Today, our school had a junior night concert – basically people from about grade 8 to grade 10 who are part of any kind of band participates in this concert before Christmas.

To be honest, I am quite embarrassed that I am in a junior band. I am grade 10, and played flute for 5 years but because I was new to the school and I didn’t have much choice in the courses I take (I hate my counselor), I just ended up in a Advanced Intermediate Band.

People who played flute even less than me are in Senior Bands and the Orchestra and wtf? I am stuck with these bunch of grade 9s and easy music.

But I try to think positive – because I am planning to begin a new instrument soon: bassoon. If I was in Senior Band, I wouldn’t have had a chance to play this after all, right? I just hope that my music teacher doesn’t forget that she has to lend me the bassoon over the Christmas Holidays (less than 2 weeks now, Yes!)

But of course, today’s foods were awesome as usual.

For breakfast, I had a small gala apple chopped, cinnamon,  half cup of cottage cheese with oatbran, and pumpkin seed butter. I did not like it as much as I did with almond butter, but still the mild flavor of pumpkin seed butter was great with the apple&cinnamon.

Oatbran, CC, apple, cinnamon, PSB

The really interesting part is when it’s all mixed up. I already mixed it halfway through – my lovely pumpkin seed butter is hid under other things. But seriously, I just can’t match with the taste when I see this…

I know; it looks like …something.

I had a delicious hummus & veggie wrap for lunch. All the tortilla wraps were all stuck frozen together in the freezer – I had to microwave them for like 2 minutes to get them separated. It didn’t happen with smaller ones, but larger ones tend to stick much better and harder to separate. Well anyway, it was awesome with all those spinach, mushrooms, celery, cucumbers, and roasted red pepper hummus. Yum!

Dinner was great! I had a salad with tuna, avocado, lettuce, spinach, and corns – simply seasoned with salt and pepper. It would have been great with mayo or miracle whipe, but I wanted the authentic taste of creamy avocado, and I was able to enjoy it! It was great and very filling. I left to school for the concert right after, but since I had such an early dinner, I got kind of hungry later. I had a Chocolate Coconut Cream Larabar (yay!) but I kinda got sick after that – I think everytime I eat a larabar, I eat too fast and end up sick.

But you know what? now I’m back to hungry mode and I’m snacking on a piece of crispbread with Dark Chocolate Dreams. It’s lyk 11 PM..omg I’m gonna get fat.

Tomorrow’s collaborative day..but I have so much to do. I have to get to school early for Global Issues Club thing, have to take a test for math after school, do bunch of homework..ha…I should go to sleep now. Good Night.

I woke up and it was twenty-two degrees BELOW zero. Insanity. I’m moving to Arizona.

Because of the chilly weather – we had a one hour school delay, which means nothing for teachers because we have to be there on time anyway – but I did get an extra hour of plan time chatting with other teachers.

Before all that, I did about 40 minutes with Dave Farmar and then ate something weird (at least for me) – I claim to not like bananas, but have been loving them lately, especially with sun butter.

And when I got to work – I found chocolate chip banana bread in the lounge (thanks Kalen!)

It was heaven eaten along with my Wednesday coffee…

Thank you, thank you, thank you Tona…you are so kind.

Lunch was thebesthingever.

A sweet potato (cooked last night) with hummus and avocado on top. Oh my word – deliciousness.

At my after school job
(I just sit in the office and answer the phones) – I ate the most crispy, delicious apple of all time.

I set the real apple on top of a picture of an apple…so clever!

Upon returning home, I baked tofu and cooked some spinach.

The whole wonderful mess was doused in the best bbq sauce of all time

Dessert was two unbelievably good cookies…

And something I have been drinking a ton of lately…

Cinnamon tea with vanilla soy milk.

Keep your fingers crossed for outdoor recess tomorrow!

(I love the “Friends” titles) I enjoyed reading all your Santa stories.  I also remember as a child being scared of Santa, it scared me knowing he sneaks into your bedroom while your asleep.  In the end my Dad said they’d leave my stocking downstairs so Santa would leave the presents there instead of my bedroom.

Even though I’m on holiday I still got up quite early, well around 9:00 after my parents had left for work   I made myself a quick breakfast of cheerios and then got ready to meet my friend for more shopping.

I met my friend in the Victoria Quarter Arcade, which hosts the famous Harvey Nichols, the first store to be opened outside of London so there

Anyway we grabbed a coffee, yes another starbucks, but consider I very rarely go there throughout the year I thought to hell with it I’m treating myself. 

We picked up some more Christmas presents and searched through about a million dress shops looking for the perfect dresses (see further on for the shopping finds) then stopped off for lunch.

We ordered the club sandwich, which is made with chicken, bacon and salad, with chips, we ended up just sharing this one as there was too much for just one person.

WEDNESDAY’S WARDROBE

I’ve been looking for a couple of dresses to wear for upcoming Christmas parties.  I really wanted an orange dress for my works Christmas do and a black tassel dress for my group of friends’ Christmas night out. 

I actually found what I was looking for, which is very surprising as normally when I have a specific idea in my head I can never find it.  I found the orange dress on sale at Zara and the black dress from H&M.  I can’t wait to wear them now. It’s my work’s do on the 19th and my friends’ night out this weekend YIPPEE!!!

