Tag Archives: cheese

Coconut Chocolate Lavender

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Howdy!  I have not been following my sleep schedule – – at all – – but I can say that today was quite productive.  Every item on my list is now to-done!

The dog has been getting in and out of bed all night long recently and between that and my usually fitful sleep, mornings have felt very difficult this week.  I barely had time to make it to work today so I had to take breakfast with me on the walk.  This Wegman’s Bean and Cheese Burrito was good but not great.

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Something about the flavor and texture made me long for a beverage, and I ended up exploding pinto beans all down the front of my winter coat.

I ate a Honeycrisp apple mid-morning.

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Then I spent the rest of my day holed up in the basement like a retail hermit.  We got in tons of tons of shipments on Monday and I opened and priced 99% of them today.

I never did have time for lunch at work (I kept my packed food in the fridge for an easy lunch tomorrow!) and I ended up doing double dinners.  First was Wegman’s hot bar on a mini-date with the husband.

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Wok-seared veggies,

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and chicken dumplings and chicken salad.

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Adam and I are obsessed with the dumplings’ dipping sauce and the combination of the sauce stirred into my chicken salad was the bomb.com.  <– legit, it tasted so good that was the first expression that popped into my head!

I also ate a big bag of Easter candies from the bulk bins and gave myself a stomach-ache.

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A little pain was worth it, the sugar rush totally helped me through the remainder of my internship journaling.  Minus breaks for making food and eating food, I chugged away for the remainder of the evening.

Our home dinner was vegetable fried rice.

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In the wok (for 2) –

  • 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
  • ~1 heaping cup peas
  • ~1 heaping cup roasted broccoli
  • ~1.5 cups leftover brown rice
  • 1 Tbsp tamari
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1.5 Tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Sriracha
  • 3 large eggs

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The dish had the potential to be great, but it was way too salty.  It’s been awhile since I’ve used fish sauce and I forgot what a sodium-punch it packs.  I ate a little less than 2/3 of my plate.

Dessert was a giant, delicious cookie.

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Coconut Chocolate Lavender Cookies = this recipe for single serve cookies plus 1 tsp minced culinary lavender and chopped Sweetriot 70% dark kickin’ coconut chocolate subbed in for chocolate chips.

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We were both big fans of the big cookies and big taste.

The winner of my Hey Shuga! giveaway is:

contest winner

(#1) Jenny, shoot me an e-mail with your mailing address.

Day One Of Thirty? {Again}

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Complaints first – The chance for 8-hours of sleep passed before I even started this post.  All of my end of internship assignments are due on Friday and I’m freaking out.  I ate two snacks after dinner and I am still flipping hungry.

Complaints aside, it wasn’t a bad day.  We got lots (and lots) of shipments at work so I was nice and busy.

The morning started with smoothies.

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For two: 1 Thai young coconut, ~1 cup frozen blue/blackberries, 1 medium frozen banana, and 2 Tbsp Hey Shuga!  <– don’t forget, you still have another ~hour to enter my giveaway!

I didn’t have a lot of time for lunch so I kept it simple.  A Garuka Bar (from my yumvelope).

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The sweet peanut butter coating was addictively good; I planned on snacking on it throughout a task but every time I tried to walk away I took another bite instead!

I also had a Fage 0% Greek Yogurt with Cinnamon Apple Raisins.

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The flavor isn’t listed on the Fage website and I’ve only seen it at Target.  The apple compote was good, but nothing can really compare to the pure decadence of the honey and strawberry flavors.

I only had an hour between work and night class so Adam and I cashed in a coupon for Subway for dinner.

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6 inch turkey with lettuce, tomato, green pepper, banana pepper, red onion, and honey mustard on Italian herb and cheese bread.

I knew my sandwich wouldn’t quite fill me up and I shared this peanut butter spoon with Webster when I got home.

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Then I also had a plate of baby carrots with the last of some smoked gouda spread.

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And a bag of Smart Fries.

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I ended up dipping my “fries” in yellow mustard.  And then I had a big glass of water; methinks I’m a bit dehydrated!

na na na na na na na na BANANA

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It’s time for another two-day post.  Shhhhhh, don’t tell my mom!

The past 48 hours have been full of Bananas, but nary a vegetable has been seen.  Things haven’t technically been that busy, but it’s hard to post when you basically die into bed.

