Monthly Archives: July 2012

I Sure Don’t Act Like I’m Almost 27

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Did you know it’s my birthday in a week?  That’s right, I turn 27 on the 24th.

On one hand I don’t feel like it’s been a year since my last birthday and on the other I can’t wait for it to get here.  I’m just so sick of myself lately!  I talk to myself in my head like a crazy person like JD and in the past month I’ve head-said “when am I going to grow up?” at least a million times.

I had big plans to work out this morning and instead I stayed up past 2:30 reading a book.  And then when I got up at 10 I was almost late to work because I stayed in bed to keep reading.  I love that I’m an obsessive reader, I don’t want to ever change that about myself, but I wish I didn’t always feel like I’m not taking care of business.

I have a great life so no year is really ever a bad year, but 26 was definitely not one of my better years.  I didn’t cook and clean to my full potential.  I didn’t maintain my relationship with the husband to my full potential.  I didn’t work out to my full potential basically at all.  I didn’t do schoolwork to my full potential.  I didn’t blog to my full potential.  And when I try to think “just what the hell was I doing all year??” I have no answer.  I’m tired of feeling complacent!!!

Basically, tl;dr – I’m looking forward to living up to my potential as a 27-year-old.  And living up to my full potential during the next week, because almost-27-year-olds don’t need to wait for some magical start date to clean their apartments.

Now that I’ve ranted, this will actually be a short post.  I put in a new retainer last night and that put a major crimp in today’s eating.  I brushed my teeth this morning and then kept my retainer in full-time until 7:30.  When I left work I had a sore mouth and a growling stomach.  F’real Coffee Frozen Cappuccino to the rescue.

It wasn’t very good but it met all of my current needs (cold, soft, has calories) so I drank it.

Adam made me a bowl of green grapes when I got home.

And I made myself a big plate of eggs for dinner.

Into my skillet went –

  • 1 tsp evoo
  • ~ 1 cup frozen corn
  • big handful baby spinach
  • 2 sliced green onions
  • 2 sprinkles salt
  • 4 dashes Green Tabasco
  • 2 large eggs

Thankfully my eggs were easy to chew and tasty to boot.

I had an Abita Strawberry with dinner.

❤

I’m going to read in bed again but I’m also going to ask Adam to slap the book out of my hands at midnight so I can make it to the gym in the morning.

Rate your current year; has it been one of your best or one of your worst?

Bowls, Bites, Beans, And Books By Burroughs

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Hello, Sunday Monday!  Since I worked on Saturday and was off today, this was technically my Sunday.  Today I ate lots of good things and yesterday I cooked lots of good things.  Yesterday’s kitchen-time included coffee concentrate, dog treats, popcorn, and frozen peanut butter hot chocolate (most of those are being blogged later this week which is why I didn’t blog yesterday; whew!).

The coffee concentrate actually wasn’t very good, though the drink I made with it today was tasty.

Cold coffee instead of iced because I used the ice trays for the frozen dog treats.  In with my weak concentrate was skim milk, 2 Tbsp chocolate milk, and 1 Tbsp fat-free sweetened condensed milk.  With all of those tasty milks it kind of didn’t matter that the coffee wasn’t strong enough.

Breakfast was a two bowl affair.

A big bunch of green grapes.

And 5 oz of plain low-fat yogurt with 1.5 Tbsp Jif Chocolate Hazelnut Spread and a big sprinkle of cinnamon.

The chocolate hazelnut spread is basically a problem; I’ve eaten half a jar with a spoon in the past week!

Adam talked me into pizza for lunch.

Buffalo chicken,

blue cheese,

baby carrots.

I asked Zetti’s to cut my slice because I planned on only eating half, but as you can see that dream died before I even made it home.

Since I didn’t have to work, I filled my day with super important things like grocery shopping and laying on the couch to read an entire book.  It was an important book.

Sellevision is Augusten Burroughs‘ first novel and since I’m obsessed with his memoirs it’s been on my “to read” list for years.  I loved it.  I’m so awed by Burroughs that I have a hard time describing why he’s so amazing.  So instead of trying to recap the book for you on my own, I’m going to share an excerpt from one of his memoirs, Possible Side Effects.  (Things you need to know – Burroughs was an alcoholic.  In the chapter this excerpt is from he writes about drinking, not taking care of himself, wanting to write but not knowing how to begin, and getting locked out and having the locksmith think he was robbed because his apartment was such a mess.)

Instead of folding all the debris in the room into huge plastic trash bags, instead of giving myself a clean slate, I just sat down.  And I wrote:

“You exposed your penis on national television, Max.  What am I supposed to do?”

The line came to me automatically.  I didn’t look for it.  It was simply there.  So was the line that followed: “I didn’t expose it, Howard.  It just sort of … peeked out.”

