Tag Archives: soup

Hello, Pumpkin Month!

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I realize that open season on pumpkin began a few days ago, but work with me here.  My first day of the month was so fabulous that I couldn’t skip blogging it, even if a few days have passed.

I did, however, have my giant (soul-crushing) exam that morning so I started my day with a coffee energy drink from the vending machines.

But then I moved on to the juiciest, crunchiest, crispiest Jazz apple of the year.

Once home, I put the first wave into the fridge.

And made myself a salad.

– romaine topped with a heaping Tbsp each ground flax, buckwheat groats, and peanut sauce –

And soup.

– seaweed ramen –

I picked up a short, non-fat pumpkin spice latte on my walk to work.

Adam met me at the end of my shift and we walked over to Blue Monk so I could get the beer I’ve been coveting since September.

Southern Tier’s Pumpking!

It is sweet and squashy and smells like the best dessert you’ll ever eat.  <– which is funny because I actually hate pumpkin pie

And then I was wasted because apparently I’m a light-weight like no other.  In spite of my obnoxiously loud giggles, we forged ahead and got food too.

An appetizer of marinated olives and pickled veggies with sourdough bread.

I ate ~25%.

And we split the veggie burger.

– Artichoke and chickpea patty with fresh tomato jam, cilantro aioli, on a whole wheat bun and sweet potato fries –

I ate 50%, minus most of my bun.

On the walk home we stopped at Spot for fallish desserts.

My caramel apple cupcake was old and stale (I ate ~33%), but it was still a fabulous end to the evening.

….

And then Tuesday was my first clinic day at the hospital and it was ridiculous and I ate all of my meals on the go, with no camera, the end.

Hot Dog!

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2nd day of the semester was a success!  I promise I’ll stop counting them soon though.

I started my day with a smoothie for the walk to school.  1 scoop bourbon vanilla protein powder, ~1.5 cups Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, medium frozen banana, and ~2 cups frozen blueberries.

My smoothie matched my shoes!  Actually, it matched my whole outfit.

I found this great loose-fitting racer-back tank in a dressy fabric at the Gap outlet this summer and bought it in all three available colors.

I got to wear jeans because we were on campus for clinical orientation today.  Tuesdays and Thursdays for the rest of the semester we’ll spend 8 hours a day in clinic, aka practicing our skills out in the field for our internship hours.  Today we met with instructors, filled out paperwork, and spent several hours practicing calculations.  <– I remember more than I thought, yay!

I packed this vegan tortilla soup for lunch.

Supplemented with a cheese stick I got at an info table in the quad.

Sadly it took my friends and I for-ev-er to find a table and by the time I finished waking back and forth from two buildings with my hot soup it didn’t really appeal to me any more.  I ate half, plus all of the cheese stick and a Diet Pepsi from the vending machine.  Note – this set the trend apparently because every meal thereafter was also unsuccessful!

After class was over 2 friends and I set out on a mini journey.  We stopped at Anna’s house along the way for sunscreen, then walked a little over a mile to Delish to try out the East Park Pops.

The pops are made from scratch from local ingredients.  My mango pineapple contained only mango, pineapple, and fresh lime juice, no added sugar.

It all sounded really promising but unfortunately we just weren’t fans.  The pops were way too hard and icy and we all threw ours out a quarter or so through.  Janessa and I had been planning this excursion since summer so we were sad it didn’t pan out, but Delish’s new Black Rock location is adorable and we do want to go back for coffees soon.

We ended up having (tall, skim) iced caramel macchiatos from Wegman’s as our treat instead.

Buffalo students – Wegman’s is giving out their awesome student coupon books this week and our coffees were a dollar off.

We spotted jalapeño poppers on the hot bar and two of us went for one of those as well.  (Don’t worry, my friend is going to reuse that plastic container so we didn’t totally waste it.)

This was another idea that was better in theory, the poppers had cheese instead of cream cheese and I threw half of mine out.

Dinner was hot dogs –

Not that kind of hot dog!  Though, Webster, if you don’t stop eating my stuff I might consider it.  Adam and I regularly joke about taking a bite out of his meaty thighs.

This kind of hot dog –

I put two Applegate Farms turkey hot dogs on a bun, piled high with sauerkraut, relish, and ketchup.  The dog was devoured with gusto but its accompaniments were pretty “meh.”

Roasted asparagus that was undercooked and tasted terrible.

I choked down half.

Smokey Maple Baked Beans that were good but not what I was craving right before I went to a yoga class.

I ate 3/4 of those.

