Tag Archives: cabbage

Awkwardly Awesome

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Hello again.  We had a family crisis this weekend so I was away from the blog, but now it’s all good and I’m all back.  Also we squeezed in a party and watched the dog squeeze his face into the last of my milkshake.

Obviously there were good part to the weekend too.

I had lunch for breakfast today.

Baby carrots,

some Libby’s Tropical Fruit Salad,

and a sandwich.

Turkey, pepperjack cheese, and tons of pickles on a sandwich thin.

Lunch for lunch was a salad.

Romaine topped with peanut sauce, nutritional yeast, buckwheat groats, and sliced Crispin Pink apple.

With Honest Tea Half and Half to drink,

and Cookie Butter Fudge (x2) for dessert.

Oh yes I did!  Recipe is coming tomorrow.

I started watching the first season of “Awkward” online while I ate.  I loved it!  Might be my new favorite show.  I watched while I wrote this post too, which is why it took so damn long!

I worked until 7pm today and was stupid tired when I got home.  Dinner seemed impossible and I ended up getting hot bar at the co-op at 9:30.  Vegan “cheesy” broccoli and orzo, an Asian cabbage salad, and some maple roasted tofu and veggies.

I know the picture is gross but it was all delicious and I felt fortunate to have skipped my planned dinner.

Six Hershey’s Simple Pleasures for dessert.

I plan on going to bed as soon as this episode of Awkward is over.  I also plan on going to yoga at 7am.  The 2nd plan is totally dependant on the first; we’ll see what happens.

Have you been watching Awkward?

Sun Shine

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My parents didn’t actually come to visit, not yet anyway.  They will be here soon (hopefully!) and it was a good day nonetheless.

Breakfast bowl.

Plain yogurt, sliced plums, fat-free sweetened condensed milk, and cinnamon.

1 – Cinnamon on yogurt is awesome.  2 – Having an open thing of SCM in the fridge has also been awesome.

When visitors come to town Adam and I like to pretend that we don’t regularly live in squalor so we cleaned the house.  Or rather, Adam cleaned the entire house and I made the bed and put away my own laundry.

Whatever, that bedspread hasn’t been on straight since the last time my parents were here.

For lunch we split a Mike’s Sandwich from The Spot.

I ordered, and when Adam asked me what we got I told him “a bagel with cholesterol, topped with cholesterol.”  Basically it’s an everything bagel with 2 eggs, melted provolone, and cream cheese.

It’s as amazing as it sounds.

Also amazing, was my workout.  60 minutes of hot yoga.  My standing series was pretty wobbly today but I made it further in a few of the seated poses than I have before.  I always leave the hot yoga classes feeling really, really happy.

Around 5, my dad called with some news.  The good news was they were still paying for dinner.  The bad news was they wouldn’t be eating with us.  I’m pissed that we lost a whole evening of visiting and fingers are crossed that they’ll be here at 10.

But we did have a fantastic dinner.  I keep a running list of ‘places to try’ on my cell phone and today we crossed off Sun Restaurant.

Sun sells Burmese and Thai cuisine and we tried a bit of both.

We started by sharing La Peth Thoat.  Burmese-style pickled tea leaf salad combined with crispy chana dal pea, fried garlic, onion, tomato, cabbage, peanuts, and lime juice.

I strongly liked it, Adam loved it.  The tea leaves and cabbage were delicious with the lime and the fried chickpeas (crispy chana dal pea) were fun to try.

I got Pad See U – ordered “Thai spicy” – as my entrée. Thai-style stir-fried wide rice noodles with thick sweet soy sauce, egg, broccoli, Napa cabbage, and bell pepper.

This was the best Thai food we’ve had in Buffalo!  My noodles were cooked perfectly and the dish was actually spicy.  I loved it.  I ate 2/3 of my plate and only managed to stop because I am so looking forward to having leftovers.

We split a Taro Custard for dessert.  Thai-style taro custard cake with coconut milk.

