Tag Archives: smoothie

Sandwiches, Smoothies, and Schedules

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Hello again, happy Monday!  This will definitely be the longest recap post I’ve done in a while – Friday through Monday.  Physically things have been low-key but mentally there’s been lots of drama – my flight was canceled!  And since I’m in St. Thomas it could have meant getting into Buffalo on Tuesday and not having a ride and missing class.  I was freaking out a bit.  Thankfully 45minutes on the phone + my firm but calm voice got me on a different flight that leaves/gets in on pretty much the same schedule.  And now my layover is shorter and in Philly and not Charlotte.  🙂

I’m a big proponent of the firm but calm voice.  I was polite, and said multiple please and thank yous, but unwavering.  I didn’t ask whether or not I could get on another flight, I simply said “I will be leaving St. Thomas tomorrow, what can you do to help me make that happen?”  And it worked.

Anyway, back to Friday.  My mom served me a slice of cake,

which promptly got stripped of it’s icing because I don’t eat cake.

Then I moved on to greens, a small container I put together at the salad bar we stopped by.

Lettuce, beans, corn, cheese, 1 hard-boiled egg and a drizzle of light Cesar.

I also made myself some frozen coffee – coffee, ice, skim milk, and 2T sugar.

Soo much better than Starbucks could ever do.

Dinner was all about the leftovers.

Oven baked okra is kind of my favorite.

And I served up some leftover baked tofu on toasted rye with hot pepper raspberry preserves and sharp cheddar.

Friday night I did end up going out to meet some friends.  We had a good time and I had a few drinks but photo-taking was abandoned in favor of trying to keep my balance on one leg!  I don’t know how on earth I managed to stand on one leg past 2am but a fun time was had by all.

For Saturday morning breakfast my mom and I hit up one of my favorite places on earth – Barefoot Buddha.  I had fresh-made lemonade,

and a Bigfoot Bagel Sandwich.

Frittata, smoked turkey, turkey bacon, cream cheese, spicy sauce…

I love these sandwiches so much I ate them on my wedding day!  I know most brides say they are too nervous to eat but I was just nervous my friends would devour them before I got any 😀

We hung out and studied for a bit and I had a passionfruit, banana, coconut smoothie.

We laid low the rest of the day before going out to a fabulous dinner at The Cellar.  We did a lot of sharing and the lighting was low so let me apologize for the picture quality in advance.

There were way too many things I wanted off the drink menu but I finally settled on the Caribbean Champagne.

Champagne with coconut rum and key lime juice.  GREAT combination.

We split a cheese plate that was kind of out of this world.  The goat cheese was my favorite but the stewed plums were pretty fantastic as well.

My plate –

And at The Cellar the chef always sends out an amuse bouche.

Ahi wontons.

Plus homemade bread and butter.

For my meal I got the Vegetable Cutlet – panfried, potatoes, peas, carrots, eggplant and pickled papaya, and tiki masala sauce.

The cutlets were delicious but my favorite part of the entire meal was the eggplant wrapped papaya.  I ate one cutlet and took the other home, and I had a few bites of my dad’s tamarind mahi as well.

We were stuffed, but couldn’t not order a dessert plate to share.  It came with little forks,

because we got four little desserts!

NY cheesecake with fruit sauce and bananas foster,

cinnamon creme brulee and chocolate mousse.

Yum, yum, yum; I wished I could have had a BIG serving of the bananas foster.

Sunday morning I made a nice green monster for breakfast.

My mom and I got our nails done (green again, I’ll show you later!) and then I picked up nachos for lunch from the bar I used to work at.

Yum, but I think it’s time to be fully done with any sort of nachos for a while.

We saw a matinée of “Our Family Wedding,” during which I munched on a box of Nerds.

I would like to show you dinner but it was so dark at our table I never could get a picture.  I shared green bean fries with my parents and ate half of a tamarind turkey burger.

When I got home I had 2 maple pecan sticky blondies for dessert.

Dreena would be sad to know I deveganized these, but at least I made the recipe for my parents!

This morning (Monday) I’m hanging out at school for a bit before I head home to pack.  I brought a pineapple Chiobani for breakfast,

but that didn’t begin to cut it.

I ended up also having an egg and cheese biscuit from Wendy’s.

It is 100% time to stop eating like I’m on vacation!  Especially because I’m not sure what the workout situation with my leg is going to be like.

I had fabulous spring break but I am more than ready to get back with the husband and back on a schedule.  I get in late tonight so I won’t be posting today’s eats but hopefully Tuesday my sleeping, eating, and blogging will all be back on track!  I can tell you now though, that I have a Greek Gods honey yogurt in the freezer for a pre-packing treat!

When you get to the end of a vacation are you sad it’s over or ready to get back to business?

Busy Busy Bee

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I want to get my packing done this evening and I HAVE to squeeze in some quality time with the husband so I’ll keep this snappy.  `_< (oh yes, that was an alligator!)