Thankfully I had a great workout to make up for my lackluster meal: a 90 minute hot yoga class.  I was worried about making it through a 90-minute class (I haven’t exactly been making the most of my unlimited yoga pass!), but it ended up being great.  The 90-minute session is almost easier than the 60-minute one because you do the same poses with more repetition so you have time to practice them.

All that stands between me and bed is a shower and 15 minutes of reviewing DNA with the husband.  I turned in too late last night and felt it in the morning so I’m trying to hurry.

What was the last food that you were excited for and then disappointed by?

Stir-Fried Soup

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I made it through the first day of a new semester!  I forgot what day it was and pressed snooze a couple of times this morning, but I did manage to make it to the gym for a quick workout.

25 minutes on the elliptical, level 6 random.

I cut it close but the husband offered to drive me this morning (both walking and driving myself eat up 30 minutes) so I had time to shower and grab breakfast to go.  A Chocolate Dipped Coconut Luna Bar,

and an iced coffee with skim milk.

It wasn’t just any iced coffee.  Do you remember when I blogged about wanting to try Chameleon Cold-Brew Coffee?  They now sell it at Wegman’s!

It was even better than I had imagined.  Smooth, not at all bitter, and I swear with the skim milk I tasted hints of chocolate?!

I breakfasted during my first class and the caffeine boost was much-appreciated.  This semester is going to be hard.  I’m only taking a few classes (the minimum number of credits versus having to petition to take extra credits almost ever other semester) but there is a ton of work and the concepts are all higher level.

Good thing I got some work done in the break between classes and my shift at work.  I also made lunch.

A salad of romaine, flax, light honey mustard dressing, a little shredded gruyere, and a crumbled slice of turkey bacon.

Plus apple dippers.

A sliced Pink Crispin,

with a melted mix of peanut butter, Biscoff, and Heath bits, ~ 1 Tbsp of each.

Delish!

I worked from 2 -7 and then came home and wandered around all evening in a tired, sore-backed haze.  That is not going to be able to happen as the semester progresses.  But overall I think I did a good job of getting things done today.

I even pre-made some of the components for tomorrow’s dinner.  I snacked on a serving of Barbara’s Baked Cheese Puffs while I cooked.

They were an impulse buy at the co-op that paid off; didn’t tasted “baked” at all.

Dinner didn’t happen until 9:30 but it was worth the wait.  Super worth it.  Did you make my Thai-Inspired Coconut Peanut Soup yet?  I hope so, because if you did you are halfway done with this killer spin on it – Stir-Fried Soup!

Stir-Fried Soup, serves 1

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Toss in cashews and toast.  Add soup leftovers and Sriracha and saute, stirring occasionally, until crispy.  Scramble in egg.  Serve and swoon.

It was the tastiest thing I’ve eaten in weeks, I swear to God.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve done with leftovers?

Bok To School

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I’m heading back to school tomorrow (eek!) and I finally remember all my education on the importance of vegetables.  Better late than never!  All of my meals today included a veggie and two of them centered around bok choy (“bok to school,” hyuck, hyuck).  Tomorrow I should probably work on including some fruits.

I did not get right into bed last night – and the neighbor’s dumbass friends ringing our doorbell at 4 am didn’t help my sleep either – but I did make it to yoga this morning.  A 60 minute hot yoga class.

Breakfast made use of our bok choy gratin leftovers.

I scrambled a big serving into two eggs along with a few dashes of green Tabasco.

Hidden inside the eggs, this casserole actually wasn’t half bad.

Our afternoon entertainment was a walk through the Elmwood Art Festival.

We saw a few cool pieces but my main goal was lunch and I sadly didn’t see any food that appealed to me.  I ended up eating at the hot bar when we went to the grocery.

Wok-seared veggies that were the best I’ve ever had from the hot bar,

two pieces of sweet and sour chicken,

and a few grapes for dessert.

I also ate this fun-size pack of Sugar Babies while we were out and about.

I nibbled on a half serving of Special K Savory Herb Crackers while I made dinner.

Dinner was homemade soup.

Thai-Inspired Coconut Peanut Soup, serves 4 (vegan)

  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • 2 Thai hot peppers, finely chopped
  • 15 oz can stir-fry mushrooms
  • 4 heaping cups baby bok choy
  • 13.6 oz can light coconut milk
  • 16 oz vegetable broth
  • 6 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
  • 2 cups black rice vermicelli, broken in half
  • lime juice (optional)
  • Sriracha (optional)
  1. Heat sesame oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Add green pepper to pot and cook 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
  3. Add green onions and Thai pepper and cook another 2 minutes.
  4. Add mushrooms and bok choy and cook another 2 minutes.
  5. Stir in coconut milk and broth and bring to a boil.
  6. Stir in peanut butter and vermicelli and boil an additional 7 minutes.
  7. Top bowls with lime juice and Sriracha to taste.

