Tag Archives: veggies

Worth It

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Hey guys!  I feel bad about breaking the challenge (not that it’s the first time we’ve cheated!) but it was so so so worth it!  I had such a great time catching up with my cousin.  She is pregnant with her second child and I’m glad I got to meet the first baby before she has the second one.  She and her husband are so nice and fun and we all had a good time.

They needed to meet somewhere close to the highway so we ended up at the Galleria Mall.  Adam and I showered and did our best to pretty up.

He was a bit more successful than I, it’s pretty obvious I’m sick!

PF Chang’s had a 5minute wait so that became our lunch spot.  I ordered the Vegetable Chow Fun.

It was only ok.  Way too much food and pretty bland.  I ate about 1/3 of it before I packaged it up for leftovers.

After lunch we walked around the mall and Dairy Queen just seemed right.  I got a small Strawberry Cheesequake Blizzard with chocolate froyo.

Mmmn.  This made me pretty happy.

From there Adam and I hit up the movie theatre.  Sharing pretzel bites seemed like less of a good idea, but still an irresistable one.

We saw “Old Dogs.”  It was pretty terrible, but movie dates are always fun 🙂

Not surprisingly, I was not hungry for dinner after all my mall food.  I got unpacked and did some cleaning this evening, but mostly Adam and I spent a looooooong time discussing my life choices stagnation.  Some tears later, I think after a meeting I have this week things will be a lot more clear.

Just as it is clearly time for bed!  Sweet dreams.

Seen any bad movies lately?  What would you NOT recommend?

Feeling Thankful

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Again, I’ll try to keep this quick, but it’s been a great Turkey Day.  I’m thankful for family, good food, and my wonderful husband.

We slept in until 10:30 this morning (I’m feeling sick again, boo!) and then woke up to the world’s tastiest breakfast.

My grandma is so cool, she had Greek Gods’ Honey Greek Yogurt waiting in the fridge for me!  I had a small bowl of fruit,

and honey Greek yogurt with berries and a sliver of homemade coffee cake.

Mmmmmmn!  I was in love with this breakfast!  If it wasn’t Thanksgiving I would have gone back for another bowl!  I think I’ve got my aunt hooked on Greek yogurt now too 🙂

We went to a family friend’s house for Thanksgiving at 1, so we headed out around noon to socialize.  Look how cute my grandparents are!

I’ve gone to Thanksgiving with this family ever year I’ve been with my grandparents and it’s always so much fun.  They have the best decorations, I wish I could have gotten more pictures.

I made a small appetizer plate with pretzels, honey raspberry dip, and crackers with dirty martini dip.

And I had a light beer to drink.

As I mentioned before, I am actually not much of a Turkey Day food fan!  I didn’t even eat any turkey meat!  I tried to just take a small bit of everything.

Clockwise from the top – stuffing and mashed potatoes with gravy, corn casserole, sweet potato casserole, roll, jello mold salad, cranberries.  I finished everything on my plate (except for the roll which I gave away).  I didn’t actually eat very much, but I didn’t do seconds because I knew dessert was coming.

I actually gave away that mini cake in favor of a second cookie!

It was great getting to catch up with people and Adam was definitely stuffed!  He took a fat nap before we even headed home, and hit the couch asap.  My grandmother and I wanted to take a nice walk but unfortunately it was raining.  The other disappointment was that there was nowhere for me to volunteer.  I really wanted to put in some time at a food bank or soup kitchen today but everywhere my grandma called had too many volunteers.

We ate dinner around 7, and I was actually hungry again.

Leftover sweet potato casserole,

and a yumtastic sandwich – turkey, cranberries, cream cheese.

Plus apple and celery salad on the side.

I was still a bit hungry so I went back for more salad.

We played cards after dinner.

I had a coffee with 2% and an amaretto stick,

a mini 7-up,

and a small handful of caramel corn.

We kept my grandparents up past midnight playing cards, I’d say it’s time for bed!

How was your turkey day?

Foodgasms

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Good afternoon!  Today has been nice and productive; I mixed together a schedule of work and fun and this online stopwatch has been crucial. 

Amid the work has been the cleaning of the kitchen, the completion of the laundry, and a major chunk of Chemistry reading.

During some of the fun (NCIS watching) I shared a cup of tea and honey with the bears.

Did you know that Ulrick moved all the way from Brooklyn with us?  Unfortunately the tea didn’t really rock my socks.

I guess I only like Yogi if we are still talking about bears!

