just took a scoop of my homemade pecan butter, some cocoa powder, and vanilla agave and a touch of sea salt.
Oatmeal With Chocolate Pecan Butter And Coconut Milk
Yum! I think this could be called German’s Chocolate Cake oatmeal; it was that good. The sea salt was definitely the touch that made the chocolate flavor more pronounced, as with the coconut milk. I can’t believe how long this batch is lasting! I tell ya: if you move it to a plastic, seal-tight container in the fridge, it stays fresh a lot longer.
10 Miles In 89:29
I knew I’d be running inside since rain was in the forecast, so I wanted to get up early and run at the gym. Still, I knew I needed to rest, and resisted setting the alarm. After enough sleep(sleep bores me), I hit the gym for 10 miles a bit later than usual. Apparently, the later crowd does not have the same TV preferences as the earlier people. I’m referencing the girl who changed The Today Show to 16 And Pregnant. Really? Really?
Oatmeal With White Chocolate Almond Butter And Coconut Milk, Strawberry Vanilla Yogurt, Vitabears
Breakfast was filled with flavors of Spring and Summer: vanilla, strawberry, coconut, almond. This was actually all inspired by my favorite white chocolate bar, and was a good substitute short of eating that for breakfast. The yogurt was plain Greek sweetened with Madhava’s vanilla agave and Crofter’s organic strawberry conserves
Raw Almond Butter With Fair Trade White Chocolate With Strawberries
This is an almond butter I made over Winter break. It has raw, organic almonds and pieces of my favorite white chocolate bar, which is fair trade and has bits of strawberries in it. I think the vitamin bears wanted a taste 😉
Do you ever feel like for every Twitter follower you gain, you lose 2 more? Well, the good news is some of those are just people who follow you hoping to be followed back who then go back and unfollow. I wouldn’t worry about them. But you might also be doing things to genuinely annoy people. I know I have, and am in no way touting perfection righting this list. If anything, it’s a bit of self realization on places to improve. If nothing else, it was educational and comical. Enjoy!
- Don’t tweet every little thought that comes to your mind. “I wish my portable laptop had a portable toilet” may sound cute, but someone on the other end is probably saying to themselves “What were they thinking?!”
- If you’re conversing with someone in particular, put @theirtwitID first. This way, only people who follow both of you will see the relevant conversation. If it’s really personal, direct message.
- Care about who follows you. Don’t just follow to be followed.
- Retweet! People follow you because they have the same interests as you. If you find something to your liking, share it.
- NOT EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE SHOUTED!!!!!
- Cap your tweets. No one wants their Home to be filled with one face.
- There are other ways to communicate with people close to you. If you know someone well, use the phone to tell them what to add to the grocery list. Not Twitter.
- A Twitpic says a thousand words, which is useful when Twitter only lets you type 140
- Use #hashes and trending topics to get your voice in a stream of people with the same thing on their mind.
- Shortened words and syncopated grammar for space reasons is understandable. Misspelling and wrong grammar just looks poor.
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