We’ve had this dessert at a couple of restaurants now and I think it’s just not our thing.  We both love the bites of taro but we always end up leaving food behind.

Please cross your fingers for us that my parents get in on time so we can have fun tomorrow!

Off Plan

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Adam was on call last night and sleeping by myself did not go as well as planned.  To start, the dog and I stayed up until 1 am painting my nails and watching “Drive Me Crazy.”  And it didn’t seem like I was sleeping poorly but when the alarm went off this morning I wanted to punch it in the face.  I knew by the first snooze that I needed to update my workout and breakfast plans.

Instead of a run, I did 10 minutes of strength and stretch moves.  Not gonna lie though, I don’t think I could have done more than 10 minutes even if I’d had the time!

Instead of a yogurt bowl at home I took breakfast to-go.  A Naked Green Machine that Adam brought me home from the hospital.

And an Apple Turnover Larabar Uber.

The bar was tasty though a bit stickier than I’d like.  The flavor wasn’t really apple, instead it was chock-full of raisins.

Lunch was simple but good.

Roasted broccoli,

topped with Makhani sauce.

With Junior Mints (Canada style!) for dessert.

When I got home from class I snacked on mango slices.

Yuuuuuum!  We almost never buy mango (and Adam has to cut it for me when we do!) but it is the perfect blend of tart and tangy.

Plus bread with olive oil.

And a small slice of pizza.

It was less than a dollar but it wasn’t very good and I shouldn’t have eaten it no matter how hungry I was.

I had homemade soup planned for dinner but then the husband ate a bunch of food and came home stuffed.  I moved the soup to tomorrow and instead I got a $6 fish taco for dinner.

This was more enjoyable than the soup would have been anyhow!

Did you follow your meal plan for dinner this evening?

What A Weekend!

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The title exclamation is supposed to be aggregated, not excited.  What a weekend, indeed.  Nothing major went down (I always try to remember that in the big picture we are so, so blessed) but there was lots of stress.  First the dog got sick and then my car battery died.  And worst of all, Adam spilled my entire large fountain diet soda with ice.

Now the dog seems to be feeling better and $120-later my car is feeling better too.  Phew!  Plus I found out that I passed my ServSafe exam with a 98%, i.e. only 1 question missed out of 80.

I didn’t have it together enough this morning for breakfast – instead I took a much-needed shower! – but I did pack snacks that I nibbled throughout the school day.  An Apple Strawberry GoGo Squeez packet.

A mini box of raisins.

2 servings of Cheez-It Bigs.

And a packet of Artisana Raw Pecan Butter.

I ate the pecan butter on the cheez-its but it was sort of watery so the combination was only okay.  The homemade pecan butter I used in my Gluten-free Cowboy Oaties had a lot more flavor.

The day continued to look up when we got out of school early and I came home and ate something delicious.

The recipe will be posted by tomorrow, pinky swear.

I also ate a small piece of bread with honey.

Then I went out for a wog.  (<– I stole that from A Healthy Slice of Life and it is my new favorite slang!) 9 sets of 2 minutes running / 3 minutes walking for 45 minutes and 4 miles.

Next I spent some time in the kitchen.  Here’s dinner.

I put 1 lb of chicken breasts in the crock pot this morning (8 hours on low) and this evening we shredded the cooked chicken and tossed it with a mix of Makhani sauce and Stubbs BBQ Sauce.

The liquid I put in the crock pot with the chicken was the reserved juices from our roasted whole chicken and I like to feel like it added a little somethin’-somethin’.

My meat was served on a pile of warm cole slaw.

I put cole slaw veggies, apple cider vinegar, and a bit of sugar in my wok and cooked until softened.  Then I tossed in some Miracle Whip and raisins.  The end result was a little too tangy from the vinegar but not terrible.

My final kitchen effort was chicken stock.