We are both looking forward to leftovers tomorrow.

Also consumed, was an Honest Tea Honey Green Tea.

I’m down to the last bottle from my Honest Tea shipment and I definitly plan on buying more with my own money when they’re gone.

I’m hoping to paint my nails (both sets!) before bed; gotta go!

A Friday Saturday Secret

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I don’t always like to blog about things right away, but it seems like it’s time to share that…. I got a job!  I will be working part-time at a local toy store from now until my internship schedule makes it impossible.  And I’ve actually been working since Tuesday!

It is freaking fabulous to be employed again but I’m not gonna lie, being on my feet all day is rough.  I haven’t worked out all week and today was the first day I was able to cook dinner after a shift.  I’ve done retail before, and been a waitress and a teacher, but I guess that three years of full-time schooling (sitting) has left me weak.  It doesn’t help that I am ridiculously out of shape.  My aching back is going to give me some major motivation to work on my ab muscles.

Friday morning began with a dermatologist appointment and I ate a to-go breakfast in the car.

An Apple Cinnamon GoGo Squeez.

A White Chocolate Macadamia LUNA Bar.

And a pack of Skinny Cow Milk Chocolate Dreamy Clusters.

Those products were all linked because I’m recommending that you try them all.  Good reviews all around.

I got a good review at the doctor’s office too – the husband’s and my skin checks were in the clear, figuratively speaking.  I’m going to have to see a surgeon about the (benign but painful and ugly) bump on my hand but the dermatologist did say it’ll probably be fully covered by insurance.

I had a mug of hot chocolate before heading to work.

Seven hours later I was ravenous and ready to head home.  I got hot bar from the co-op and finished the entire box on my walk!

Chicken salads,

cucumber and kale salads.

It’s a good thing I ate in-transit because I passed out the minute I got home.  Actually, I got in a giant fight with the husband and then passed out, but it’s not polite to blog about that.  My tired back may be making me a bit cranky.

I had an earlier shift this morning so Adam made a date of walking me to work.  We stopped at the farmers’ market for breakfast along the way.

That toasted pecan caramel scone from Chow Chocolat‘s booth was goo-ood.  With a Lori’s Lemon Honest Tea.

I also ate this baggie of grapes right when I got to work.

I slept without my retainers last night (I passed out before I could get them in!) so I skipped lunch today to keep them in for a longer period.  By the time my 8-hour shift was over I was ready to eat.

We had to run some errands when Adam picked me up and I ended up buying the cheapest – most embarrassing – snack I could find at Target.

They actually weren’t bad.  And I’d like to think they helped give me the energy to cook dinner today.

On the menu was Tom Kah Gai Soup.

I followed the recipe (mostly) from Quick and Easy Thai and found success.

I actually didn’t love-love it because this chicken coconut soup isn’t my favorite, but Adam said several times that this was the best thing I’ve ever made!

I gave part of my portion to the husband (he finished almost the entire batch!) and ended up grabbing a turkey sandwich as well.

Applegate Farm’s Roasted Turkey with Laughing Cow Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese and pepperjack cheese on a Cinnamon Raisin Bagel Thin.

My dessert was a treat that Adam made me this afternoon.  I bought a ton of berries on sale last week so he dipped me three chocolate-covered strawberries.

Thanks, husband.

Two questions for two days’ worth of posts –

  1. How often (if ever) do you get a skin cancer check?
  2. What is your favorite kind of soup?

 

Monday Monday

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Uggh; how does “late” come so quickly every night?!  It’s not good, not good at all.  I had a whole list of to-do’s for today and the only one that got checked off was working out.  30 minutes on the stationary bike at level 7 random.

I didn’t even manage to cook today and since I was super hungry things got snacky real quick.  Here’s the recap – Lunch.

Soup.

Plus bread ends with Smart Balance Light.

Desserts.

A mac cup.

Bread with melted cheddar and olive oil.

A big bowl of fresh cherries.

Dinner ended up being seconds thirds on both the bread and the cherries.  I plan on grabbing something else before bad too, probably a bowl of cereal.  Sometimes you just have to do what you can!