My last post left off at lunch.  After I finished up at the hospital for the day, I came home to decorate my cupcakes for book club.

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Book club may have been hit hard by sickness and weather advisories this week, but that didn’t mean that the three of us who still got together didn’t deserve banana split cupcakes!

Banana Split Cupcakes, makes 12

Yield: 12 cupcakes; Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes

  • 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 large bananas, well mashed
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts
  • 12 Tbsp hot fudge sauce
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 5 oz vanilla bean ice cream, fully melted
  • maraschino cherries
  • rainbow sprinkles
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.  Line a cupcake tray with 12 paper liners.
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl combine mashed banana, white sugar, egg, and melted butter.  Stir to combine, then fold in flour mixture and mix just until smooth.  Fold in walnuts.
  4. Fill each cupcake liner halfway with batter.  Spoon 1 Tbsp fudge sauce into each cup.  Top with remaining batter.
  5. Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Allow cupcakes to completely cool before icing.
  6. While cupcakes are cooling, use an electric mixer to beat together softened butter, powdered sugar, and melted ice-cream.  (This icing will keep best if stored in the fridge rather than at room temperature).
  7. Ice cupcakes then top with cherries and sprinkles as desired.

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I know I’ve posted the recipe before but since almost nobody reads my blog, nobody has made the cupcakes yet.  And that is really unfortunate because they are one of the best things I’ve ever made.  I may not write a popular blog but I can write a damn good recipe!

I actually ended up eating my serving the minute it was decorated.

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Then while my friends ate cupcakes I munched on BBQ Smart Fries.

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But first we grabbed a quick and easy dinner at Wegman’s.

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I got spicy crawfish chips,

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and a brown rice California roll with a side of spicy mayo.

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Then the three of us came back to my place for cupcakes (and Smart Fries!) and a movie.  We watched “The Perfect Family” on Netflix and all loved it.  Emily Deschanel was great as always and the entire film was surprisingly funny and smart.

I send my friends home with all of the cupcakes (except for two saved for Adam who was out-of-town the past few days) and when my sweet tooth called a few hours later I made an amazing yogurt banana split.  An Almond Coco Loco Chobani Flip topped with sliced banana, hot fudge sauce, a big scoop of ice cream frosting, and a cherry on top.

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Maybe the best bowl of “ice cream” I’ve ever had.  The combination of tastes was amazing, and you better believe I ate another big scoop of frosting straight from the container!  This Flip was a billion times better than the key lime one; the coconut yogurt was perfection.

I only had to work a half shift today so once Adam got home we got to spend the entire day hanging out.  He’s traveled a lot this year and I’ve really missed him.  Speaking of which, I’m going to rush through Saturday’s (pathetic) eats so I can get back to snuggling.

Pomegranate Black Tea KeVita.  Have you entered my giveaway yet?

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Mac and cheese from the co-op hot bar.

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2% Chobani Banana topped with sliced plums.

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Buffalo chicken pizza with blue cheese and baby carrots.

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And a giant bowl of popcorn with melted butter.

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My popcorn bowl was actually too big for me and I couldn’t finish it…. who am I???

P.S.  This is what’s happening beside me right now –

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Sparkling KeVita Giveaway

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If you’re here for the giveaway – scroll to the bottom.

If you’re here for Fashion Friday – have you seen me lately?!  But also, scroll to the middle.

If you’re here for the food – that’s coming up first!

Breakfast/Lunch

Breakfast is hot chocolate and mini marshmallows.

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So yummy.

Since I’m doing a morning post, I can do lunch in advance.  Black-eyed pea salad,

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with a Lemon Ginger Sparkling KeVita.

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More on that below.  I hope everyone has a great Friday!

Fashion Friday

tuesday

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The striped gray pants are from my emergency “oh god, I have no professional clothing” outlet mall trip and I really like them.

Sparkling KeVita Giveaway

Full disclosure – my ginger lemonade was purchased with a free coupon.  KeVita sent me a few vouchers to introduce me to their line of sparkling probiotic drinks.  KeVita features four complementary strains of probiotics: Bacillus coagulans, L.paracasei, L.plantarum, and L.rhamnosus, combined with KeVita’s signature and proprietary probiotic culture.