A show host on a  home shopping channel being confronted by his boss, after the host’s penis slipped out from beneath his robe on the air, in front of millions of viewers.  Sooner or later, this was bound to happen, wasn’t it?  On live television.

Silly.  It made me laugh.  I hadn’t laughed for a year.  I kept writing.

I wrote until seven that evening.  Then I drank.  But I never reached my Place.  Instead, I thought about what I’d written during the day.  I went to bed.

The next day, I wrote more.  I started drinking later in the evening and I drank less.

By the third day, I wrote until midnight and I didn’t drink anything at all except lime seltzer water.

By the seventh day I had written a book.  At least, I thought it might be a book.  It contained one hundred and fifty pages and they were in order.  That’s more than a monkey could do.

I called it Sellevision.

I did not drink.

Love, love, love!

Transitioning now from books to beans… Adam loved our dinner.

I tried to update my recipe for vegan black bean burgers and ended up with a new, better recipe.

Cilantro Lime Black Bean Burgers, serves 4

  • 29 oz can low-sodium black beans
  • juice and zest from 1 lime
  • 1 Tbsp minced cilantro
  • 1 Tbsp chia seeds
  • 3 heaping Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp evoo
  1. In a large bowl, mash beans with a fork.  You don’t want to eliminate all of the whole beans (the texture will be better if you don’t!), just get things “mushy” enough that patties can be formed.
  2. Stir lime juice and zest, cilantro, chia seeds, and flour into beans.  Form bean mixture into 8 patties.
  3. Heat evoo in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, cook bean burgers for two minutes on each side.

I served our burgers on big, fluffy buns, with a slice of tomato and pepperjack cheese.

And tomorrow I’m going to try something really fun with the leftovers!

Have you read any of Augusten Burroughs’ work?

A Friday Saturday Secret

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I don’t always like to blog about things right away, but it seems like it’s time to share that…. I got a job!  I will be working part-time at a local toy store from now until my internship schedule makes it impossible.  And I’ve actually been working since Tuesday!

It is freaking fabulous to be employed again but I’m not gonna lie, being on my feet all day is rough.  I haven’t worked out all week and today was the first day I was able to cook dinner after a shift.  I’ve done retail before, and been a waitress and a teacher, but I guess that three years of full-time schooling (sitting) has left me weak.  It doesn’t help that I am ridiculously out of shape.  My aching back is going to give me some major motivation to work on my ab muscles.

Friday morning began with a dermatologist appointment and I ate a to-go breakfast in the car.

An Apple Cinnamon GoGo Squeez.

A White Chocolate Macadamia LUNA Bar.

And a pack of Skinny Cow Milk Chocolate Dreamy Clusters.

Those products were all linked because I’m recommending that you try them all.  Good reviews all around.

I got a good review at the doctor’s office too – the husband’s and my skin checks were in the clear, figuratively speaking.  I’m going to have to see a surgeon about the (benign but painful and ugly) bump on my hand but the dermatologist did say it’ll probably be fully covered by insurance.

I had a mug of hot chocolate before heading to work.

Seven hours later I was ravenous and ready to head home.  I got hot bar from the co-op and finished the entire box on my walk!

Chicken salads,

cucumber and kale salads.

It’s a good thing I ate in-transit because I passed out the minute I got home.  Actually, I got in a giant fight with the husband and then passed out, but it’s not polite to blog about that.  My tired back may be making me a bit cranky.

I had an earlier shift this morning so Adam made a date of walking me to work.  We stopped at the farmers’ market for breakfast along the way.

That toasted pecan caramel scone from Chow Chocolat‘s booth was goo-ood.  With a Lori’s Lemon Honest Tea.

I also ate this baggie of grapes right when I got to work.

I slept without my retainers last night (I passed out before I could get them in!) so I skipped lunch today to keep them in for a longer period.  By the time my 8-hour shift was over I was ready to eat.

We had to run some errands when Adam picked me up and I ended up buying the cheapest – most embarrassing – snack I could find at Target.

They actually weren’t bad.  And I’d like to think they helped give me the energy to cook dinner today.

On the menu was Tom Kah Gai Soup.

I followed the recipe (mostly) from Quick and Easy Thai and found success.

I actually didn’t love-love it because this chicken coconut soup isn’t my favorite, but Adam said several times that this was the best thing I’ve ever made!

I gave part of my portion to the husband (he finished almost the entire batch!) and ended up grabbing a turkey sandwich as well.

Applegate Farm’s Roasted Turkey with Laughing Cow Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese and pepperjack cheese on a Cinnamon Raisin Bagel Thin.

My dessert was a treat that Adam made me this afternoon.  I bought a ton of berries on sale last week so he dipped me three chocolate-covered strawberries.