I was so hungry when I got home and made a quick quesadilla with cheese, spinach and tomato, along with a big dollop of guacamole.

and a nice juicy pear for afters. 

I found out that “Glee” is coming on TV here next week.  I haven’t the foggiest idea what it’s about, but I’ve been reading alot about it on other blogs.  Can’t wait to check it out.

Taylor

Over Thanksgiving, the Omnivore and I happened across a simply awesome bookstore.  It sold used books only.  And it was filled from baseboard to crown moulding with books.  It was also infested with cats.  And I love cat infestations (but not in that sad, hoarder way, of course).  I especially loved this guy, who I swear was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

Smiley Guy was in the psychology section. 

But I was more interested in the cookbook section (naturally), which was guarded by a much less-smiley-cat:

She was casting some downright angry glances.  The Omnivore tried to get on her good side, a risky move, I know.

The young girl in the background is obviously itching to see a fight.  Luckily, I was able to snatch up a delicious vegetarian cookbook, The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, and this was the first recipe we tried from that book.

I made this recipe into burritos, but it is originally written as an enchilada recipe.  If that’s what you are looking for, check it out here.

Otherwise, stick with me here for a delicious handheld lunch or dinner.

Avocado Cashew Burritos (serves 4)
2 Hass avocadoes
1 lime, juice of
4 green onions, minced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped finely
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped finely
3/4 cup cashews, toasted
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
1 garlic clove, minced (optional)

Combine!  Eat!  In a wrap!

Calories 311.2
Total Fat 25.3 g
Saturated Fat 4.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 15.5 g
Cholesterol 0.8 mg
Sodium 34.0 mg
Potassium 702.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 19.2 g
Dietary Fiber 7.1 g
Sugars 4.0 g
Protein 7.5 g

So Many Avocados, So Little Time

Avocados keep falling from the tree…tons of them, well I exaggerate, approximately 7 per day.   Then they ripen at lightening speed.  We are using them instead of butter, eating them on every sandwich, putting them in salads and slathering spicy guacamole on everything.   I’m even making my own california roll sushi.  I might start making skin cream and hair treatment, then I could market the stuff.   Two people cannot eat 7 avocados per day.

Avocado Grounded

These are wonderfully creamy sweet avocados they work well with both the local lemons and limes.  The good news is this cultivar’s flesh is  slow to turn brown.  I make all kinds of guacamole.  Sometimes simple with just lemon juice, salt and garlic.  Sometimes with chopped onion, lime, salt and cilantro.  Sometimes with hot chilies and lime.  Sometimes with cumin, salt and rice vinegar.  I found this great spicy salt called Tony Charhere’s Orignal Creole Seasoning which makes a damn good “yakamolay” (word coined by friend Kandiss) with just a little lemon.

When God Gives You Lemons and Avocados...Make Guacamole!

I love avocados, I never thought I could say I had too many.  Too bad they just don’t keep and it is illegal to mail fresh produce to the mainland.   Doing some research I found it is difficult it is to process and keep avocado oil.  Too bad mainlanders I cannot share.

From “Small Bites“:

Quick & Healthy Recipes: Heart-Healthy Ranch Dip

It’s only the second day of December and, as is probably the case with many of you, I have already received a handful of invitations to holiday parties, potlucks, and meals.

If you’re looking to whip up a quick, healthy, and delectable contribution to an event over the next few weeks, I recommend you take no more than ten minutes to make this knock-out, nutritious ranch dip.

FYI: you can turn this into a dressing by adding an additional third cup of water.

YIELDS: 3 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup raw cashews (OR raw sunflower seeds OR avocado, although avocado will yield a greener color)
1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons water
1 small garlic clove
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/3 teaspoon salt
Light sprinkle of black pepper
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon dry dill, finely chopped
2 teaspoons dry parsley, finely chopped
1.5 teaspoons dried chives, finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

In blender, mix cashews/sunflower seeds/avocado, water, garlic clove, lemon juice, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder until evenly mixed.

Empty mixture into bowl.

Add chopped dill, parsley, and chives; fold into dressing until evenly spread out.

NUTRITION INFORMATION (per serving, made with cashews):

115 calories
1 gram saturated fat
240 milligrams sodium

Some days, all the cards land in my hand and my food is just as healthy as it is tasty and beautiful. Brekkie was a beyond amazing banana walnut oatmeal.

mixed

Then a few hours later (AKA now) I had–am having–a HUGH JASS salad: whole avocado, romaine, and my own dressing made of mince garlic,balsamic and olive oil.

love this pic, check out the size!

P.S. Any one recommend any humungo salad bowls? All my bowls are really too small for my Hugh Jass salads. I feel a daily occurrence coming on!

