Tag Archives: avocado

Walk It Out, II

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Apparently I’ve used this title before…  I don’t think I knew what “a lot” of walking was when I wrote that post; Adam and I (who love love love to walk) wore ourselves out this vacation!  I’m glad we’ve gotten in the incidental exercise though, we need the walking piece to make up for our eating.  It’s definitely been a vacation week!

After breakfast on Tuesday Adam and I dropped my laptop back at the apartment and headed into the city.

Our main destination for the day was the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

We saw all sorts of amazing things but my favorite exhibit by far was “Written in Bone: Forensic Files of 17th Century Chesapeake.”  They recently discovered the burial site for the first settlers of Jamestown and using modern forensics were able to piece together a picture of how those settlers lived and died.  The exhibit was half American history and half forensic anthropology; I loved it!  If you are in DC in the near future I highly recommend you check it out.

We expanded our minds all morning, but unfortunately our stomachs stayed empty.  Failing to plan is planning to fail, particularly when you are visiting expensive museum food courts.  I did delight in seeing all sorts of these though –

and Adam and I split the Luna protein bar I had in my purse.

Even without breakfast or lunch, our next stop was obvious.

FroZenYo!  If my memory is correct, I served myself red velvet, cookies and cream, cheesecake, and tart yogurt topped with kiwi, strawberries, candied nuts, pb, hot fudge, and sprinkles.

It was ridiculous good.  Frozen yogurt was the high point of my day, but Adam was most excited for dinner.

First though we met my best friend for a drink (pink lemonade and Stoli),

and then an iced coffee for our long metro ride.

Finally we arrived at Adam’s heaven our destination.

Chrisfield Seafood has been an institution in DC (technically Maryland) since the 40’s, and it was a big part of my family vacations as a child.  I didn’t actually eat any seafood as a child so Chrisfield’s magic was lost on me, but this time I was ready!

Portions note – I ate about 1/3 of everything shown here; it was a rich meal but I kept it fairly healthy by not stuffing myself silly.  If you do go to Chrisfields (and you should!) and plan on going crazy, I still recommend that you not fill up on bread because your dinner will be worth the wait.

Adam and Nikki ordered a pitcher of Red Hook Ale ($8!), apparently it turns you into a creeper,

but I still enjoyed a small glass.

When we sat down we were served bread,

and a plate of the necessary accoutrements.

Then we sat, and waited, and drooled and plates went by us.  Finally it was our turn to dig in.

When I called my father for menu advice (I wanted to maximize the opportunity now that I finally like seafood) he told me to order either the crab-stuffed flounder or crab-stuffed shrimp.  But when I got to the restaurant the lobster tail was calling me.  Thankfully I found my perfect meal, The Broiled Combo – lobster tail,

stuffed shrimp,

stuffed flounder.

My meal came with cole slaw and french fries as well.

O.M.G.  I think if I’d actually tasted the food as a child I would have been a seafood convert a lot earlier!  My favorite was actually the stuffed flounder, but the husband was more than happy to take over eating my lobster tail.

Stuffed to the gills (ha!) we slept very well that night.

Wednesday morning was spent walking around Georgetown.  Wandering down M Street is my favorite thing to do in DC!  Adam and I actually ended up at an old New York favorite for brunch, Serendipity 3.

I went with a favorite order too, The Summer Bries.

An open-faced turkey sandwich with apples, cranberry mayo, and brie cheese.

My bread was sort of burnt but I ate 2/3 before passing it off to the husband.

I’m glad I saved room, because we discovered a brand new favorite for dessert – Mr. Yogato!

I couldn’t serve myself, but the shop was so cute that it was worth the change.  I ended up with a small original tart yogurt with banana, coconut, and sprinkles.

Did you think I was kidding when I said we’d get froyo every day? 🙂

Guys, the walk back to pick up our stuff was brutal.  It was in the high 90’s and I was carrying my backpack with the laptop and it was just crazy.  Adam actually got so overheated he started to get light-headed!  Thankfully he felt faint right in front of a Walgreens and we could run in for provisions.  I drank 2 liters of water in under an hour!