Stone Soup

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Long time no blog.  I’m glad to be back, but my days away were glor-i-ous!  I spent 70% of Monday – Wednesday curled up in bed.  I ate pizza and lots of chocolate.  I watched the first season of “Flashpoint.”  And I read five (250+ page) murder-mystery novels.  Like I said, glorious.

Back-in-the-world-Thursday started with a trip to the gym.  40 minutes on the stationary bike at level 7 random.  Followed by stretching that was not enough because my right hip has been killing me all afternoon.

I ate half of this NuGo Dark Chocolate Pretzel with Sea Salt bar on the walk home.

Summer is the only time when I could drive to the gym and park, but why get in a car when I can walk?  If I’m not in a time-crunch I’d rather move my legs.  And Buffalo State’s recent landscaping makes it a lovely walk indeed.

The 2nd half of breakfast used my new favorite smoothie ingredient.

This Vanilla Chai Vega was stupid good.  I haven’t had a chai latte in forever and I feel an iced one in my immediate future.  For my smoothie I blended the Vega packet with 1 cup of Silk Vanilla Almond Milk and a large frozen banana.

It didn’t taste green and the 15 grams of protein kept me full all morning.

I hurried through errands – Lexington Co-op, Goodwill, Wegmans – so I could meet a friend for a walking date this afternoon.  I picked her up on Elmwood and we set off for the (new) Buffalo Cakery.

I brought Adam a cupcake but went with ice cream myself.  A small cup of candied apple and salted caramel.

Sadly the flavors weren’t great together and I had to throw out my cup halfway through when things got melty.  The 4 miles of walking were hot-hot-hot but also just what I needed.

I cooled down with a Tusker when I got home.

And I was glad for ac this evening because my meal was hot and spicy.  I borrowed components from the rest of the week’s dinners for a stone soup of sorts.

In a small pot, I heated up 1 tsp chipotle oil.  I sautéed ~1.5 cups chopped bok choy and 2 sliced green onions with the juice from half a lime and 1 Tbsp fish sauce.  I added ~1 cup frozen corn and 1.5 cups chicken broth then covered and boiled for 5 minutes.  Then I took of the lid and stirred in 1 large egg, juice from another lime, and a big squeeze of Sriracha.

The end result was an odd mash-up of Thai and Mexican flavors but it worked.

I should have made dinner bigger though because it ended up being a 2 dessert evening.  The last Tbsp of so of Biscoff, straight from the jar.

And 5 marshmallows and 1 Tbsp chocolate chips, microwaved until gooey.

Tasty, but I would have been better off with an extra egg in my soup.

I’m off to watch more “Flashpoint,” but hopefully not for too long; we’ve been up past 2 am every day this week and I’m hoping to break that pattern.  Night!

Soup and Sandwiches

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It’s almost 11, I haven’t showered, and our house-sitter gets here at 4am tomorrow.  Whoops?

My retainers are killing my mouth so today was pretty boring.  I hope I feel better enough in the next 24 hours that I can enjoy some salt water taffy this weekend.

I overslept and missed my cool-weather window this morning and had to workout at the gym.  Instead of being annoyed about the trip I made it into an experience.  Leisurely walk to get coffee, sip on my walk to school, then gym it.  The coffee came from 7-11.

Half French vanilla coffee (unsweetened) and half vanilla bean cappuccino (sweet).  Delicious!

My workout was good too.  I did 10 sets of 2 minutes running/3 minutes walking on the treadmill.  50 minutes and 3.9 miles.  Plus a quick session of stretching and strength moves.

Lunch was a cold slice of cheese pizza.

I got some really good news while I was at school and almost had ice cream to celebrate but something about being in a bathing suit in 24 hours made it less appealing 😉

Wonder of wonders, I got my packing done in the afternoon.

Usually I wait until the middle of the night so this felt like a huge accomplishment.

Dinner made use of this Rothschild Roasted Red Pepper & Onion Dip.

For two, I mixed the 3.75 oz jar with 4 oz of shredded sharp cheddar and a big dollop of Miracle Whip.  I spread my mock pimento cheese on 4 slices of whole grain bread and then pan-fried our sandwiches in a bit of butter.

With bowls of Imagine Light in Sodium Creamy Garden Tomato Soup.

We dipped our grilled cheeses into the soup.

Growing up in the Caribbean, this was a meal combination I’ve actually never had before!

Aching mouth or not, I knew that my day was far too light in fruits and veggies so I made us after-dinner smoothies.

Silk Vanilla Almond Milk, chocolate whey protein powder, and frozen raspberries and spinach.

It tasted about as good as it looked (i.e. not very) but it was an easy way to get in some nutrients.

I should probably get to bed!