Homemade Chicken Stock, yields 3 quarts

  • bones from 1 roasted chicken, stripped mostly clean
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 cup chopped carrot (or baby carrots)
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 quarts cold water
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Farenheit.  Roast bones 45 minutes.
  2. Place roasted bones, rosemary, carrot, and garlic in a large stock pot and cover with cold water.
  3. Place pot over high heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for 3 hours.

A few notes – Roasting the bones really helps to bring out their flavor.  Please be sure to cool your stock safely if not using right away.  You have two hours to bring it down to 70* and an additional 4 hours to get it down to 41* before you put it in the fridge.  Transfer the stock into smaller containers and place the containers in an ice bath, stirring regularly.  ServSafe at work, baby!

Have you ever made your own stock?

Double Day, Double Shower, Double Shot

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The two-days-in-one post is because I passed out – on the couch, fully dressed – before I could blog last night.

Backing up to yesterday afternoon… I decided to eat a snack at home before I went on my errands.  A mini bag of popcorn; I believe it was butter flavored because it didn’t taste like kettle corn but I got a big pack with both and the bags aren’t labeled and it drives me crazy.

I started a book while I munched and that meant that errands never happened because once you pick up the last book of the HungerGames trilogy you don’t put it down until it’s done.  <– true story  After love-love-loving the first book I was actually pretty disappointed by the ending of the series.  I don’t want to give anything away here, but I would love to discuss it more in the comments.  I personally was very surprised by some of the choices the author made toward the end.

People who read the Hunger Games trilogy – what did you think of the last book????

While I read I also took alternating bites of a Honeycrisp apple and the last of the Cookie Butter (~1 Tbsp?).

So good.  I prefer the original Biscoff spread to the TJ’s stuff but I was sad to see it go since I won’t be able to purchase it again for a long time.

Dinner was supposed to be quick and easy.

I made an attempt at mozzarella sticks by cutting up string cheese, dipping the pieces in egg white and panko, and baking at 400*.

Nothing like the original (which I actually don’t really care for) but tasty in their own way.

The main dinner component was supposed to be soup.  I served Adam and myself each 2 servings of Imagine’s Organic Creamy Brocoli Soup.

Not a fan.  I want to mention that Adam liked it and ate his whole bowl.  I took two bites and the 2nd bite was only because I really hate to waste food.  When I bought it I thought the texture was going to be thick.  Thin soups, outside of broth with stuff in it, totally set off my gag reflex.

I ended up going to Mezza for take-out for dinner.

It was frustrating to waste the money but my meal was quite tasty.

I got the Chicken Shawarma.

Grilled chicken on a grilled pita with garlic spread, cole slaw, tomatoes, pickles, and tahini sauce.  It was great, especially the cole slaw and pickles, but I’d ask for it without garlic sauce next time because my breath was ridiculous.

My sandwich came with a side of fries.

I ate them all but really I should have skipped them; I already ate cheese sticks!  Then I passed out on the couch.

Today started with a run.  I did ten sets of 1:30 running and 3:30 walking for 50 minutes and 3.9 miles.  Then I took shower #1.

I didn’t have time between my workout and my first errand to make food which sucked because once I left the house I was gone for hours.  I had an appointment to get the oil changed on Adam’s car and then I had to go to the tailor and the Sprint store (Monday’s errands).

I dropped off the car and spent the 40-minute wait taking a great walk.

I made a pit stop for coffee and then kept moving.  A Vietnamese latte from Sweetness_7 Cafe.

After the tailor (I need to learn how to hem my own pants!) I headed back to the Sprint store.  I had to leave my phone with them for another hour but I think that it is finally officially fixed.

While I waited for my phone I grabbed lunch at Cheeburger Cheeburger.

I felt a little strange all by myself but I had a book in my purse to keep me company.

I ordered a turkey burger with cole slaw, pickles, onions, and jalopeños.

It was a good combination of toppings, if I do say so myself!  I moved the bun to the side right away but other than that I ate every last bite.

Shot of espresso #2 (not literally but just go with it) was consumed when the husband got home and we shared a frozen coffee.  I blended up a packet of Starbucks Caramel Via, a scoop of chocolate whey protein powder, 2 cups of skim milk, ~2 Tbsp English Toffee syrup, and lots of ice.

