Tag Archives: good idea

Be the Change You Wish to See in the World

by

Good evening everyone!  I feel exhausted and gross (still?!?!) so I’m keeping this quick in the hopes that I get to bed soon.  I always say that, it never happens, and still I keep on hoping.  It’d be like not clapping for fairies to admit I’m an “early to bed early to rise” loser.

Our grocery trip went well.  The communal coin jar was full and Coin-Starring it paid for our groceries 🙂

This afternoon Adam and did all sorts of healthy stuff like take a long nap and split this Jokerz bar (i.e. a vegan Snickers).

It was good but not great, I’m not sure why they went with mockolate instead of just dark chocolate, I had about 1/3.

For dinner I made Tomato, Dill, Lentil Soup from Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan.  It had a 60minute simmer time though so I had a small bowl of cereal while I waited.

1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch with plain, reduced fat soymilk.  Two notes here – 1. I know Kashi has honey in it; honey and gelatine are still on the menu here, even during the vegan challenge.  2. Always measure your cereal.  You guys know I am not any sort of dieter, but I always measure my cereal.  Many (healthy) varieties are still calorie dense and it is such an easy item to overeat.

Followed by a small serving (1/2cup) of the aforementioned soup.

I’m not gonna lie, I was saving myself for dessert.

Thank You Angela!  To Die For Cocoa, from Oh She Glows

·         Ingredients:

  •  
    • 3/4 cup coconut milk (full strength, not light!)
    • 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or any milk)  I used plain, fat free soy
    • 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
    • Pinch of sea salt to bring out the sweetness
    • 3 tablespoons of maple syrup
    • marshmallows and cacao nibs/chocolate chips to garnish (optional)

Directions: Throw all ingredients into a pot and whisk like crazy. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for several minutes while whisking to remove clumps.

I poured it in one big mug but I’ll probably drink 1/2 – 3/4 and then put it in the fridge for the husband.  A perfect (super) sweet note to end the day! 

What do you do with your lose change?

Vegan Grocery Tips

by

My grocery trip this morning as a success.  Even with a lot of household items (toilet paper, shampoo, etc) on the list I managed to keep the bill reasonable.  Here are some my tips for successful vegan shopping

  • You don’t have to buy pricey fake meats.  I know those products can be a lot of fun, but it can be cheaper and healthier to stick to traditional non-meat protein sources such as tofu and beans.
  • Go in with a list, and stick to it!  Knowing what produce you need for the meals you’ll be preparing in the upcoming week can keep you from overbuying and throwing out items later.
  • It’s ok to rely on the freezer section.  In winter months it’s hard to find a lot of fresh produce variety.  As long as you stick to items that have no added salt or sugar frozen can be the way to go for fruits and veggies.
  • Pick one or two new items that look fun.  Especially if you are a new or part-time vegan who misses some animal products a new try to get excited about can be a good distraction.

When I got home I used some of that frozen fruit to make an amazing smoothie.

1cup frozen peach slices + 6 ice cubes + 1cup oj + 2T fat free sugar free Jello pudding mix.  I ended up with a little extra which I served to the husband.

This mix was so creamy and delicious.  I got the pudding mix idea from Mama Pea.  Her post was actually about how she has stopped using the artificial sugar stuff but I can’t find gums around here and damn it I want thick smoothies too!

As soon as our smoothies were finished (too soon, I was freezing!) we headed to The Spot to do some studying.  I am officially 80% done with my reading for this week!  I got a China Breakfast Tea to sip while I studied.

It was kind of gross, like dirty murky water, but I drank most of it just to keep warm.

I’m glad we did a date night yesterday, clearly our Valentine’s was sort of a bust.  I did throw on some purple mascara this morning to be festive!

Now I’ve got a fun dinner to make and a little bit of lab homework that I want the husband’s help with.  I’ve talked about earlier bedtimes all year but Adam’s been saying how tired he is lately and the thought of my Valentine feeling run-down will hopefully be enough to motivate my butt into bed!

