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I’m Typing With One Hand…

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…so I’ll keep this short.  Speaking of keeping things, Adam will have to keep me, my surgery went off without a hitch!

It wasn’t a big deal – I just had a benign keratosis removed from the back of my hand – but they sure were dramatic about it.

I had to wear a gown, and get wheeled into the OR.  And look at my giant bandage –

they called it a “sympathy cast!”  I’ll have my stitches in for ten days and then I’ll be right as rain.  But unfortunatly they told me that I’m not allowed to work out while my stitches are in.  I know I haven’t been working out anyway but I really was excited to start again!  Ten days…

They told me to take it easy after surgery but I actually had to head over to a friend’s house to work on a group project.  At least I got some Moe’s out of the deal.

I got a naked burrito (aka a less expensive rice bowl) with black beans, lettuce, green pepper, onion, mushroom, corn salsa, and guacamole.

Delicious.  Moe’s is a great option for Vegan Month.

Resting up didn’t happen the rest of the weekend either, I worked both Saturday and Sunday.  Saturday morning was rough (on top of everything else we started an hour earlier than usual), but at least my shirt matched my bandage!

I ate an apple on the walk to work.

And a drank a Rockstar to help keep myself awake in spite of my pain medication.

My medication makes me feel pretty funny – nauseous and tired and all sorts of loopy – so I never ended up getting lunch at work.

Dinner was a buffalo seitan wrap from the co-op.

Plus a roasted potato.

Those fries are cut so nicely because the husband did it for me.  He’s been so nice helping me while I fumble around!

I did manage to catch up on some sleep this morning.  Thank goodness for Daylight Savings.  Even with the extra hour, all I managed to accomplish today was a shift at work and switching out my summer and winter wardrobe.

Breakfast was an amazing bowl of cereal.  Blackberries with cinnamon sugar, 1 serving each All Bran Bran Buds and Cascadian Farm Dark Chocolate Almond Granola, and Blue Diamond Unsweetened Vanilla Almond/Coconut Milk.

I had the granola from the HLS and have wanted more ever since!

A very late lunch was purchased at the co-op after work.  Broccoli salad and vegan mac and cheese with veggies.

The mac was so tasty that I almost made Adam walk back and get me more!

Instead I was basically stoned on pain meds all evening and was a total weirdo.  Dinner just didn’t happen, though I did eat multiple desserts.

A bowl of melted peanut butter with powdered sugar and cocoa powder.

A Cara Cara Orange.

And a few pieces of primrose oil old fashioned candies.

It’s been a weird day.

Webster’s First Halloween

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You can tell that this post was a terrible decision since it’s 2 o’clock in the morning.  I’ll try to keep it quick.

You can tell that tomorrow is the first day of Vegan Month because I managed to eat two yogurts, buffalo chicken pizza, cheesecake, and a milkshake.

You can tell that it’s Halloween since I pulled out all of the stops some of the stops.

Black and orange outside clothing.

Black and orange inside clothing.

And earrings that look like candy corn.

Plus, my exam this morning was positively spooky!  😦

Before the exam, I got up and had breakfast.  A big bowl of Liberte Coconut Yogurt plus 1% large curd cottage cheese.

Plus coffee with skim milk.

When I got home – my exam went ok, my quiz went not ok, our lab activity took forever – I had more yogurt.  Apple Cinnamon 0% Chobani with honey roasted peanuts and a drizzle of honey.

I ran a few errands the afternoon.  The most exciting was the orthodontist appointment; not only am I cleared for 12 more weeks of nights only, but I won a contest!

$30 to Best Buy.  I was so excited, I never win anything!

Lunch was pizza.

I tried to really think about the foods that were going to tempt me during November. A buffalo chicken slice from Zetti’s,

with baby carrots and blue cheese for dipping.

Halloween candies for dessert.

Then it was time to dress my favorite dog up in his first costume.  We went meta this year…

A hot dog in a hot dog costume!

Webster was flipping adorable – several cars honked and gave us thumbs up! – but it was cold and wet and he was so mad at me by the time we got home!

Thankfully Adam’s arrival (he was away on an interview the past two days) cheered us both up.  He came bearing cheesecake!

That was literally the best slice of cheesecake I’ve ever tasted but I already had my sights set on something else so I took a few bites and left the rest for the husband.

My plan for dessert?  Pumpkin Coffee Caramel Chocolate Milkshakes!