So darn good.  We split it but both kept yanking the cup back from one another.  The English Toffee syrup is something I’ve been trying to get Adam to taste for forever (like the wakame) and he loved it!

Shower #2 was due to workout #2; the husband and I headed to the tennis courts.  I’m pretty good at serving and pretty terrible volleying but he’s hoping to get me to playing shape by the end of the summer.  Right now it’s an extra good workout with all of the running for lost balls.  We “played” for one hour.

We were very hungry for dinner and thankfully it ended up being delicious.

Pretty too!  When I make an especially beautiful plate of food I’m so sad not to have the photography skills to properly capture it.

Roasted zucchini.

~ 2/3 cup cooked brown rice.

An egg.

But not just any egg.

A soft-boiled egg!  (Thanks for the recipe, Jenna!)

And then I smothered the whole bowl in Sriracha.

The end.

Plus two small cookies from Romeo and Juliet’s Cafe for dessert.

A thumbprint and a fig cookie.  I brought Adam home a box from the event last Thursday and apparently he won’t eat the fig ones so they’re mine.

Whew, that was a long post!

Funtastic Friday

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Today has been the best day ever!  I mean, not running my half marathon good or getting married good, but pretty damn good.  Exploring, delicious food (seriously, seriously delicious), time with a friend, surprises for the husband…

I spent my afternoon exploring East Aurora with Holly.  It was great but getting there was a trip.  <– that’s a pun.  10 minutes into a 30 minute drive my phone (and gps) shut off.  Apparently my hour at the Sprint Store was not well spent.  The rest of the drive was like a scene from the 90’s, except I didn’t have the prerequisite skills of phone number recall and map reading.  Somehow, and I seriously don’t know how, I ended up exactly where I needed to be.  Phew!

And I was rewarded for my navigation magic with lunch at the festive Arriba Tortilla.

They had fancy lights and they let me order from the kids’ menu so they were 2-for-2.  I got a kids’ taco platter with two fish tacos.

My fish tacos had mahi mahi, corn salsa, black beans, and zesty cole slaw.

I ate 1.5 and was covered in sauce and grinning from ear to ear when I was through.

After lunch we spent a couple of hours strolling around the adorable town.  When Holly told me that EA was awesome I didn’t think that she was lying, but I didn’t actually expect it to be quite so amazing!  Tons and tons of cute local shops and great walkability.

I grabbed an iced coffee with skim milk from Taste, the local coffee institution.

And we ended our travels at Firefly, a gorgeous cupcake shop.

It was a difficult choice but I ended up ordering a key lime pie cupcake.

Yellow cake with a graham cracker crust, key lime buttercream and key lime curd filling.

Ridiculous good.  The frosting may have been the best I’ve ever had.  I definitely closed my eyes and swooned at the first bite.  I ate 90% of the cake and every last lick of the frosting and filling.

I’m glad we did lots of walking because the day’s dessert consumption wasn’t over yet.  Holly told me something very exciting about our mall.  Something very exciting that I managed to keep to myself long enough to surprise a very happy husband…

Buffalo now has self-serve froyo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m so embarrassing; when Holly told me this morning I got so excited I could actually feel my heart speed up.

I got plain tart and coconut froyo topped with some fruit and sprinkles and tons of popping bobba.

Now that I can have it every day more often I’ll need to watch the portion sizes, but I wanted to enjoy the bobba just in case it didn’t make it on the long-term menu.

Adam and I ran errands into the early evening and then settled on the couch to cry hysterically watch the “Grey’s” finale.  Dinner was pretty much identical to lunch but I had a coupon to Moe’s so I just went with it.

Two fish tacos, one hard and one soft for variety’s sake.

Plus chips with queso.

I thought the crunching would stop the crying but that was a lost cause.  If anything, screaming at the screen helped me to eat less chips.