A bit later I had a strange snack that was exactly what I was craving (yes, in my dirty tea mug) –

Sliced bell pepper and 1/2C stuffing bread crumbs with 1T prepared pesto (from the Foodbuzz Festival!).  It sounds strange but it was a craving-fulfilling, 100ish calorie snack that held me over until lunch.

And what a lunch it was.  OhMyGosh.  It’s funny because Jenna and Brandi both talked about how much they enjoy food – like really really enjoy it, more than just ‘oh this is good,’ like foodgasms – in posts today and now I’m going to do the same.  Sometimes I get so excited about what I’m eating that I flap my arms like a deranged bird.  Today’s lunch was super simple and yet it elicited tons of flapping.

Today felt life-changing.  Today was the day I tried Sunshine Garden Herb Burgers.

Holy frick.  I didn’t think it was possible to get so excited about a veggie patty but I’ve managed.  This might be my new favorite food.  It’s not, because I love roasted brussels sprouts and broad rice noodles too much to demote them, but it’s close.

I microwaved one patty and ate it on white toast with Jack Daniels mustard.

One of the best sandwiches ever.  Chewy and hefty and the mix of flavors was to die for.  I love love loved the vinegary kick from the mustard and burger.  I almost got up and made myself a second sandwich.

And then I remembered dessert.

This is the best idea I’ve ever had.

Ricemellow, the filling scooped out of a slice of ‘Smores Pie, and a few chocolate chips.  Melted in the microwave for 20seconds.  It was like ‘smores x1million.

I love my readers.  I really do.  So I’m going to take this opportunity to remind you to make some good decisions.  #1 – Make ‘Smores Pie.  The recipe is here.  It’s from my grandma, it’s easy, and I’ve literally never met someone who didn’t like it.  #2 – buy this:

It’s vegan, it tastes like marshmallow fluff, and it is socks rocking.  I’ll be honest, even if it wasn’t wonderful I’d like it just because I’m in love with the packaging.  Seriously though, go buy it and report back to me.

That is all.  I got myself so excited I just may need to go lie down.  I will get up in time for class at 6:30 though, and I’ll see you for a dinner post this evening.

Is there a food YOU would like to strongly recommend today?

Doing It With Friends

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Today was pretty darn successful!  My shameful laundry has to wait until tomorrow but I completed all my planned studying.

I ended up skipping errands with Adam (he can really go to the post office alone) in order to stay home and make an early dinner.  I whipped up a tasty veggie frittata while he was gone.

unfortunately I can’t share the recipe because I’m entering it in a contest, but I can tell you it was tasty (if not photogenic).

Each serving has 112calories, 12grams of protein, and 60%+ of your daily requirement of vitamin A, so I think I did a pretty good job recipe writing.

During cooking time, I ate two slices of white bread with Smart Balance Light while I did some kitchen organizing.

After dinner was finished we headed over to a friend’s house for a study session.  Listening to Adam and his friends identify body parts puts me in the perfect study zone and I got lots of reading done.  Plus I stole some Halloween leftovers.

It’s almost 11 and I still have to shower and look at my schedule so I’ve got to scadaddle.  Sweet dreams folks!

How do you like eggs other than as eggs?  I like frittatas a lot but my favorite rendition is definitely french toast.

TGI-Cuddle Time

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After my last post, I spent the day making all the calls from my to-do list.  Guys, what the heck am I going to do next year?!

I did some work online and had an apple based snack in the late afternoon.  Yogi tea,

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and a Yoplait Light Apple Turnover.

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I love the chunks of apple in that yogurt, so good!

For dinner I threw together a quick but stunning combination.

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I steamed the brocoli in the microwave and then put it on the stove over medium high heat with a little evoo, tamari, salt, pepper, and garlic.  Meanwhile, I cooked the Garlic and Scallion Annie Chun’s Noodle Bowl according to the package directions.  Finally I combined both on the stove, heating for another 5minutes.  Once the everything was nice and crunchy I broke in 2 eggs and scrambled.  Delish.

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Mine looks so dense because I squeezed it onto a small plate.

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The sauce was tasty, the brocolli is always a favorite, the noodles were crispy, and Bear was a fan.

For dessert (#1!) I had a mini So Delicious.

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After dinner we went to the mall to buy a (very late) birthday gift for my mother-in-law.  We shopped quickly but then spent about an hour walking around.  Next up on the young hot couple schedule was a weekly grocery trip.

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Challenge Balence – $58.16

That bill included a cookie to watch while we snuggle on the couch and watch the new Bones tonight.

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Be aware, there will definitly be popcorn and my last Zevia [:(] in this evening as well.

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Have a great night folks!