Ben and Jerry’s Caramel Coffee Buzz blended with skim milk and pureed pumpkin (with chocolate syrup on the glass).  It was delicious and just what I needed to power through the last two hours of working on a final project.  The perfect way to end my dairy consumption for the month.

Happy Halloween!!

Roasted Spiced Pumpkin Seed Recipe and Recap

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I have a giant disaster of a test tomorrow and I should not be posting right now.  At all.  But I ate so many good things.  And I made a successful recipe.  How can I not share?

I decided to compromise by just sharing a few things.  And the recipe.

Here we go…

First, a sad story.  I haven’t studied for tomorrow’s giant test because I’m demoralized.  You see, on Monday our teacher took a quick poll to see how many people were feeling good about the exam.  Then she asked how we’d feel about the exam if it was on Monday.  There was a marked difference in answers, obviously.  She told us that if we could come to a unanimous agreement she would move the exam to Monday.  We voted three times, and the end result?  One person wouldn’t budge.  So after all of our hopes were raised, they were cruelly dashed.  And that’s why I’m demoralized.

Now, a funny story.  The weather here was insane on Monday (though obviously quite mild compared to the rest of New York) and we only had a handful of customers during my shift at work.  To keep busy, my boss asked us to set up some demo products.  How do you like my jewelry box?

Next, a little food.  I’ll limit myself to 3 things out of the millions of bites I’ve taken the past two days.  (<– my eating has been a little out of control lately)

1. I do not like the Spiced Pumpkin Pie Clif Bar.  It’s too spicy and gaggy.  I dislike it year after year, and still I keep buying it every fall.  It just looks so damn seasonal when it’s there on the shelf!

2.  The cowboy cookies at Lexington Co-op are amazing.

3. But the co-op’s crazy feta dip is even better.  I don’t even really like feta all that much and I’ve still eaten two containers of it over the past 48 hours!

Vegan Month is going to be painful.  And necessary…

Finally, a recipe.

This was my first-ever time roasting my own pumpkin seeds and they turned out so well!  The roasted seeds were nice and crunchy and I think my spice combinations worked out.  I brought some in to school and shared with classmates who all gave high marks.  Both flavors were good but I think the sweet ones are my favorite.

seed roasting procedure

  1. After your pumpkin has been gutted, pull as many seeds free from the flesh as you can.  Soak the seeds in a large bowl of water to help remove any clinging stringy bits.
  2. Spread seeds on baking sheets and store overnight in your oven (keep it turned off!) so that they dry completly.
  3. Spray dried seeds with baking spray so that they are completly coated, then sprinkle liberally with selected spice blend.
  4. Bake at 350* for 25 – 30 minutes.

my savory spice mix

  • salt
  • onion powder
  • garlic powder

my sweet spice mix

  • cinnamon
  • sugar
  • pumpkin pie spice

Have you ever roasted your own pumpkin seeds?  What is your favorite way to season them?

**My heart goes out to all of those who were affected by Sandy.  Hurricanes and NYC have both been a major part of my life so watching the news coverage this evening was devestating.  My thoughts are with you.**

Confessions XIII

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Click here to read Confessions part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX,  X, XI, and XII.

Confession #1 – I’ve listened to “Every Single Night” at least 200 times since I downloaded Fiona Apple’s newest album last month.

Confession #2 – I may have given my friends Apple Month bags in September.

Confession #3 – I Post-it the husband’s whole world.

Confession #4 – I read Gail Simmon’s memoir almost a month ago (at FNCE) and I still can’t stop thinking about it.  She is modest, funny, and totally enviable for staying true to her dream.  One or two chapters made me cry, many made me laugh out loud, and every single chapter left me drooling.

Confession #5 –  I’m really sad that I can’t do something crazy for Halloween this year.  Nevermind that I haven’t done something crazy for Halloween since college, when Adam and I went as the original Adam and his Eve.  I want a crazy wig and short skirt, damn it!

What’s the craziest costume you’ve ever worn for Halloween?

It’s Getting {Pinapple Turkey} Chili

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Yesterday I spent 3 hours standing in the 40* rain… It was fabulous.

Elmwood Avenue held its trick-or-treat session yesterday afternoon and since I’ve never gotten to give out candy before my store let me be in charge of that job.

I checked out all of the cute costumes, rocked my bunny ears, handed out candy (ate a lot too!), and froze my butt off.

When I got home from work I needed new socks, one of Adam’s sweatshirts, and a big bowl of something hot to warm me up.  Good thing I had gotten the crock pot started before I left for work.