What are some of your no-fail grocery tips?

Mish-Mash Day

by

Today has been a strange kind of mish-mash, backwards schedule day.  Apparently what we learned last night is that Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns are a bad idea right before bedtime: I had the strangest dreams all night and I woke up very late, completely cocooned!  However, once I extracted myself from the bed sheets I got right down to business.

While I was organizing some school files (I have two tests this week!) I drank this Sugar Free Rockstar.

Actually, I stretched that baby out for a couple hours because I was still drinking it while I did house stuff with the husband.

We had a 3pm tax meeting with H&R Block, and when we got home I headed to the gym.  I have 30 days to get in cardiovascular shape for the half marathon while hopefully not hurting any of my various leg problems.  I’ve decided the best plan is to do several long workouts a week while very slowly upping my running-walking ratio.  Plus strength training will be key.

Backing up, pre-gym I snacked on some grapes and a KIND bar on the way to tax-dealings.

At the gym I did some running on the treadmill.  2/1 run/walk intervals x18.  With warm up and cool down my totals were 63minutes / 640calories / and 5+ miles (the treadmil shuts off at 60minutes).

Now, post-shower, we are heading to the mall to deal with buyer’s insurance and donate my old laptop to charity.  Speaking of good causes, are you wearing red today?

What do you do with your defunct tech stuff?  I try to donate or recycle everything I can.  Staples will even give you a gift certificate in exchange for used up printer cartridges.

That’s What HE Said

by

Shortly after my last post, I enjoyed one of these –

Usually I wouldn’t boast about a pre-10am diet soda, but what I’m really showing off is the straw.

My mom bought me these reusable straws, with their own pouch!, for Christmas.  Now I can be green while slurping my favorite chemicals! 

I drink everything (water, milk, iced-coffe, soda) through a straw so this is a great area for me to look into reducing waste.  The straw didn’t feel too strange and I loved how cute it looked.  When I use regular straws I chew on the tips which the husband hates (wow, that got dirty in a hurry!) so maybe these will cure me of that habit.

Either way, the caffeine must have inspired genius because I had a great lunch.

I started with these Johnsonville Turkey and Cheddar Sausages.

I melted 1/2t Smart Balance Light over medium-high heat and then added 1/3 of a chopped green pepper and two chopped sausages to the pan.

Once everything was nice and browned I sprinkled on some Kernel Seasons Ranch seasoning.

Finally I topped the bowl with hot and chunky salsa.

Delish!  I really really liked the sausages, they had the best smokey flavor and the cheese gave a nice kick without being too goopy.

For dessert I had a 2% Pineapple Chiobani.

Buffalo Residents – Price Right on Elmwood currently has these for 99cents!

And now it’s off to the old chopping block, yikes!  I’ll be back for a tearful post this evening!

DIY Holiday Gift Idea

by

Every year for Christmas I make all my in-laws chocolate and white chocolate dipped pretzels.  They are affordable, festive looking, and most importantly tasty.  Packed in a Tupperware (with parchment paper crumpled on top so they don’t shake around) they are a cinch to mail to loved ones who don’t live nearby.

Here are the ingredients, along with some tips –

Small twist pretzels:

I use twists because I think they look cuter, but this idea works well with any shape.  I always buy a ton more pretzels than I plan on using in case the bag has a lot of broken ones.  Unless you are making them specifically with someone on a low-sodium  diet in mind, do not buy salt-free; the salt-sweet balance is what makes them so wonderful.

Chocolate and white chocolate chips:

I use chocolate/white chocolate because I think they provide the nicest contrast with the sprinkles, but I bet peanut butter chips would be delicious too.

Holiday Sprinkles –

I would not suggest anything too bulky – i.e. shaped like snowflakes or santa’s hats – because they will clump up.

Containers:

This year we are giving each family 1 red container of white dipped and 1 green container of chocolate dipped.  If you have plain Tupperware you’d like to use just include some holiday tissue paper down inside the containers.