Back in Action Jackson

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My fabulous weekend (fueled by lots of booze) left me not so fabulously dazed.  Jet-lag doesn’t even describe it, more like rocket-lagged!  Unfortunately my Chemistry test preparation this afternoon paid the highest price.

I was exhausted when I went to bed last night (after 1:30!) so I told myself I could sleep in as long as I wanted.  I got out of bed at 11, and it’s possible I should have stayed in until noon.  Even sitting on the couch in a daze wore me out 🙂 

I need manage to cobble together some lunch out of the husband’s leftovers from this weekend.

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I steamed 3oz of broccoli in the microwave, then added 1/2C cooked quinoa, 1/2T worchestire, a few dashes chipotle tabasco, and 3T low fat mozzarella.

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I rounded things out with a candy sample from my Foodbuzz swag.

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The packaging was lovely and the carrot cake goodies inside were even better.  They were nice and chewy.  The serving was the whole box (3) but I ate two and left one for the husband.

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I realized I was going to eat more candy if I stayed at home, and was getting nothing done anyways, so it was time to head to school.  I got dressed in my ‘I worked in New York City” duds,

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and even pulled out the big guns.

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Sadly, none of this helped me to do any studying this afternoon.  I went to the library to print of the class notes and ended up doing more dazed sitting until it was time for the test.  Shockingly, I think the test went really well!  I felt very confident and I’m excited to get my grade back.

During class I snacked on my last 18 Rabbits bar, Haute Diggity Date.

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This is my last taste of SF until my swag box gets here from Fed-Ex.

I got home at 8:30 and got started on dinner.  Someone commented last week that it is hard to eat well on a budget, so I give you the main component of tonight’s dinner –

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and in fact, this would have been a twofer meal with leftovers had I not dropped half of it on the floor 😦

But drop I did, so I will give the recipe for a two-serving portion – Cauliflower Patties

  • 1/2 lb cauliflower, chopped
  • 1/2 C flour
  • 1/8 t curry powder
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 2T lemon juice
  • 1T evoo
  1. Steam cauliflower.
  2. Pour cooked cauliflower into a blender/food processor and pulse, stopping occasionally to stir, until cauliflower is uniformly crumbly.
  3. Pour into a medium mixing bowl and add everything but evoo. 
  4. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan over medium high heat.
  5. Mash cauliflower mixture together and form into 8 small patties.
  6. Cook patties on stovetop in two batches, about 2minutes per side.

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I served mine on top of a lettuce base, drizzled with 1T light blue cheese dressing.

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Delish!  I also shared a Zevia with the pilgrims.

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On the agenda for the rest of the evening?  A trip to Wendy’s to redeem some frosty coupons, couch cuddling and an episode of Bones, and a bit of unpacking.  Tomorrow I’m going to school with the husband in the morning so I’m not sure what the posting situation will be.  Sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite!

What have you made into patties?  I’m a fan of pretty much any veggie/meat in patty form, in fact, we are having something similar for dinner tomorrow!

Dinner with Outstanding in the Field

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Tonight was amazing!  I am so sorry for another lame post, I truely truely am.  I get so excited about food but I have so much to say that it is too much and I’m exhausted.

Dinner was put on by Outstanding in the Field (a very locavore, farm to table, excited about sustainability organization) and was held at Greenleaf Warehouses.  The setting was legit a warehouse, I love industrial/fashionable settings.

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You can just go ahead and multiply this glass of vino by 3.

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And I had 1 shrimp crisp,

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and a whipped tuna cracker.

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Dinner was family style, so we got to serve ourselves.  First was a pickled veggie plate Ahi tonnato on pain de mie with gochukaura and parsley.

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I loved how spicy everything was.

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Next was soup Mushroom dashi, maitake, shimeji, enoki mushrooms.

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It was very similar to a miso but the mushrooms had an insanely lemon taste.  This was the only thing I didn’t love.

Then they brought out udon noodles with fresh calamari Udon, grilled Monterey calamari in a browned butter ponzu reduction, cucumber, kaiware, frisee & yellow pear tomato with chojang & sesame vinaigrette.

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I was very nervous about it but Jenna convinced me to try a taste.

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So glad I did!  I actually really liked the calamari but the soba noodles were the best, very doughy and raw.  Plus the dish had a good spice kick.

Then came salmon and mushroom risotto Salmon baked with dashikombu, fried garlic and Japanesse curry powder / Mushroom risotto with koshihikari rice, crispy maitake mushrooms.

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I don’t know why I took such a tiny serving, but it was delicious.  I love love loved the curry powder.