I like to make to-go smoothies for breakfast on the mornings I have 8am lab.  My first proclamations were not wrong: I love Green Monsters!

This had 1 frozen banana, 1 cup oj, and 1 cup frozen spinach.  I took a better lit picture at la escuela to show of its Kermit-esque awesomeness.

I was in the bathroom because I realized I couldn’t not show you guys today’s layered look!

Love it!  Adam and Katie both asked me why I was dressed up today.

I was with Katie because we had a lunch date today!  I packed us a lovely spread from home to save a little $.

 Turkey and 2% provolone sandwiches with hot pepper peach preserves.

And caramel Oikos with blueberries.

We ate at the Wegman’s coffee bar area and Katie bought me a lovely Nutty Irish (hazelnut and Irish cream syrups) skim milk latte.

After lunch we walked around the store a bit and I managed to get some gifts for the friends I’m seeing tomorrow that I’m quite excited about.

On the way home we split this package of Newman’s Own Peppermint Cups.

Meh.  They aren’t bad I guess but I much prefer Yorks.

Adam had a suture clinic from 5 – 8 so he dropped me off at the Spot to do some studying.  I am completely caught up for Chemistry, yay!  I got dinner there, a Mike’s cheese and egg bagel sandwich.

Plus a skim iced latte.

Still on the agenda for tonight?

  • pack everything but my chargers into my suitcase
  • separate the laundry
  • paint my toe nails and shave my legs, eek!
  • cuddle with the husband and try not to cry about 12 days apart

Gotta get cracking!

*****Updated to add – packing is never fun.  Which is probably why this seemed like such a good idea –

Shamrock Shake!  😀

Pan Panic

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Whew, it feels like a while since I’ve been here!  I was in a terrible mood yesterday, I’m glad I was too busy to post because I’m not sure how chipper I could have been.  I was out of control hungry all day and in a god-awful mood and I ended up eating all sorts of junk.  On the plus side – I didn’t break my vegan challenge, my house is much much cleaner, and reading all your wonderful comments on my running post put me in a better mood! 

I will show off my newest layer-tastic outfit though  🙂  This vest is one of my favorite items of clothing.

And you better believe I’ve got another layered look planned for Thursday!

Today is going to be pretty crazy as well.  I had lab this morning and the husband has an observation this afternoon so I’m stuck on campus all day.  Once he’s all done and picked me up we are heading straight to Target – our nonstick pans are peeling and I’m pretty sure we are cooking our way to cancer!!!  😮

This morning I got up a bit early to pack a lunch and whipped up some smoothies for Adam and I.

~2cups frozen strawberries + 2cups Silk Light Chocolate Soy Milk + 1scoop chocolate Amazing Grass = tasty smoothie x 2

Lab went well, we had a substitute and we got out super quickly.  I’ve made good use of my campus time thus far.  I finished all of my post-lab calculations and I am officially 2 weeks ahead on my pre-lab work!  Then I started some reading and cracked open my lunch box 🙂

These leftover roasted veggies were soooo good, even better than the first night!

I ate half of this bag of baby carrots.

And I’m about to drink this Naked Blue Machine I picked up at volunteering.

The juice is pretty concentratedly caloric (340 per bottle) but I planned on it being the “bulk” of my lunch so it works out well.

I’ve got to get back to work!  When you ‘see’ me again I’ll be the proud owner of a new set of pans!

What kind of pans do you have?  Any recommendations or horror stories?  I’ve been pretty pleased with our pans but now that they are peeling in little flakes I’m a little freaked out.  Our selection will definitely be informed by our budget, but I want to make sure we get something that will allow us to cook healthfully.

I Love Green Monsters So Much I Want to Marry Them

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I’ll get back to the title in a moment.  First, did you read my last post?  It explains all about the situation with my half marathon.  Please do read it, I would love some input from my wise readers.

This morning I stretched breakfast and lunch out and together across 3 small snack-meals.  First things first, a lemon poppyseed cookie.

Then a small bowl of Kashi Go Lean Crunch with plain skim soy milk.

Finally, my new love – I made my first green monster!

I blended 1 frozen banana with a squeeze of honey, 1cup frozen spinach, and 1cup oj.  Holy yum!  This was tangy and healthy and awesome.

I’ve got to run now to go pick up Adam on my way to school.  He needs the car but he is going to sit in on Anthro with me this afternoon first and I am so excited!  I’m probably going to be late at school waiting for Adam and we have some may-jor cleaning planned for this evening so don’t get to anxious for an evening post 🙂

Have you tried gms yet?  What do you think?

Mini Explosions

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I did not have another mimosa last night, but did make a decidedly Northern dessert.

Mmmn.  However, today was NOT feeling as romantic.  It seemed like everything I touched today exploded!  I was cleaning up messes and putting out (metaphorical) fires all over the place.

For starters I was running late for volunteering so I made my breakfast smoothie a bit smaller than usual.

1cup frozen mixed berries + 1cup plain fat free soy milk + 1T fat free sugar free jello powder.