I’m testing wordpress with my phone. Testingggg

Yesterday, Saturday, we had  dinner at home. The Xmas tree decorated, the lights on, the fire strong in the fireplace and the first snow falling outside. Great evening to stay in. I cooked Ahi tuna fillet with a chopped salad.  I marinade Ahi tuna with ginger and soy sauce. It’s amazing!  The first time I cooked it, my kids thought it was meat.  The original inspiration comes from this recipe but as you can see from the photos, I cook it and serve it a little differently. For the chopped salad I got inspiration from the one on the menu of  the Corner Bakery Cafe. The recipe is for four Ahi tuna fillets but you can cut it in half.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 Ahi Tuna fillets
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 2 hearts of lettuce, finely chopped
• 2 big tomatoes, chopped in small cubes
• 2 avocados, cut in small pieces
• 2 slices bacon (cooked, crumbled)
• 1-2 green onion, chopped
• vinaigrette

How to make: Put the tuna fillets in a glass container and pour over the marinade mix –soy sauce, sesame oil, green onion, ginger, garlic, lime. Leave in the fridge covered  for at least an hour. In a big, deep pan, put a little oil and when the oil is heated add the fish. We like the fish well done so I leave it on for approximately 5-7 minutes each side.  For the chopped salad, I combined the lettuce with the tomatoes, avocado, green onions, and bacon bits. For the vinaigrette, I blended 1 cup of olive oil with 1/3 cup vinegar, salt and pepper and used approximately half of it (the rest in the fridge for tomorrow).  Make sure the bacon is good quality.  I had pre-cooked bacon in the fridge from Trader Joe’s and used that.

Notes and tips: On to reality check! No, I  ididn’t have sesame oil. Instead, I mixed the soy sauce with 2 tablespoons sesame seeds. For garlic, I defrosted two cubes of pulp garlic and instead of green onions I finely chopped dry onions.  If you don’t have a good fish market in your area, get frozen Ahi Tuna Fillets from Trader Joe’s. I also keep dry ground ginger in my cabinet in case I don’t have fresh ginger. The tuna can be served with rice if you prefer. The chopped salad at the Corner Bakery Cafe has chicken and blue cheese, too, but I didn’t have any. It was still very good, especially as a side dish.

Working from home turned me into a Neanderthal woman.

Now, what does working from home entail? The fact whether you get paid for it or not is an irrelevant technicality. Remember that money never defines you. My new trade consists of whipping out versatile dinners for at least 5 nights a week, tossing loads of dirty clothes through the laundry machine (most of it Jason’s since, you know, the Neanderthal factor), vacuuming the three area rugs spread across our apartment twice a day of all the nasty little wooden shells that have been falling off the trees surrounding our apartment and consequently dragging themselves inside our chamber of love underneath ours shoes for the last MONTH. Gasp for air. Other activities of a house worker involve watching Oprah and Food Network, Skyping with Mother, Cousin, and our handsome gay neighbors, scrubbing the bathroom floor with a toothbrush (oops, nope, that’s Jason), and writing.

Anyone who’s ever tried as much as to write a letter understands that the task is unlike riding a bicycle – once you’ve written something good it doesn’t mean you’ll now produce quality pieces with ease happily ever after. And it never gets easier. True, there are days I shoot out articles in no time, as if I dissolved 3 tablespoons of verbal Metamucil in a glass of aloe vera juice with a heavy drop of senna extract and washed it down my throat. However, quite commonly I just sit in front of my laptop and glance at its blank screen with such intensity I make myself run to the bathroom even without drinking the above-described concoction. That helps putting down the first paragraph on the page. Then nothing, nothing for a long time, and a little more nothing before the next paragraph sees daylight. Sometimes I find myself walking Cosmo, washing dishes, and knitting a sweater between single sentences. So when people (women especially) tell me “Don’t talk to me about pain till you give birth”, I scorn the challenger with the ole good “Been there. Done that. Three times a week, at least.”

Yes, art requires sacrifices. First went the manicure and pedicure. Next, I killed make up. I take that back. I never leave the house without a few touches a concealer on my skin and brushing my eyebrows. The latter is especially crucial if I want to avoid causing any traffic accidents when women faint and children scream terrified by my sight, while old people gawk at me thinking “I thought I had seen it all…” It also takes an effort to ensure I have a fresh shirt on my back every morning. I suspect I could save money on heating the apartment if I finally got the nerve to burn all my bras. My boobs haven’t seen one in months, because, why bother? There are days I forget to shower. It’s gotten so bad in fact that lately I started having nightmares where my various …uhm… [I’m whispering that one] hairy parts are being exposed in public.

Irrefutably, crazy love and pure exhaustion keep my boyfriend from running away, maybe even blinded. When he comes home and hands me “You look beautiful. I love you” like a bouquet of flowers, I instantly look behind me expecting to see Eva Mendes stretching her baby-oiled body against the wall and sporting the Calvin Klein underwear. Is he really talking to me?

Such an image inevitably brings forth fear and motivation. For instance, I have already showered three times today, filed my nails, put on some make up even though the only things we had planned for the day was a quick trip to a coffee shop and a walk with our dog around the block. I applied all sorts of grooming, which I shall NOT describe. My efforts paid off faster than I thought when Jason and I walked by a Victoria’s Secret’s store and left with three new pairs of lace unmentionables.

All that pampering made me feel like a woman again, the modern variety with manicured hands, waxed unthinkable places, and trying to fit in clothes two sizes too small.  As such, I couldn’t fathom feeding my body with anything more than a simple salad.