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There was oxtail, but I obviously ignored it, and then came out a platter of brussels sprouts Roasted brussels sprouts, ponzu fried garlic, guanciale, bonito flakes.  Jenna told me there was short rib in them, so I resisted.  But brussels sprouts are in my top five all time food favorites, so I finally said f’ it and ate one.  Delish.  Then the waitress came by, and said “vegetarian.”  So I loaded up a plate.

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So.Fricking.Fantastic.  They tasted like McDonald’s fries, which sounds awful but was just amazing.  However, apparently, so not vegetarian.  They definitly had pork in them.  Which makes me quite sad 😦 

Finally, dessert.  Ah dessert Koshihikari rice pudding, cookie crumble, and warren pear.

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I love rice pudding, but  the pear, oh the pear!  I had a bite of pear at the farmer’s market this morning and I’ve been telling people all day that it was seriously the best thing I’ve eaten out here.  The dessert was from the same farm!!!  I was in heaven.

Before we headed out they did Foodbuzz awards which was a lot of fun.  I definitly congratualate some very deserving winners!

A bus ride later, Camile and I walked the mile back to our hotel for the last time.  On the way home I just might have seen a 7-11 and shrieked at the top of my lungs.  Bosenberry and cola, oh yeah.

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Even more exciting?  Getting in bed now!  Tomorrow morning there is a goodbye breakfast and then I fly all day long and get back home at midnight!  I have a big test on Monday so I’m not sure what the posting situation will be.  I hope everyone else’s weekend ends well!!

Challenge Balance – $31.71

Adding to My Happy List

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I discovered several new things I enjoy today.  If I had to make a “happy list” it would be a bazillion pages already but it’s always good to find new things. 

Volunteering went well, there was more for me to do than usual, which is always nice, and it was good to spend time on my feet after the car and plane trips of the past weekend.  One of the nurses gave me a piece of “Canada candy.”

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It was surprisingly good, I thought I didn’t like milk chocolate but maybe I’ve been lying to myself.

In challenge fasion, I used my lunch voucher to bring Adam home pizza for his afternoon snack.  For my snack I had two servings of Quaker Quakes Kettle Corn Rice Cakes.

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I thought I didn’t like rice cakes, but apparently I was wrong about that too!  I bought this last week because I had a coupon and was pleasantly surprised.

I was rushing out of the house and I was a little worried that I ended up looking like I was rocking my pjs.

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I think the (amazing, far nicer than anything I’ve ever owned before, handed down from my aunt this weekend) jacket salvages it don’t you?

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I was hurrying because I had a meeting with a professor at UB’s anthropology department.  She couldn’t answer all of my questions – the big one being do I want to be an RD, an anthropologist, or a turnip – but it was informative.  Afterwards she asked if I’d like to sit in on her class that afternoon (4-6).  It was amazing!  She had a guest lecturer – a previous student who now is a policewoman/csi.  She talked about evidence collection and showed all sorts of crime scene photos and generally thrilled me.  I seriously sat there for two hours with a big grin.  I don’t know which career path I’ll choose, but I do know that I find forensic/anthropology fascinating.

My Chemistry class is at 6:30 and it was all the way across the campus so I ended up having to speed walk there with my huge bag.  I was sooo thirsty by the time I got to class.  I ended up buying Lifesavers to suck on from the vending machine.

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Challenge Balance – 60cents.

When I got home I had a Zevia to drink immediately,

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and then I started on dinner.

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Oven Baked Chicken Salad from the October issue of “Family Circle” (click the recipe for the link).  There were several ways to make this recipe healthier, but due to time and budgetary restrictions I chose to follow it as is – minus onion salt which I didn’t have.  However, here are my suggestions for a healthier dish-

  1. Substitute 1 chopped, sauted real onion for onion salt.
  2. Substitute half or all of the mayo with plain Greek yogurt.
  3. Skip the “topping” bread crumbs and cheese.
  4. Add additional chopped veggies – broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber.

I ate my portion alongside some oven roasted broccoli and butternut squash; both cooked with salt, pepper, and fresh ginger.

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It was all seriously so fricking delicious!  I always forget how much I love roasted broccoli and the casserole was shockingly good.

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Mmmn.

I need to hurry to shower now, as starting my gym routine back up in the morning is pretty much a necessity.  I hope everyone else has a good night.

Where do you find recipes?  I have a long list of things that sound good on other blogs, but for the most part I get my recipes from magazines.  I am subscribed to “Cooking Light” and “Everyday with Rachael Ray,” but the healthy living magazines have a lot of great recipes too.  The ‘older’ magazines my mommy subscribes too (she sends them to me) have yummy recipes that aren’t quite as healthy, but can easily be modified like my suggestions tonight.