They recently introduced a Mojita flavor – lime/mint/coconut – and I’m dying of longing since it’s not sold in my area yet.  But hopefully it’s available near you, since KeVita is letting me share the love with you guys!

Two readers will have the chance to win three free KeVita Sparkling Probiotic Drink coupons.  Simply comment on this post by midnight on Monday (02/04) for a chance to win.

Baking Tasting

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My breakfast was pathetic.  Someone {ahem!} only left behind a tiny bit of my Low-fat Coconut Chia Kefir.

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I planned on taking it to-go and didn’t have time to grab anything else so I had to spend the morning hungry.  Even worse, I think Wegman’s isn’t going to carry that flavor anymore.

I spent my morning in the formula lab at the hospital and my afternoon in an off-site clinic and I had to drive through lunch.  I packed it simple with packaged things I could eat in the car.  Luna Blueberry Bliss Bar.

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Normally I’m all about the chocolate flavors, but this blueberry flavor is one of my favorite Lunas.

Key Lime Crumble Chobani Flip.

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After all my anticipation for this flavor, I actually didn’t really like it.  The yogurt was weirdly thin and every key lime Greek yogurt I’ve tried has tasted too artificial.  But I have an Almond Coco Loco Flip in the fridge that I’m still excited to try.

I didn’t realize how sore I was from yoga until my drive home.  Moving around during the day was fine but sitting for a long stretch on the highway was killer.  Last night’s practice kicked my butt.  <– I had to edit out a typo here where I wrote “butts.”  It’s a Freudian fat joke!

During the drive I also realized how hungry I was.  Days I don’t eat breakfast are a disaster because I end up eating so much crap in the afternoon.  I started with a sliced Honeycrisp.

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And two Alexia Artisan Sweet Potato Rolls with butter.

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But then I had to do some baking for tomorrow’s book club.

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Adam wasn’t here this evening to help me taste-test and I did an insane amount of nibbling and bowl licking.

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Plus I ate one of the (mostly) finished baked goods.

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Delicious but so unnecessary.

At least dinner was healthy.

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My black-eyed pea salad is so easy to make – BEPs, chopped green pepper, smoked almonds, chopped Kerrygold Vintage Cheddar, green Tabasco, done!

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It’s quickly becoming my favorite dish.  There is even another serving in the fridge for tomorrow’s lunch.

I’m hoping that this weekend will include lots of baked goods and booze, but my goals for next week are bedtime, breakfast, and less sugar overload.  {and the Vegan 20 Day challenge!}

My Forever Alone Movie Date

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Why am I posting at 12:30, tomorrow would have been such a happier day if I had gotten into bed an hour ago?  There isn’t much to share on the food front though, so at least I will keep this quick.

Breakfast didn’t happen at home, but thankfully my co-worker offered me her blueberry muffin (she bagged it at Wegman’s and then decided on hot bar instead).

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I ate half.  I’m not a big muffin person but this was pretty good.

I actually wasn’t supposed to work today, but was called in last night at the last-minute.  Work = money, yay!  But I had fun stuff planned with Adam that I was really bummed to miss and I was sort of in a funk this morning.

Lunch was a 0% Pear Chobani.

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Holy frick I love that flavor so much!  I tried one at FNCE and have been biding my time until they showed up in Buffalo.

Also a KeVita Living Green Sparkling Probiotic Drink.

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Full disclosure – KeVita sent me some free coupons so I could sample their products.  They sent me some extras to share with y’all too; stay tuned!  I wasn’t expecting to love the drink, but then I did.  It was so refreshing!

Adam was playing poker with friends all evening, so after work I took myself to a movie.  I was seeing “Hansel and Gretel” so I didn’t even bother inviting other people.  I’m still not sure why I was so obsessed with seeing the film but I did end up enjoying myself.  I brought a .25 lb bag of candy for a themed movie snack but didn’t have time to take a picture.  It was mostly conversation hearts and they were mostly disgusting.

Dinner didn’t happen until almost 10 pm and I’m still amazed that I managed to stick to my plan.

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2 Quorn Cheeseburger patties* topped with some Cabot’s 50% sharp cheddar,

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and a sliced cucumber sprinkled with lots of salt.

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I also ate these Honey BBQ Smart Fries because I was too hungry to wait patiently for the patties to cook.