MÂCHE WITH AVOCADO AND MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

The name of the salad pretty much says it all. If you’re not familiar, mâche is also known as cow grass. Its leaves are very delicate and it is mild in taste.

Empty a bag of mâche into a large bowl; dice a ripe avocado and spoon it out on top of the greens. Feel free to add chopped scallions and diced tomato if you crave some color. It will all go swimmingly together. Now drizzle your salad with the dressing (recipe below). Gently toss everything around, and voila! Enjoy the treat and feel healthy, light, and beautiful. Size does not matter …in this case.

MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

-       3 parts of good quality extra virgin olive oil

-       1 part of white balsamic vinegar

-       1 tsp of Dijon mustard

-       1 tbsp of honey

-       sea salt + freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk it in a small bowl, or shake it up in a closed jar, or best – mix it together in a blender (or Magic Bullet) until the vinaigrette is evenly emulsified. It’s that simple. And so delightful!

Smacznego!

What’s inside Box 2?

• Italian Dandelion – one bundle
• Garlic Chives – one bundle.
• Lettuce – one (small) head, in this case Romaine
• Bok Choy – one head, complete with caterpillar and other bugs!
• Green ‘Suntan’ Pepper – one
• Yellow Squash – one
• Courgette (Zucchini) – one, swapped for an avocado since neither of us are fans of it
• Avocado – ‘monroe’ variety this time, one plus the swapped one
• Black Sapote (AKA chocolate pudding fruit) – two

Box 2

Initial thoughts:

Another good selection, with only the Bok Choy being unusual. Black sapote would probably also be considered unusual by many, but since we’ve had it before, it’s not such an unknown to us. See June’s blog post for her thoughts on the box.

Usage ideas:

• Italian Dandelion – June has already told me she’s going to cook the recipe from the CSA newsletter, namely Dandelion Fetuccini, so I’ll have to see if that comes to pass. Otherwise, a simple salad might work, as would steaming or light sauteing as a side.
• Garlic Chives – these can be used in pretty much any dish where (a little) garlic is required, so it’s just a case of picking one.
• Lettuce – another salad is probably on the cards, perhaps filling for a BLT too.
• Bok Choy – I’ve no clues about this, so will have to research some Asian recipes for ideas. Might work well in combination with the garlic chives.
• Green ‘Suntan’ Pepper – June’s not a fan of bell peppers, so I’m going to have to think of something for myself here. I suspect it’s not sweet enough to eat raw, so I’ll have to cook it. Maybe if I find a recipe that uses with with bok choy and garlic chives, I’ll kill three birds with one stone!
• Yellow Squash – it’s pretty small, so perhaps a Yellow Squash Parmesan (ie fried then baked with cheese etc) for a one person meal.
• Avocados – June will do her usual avocado and rice with these, I suspect…
• Black Sapote (AKA chocolate fruit) – these just need to be left to ripen (when they become black and very soft), and can then just be eaten with a spoon, oh… or perhaps with icecream? Hopefully they’ll ripen quickly!

Photos, by June:

Italian Dandelion

Garlic Chives

Lettuce (Romaine)

Bok Choy

Green Pepper

Yellow Squash

Avocados

Black Sapote (Unripe)

First of all, Zac Brown Band put on the best.concert.ever.

Honestly, it was one of the best shows I have ever been to. I might even go as far as to say the greatest. I had a blast with Meeker and his family, and it was 100% worth the drowsiness I experienced on Friday as a result of going out on a school night. If you haven’t heard of ZBB, I suggest that you check them out – they are one talented group of boys. It’s not so much country as southern rock…and they totally rock. In fact, they just got nominated for 3 Grammy awards.

Okay, enough gushing.

3^rd grade went on a make-up field trip on Friday. We went to a nature/science museum in Denver – and it was wild and fun.

I woke up exhausted after rocking out on Thursday night – but jazzed for the trip with my kiddos. I was running late, but managed to make a pretty good breakfast and pack a yummy sandwich for lunch.

That’s half a sweet ‘tater (I microwaved it for 6 minutes) and then put spicy mustard on one side, an egg on the other – and sandwiched them together. This was the best combo (albeit very messy) and I will definitely be making it again.

Packed lunch

Scooped bagel with bananas, peanut butter and pumpkin butter.

I threw this in my purse, and accidentally sat on it during the bus ride to the museum – so it was pretty nasty looking when I pulled it out at lunch time – but very delicious.

When I got home about a zillion hours later (at least that’s what it felt like) – I found a pot of soup on the stove. I love being married.

Meeker had thrown leftover rice, black beans and tomatoes into a pot – and added a lot of spice – to create a warming, simple supper. I topped mine with avocado for a cooling effect.

I fell asleep on the couch at 9:30 on a Friday night.

I woke up this morning ecstatic about a Skype date I had with my best friend at 10am , but managed to squeeze in DAY 30 of the 30 Day Shred beforehand! It feels good to have finished. I feel stronger and my balance is better – but I’m looking forward to incorporating a little variety into my routine.