Once we were back to our car it was time to head to our final destination: Baltimore.  We probably should have eaten lunch first though because as we sat in rush hour traffic we got pretty cranky.  I ended up digging into my packed stash and eating a serving’s worth of honey mustard chip crumbles,

and tons of (craisin, peanut, chocolate chip) trail mix.

When we finally got here my aunt and cousin had a great healthy spread for us to dig into.  Tortilla chips with homemade guacamole,

hummus with fresh veggies from the farmer’s market,

and this huge bowl of cherries that I basically dominated.

Plus a small pour (x 1.5) of sauvignon blanc.

For the protein portion of the meal my aunt grilled up some delicious Indian spiced chicken with yogurt and mint sauces.

It was so tasty I went back for a second piece (that’s a side plate).

Finally, dessert.

My aunt is quite the hostess.  There was dulce de leche Ben and Jerry’s and salted caramel gelato,

plus No Pudge Fudge Brownies and berry crumb bars (the blueberry crumb bar recipe from Bon Appetit made with raspberries and blackberries).

I was so stuffed I ended up leaving one bite of each piece on my plate!

And bringing this super long post full circle, I woke up at 6:30 this morning to go on a walk with my aunt.  She walks a 40 minute loop around her neighborhood most mornings so I happily joined her.  Even after our miles of city walking yesterday it felt good to get up and get my legs moving.

And now it’s time for breakfast!

Work Hard, Party Harder

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It was a slower shift (ie not as much $) but I had a good day at work today.  Plus, this happened –

Apparently I work with the boyfriend of a blog reader; Hi, Katie G!!

One of my friends was hosting a (girls only!) party tonight so I stopped at the Co-op after work to pick up some chips and dip.  I bought this raspberry lemonade for the walk home.

It was meh; I ended up giving the 2nd half to Adam.

I had enough time between work and fun to get hungry so while I whipped up Adam’s dinner I ate his leftover corn from yesterday.

What kind of a freak doesn’t like corn on the cob?!

I ended up making dinner out of party foods.

I stuck heavily with green grapes and 7-layer dip.

I didn’t want to do any drinking because I have a hot busy day planned tomorrow (walking to/through the Allentwon Art Festival) but I did drink some sugar-free iced tea out of a glass with a fun charm.

The party was pretty intimate and we ended up talking a lot about health stuff, which you know I loved.  I realized tonight that I actually know a few things about nutrition!  I can’t even tell you how exciting it was to be able to answer (simple) questions about my future profession; it felt like something finally clicked between me and Dietetics.

Before I had to bed I’ll leave you with this factoid – Dietitians recommend that everyone take a multivitamin (or prenatal vit if you are a woman of child-bearing age) and that women also take a calcium supplement.  One of the reasons that a multi alone can’t cover your calcium needs is because it would be size prohibitive – a multivitamin with enough calcium would be a big horse pill that would be difficult to take.

Are My Hoisin The Club?!

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Forget about what Rebecca Black says, Saturday is where it’s at!  We didn’t even do anything all that exciting today – studying, grocery shopping, easy dinner – it just was a good day.

Since I’m ridiculous about meals on the weekend I went with lunch – snack – dinner rather than breakfast – lunch – dinner.  Besides, lunch for breakfast means you get in more veggies.

Yes, that is Wegman’s hot bar.  Yes, I’m aware we have a problem.

Fruits (pineapple, berries, strawberries, watermelon),

Veggies (avocado, squash, mushrooms, carrots, brussels sprouts, broccoli),

and a mini crustless Quiche (with tomato and artichoke heart).

Adam and I split a Zone Perfect Sweet & Salty Trail Mix Bar for dessert.