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I enjoyed the flavor but it wasn’t worth getting seasoning all over my fingers versus the classic version.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

*Adam ate the other two Quorn patties when he got home from poker and proclaimed them to be “very good”

Fashion Friday

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The hospital was great today.

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I got to chart on several patients and I saw some really interesting cases; everything from cancer to Crohn’s, to burns.

If you think I actually got in bed early last night… you haven’t been reading my blog very long!  Of course I stayed up another hour and of course I was exhausted this morning.  I had to grab breakfast on the go, a Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Bar.

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The taste was good and I loved chewing through the chia.  The bar only had 100 calories, but it did provide 4 gram each fiber and protein and 1000 and 800 mg respectively omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Nutrition fun fact – it is important to get healthy fatty acids in your diets, but did you know that the ratio of omega 6:3 matters too?  It should be about 1:1 but most Americans get too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3.

I also had a big cup of coffee at the hospital.

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Half vanilla cappuccino (sweetened) and half caramel nut coffee (flavored beans).

I may have packed lunch yesterday, but it wasn’t much help sitting in my fridge all day!  Instead I got a salad from the salad bar.

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Spring mix topped with tomatoes, banana peppers, french dressing, and scoop of cole slaw.

I wasn’t interested in my packed-but-forgotten turkey sandwich when I got home, but I did eat my Pink Lady apple.

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Plus a Caramel Pineapple Chobani Bite topped with some KIND Maple Walnut Clusters with Chia & Quinoa.

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<– heavenly

Dinner was a big slice of pizza.

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Buffalo chicken with blue cheese for dipping.

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This will be my last slice for a little while (I’ll explain soon) and I really enjoyed it.

Fashion Fridays

This post was pretty short, so I figured I’d share my “professional” look with you all.  I hope at least a few readers (hi, Nana! hi, Mom!) would like to see what I wore to my first week at the hospital.

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tues

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thursday

friday

Fact 1 – Lose-fitting tops with fun neckline details are pretty much my uniform.

Fact 2 – I know my mirror is filthy.  Sometimes I hold Webster up to the mirror to see “the other dog” and I don’t always have time to clean off his nose smudges because by “sometimes” I mean daily.

Peachy Bean

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Since I didn’t have time for breakfast yesterday, I made myself get up even earlier today.  6:40, ouch!  <– yes, I know for most people that’s not actually early

Rounds start earlier today though so I need to leave the house earlier than yesterday too.  Make breakfast, eat breakfast, post breakfast, leave earlier?… I’ll keep this quick!

A smoothie for breakfast.

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Into the blender (for 2):

Like peach pie.  Sort of.  If peach pie had too much protein powder in it and tasted like chemicals.

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I forced most of it down so I won’t be hungry all morning.

what i’ll be having for lunch…

Today’s lunch is going to be amazing, I’m sure of it.  I’m bringing back my new favorite salad.  There is healthy stuff on the bottom, I swear.

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Black eyed peas + chopped green pepper + chopped Kerrygold Vintage Dubliner + smoked almonds + green Tabasco.

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Clifford the Big Red Pear.

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Milk and dark toffee candy.  More on that in a minute.

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I’ll see you after I finish my 2nd day of dietetic internship!

p.s. My word-play in the title is making me want to experiment with putting fresh peaches into barbecue baked beans.

back to the candy…

The toffees were actually part of a sample from SurprisesByMail.com.  Note – I received the sample free of charge to review.  All opinions are my own.

Here was the info I received from the company:

SurprisesByMail.com offers a variety of gift boxes filled with your choice of goodies, a perfect gift for anyone this Valentine’s Day, from mom to a significant other. Pick out your Valentine’s favorite treats; from sweets, to chocolates, fudge, baked goods, nuts, dried fruit, pretzels and more. Boxes can be customized even further with personal messages and images. Available in four affordable box options.

And here is what I got:

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Two different boxes, one with dark chocolate nonpareils and another with a candy assortment (milk and dark chocolate covered Oreos, toffees, caramels, and some buckeyes).

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Pros: the packaging was cute and fun, both candies felt high-quality and were very tasty, and the site has a good variety of options that are fairly priced.

Cons:  though it is cute, the multiple layers of packaging are pretty wasteful; I wish that the service was a bit greener.

Have you ever gotten any mailer gifts?  My mom got me two subscriptions for Christmas; one to Birchbox (loving it!) and other to a natural snacks company.