The procedure is relatively simple.  1.  Melt the chips using the microwave or a double-boiler.  For the white chocolate I recommend a double boiler because it’s more temperamental.  2. Dip the pretzels into the smooth chocolate; if using twists only dip in half of each pretzel.  3. Sprinkle on decoration while chocolate is still wet.  4.  Allow to dry completely before packaging.

My recommendations –

  1. Use foiled baking sheets to lay the pretzels out on.
  2. Pour the sprinkles into a small pinch bowl, they are easier to sprinkle with your fingers than from the bottle.
  3. Use the fridge to speed up cooling time.
  4. Save some for yourself, they are delicious!

Jam Flavored Stuffing

by

The title is what I imagined when I put these two phrases together:  1.”Running around like a chicken with its head cut off;” 2.”Jam-packed.”  I guess you could pack the chicken with the jam?  Consequently, those phrases also both describe my day today.  It’s been go-go-go!

First, I went to my pt appointment.  Good news, I can run again!!!!  Only a few days a week and I have to start slow, but it’s great news.  I ran a mile during my appointment and it felt glorious!

I had some time between that appointment and my doctor’s appointment so I ended up killing an hour in McDonalds.  I bought some apple dippers to tide me over.

Yums.  And I loved most of the nutrition information on this packaged for kids item.

The only downpoint in my opinion is the zero grams of fiber – the apples had fiber to begin with if they’d just leave the darn skins on!  I guess I shouldn’t have nutrition outrage when I’m guzzling a diet coke at 9am.

I also started a new book – Under the Table, by Katherine Darling.

I’m loving it!  Darling is a good writer and culinary school is my ultimate dream.  I had to wait for more than an hour at the doctor’s office and normally I’d have been seething but today I was just glad to have an excuse to read!

I also got some news from this doctor.  2 out of 4 plantars warts are gone (for good hopefully!).  The other two I’m going to continue with the home-acid for, and I now have a prescription for an oral medicine that boosts your immune system – part of the reason I’m having such a problem is because mine isn’t responding properly.  I’ll take the medicine over break and I’m scheduled to have the wart cut out on January 4th.  This will most likely keep me immobile for a week or so, and could possibly keep me from running for up to a month.  It’s pretty devastating that training (which has barely begun) might break 2 months before my half, but it’s better than running the half with my foot hurting.

After that appointment I went to two separate pharmacies and then drove home for the quickest stop in ever.  I didn’t even take a shower, just washed my face!  However, I got two blocks from my house before I realized the reason I was in the car wasn’t in the car with me!  I left the giant bag of stuff that needed to be dropped off at Goodwill at home!

FYI – we designate a spot in our hall closet for things that can be donated.  Old clothes, free products, gifts that aren’t our style, etc.  Once we’ve got a sufficient pile we drop it off at Goodwill rather than throwing those things in the trash.  It’s better for the enviroment and our society.

When I went home to pick up the bag I realized I was clearly a bit distracted by hunger so I grabbed the can of soursop juice I bought the other day.

YUM!  Handsdown, sour sop is one of my very favorite things.  It is one of my favorite childhood taste memories and I was so excited to see some form of it sold here in Buffalo.

[I told you I didn’t shower!]

After Goodwill I went to Target for some Christmas-ing, and then finally the grocery store.  On my way out I hit up the salad bar.

I filled the small top halfs with yummy things – pesto pasta and mac and cheese.

And the larger bottom half with healthy things – baked tofu and brussels sprouts.

I didn’t say healthy isn’t yummy though, the brussels and tofu ended up being my favorite part!  The tofu was unbelievably chewy, I’m dying to know how they cooked it that way!

I gave myself some time at home to relax while I ate (and typed this post and watched some tv), but now it’s time to get back to jamming the headless chicken – lordy that sounded dirty!

Hopeful list of to-do’s from tonight

  1. put away laundry
  2. clean up the kitchen
  3. Chemistry reading
  4. e-mail regarding class scheduling trauma
  5. dinner?
  6. pt exercises
  7. go back to pharmacy
  8. shower – this one isn’t optional!