The kind folks at ZP sent me some samples of their new Sweet and Salty line since they knew how much I adored their Cookie Dough stuff.  Adam and I agreed that the bar was good, but not as good as the cookie dough ones.  There was a great peanut butter flavor spread throughout it, and the bar lived up to its sweet and salty name.  I’m looking forward to trying the other variety.

In addition to being repetitive and crazy, constant hot bar isn’t cheap!  Adam has to purchase lots of random snacks and coffees this summer (he’s off for 2 months to study for a major exam and focuses better in public venues) so we need to save our pennies where we can.  I tried to do an extra good job of stocking up on groceries this week; I’d rather spend a little more money at the store and save some money not going out for random things throughout the week.

One of my have-snacks-in-the-house-stop-buying-nachos-damn-it purchases was a 10ct box of mini 100-calorie popcorns, and one of those bags ended up being my afternoon snack.

I also grabbed a (sweetened) cappuccino from Wilson Farms.

Looking back at this post, it seems like I had more than enough to eat today, but you know I couldn’t keep my hand out of the cashews while I cooked dinner!

We whipped up a simple stir fry that ended up being delicious.

The inspiration for the dish was the 2 unopened bags of spinach that were starting to go bad, but these guys were the real stars –

Step-by-step, serves 3-4.

Heat 1 Tbsp evoo in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat.  Add 10 cups of raw baby spinach.

Cover and cook until wilted.

Add 1 15 oz can baby corn, 1 15 oz can stir fry mushrooms,

5 green onions, sliced, and 2/3 cup salted cashews.

Top with 4 Tbsp Hoisin sauce and continue to cook.

In a small bowl on the side, whisk together 3 large eggs.

Make a hole in the veggie mixture and pour eggs into it.

Cook until starting to slightly scramble then toss to combine.  Continue to cook stir-fry until desire doneness is reached.

Delicious.

I topped my bowl with Sriracha,

and Adam added some baked tofu to his.

I stole a few pieces of tofu and they were so tasty I’m planning on making them again soon so I can share the recipe with you guys.

When I’m feeling unsatisfied after dinner a yogurt bowl for dessert is always the answer.

This one centered around a Dannon Light and Fit Caramel yogurt.

I almost never eat fake-sugar yogurts (if I’m not eating Greek I’m buying Stonyfield because it is humanely sourced) but this guy was pretty fantastic.  Topped with unsweetened shredded coconut, the last of the butter toffee almonds, and a few butterscotch chips.

Sweet dreams, readers!

Slipping into Grumpsville

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The good news?  Several $100 later, I’ve got my computer back!  The bad news?  I’ve got a major case of the grumps.  I’ll try to keep this quick.

I haven’t been to the gym in a week.  I’ve also been cranky for a week.  I think that is solid scientific evidence that I’m happier when I workout 🙂  In the interest of considering all the data, I should also mention that I haven’t been going because my knee hurts and it’s possible I’m also cranky because I’m pissed about my knee.  <– that is extra-strength ironic, you’ll see why in a minute.

First, a breakfast that didn’t make me cranky.

I didn’t want to use banana so instead I beefed up my normal stove-top oats (1/3 cup oats, 1/2 cup each water and So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk) with 1.5 Tbsp of chia seeds and 2 tsp dark brown sugar.

I topped my chewy-in-the-best-way-ever creation with Trader Joe’s Sun Butter.

Sooo good.

Then I walked to school for lab.  And I slipped on the ice.  And fell.  Into a puddle.

Yeah, I don’t even really know what else to say about that.  I was angry and soaking wet and I wrenched my already hurt knee and bashed my ‘good’ knee into the sidewalk.  And as the day went on I realized my back also is killing me.  Hence the trip to Grumpsville.

After lab I walked home, gingerly, and took advantage of the Subway $5 Footlong promotion along the way.

I ate half today, and have the other half leftover for tomorrow.

I got the veggie sub with lettuce, tomato, spinach, red onion, green peppers, cucumber, black olives, and pickles.  I added a little Stubbs BBQ Sauce when I got home.