Thanks, husband.

Two questions for two days’ worth of posts –

  1. How often (if ever) do you get a skin cancer check?
  2. What is your favorite kind of soup?

 

Sushi Date

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I had a bunch of errands to run and yesterday somehow felt really busy.  No post because I never actually ate any meals, mostly I took random spoonfuls of cookie butter and stole salt and vinegar chips from the husband.

Instead of a recap I’ll share a few of the highlights –

#1 – I met up with a few friends and over coffee we finally figured out our room situation for FNCE – the AND’s yearly conference.  Three (maybe four!) of us are going and we managed to find something safe and affordable.

#2 – My easy errand took me to the mall.  I am loving the “birthday month” deals that have been rolling in.  I’ve wanted this Sugar lip duo from Fresh for years and Sephora just gave it to me for free!

#3 – While I was at the mall (see #2) I drank something that has changed my life forever.  Peanut butter frozen hot chocolate from Dairy Queen.

Since the first sip it’s basically been all I’ve been able to think about.  I’ve already started trying to figure out how to recreate it at home.

Today was fairly lame on the food fruit.  The things I ate were all great but I didn’t eat all that much.  Quality over quantity?

A small bun with ~1 Tbsp evoo for dipping.

Juicy green pear.

Bottle of Classic Green Tea from Honest Tea.

Dinner was extra exciting because we made a quick turnaround on a recent Groupon purchase and headed out to eat.

We were both impressed with Sakura Sushi.  The service, speed, and food were all good.  The menu boasted a bunch of fun rolls (like the “Buffalo Roll” with spicy fried tuna!) but Adam and I both stuck with what we knew.

I got a green salad with ginger dressing to start.

And a Spicy Crunch Salmon Roll.

Deep fried salmon / mango / tempura flakes / spicy sauce.

Yum!  It wasn’t the easiest thing to eat like a lady, but the taste was worth the mess.  I obviously could have gotten something healthier but this was a nice compromise between a plain roll and the cream cheese stuffed, whole roll tempura options that I was eyeing.

We had to spend a little bit more money to use up our Groupon so the husband and I split a dessert.

Coppa Mascarpone – a chocolate cream, followed by a smooth mascarpone cream, topped with amaretto cookie crumbs and chocolate curls.

It was fun way to end the date.

Adam and I have skin checks across town tomorrow morning and I am determined to get in bed so that our wake-up isn’t brutal.  I’ll be dreaming of peanut butter frozen hot chocolate!

Cookie Dough Truffles

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This recipe is pretty straightforward, though I do highly recommend it.

Truffles – good.  Cookie dough – better.  Cookie dough truffles – best.  Simple, right?

These truffles were inspired by my Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.  When I replaced the egg with toasted marshmallow I realized I made a tasty cookie dough that is safe to consume without baking.  So why not consume it, right?  And why stop there, when draping the cookie dough in chocolate is so easy?

P.S.  These could be vegan so easily.  Sub in Earth Balance, vegan marshmallows (I like Dandies), soy or almond milk, and dark chocolate chips.  Done.

Cookie Dough Truffles, yields 24 truffles

  • 5 marshmallows
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp skim milk
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 12 oz bag milk chocolate chips
  • (optional) sprinkles
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.  Prepare one cookie sheet with baking spray and another with aluminum foil.
  2. Place marshmallows on sprayed cookie sheet and bake for 2 – 3 minutes, until just beginning to brown.  Set aside to cool.
  3. Use a mixer to cream together butter and sugars.  Beat in vanilla and toasted marshmallows.
  4. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in milk.  Fold in mini chips.
  5. Roll dough into heaping Tbsp sized balls and place on foiled cookie sheet.  Put the balls in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
  6. Melt milk chocolate chips using a double-boiler or microwave.  One by one, place cookie dough balls in the melted chocolate and roll to coat them completely.  Shake off any excess chocolate and return to cookie sheet.  If decorating, be sure to sprinkle the truffles while the chocolate is still wet.
  7. Return truffles to the freezer for 15 minutes so that the chocolate hardens.  I recommend serving the truffles at room or fridge temperature since the texture isn’t quite “cookie doughy” enough for me when frozen.

Window Shopping Wednesday

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I am not much of a shopper, much to my mother’s chagrin. The woman can spend days at the mall, while I start to feel itchy after just a few hours. It’s not that I’m not materialistic, I totally am, it’s just that the thought of adding more stuff to my life makes it hard to breathe. But I like the idea of things. So I’m an avid window shopper. I browse catalogs I’ll never buy from and hold my breathe when I pass the window at J.Crew. So while I’m stuck at school on Wednesdays, I thought we could have some fun via blog. Let’s window shop!