How do you say you’re busy?????  I usually go with busy beaver, but I’m also partial to “busy, busy, busy, busy*.”  *Said in the magician voice from Frosty  the Snowman.

*****Update – I managed not to do a single to-do.  I did, however, finish my entire 400+ page book!  And yesterday?  I watched Rose Red; a 4.5hour Steven King mini-series 😉

Celebrations Galore

by

What a fabulous Adam’s birthday – Christmas – 2 year anniversary day!  We had celebrations galore!

We started the festivities with Adam’s 24 birthday (actually taking place next Friday) –

Barb made a yummy looking cake.

I passed, I had my dessert for the day already picked out, you’ll see later.

Next up was Christmas.  Among a bunch of fabulousness – most of which I’ll be showing on the blog over the next few weeks – were some awesome drawings from our niece.

Smurfs!

Finally our 2-year anniversary.  Adam and I celebrated by making matching fools of ourselves.

Aren’t our race windbreakers awesome?  I will certainly be wearing that.  And I scored the very last extra-small so it fits perfectly.

Adam’s choice for ‘birthday dinner’ was Red Robin, so that’s where we headed.

We ordered chips with salsa and guacamole for the table, here’s my plate –

I always ask for side plates when I’m sharing an appetizer, if I picked I would have eaten 4x as much.

Here is the reason I passed on birthday cake earlier in the day –

Oh yeah, that is a gingerbread milk shake!

So yum!

I ate some grown up food too.

Jamaican Jerk’d Chicken Burger spicy Jamaican Jerk’d chicken breast, topped with pepper-jack cheese, grilled pineapple, cool mango mayo, and lettuce and tomato; served on a jalopeno cornbread kaiser roll.

I ate about 3/4 of my sandwich and 2/3 of my fries.  Running kills my appetite sometimes.

The family is safely headed home and we are settled in for the night.  Adam might actually go see a movie (Ninja Assassins, gag) but I’m all set to curl up with some recipe planning.  Have a great night!

What month has the most holidays for you?  December is our busiest month.  We go Adam’s Birthday, Christmas, Wedding Anniversary – 11, 25, 28.  And we celebrate Hanukkah in there too!

We Are Here!

by

I’m finally in California!  I’ve been waiting for this since I was a kid!  I need to finish getting ready so I’ll keep it quick, but I wanted to check in. 

My flights went well, things were nice and uneventful.  Because of the challenge (I’m not gonna lie, I love airport food, it is totally worth the money to me usually) I tried to pack all of my own snacks for this travel day.  I’m not quite sure how things will work on my return flights, but I do have some bars stashed in my suitcase.

I ate breakfast before I got on my first flight, a crumpet(!) topped with Crofter’s Superfruit Spread and an egg.

DSC00634

DSC00638

I cooked the egg in the microwave – small bowl, crack, stir, salt & pepper, 45second nuke – and it worked out very well.  I was worried about how well this would keep as ‘leftovers’ but it was pretty tasty.  I’ll be doing the micro method more often.

I ate a sandwich on my second flight.  For my sandwich I packed 3slices of turkey on 2slices of bread, with a packet of horsey sauce from Arby’s to squeeze on in flight.

DSC00635

My long flight (5+hours) went well.  I watched “Why I Wore Lipstick to My Masectemy” on my laptop and bought a “Real Simple” and “Bon Appetit” that kept me very occupied.

Camile and I met up in the airport and headed to our hotel via the BART.  We are sharing a room and the receptionist was totally sweet and upgraded us to a king bed.

DSC00639

I think the room is gorgeous, it is tiny, but well decorated.  Plus the front desk has awesome candy.

DSC00640

As soon as our bags were dropped off we headed out to explore the area around our hotel – Market Street.  I munched on an apple from home to hold me over.

DSC00641

Now we are finishing getting ready for the first Foodbuzz event, a cocktail party!  I am so excited to meet all the bloggers!  I’ll be back with a recap this evening.

What eats do you pack for travel?