Pineapple Turkey Chili, serves 8

  • 1 tsp evoo
  • 1 lb 94% fat-free ground turkey
  • 1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 15.5 oz can cannellini beans
  • 29 oz can tomato sauce
  • 20 oz can crushed pineapple
  1. Heat evoo in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add ground turkey and cook until browned, 3 – 5 minutes.
  2. Place all ingredients (including browned turkey) into crock pot and stir to combine.
  3. Set pot for 4 hours on the “high” setting.

P.S. I hope all my readers in the path of the Frankenstorm are doing alright!

Past and Future

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Wow; long time no blog!  It’s been a week, which feels crazy.  Last weekend, Adam was out-of-town on interviews and since I didn’t want to broadcast that all over the internet I kept mum.  Then the week was a busy disaster.  One night I came home from work and got straight into bed at 8:20.  One night I drank too many pumpkin beers and got a little drunk.  One night I was out late working on a group project.  And last night the dog threw up and then when we went to clean up I threw up.  Good times.

The Past: Some Things Worth Highlighting from the Last Week

Annie Chun’s Spicy Chicken Ramen.

This soup came together in a snap and it felt fairly authentic.  It was spicy without making you want to run for the gallon of milk.

Another apple-cereal bowl.

This winner creation had steamed (aka microwaved) Honeycrisp apple with Special K Vanilla Pecan, All Bran Bran Buds, honey roasted peanuts, tons of cinnamon, and skim milk.

The new gelato place on Elmwood has pumpkin.

It was good, but the coconut half was even better.

These two pumpkin beers get two thumbs up.

The Long Trail was good, the Saranac was great.

The Potato Chip chocolate bar from Chuao is ridiculous.

Such a perfect melody of salty and sweet!  And the crispiness was fun too.  Now I want to try all of the other flavors!

Arby’s is selling a Peppermint Stick Swirl Shake.

If you like candy canes (who doesn’t?!) you’ll love it.

Mr. Pizza sells a veggie pie that is great.

It was packed with veggies, including green olives!

The Future: A Vegan Challenge in November

Yep, starting next week I’ll begin my annual 1-month vegan challenge.  One of my IRL friends agreed to do it with me and I’d love to have some of my internet friends join as well.  Think about it???

Bread In Chocolate, Mystery Burgers, And Thickened Pepsi

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I have got to stop falling asleep without blogging!  Some days (many days) are crazy and boring and I skip posting.  Other days are crazy and delicious and make me want to blog.  But two crazy and delicious days in a row makes for one loooooong recap!

Monday

Breakfast was all about the FNCE samples.  Gross was the Strawberry Del Monte Squeezable fruit.

There was a flavor there that I just didn’t care for.  Almost savory?!

Great was the Jamba Juice Fruit-i-licious Probiotic Trail Mix (I ate the whole bag, or 2 servings).

It had tons of fruit and nuts and just enough chocolate to be fun.

I planned on making dinner before I went to work so I made a quick trip to the store on my way home from school.  Coffee with skim milk to warm me up when I got home.

Archer Farms’ Cinnamon Vanilla Nut is the best flavor I’ve ever gotten from Target.

My lunch snack was a sweet tasting plate.

A sliced banana with crunchy honey pb,

and half of a Theo Bread and Chocolate Bar.

I love this bar!  Normally 70% would be a little dark for me but the saltiness of the bread really brings out the sweet in the chocolate.

I also ate a 100-calorie bag of kettle corn.

I managed to get dinner made, but not with much time to spare; I ate on the walk to work!

Roasted green beans,

and a turkey burger on a bun with sharp cheddar and Miracle Whip.

I’m going to stay cryptic and just say “burger” because this recipe was so tasty that it warrants its own separate post tomorrow.  I know most people scan these long recaps and I do NOT want this burger recipe to get lost!

After work, I ate a slice of turkey while I packed Adam’s lunch.

And that was it.  It was quite lucky that I ate dinner for lunch because otherwise I would have gone to bed hungry.

I got my flu shot Sunday morning.  PSA – Flu shots save lives.  Even if you aren’t worried about the flu, you should get the shot because it helps protect the people around you.  That said, I am having a major adverse reaction to my flu shot!

I couldn’t get a picture that really shows anything (it is surprisingly tricky to photograph your upper arm), but imagine a giant, raised, red area around my injection site.  It itches like crazy and is making me insane.  Adam didn’t see my reaction until Monday night but as soon as he did he fed me an allergy med and put me in bed.