Here are the foods that are making my mouth water this week –

1. DRY Lavender Soda

I always complain – about sodas, teas, lemonades, etc – about the dearth of “low sugar” options.  As in not full of sugar, or especially not full of HFCS, and not fake sugar.  I am forever on the lookout for a product that uses just a little sugar.  Enter DRY Sodas.  The funky flavors are sweetened lightly with cane sugar and each bottle has 40 – 70 calories.  Plus, I’m pretty sure I’d pine for lavender soda with any type of sugar.  Vanilla Bean sounds pretty swoon-worthy too!

2.  Hint Fizz in Watermelon

Another beverage.  I’ve always been intrigued by Hint Water but I have a hard time getting excited about drinks that aren’t fizzy.  This new line is still free of calories and artificial sweeteners, but now it’s fizzy!  Watermelon sounds perfect for summer, especially if you managed to use it in a mojito.

3.  Zico Latte Coconut Water

And yet another!  I’m basically obsessed with the Chocolate Zico and I know that a coffee version would rock my world.  This new product seems to not be available in most locations yet but the reviews I read online were all positive.  From BEVNET – “The product, a blend of coconut water from concentrate, sugar, coconut cream, coffee and vanilla, weighs in at 120 calories and has 85 mg of caffeine.”

4.  Belgian Chocolate S’mores Ciao Bella Gelato

I don’t have much to say about this one because it’s obvious.  S’mores and gelato?  Gonna be good.  Ciao Bella’s Key Lime Pie Gelato is in my top ten favorites for frozen desserts so I trust them to do s’mores right.

5.  A Several Caramel and Marshmallow Crispycakes from The Crispery

First things first – The Crispery is a little business that specializes in crisp rice marshmallow treats.  Awesome name, awesome concept, awesome thing to specialize in.  They have a huge variety of crispy cakes, including several crispycake sandwiches.  Basically this is a sandwich of crispycake bread and caramel and marshmallow fluff filling.  Best idea ever?

Have you tried any new food products this summer that have rocked your world?

Monday Tuesday

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The post title is supposed to reference yesterday’s, and the fact that I am finding myself completely unable to write a blog post.  I just feel like I have a case of bloggers’ block.  There are two upcoming posts that I’ve promised to do and I am practically incapable of getting them done.  Both are on my to-do list for tomorrow and for today I’ll keep it quick.

Breakfast was a total success.

I stirred together Wegman’s Vanilla on the Bottom Super Yogurt with a biiiig dollop of 1% small curd cottage cheese.  Then I topped with sliced plum, sliced nectarine, and a chopped up cookie dough truffle.

I needed something that would keep me full through the early afternoon and this did the trick.

Lunch was snacky.  A GoGo Squeez Apple Strawberry pouch.

And a Peanut Honey Pretzel Luna Bar.

The first time I tried this bar I didn’t know my socks off but today I was much more impressed.  I could really taste each flavor; the peanuts, honey, and pretzels somehow all managed to stand out from within the mix of flavors.

Dinner was cheesy chicken and rice.

Plus 2 servings of potato chips (bacon cheddar, but not really, these were still vegetarian) a few hours later.

And that’s all she wrote (ha!).

Mac And Three Cheese Muffins

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I don’t recall my parents ever making mac and cheese at home, but when I was growing up baked mac and cheese from the grocery store was my favorite comfort food.  West Indian mac and cheese is different from what you are usually served stateside.  Back home it is always baked in a casserole (with a thick layer of cheese on top!); you would never serve West Indian mac and cheese with a spoon.  Most of the mac and cheese recipes I’ve created have the same sturdiness to them, though I have cut back a bit on the cheese.  This rendition is lighter (but definitely not light) and served in muffin form.

They were fun to eat and I found them to be nice and filling.  I went with a trio of cheeses – sharp cheddar, parmesan, and low-fat cottage cheese.  The cottage cheese gave a great flavor while upping the protein and lowering the fat; a three muffin serving has less than 500 calories.

I shared a bite with Webster the other day and I’ve been calling him “The Mac Doggy” ever since.  Divorce would be imminent if Adam didn’t think these muffins were so darn tasty.

Mac and Three Cheese Muffins, serves 4 – 6

  • 2 cups dry macaroni noodles
  • 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
  • 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 4 oz sharp cheddar, shredded
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.  Lightly spray a 12-cup muffin tin with baking spray.
  2. In a large pot, cook macaroni al dente according to package directions.  Then drain and return to pot.  It is best to rinse out the pot with cool water first so that the cooked pasta doesn’t stick.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients to the cooked macaroni and stir well to combine.
  4. Portion macaroni mixture evenly into the 12 muffin cups.  Bake for 30 minutes.