As for the skype date – this was my first time using this technology, and I felt really geeky sitting at Kunjani chatting and laughing with my computer screen, but it was fantastic to be able to talk face-to-face with my bestie.

One large black coffee.

After over an hour of skyping, I was starving, and I came home to eat more soup and ½ a bagel.

Topped with chip crumbles and avocado.

Scooped and toasted with pumpkin butter and sun butter. A dynamic duo.

Now I’m ready to just relax and enjoy this Saturday – hasta luego.

]]> http://ourhalfbox.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/box-1-roundup/ Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:33:08 +0000 Manic http://ourhalfbox.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/box-1-roundup/

Seeing as there was no box for the Thanksgiving weekend, we’ve been eating from this box for two weeks rather than the usual one. That being said, it was a good introduction of what to expect, along with a good warmup for us trying to find ways to use the box contents.

Actual usage & thoughts:

• Callaloo – after inspecting pictures of it online, we came to the conclusion that this particular bundle we’d got was well past it’s prime, so was not used. However, odds are we’ll get it again in future boxes, and hopefully it’ll be in a fresher state so that we can actually use it!
• Lemongrass – used in the Thai dish as previously posted. The remains of the bundle are currently drying out in the fridge, so we’ve got the option of using it over the next few weeks or so.
• Green beans – used in both the Thai dish, and steamed then mixed with onion to be a side dish for our Thanksgiving meal. On both occasions the beans were tender and flavourful, so the Xtras box swap really paid off for us this time.
• Lettuce – used with the Cherry Tomatoes to make a side salad, also for the Thanksgiving meal. The lettuce stayed crisp and green in the fridge for much longer than we expected, and tasted like a leafier romaine. Another one to look forward to in future boxes.
• Corn – boiled as mentioned previously, and won’t be boiled next time!
• Cherry Tomatoes – a few eaten straight from the pot, the rest combined with the Lettuce for a side salad. The tomatoes were fairly tender while retaining a reasonable firmness, and the juices weren’t bitter like shop-bought ones can be. However, the flipside is that they were also not very sweet, which meant they worked best in combination with other salad vegetables, rather than eaten individually.
• Avocado – half was roughly diced and served as a side for the Thanksgiving meal, the rest was eaten with rice by June at some point in the last week. I personally am not a fan of avocado, so I’m taking June’s word that it was a good one (although the shop-bought ones are not dissimilar, I’m told, since Publix sells local organic avocados as well).
• Roselle – not used yet, so it’s slowly drying in the fridge. The problem with these flowers is that you need to plan to make something where they are the focal point, as they’re not easy to integrate into normal meals.

Ratings:

• Hits – Green Beans, Avocado, Lettuce, Lemongrass

• Near Misses – Cherry Tomatoes

• Total Flops – Corn, Callaloo

• Not Rated – Roselle (and Dill)

Final Opinion:

This was a good first box that we used a reasonable percentage of, although much of that was helped by the Thanksgiving meal and having two weeks rather than one. We’ll have to pick up the pace for the next box, since it’d be crazy to let this stuff go to waste. Roll on box two!

Wowser!  A new twist on Avocado!  Delicious!

You can make this sandwich toasted or non.  I prefer toasted.

To make this sandwich, first mix a light mayonnaise with some lemon juice (enough to give mayo a nice zippy flavor).

Spread onto toasted healthy bread. I don’t recommend spreading on butter, you simply don’t need it.

Here is my all time favorite bread It is certified organic, and there is no flour used! It is so light and delicious, full of healthy ingredients,  and only baked in British Columbia. But I’m sure you can find something similar in your part of the world, or make your own healthy bread.

Add leaves of spinach <—optional, but oh so good, slices of avocado, & slices of tomato.  I like a dose of black pepper as well.

Serve for lunch for your girlfriends.  They’ll think you are amazing!     Oh, I forgot.  You ARE amazing!  (AND Jesus loves you)!

These Black Bean Spring Rolls use a Latin inspired filling in a very Asian rice wrapper. These are perfect at room temp. You can make them ahead and serve them as a unique party appetizer or as an amazing vegan lunch.

Filling:

1 cup black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup sweet corn kernels
1/2 cup diced white onion
1 cup diced avocado
1/2 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce minced (minus seeds) plus 1 TB adobo sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Wrapper: circular rice wrappers, 8 inch diameter.

Mix up all the ingredients and chill for 4 hours or over night for flavors to blend.

The rice paper wrapping technique is simple to learn. I use a 9 inch pie plate to wet my wrappers. It helps me from making a mess. Soak rice wrappers in hot water for 10-15 seconds. Transfer to your work surface. I use my extra large wood cutting board. Also, keep a clean kitchen towel next to you in case you drip water.

Fill with 1/4 cup of filling and roll. Work one at a time and keep a clean towel handy to sop up drips. Rice wrappers require patience and technique, so if you’ve never used them before, they are scrumptiously delicate. You’ll get the hang of it after the 3rd one. Refrigerate them if you’re going to eat them later, but I think they are tastiest at room temp.

What a Wednesday!

It started off with very unusual eats, but I just went with my craving.

If you guessed peas, egg whites and avocado, you are correct.