Which show finales have you been freaking out about this season?

Cinco De Mayo Surprise

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I had big Cinco de Mayo themed plans for today but unfortunately they fell through.  It was a good day regardless, just not themed.  <–  I love a good theme, I sort of can’t believe I didn’t rush a sorority in college

Friday was good in a “day-off” sort of way.  Thursday night was ridiculous; I woke up a little bit before 4am and never went back to sleep.  I tossed and turned, got up to pee, got up to get a drink; nothing worked.  Which is how I ended up eating blondies and watching “Private Practice” at 6am.  I knew I would be cranky and unproductive so instead of trying to fight it I spent my day eating Indian food, watching dramatic tv, starting the latest Kathy Reichs book, and going to see “The Avengers.”  Sidenote – “Avengers” was great, I am thrilled that I got to see two Joss Whedon pieces in the same month!

I spent this morning finishing up Flash and Bones in bed (loved it!).  My mood threatened another day off but I knew I needed to get my butt in gear and face the world.  I set out on errands and ultimately finished most of next week’s to-do’s as well!  I was out later than expected and ended up grabbing lunch at Moe’s.

A Moo Moo Mr. Cow (kids’ burrito) with rice, black beans, grilled veggies, corn salsa, and pickled jalapeños.

I didn’t eat 90% of my chips and queso but they were nice to have after particularly spicy bites of burrito.

I had a blondie when I got home.

Adam came home from his shift at the hospital this afternoon with his black dress shoes completely spent so we headed off to the outlet mall.  It was crazy and crowded but we rewarded ourselves for our efforts with Ben and Jerry’s.

I got a small cup of Schweddy Balls and Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz.

Mmmmn!

During our travels I also had these Jalapeño Cheddar Combos.

Our evening plans included a surprise party for our friend Ethan.

The event was held at Torro, a local tapas place.  They brought us bread with oil and vinegar upon arrival.

And Adam and I split the Tempura Shrimp – “skewers with napa salad, miso dressing, and sweet Korean chili dipping sauce.”

This dish was great!  I ate two with sauce, plus all of the cabbage.

Of course there was cake.

I had half of that small piece, I’m in more of a savory than sweet mood.

We’ve had tapas before, so we were aware that one plate wouldn’t be enough for two people but there was an issue and we never got our 2nd plate.  No big deal though, the boys all came back here for an impromptu poker game so I’m cuddling up with some chips and dip.

Did you drink any margaritas today?

Late Lunch

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I was raring to go after my last post but e-mail sending and list writing kept me home a bit longer.

Since I had the time, I ate a 2% Pineapple Siggi’s for a late breakfast.

I may not have had time for any strength moves this morning but I certainly got in an arm workout carrying bags this afternoon.  Look at all the stuff we took to Goodwill –

I also hit up the Co-op (bulk bins), Target (ask me how thrilled I was to spend $7 on batteries for the smoke alarm), and Wegmans (groceries for the next week are purchased).

It was a long trip but now 80% of our weekend errands are finished.

I ate a pear when I got home.

But later I realized that I never actually ate lunch.  I was on a walk with the dog and husband so I made a pit stop at the co-op hot bar.

Excuse the bad pictures, I ate while I walked.  I got some mushroom “meatloaf,” curried kale and cauliflower, and a bit of cole slaw.

And for dessert a brown sugar walnut tart from Starbucks.

Mmmmn!

Adam took a girl friend out for dinner so I was by my lonesome.  I made a roasted veggie feast for my meal.

Sliced potato (6oz),

and green beans.

Yumtastic.  I’ve always liked vegetables but now that I roast them I lurve them!

I had a mini bag of kettle corn for dessert.

I also melted 2 Tbsp of caramel bites and ate them with a fork but the camera ate the photo.  I’m sure you can picture it though.

Have a great evening!

P.S. Adam just got home from his date and he came bearing half of his truffled mushroom panini.  I’m not going to eat it because it’s his favorite but I think he’s just the sweetest boy!