Delish.  Also another sandwich that did not miss the cheese.

I also got a large diet coke with ice and dipped pretzels into it.

Heaven.

And then I ate this thing of cashews.

Unfortunately the sandwich and massive snack attack didn’t take care of my other complaint – I was hungry, all day long.  Pretty much all day when I wasn’t complaining about my back I was frantic with hunger; Adam thinks I’m a joy to be with.  I took unphotographed nibbles of pretty much every item in the fridge (chickpeas leftovers, potatoes, peanut butter…).

Happy Sidenote – I was recently sent some Arnold’s 100% Whole Wheat Flax and Fiber Sandwich Thins to sample.  [I like them a lot]  The husband is obsessed with them!  Look at his lunch –

When we got the last-minute call about my computer (yay) we headed out, scrapping our dinner plans and opting for Moe’s instead.

I housed this veggie burrito with rice, pinto beans, sautéed mushrooms and onions, guacamole, and black olives.

I actually still have an assignment to do tonight (and of course I still have to complain about it) so I’ve got to go.  You’ll miss my cheery disposition 🙂

Have you ever slipped on the ice?

I’m Soooooo Hungry

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So the liquid lunch was a bad idea.  It’s possible I said “I’m soooooo hungry” so many times this evening that the husband temporarily stopped loving me.  No worries, I’m sure my complaints about the cold won him back 😉

So far the vegan challenge has been easy breezy, but tonight, surrounded by the chicken wings and pizza logs of Wegman’s hot bar, it felt pretty challenging.  All I can say is thank God was able to find these (vegan) veggie wontons at the sushi counter.

If I hadn’t been able to eat before we started shopping I’m pretty sure I’d still be at the grocery store, wandering around in a haze and whimpering.

But the beast was not squelched, as my hand found its way (again and again) into this bag of tortilla chips while I prepared dinner.

It got so bad I finally took out another, smaller bag of chips so I’d have some built-in portion control.

Adam shared the bag with me, but not by much, and there might have been some growling.

It’s a good thing dinner was tasty.

It’s also a good thing that dinner was low-calorie and full of veggies, but that’s another story.

A few weeks I ago I was sent some Pace Picante Sauce (for free, via the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program) with a note to create an amazing recipe for a chance to win a Super Bowl party.  Clearly I missed that opportunity, but I did make a tasty recipe –

Vegan Seven Layer Casserole*, serves 4

  • 2 tightly packed cups baby spinach
  • 3/4 cup canned corn
  • 1 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
  • 1 medium avocado, chopped
  • 1.5 cups pre-cooked, chopped veggies  (Use whatever you’ve got leftover, but we used yellow squash and broccoli and that’s what I’d recommend if you’re starting from scratch.)
  • 2 8oz jars Pace Mild Picante Sauce
  1. Preheat your oven to 400*.  Lightly grease an 8×8 casserole with cooking spray.
  2. Carefully fill casserole with 7 layers, spreading each layer out smoothly.  Start with spinach on the bottom followed by corn – onion – chips – avocado – veggies – and finally salsa on top.
  3. Bake 30minutes.

*Note – this will not come out in squares like a typical casserole, it’s more of a spoon out dish.

I’m finally full, and now I’m (finally) going to get in bed with a book!

My Indian Name is Runner of Many Errands

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Would you believe me if I told you we just got home?!  Well, sort of.  But it has been a busy day.

Adam came home this afternoon and we headed out on errands – H&R Block to file our taxes and SuperCuts so I could get a trim.  Neither errand was all that exciting; taxes are sort of a joke when no one in the household has any income, and in the same vein all I can afford is a $13 hair cut.  I did find out that when I donate my hair to Locks of Love this spring I can get my hair cut for free, so that’s good news.

We were so cranky with hunger by the time we headed home that french fries with vinegar from ETS were a necessity.

Obviously.