I know it’s weird – you don’t even have to tell me. I was craving vegetables, but I only had about 5 minutes, so I pulled the peas out of the freezer, microwaved for a minute, then topped them with 2 cooked egg whites, salt, pepper and avocado. It was so good – I will definitely be adding this to my breakfast repertoire. It only took me 5 minutes to make, and it held me over until 11ish (4 hours).

For lunch, I scooped a bagel, toasted it, and added a mixture of pumpkin butter and crunchy peanut butter.

It was about 18 degrees today, so we had indoor recess. This makes for a very long day. After making a few copies and toasting my bagel – I had exactly 8 minutes to eat this lunch. The apple was inhaled while teaching my class about the importance of a subject in a sentence.

I also got my weekly Wednesday latte from a certain mom who spoils me. Along with my latte today, she brought me sun butter!

This stuff is so darn good. I dug into this bad boy with my finger when I was still at school at 6:30 this evening. I told you it was quite a Wednesday.

When I got home, I was beyond starving, but I also had a bit of a tummy ache (lesson learned: don’t eat 1.5 oz of sun butter on a very empty stomach) – so I sipped on cinnamon tea (with almond milk) while I cooked dinner for Meeker.

The tea…

The boy’s dinner…

3 heads of broccoli, 1 zucchini, ½ onion, 2 carrots and ground turkey.

I tasted enough while cooking to make the gnawing hunger subside, and then sat and watched The Biggest Loser – which I didn’t get to last night. What a good show. Seriously, I cry at least 5 times each episode – I’m so inspired by the accomplishments and determination of the contestants. I love all of the finalists – I can’t wait until next week.

After TBL, I whipped together a batch of Cookie Dough Babies. This was my first time making these bad boys, and I didn’t have any chocolate chips to add, so it was just dates and cashews.

Heck yeah. Success. I’ve already eaten two.

I made these partially because I wanted something sweet after instead of dinner, and partially because the inventor of these yummy nuggets is having the most fantastic giveaway – and I really want to score some of her loot.

***

You’re probably wondering why I’m up still awake (and semi-functioning!) so late. Okay…in reality, you probably don’t know or care how late I stay up, BUT
I am usually in bed by 9:30, and it is currently 9:32. What gives?

I took the day off tomorrow! Whohoo! (kind of)

I took the day off for 3 reasons:

1. I have too much to do and not enough time to do it. If you can believe it, I took tomorrow off so I could catch up on work. I have insane amounts of grading to do, the end of the quarter is coming up soon, and I wanted to get all of the big stuff knocked out before the weekend. I also have an enormous pile of laundry to tackle and a grocery store trip to make. It just didn’t seem reasonable for me to do all this during a long work week – so, I took the day off.
2. Zac Brown Band is going to be in Denver tomorrow night, and I’m going to see them!!!

   
   

3. At work, only 5 sick days carry over from year-to-year, and I can’t remember the last time I was sick – so I might as well use the days for something I want. Otherwise, they go to waste. Waste not want not.
   

So, with that – I’m off to get a good night’s sleep. I hope you all have happy Thursdays!

It’s no wonder people are scared of their significant other’s parents; with movies like Meet the Parents, in-laws get a pretty bad rap.  Fortunately for me, this stereotype couldn’t be further from the truth. 

I just got back from a weekend+ getaway with Kyle’s family and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be joining his family than if they were the sole heirs to the Whole Foods chain. 

Not only are they amazingly accepting of my vegan lifestyle, but they go above and beyond to accommodate it, to the point of straight up spoiling me!

They had vegan treats in every nook and cranny of the kitchen, along with a fully vegan menu planned for the entire time I was visiting.  I mean, we all know I would have been perfectly content with a (Costco sized) tub of hummus for 10 meals in a row, but this was beyond my wildest expectations.  Seriously, I could go on and on about how at home this made me feel, but I’ll let the pictures do most of the talking…trust me, you’ll see what I mean.

Saturday started bright and early with a pound and a half of (unpictured) coffee…I was too tired to unpack enough to find my camera.

Dave’s Killer Bread!  (I’m pretty sure luring us to move back to the west coast was what motivated 99% of these purchases…)

The Powerseed flavor is my favorite, and it was just as delicious as I remembered it being.  Dave, get your products to the East Coast already!

I also tried Amy’s quarter pounder veggie burgers, which has been on my to-try list forever now.  Veggie burgers are tricky business in my opinion.  They can’t be too much like a meat wannabe, and yet, they have to have a fairly sturdy texture to hold up for grilling.  This one was made on the grill and held up fabulously, and the nutty/seedy taste was perfection in my book.  It reminded me a lot of the Plant burger I had in San Francisco (probably because both have a nut base). 

I had mine with avo, tomato, lettuce, and copious amounts of course & grainy mustard and BBQ sauce.  Dave’s Killer Bread sealed the deal.  This was heaven in my mouth.  I was pretty stuffed after, but I still managed to pack away another half of a veggie burger.  That’s how I roll.

I hardly had any time to digest lunch before the snacking continued…and continue it did (all freaking day long).

Now THAT’S a big package

While Kyle went to town on the Costco box of Wheat Thins, I worked my way through the hummus on the right.  Lilly’s is no Sabra, but I’m not one to turn down a chickpea.