Tuesday

When I say that Adam “put me in bed” on Monday night, it is worth mentioning that he let me pass out teeth unbrushed, jeans still on, and alarm clock unset!  I managed to make it to school on time but I was very confused this morning!

There wasn’t much time for breakfast so I grabbed a Chocolate Zico Coconut Water,

and an Odwalla Chocolate Almond Coconut Chewy Nut Bar (a FNCE sample).

Dee-lish-us!  The bar immediately moved to my “top five bars” list (now that Balance Bars aren’t good there is a major hole to fill!).  It tasted like real food, really tasty real food.

We were on campus today so I also got to cash in a free coffee card at the book store.

3 shots of espresso with tons of vanilla sugar and skim milk.  And then I twitched wildly for the rest of the day…

Instead of clinical practice at the hospital, today we had an intensive lecture on enteral and parenteral nutrition – i.e. feeding through a tube into the GI tract or through a vein.  It is insanely complicated but at least I think the calculations are a ton of fun.  I’m certainly not the smartest person in our program (not by a long shot!) but when we do any sort of math I’m usually the first person in the room to finish.  Who knew as I struggled through 9th grade pre-calculus that I’d grow up to get all tingly over formulas?!

Another fun part of the day? A rep from Nestle came in and showed us some different products.  We got to taste thickened water and thickened diet pepsi (honey consistency) –

Their commercial thickener is just xantham gum – like I used to use in my smoothies! – plus a few preservatives.

Also fun was the longer lunch period that let my friends and me go to Wegman’s.

I hadn’t packed food so this was very serendipitous.

Buffalo chicken chowder,

and a green veggie brown rice sushi roll with spicy mayo on the side for dipping.

Between buffalo sauce soup, spicy mayo dipping, and the wasabi that I slathered on top of my sushi, this lunch left me sweating!

I stole a fun sized candy bar from my friend for dessert.

Ignore my sandals, and note that I bundled up today for Fall.

Fall is here exhibit b – tea with skim milk and cinnamon sugar.

Fall is here exhibit c – the apple crumble candle I burned while I studied.

Fall is here exhibit isn’t she done with this gag yet?! – an apple crumble yogurt bowl.

This is another dish I plan on making often.  A 0% Plain Greek yogurt topped with cooked apple (a chopped Sweet Tango microwaved for 2 minutes with 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 2 tsp agave) and crumble (KIND Oats and Honey Clusters granola, a FNCE sample).

The rest of dinner was a random assortment of snacks while I studied.  A chocolate chip cookie dough mini Larabar (FNCE sample).

A mini tortilla with 2 slices of Applegate Farms Honey Maple Turkey and melted sharp cheddar.

Cold, leftover green beans for veggie needs.

And a 100-calorie bag of kettle corn.

As I said, looooong!  Like hot-dog-dog long.

Have you ever had an adverse reaction to the flu shot?

Food Fun At FNCE In Philly

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I’m home!  If you didn’t know, I spent the past five days in Philadelphia attending the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ (AND) Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE); alphabet soup, much?!

I went with two fabulous friends and we had a great time.  Our days were packed (I need a vacation from this vacation!) and I am very glad I made the decision in advance not to blog.  In fact, I’m barely going to do a recap.

I would love to talk about the sessions I attended, and all of the things that I learned, but I have homework to catch up on, a shift at work this evening, and a huge test on Friday, so I doubt it’s going to happen.

I do have a few shots of some of the fun food though.

Amazing (2nd only to my favorite place in Brooklyn) eggplant pizza that we had the first night when we stayed with one of my friends from high school.

Taro milk bubble tea.

Hot, spiked, apple cider from a street fair.  We also had pumpkin beer and apple pie shots; we were drinking seasonally this trip.

The expo –

My swag –

It was amazing/ridiculous and my friends and I ended up offering a bag of food to a man I saw digging in a trash can as we were walking from the conference to our car.

Pumpkin pie frozen yogurt.

The best espresso I’ve ever had.

Sidenote – I drank my coffee holding back tears.  We went to eat a vegan cheese-steak on our last day in town and found out that the place was out of seitan!

The Chobani bar at the expo was hands-down the best part.

This Strawberry FrozFruit was a very close second.  My favorite thing in high school was the coconut version.

And a final treat at home – tiny chocolate hamburgers that I brought back for the husband.

Who’s hungry?!