I’m glad we got in some veggies of the non-fry variety for dinner.

We made a big batch of Emily’s Kale and Roasted Vegetable Soup.

The soup is full of sweet potato, rutabega, kale, and black beans, then topped with avocado.  It was very tasty, so head on over to The Daily Garnish to check out the recipe.

The minute we were done eating (and I use the word “done” loosely here) we head to rush out the door to UPS.  Sidenote – Mom, Tiffanys sent me back my fixed bracelet.  Sidenote 2 – Don’t ever buy the Tiffany Sea Starfish Bracelet, it’s gorgeous, but the stone falls out of the charm like 8 times a month.

We had to stop at Rite Aid for some things on the way home (um, hair dye, get excited!), and now we’re about to settle in with some Sour Patch Kids and X-Files.

What’s your favorite kind of soup?  I actually not much of a soup girl, but this recipe may be a new favorite.

Wonderful World of the Weekend

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Welcome to the wonderful world of the weekend!  <– said in the voice of the cryogenic lab workers from Futurama

We had a lazy, hazy summer winter day around these parts.  Light on the responsibilities and heavy on the tv reruns and being cozy. 

Not my healthiest day of eating – I needed more produce – but everything was delicious.  Like the Moe’s takeout we grabbed for brunch.

I got a junior burrito, stuffed with rice, black beans, corn salsa, lettuce, mushrooms, cilantro, guacamole, and black olives.

It came with a ton of tortilla chips…..

and I ate them all; whoops!

For dessert I tried out the single-serve cookie dough recipe I’ve seen floating around the web.

The chocolate pieces were a chopped up serving of this Chocolove Almonds and Sea Salt in Dark Chocolate.

So satisfying and delicious, and vegan to boot (butter = Earth Balance).

Yums all around.

It took me until 7pm to get the energy to get off my butt, but I did finally decide to go to the gym.  Good thing too, I got it together just in time to get in a short workout before the gym closed.  I ran 1.5 miles in 13:40 (my last 1.5 was 14:13, whoop!), with cool down 18 minutes, 1.75 miles.  Plus a few planks.

My run killed my appetite, so I bought a Naked juice for dinner.

But it was waaaay too tangy for me so I passed it off to the husband (don’t worry, he loved it).

Instead I had some Amazing Grass Kidz Chocolate SuperFood shook with 8oz of Silk Vanilla Soy Milk.

Not gonna lie, I shook in a glug of maple syrup and served it over ice to make things feel a bit more festive.

Have you tried the single-serve cookie dough recipe yet?

Eat, Live, Garnish

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Bleck.  I’ve been in a crummy mood all day.  My retainer fitting properly finally means it’s actually working, which means my mouth is hurting.  Additionally I’m irritated with myself for not starting Biochem work.  I know the longer I put it off the worse it’s going to be but I’m a week in and it’s feeling a little daunting.  Plus I was so excited about these filled Mini-Wheats, but when I ate a small bowl this afternoon they hurt my mouth. 

Bleck.

I know something guaranteed to put a smile on my face was a blogger-approved dinner.

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes from Emily at The Daily Garnish,

and Mom’s Sweet and Spicy Barbeque Baked Beans from Jenna at Eat, Live, Run.

The guacamole gravy?  That was all me!

It ended up being a very tasty meal.

A time intensive(ish) one as well, the potatoes required a good hour of hands-on time while the beans were baking in the oven.  As I was removing the caramelized onions from the pan genius struck, and guacamole gravy was born.  I kept a few onions in the pan over medium heat and added a chopped avocado and a bit of evoo.  Once everything was warmed through I deglazed the pan with some mushroom broth.  A bit more broth and some mashing, and the best potato topped ever was born!

It was great to get back into the kitchen and make my husband a nice hearty (vegan!) meal.  Sidenote – that’s not to say the husband didn’t help cook this meal, mashing potatoes is hard!

What is your favorite kind of gravy?