For dinner we had a Vegetable Green Curry dish (new recipe, see below). 

Vegetable Green Curry

• green beans
• broccoli
• red bell peppers
• green curry paste
• coconut milk
• fresh basil leaves, chopped

It was a bit heavy on the green curry paste, but I love a good and spicy Thai dish.  Hey, if you can’t take the heat…

My tongue and lips were on fire, but I never broke a sweat (aka it was perfect).

I also had brown rice to soak up the excess sauce and give my taste buds a break from the heat.

Dessert was nice and cool, though.

If you have never tried Tempt, you are missing out.  It’s a hemp milk based vegan ice cream and the Coffee Biscotti flavor was like the vegan love child of a Starbucks frappucino and a chocolate chip cookie.  And what’s a sundae without a bit of brownie?  My vegan agave sweetened treats were a big success (so it’s a good thing I didn’t polish them all off on my layover in Seattle).

Sunday started much the same with a huge cup of coffee (and more not so subliminal hints to move West).

It wasn’t so much of a meal day as a day of constant grazing.

Art’s Original Blend PROBAR, Banana Bread Larabar, vegan chocolate fudge oat bar, vegan dried fruit & nut chewy bar, medjool dates, vegan/gluten free pretzels, and the creamiest homemade hummus ever

Veggies galore!

Avo mash on it’s way to fresh guacamole…

I snapped photos of a few plates (this was just the tip of the iceberg…trust)

More evidence my in-laws heart me…Kombucha!

We kept ourselves busy throughout the day with football, a trip to the nail salon, and (wouldn’t you know it) MORE eating.

Kyle and I did sneak in a walk with the dogs and a 2 mile run.  My cardio efforts weren’t to stay in shape or anything, but rather to keep things moving in the GI realm (if you know what I mean…)

Dinner was another new dish and this was by far my fave of the trip.

Pumpkins stuffed with a brown rice mixture of green chilies, kidney beans and corn, then topped with chopped tomatoes.

These flavors were sensational together.  As they baked in the pumpkin it all melded together and BAM!

Insta-yum in each bite.  Plus, the dish gets extra points for it’s presentation, dontcha think? 

Gorgeousness.  The pumpkin was baked to perfection and practically oozed out as you scooped into the pumpkin to serve the rice mix guts. 

IT. WAS. SO. GOOD.

On the side we had a salad with spinach, avocado, shroomies, orange slices, dried cranz, and red onions.  I googled my way to a dressing for the salad and it turned out so great I copied it down to share:

1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. grated onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. honey
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

My plate(s).

The wine-ing continued into the late night fasho.  What can I say, I’m a classy gal!

Monday started with an early wake-up call.  We decided to hit up the tree farm to get the Christmas spirit under way. 

But apparently, the weatherman didn’t get the memo.

Brrrr…coffee on the way there (hardly enough to get a buzz).

I was going to get in a second dose of java after we returned home, but something else sounded a little better.

I had TWO mimosas!

Empty stomach + champagne before 10 am = drunk hippie (please refer to above photo)

Lunch came early because I needed solids to absorb the booze.  Whoops!

Amy’s quarter pounder veggie burger sando on DKB (round dos)…with an extra veggie burger on the side (and the usual heaping portions of colonel mustard and senior ‘cue).

Apples on a plate – ’cause I’m dainty and eat ma slices with a fork.

X-mas spirit indeed!  I felt like Saint Nick with my belly protruding over my jeans.  Not cute.

I was in no position to help put up the tree in my food coma state so instead I cheered on the boys as they flexed their muscles.

Mounted and ready (twss).  

It’s a rough life…eating around the clock like you’re storing for a long winter (while doing nada to exert yourself).

I learned how to play pinochle (confusing!) and went for another stroll through the neighb with my K love.  As darkness set in, we popped the cork (yet again).

While chopping and prepping for dinna’ we enjoyed wine & hors (aka my freshman year of college). 

Dinner was (you guessed it) ANOTHER new vegan recipe.

Quinoa pilaf!

On the stove top…zucchs, peppers, carrots, celery, etc. sizzled away.  Then the quinoa joined the partay with the carrot juice.  Hello naranja!

Done and steaming like a mo fo!

Plate #1

Side dishes included a BN squash/cran salad and grilled asparagus. 

Butternut squash with cranberries (and walnuts*):

• 2 lbs. butternut squash (peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts*
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tbs orange blossom honey
• 1 tbs orange juice
• 1 tbs walnut oil
• 1/2 tsp cranberry juice
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

*Since I hate walnuts, we swapped them out in exchange for chopped dates (so the nutritional info isn’t really accurate).

Per serving: 120 kcals, 2 g pro, 5 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 20 g carbs, 0 mg chol, 5 mg sod, 4 g fiber, 9 g sugar

Kyle was not digging all the orange, but I was in squash heaven.

I had two HUGE servings of squash and felt 4 months preggo by the end of it.  No complaints here.

Dessert "tempt"ed me yet again, but I don’t have a photo because I was too warm and cozy vegging on the couch to be bothered.  The (above) photo was Kyle’s dessert (slices of apple and pumpkin pie).