It was super tasty, but I spilled 1/3 of it all over the counter 😦

I managed to clean up the mess and get to the hospital on time though.  And they actually had a lot for me to do at volunteering which was nice.  Not nice, was 30minutes after my shift when I was still there and I started panicking about getting home in time to make my important phone calls.  No worries though, it’s President’s Day, no one was open.  Boo 😦

And I was supposed to submit my college application today but since there was no one to help me override the system I have to wait until tomorrow to imput my Caribbean high school into the online form.  I did some major damage on this bag of chips during the whole 2hours of failure.

At least they were vegan!  Next I tried to recreate last night’s dessert, only to have it explode all over my microwave.

On the plus side, now my microwave is sparkling, and I put it to good use on a late lunch.

Tandoor Chef Vegetarian Pad Thai is seriously my favorite frozen meal of all time and it’s super awesome that it’s vegan too.  If you see it at your grocery store, buy it!

I had hoped to go to the gym today finally but I’m feeling just under the weather enough still that it seemed like a bad idea.  I would kill for a diet soda so maybe I’ll at least get in another walk (I walk to/from volunteering).  Other than that the plan is dinner and bed.  See you then.

Anything explode on you today?  I’m all ears if you want to gripe about it?

Vegan Grocery Tips

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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?

Valentine’s Day

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I know it’s not actually Valentine’s yet, but the husband has a big test coming up and we can’t celebrate tomorrow.  Plus we saw the namesake movie today!  I’m not 100% yet but I am feeling better.  I skipped Friday’s post because the day pretty much consisted of clear sodas and my Chemistry test.

Adam was at his preceptor’s office all morning and I was curled up on the couch in all my unshowered glory so imagine my surprise when he walked in the door with this –

Seriously, how handsome is my husband??

I will NOT be posting a picture to explain why loving me makes him a saint but let’s just say it’s a good thing I showered finally before we left the house!

We are not big Valentine’s people but the husband did bring me home flowers and Sour Patch Kids.

After giving the husband plenty of air kisses (my germs and his upcoming test cannot mix!) I managed to do a bit of cleaning and make a grocery list AND take that shower.  I powered through my chores with a protein-packed smoothie for breakfast/lunch.

2 frozen bananas + 1.5T pb +1/2cup skim milk.

Then around 2:30 we were off to the mall for our date!  I’m pretty sick but I did the best with what I had.

The amazing necklace my mommy made me at least got me on theme. 

Sadly, the movie theatre was beyond packed and things kept getting pushed back.  We ended up going to Jack Astor’s for a bit.  I had a Blue Lemonade.

And we split a plate of buffalo chicken fingers.

Then we played some arcade games!

In the movie I ate my Sour Patch Kids and we split a large Coke Zero and some pretzel bites.

Mmmn.  Our movie was less cheesy than our snack, Valentine’s Day was actually really funny and awesome.  It’s like an American Love Actually but a whole lot funnier.

Now I’ve got an easy dinner planned (homemade for a change!) and I’m planning on heading to bed earlyish.  See you in a bit!

What you do think about Valentine’s Day?  Love it or hate it?  I’ve never minded <3’s day, even when single, because I find all the theme candy pretty exciting.  However, Adam and I never make too big of a deal of it.  We just aren’t that gushy, we often don’t even do Christmas or birthday gifts.

Couch Frog

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My tummy was deflated today but apparently I am quite sick.  I woke up this morning 1. on the couch, 2. fully dressed, and 3. feeling like I was hit by a truck.  My glands are all puffed up like a bull frog!

I tried to distract from my couch frog look by finally rocking my snow boots.

Oh yes, those are children’s boots.

And I tried to soothe my throat with a yogurt, Yoplait Fat Free Thick and Creamy Blueberry Pie.

That was delicious.

I got to school a bit early to study and bought the lunch of sick champions.

Lemon Lime G2 (which was actually awesome, not “diet’ tasting at all but way less syrupy and only 50calories in a bottle),

and an onion bagel with cheddar cream cheese.

The test did not go well.  By the time I went to sit for it I could barely keep my head.  My delirium paired with my poor study habits will certainly not be leading to an A.  How am I going to be Temperance Brennan if I don’t do well in this survey class?!?

I actually went out to the parking lot and took an hour nap in the car!  Then I dragged myself up and did my printing at the library and hit up Jamba Juice.

I got a small Cold-Buster smoothie, because I like my denial.

And somehow I managed to sit through Chemistry + extended review for tomorrow’s test.  The plan was supposed to be gym/dinner making tonight but at this point I’m not even sure I’m going to shower.  I think the husband ordered Chinese food so I’ll recap dinner later on.  Could you send *healthy* thoughts my way now?  🙂

What is your favorite thing to eat when you are sick?  All I what is smoothies.  (And I might have tried to con the husband into jalopeno nachos but he wasn’t buying it!)

P.S. Hop over to Anne’s to see how awesome Chiobani is.

P.P.S. or to IGE‘s to check out a shoppping spree.