Tuesday was a day full of flights.  4 airports, 14 hours, 100 lbs of food.  My carry on was literally busting at the seams with all the food we packed.  Kyle’s parents didn’t want us to go hungry, and I can say with 100% certainty that that DID NOT happen.  I’ll post on the en route chow tomorrow because this post is already way too long.  Good thing I had all your questions to pass the time.  Seriously, you guys asked some AWESOME Qs…it’s gonna take awhile so bear with me.

Question: Do you like your in-laws?  Love em?  Tolerate em?  Dish it!!

Hi Friends!

If you are wondering where I’ve been, the true answer is that I was just living life less connected today (part by choice, part not). Honestly, I wasn’t in the mood to blog about my PB & banana on whole wheat toast this morning. I mean, really…did it change your day that much? Didn’t think so. I proceeded to the gym for a 90-minute workout. The breakdown is as follows:

• 20 minutes stationary bike
• 20 minutes ARC trainer
• 20 minutes treadmill
• 30 minutes strengthening & stretching

I attended my microbiology lecture – just 4 left! – before coming home…and I’ve been here ever since. I intended on blogging at “lunch time”, but my roommate and I came home to no cable and no internet. So…I slipped on my PJs (at 3:00 in the afternoon) and managed to keep myself occupied without the assistance of my computer. Thankfully, we still had power!

Although I want to embrace the wonderful month of December as much as possible, I brought a bit of summer to my plate for dinner tonight. (I always think of burgers & beans as summer food, anyway.)

Dr. Praeger’s All Natural California Veggie Burger (courtesy of TJ’s)

on a whole wheat English muffin (much less caloric than a regular bun)

…with mustard, ketchup, Havarti, tomato, avocado & lettuce

+ leftover Walnut Acres Organic Maple & Onion Baked Beans & a crunchy carrot

This was my first Dr. P’s burger and it was mighty tasty – simple, readable ingredients! Anyway, I did not manage to get much homework done this afternoon, so I have to squeeze that in between SYTYCD (Who’s going home?) and a shower.

Have a great night!

~ Hillary

by Kate Hasich

You might wonder, once the weight is off, how do I maintain my hard earned loss? The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) is a website dedicated to answering this very question. They have a large registry of people who have lost a substantial amount of weight and kept it off for a long period of time. The average weight loss is 60 pounds, maintained for an average of 5 to 7 years. These registered people then participate in ongoing research, which surveys their habits, successes and difficulties. This helps us to get a better understanding of the most common factors in weight loss maintenance.

During this five part series we will talk about the five biggest conclusions of their research.

5 Proven Behaviors for Long Term Weight Management

1. Follow a low-fat diet
2. Record keep
3. Monitor weight frequently
4. Eat breakfast daily
5. Exercise

It takes work to keep those hard-earned pounds off. Even though 42% of National Weight Control Registry members believe it is easier to maintain weight loss than lose weight, you still need to be careful of what you eat. It is important to continue eating a low-fat diet, even after the pounds are gone.

What do we mean by low-fat? About 25% of your calories should come from fat. An example of this is if you eat 2,500 calories per day then 625 of your calories should be from fat. This is equal to about 70g of fat per day (there are 9 calories per gram of fat). However, one thing to remember is the type of fat you eat will play a major role in your health. Most of your fats should be heart-healthy fats, such as olive oil, canola oil, salmon, flaxseeds, avocado and nuts. Continue to limit saturated fats, such as fatty meat cuts, dairy fat and tropical oils. You can tell if a fat is saturated or not by its state at room temperature. If a fat is solid (like lard) at room temperature, then it is a saturated fat. If it is a liquid (like olive oil) at room temperature, then it is a healthy fat.

Good fats are an essential part of any healthy diet, just be careful not to over do it, because they can easily lead to weight gain.

Bread and a combination of cheese, meat, vegetables, and spreads is absolute bliss to me.  This sandwich is so quick, I think everything was done in 15 minutes from start to finish.  My husband is having exams these days so he’s home for dinner then back to the library.  I’m on a deadline!  Sandwiches fit in perfectly with these “deadlines.”  No, he’s not at all a tyrant who will scream if dinner is not on the table, but I would just like him to maximize his study time.

I coated the shrimp in cornstarch, chili flakes, and salt and lightly pan fried them so that they would slightly resemble the shrimp in po’ boys.  MMMMmmmmMMMMmmm po’ boys, how I love thee.  I guess this is my ultra quick version of a po’ boy minus the remoulade and the french bread.  But, hey I had some sort of inspiration to lead me to this sandwich.

If you recall I used harissa in a salad. I wanted to spruce up the regular mayo but didn’t have the time to chop up herbs and the like, so a squeeze of harissa into the mayo created a really nice spicy mayo that I would make again the same exact way even if I had the time to chop herbs.  My favorite sandwich combination is arugula, tomatoes, avocado, and red onion.  I forgot the red onion in this one, though I have no idea how I did.  This turned out to be a triple decker club, hope you enjoy it!

This recipe is one of those recipes that you wonder why I would even post it because it’s so easy.  I feel like that when I watch some cooking shows and they teach you something anyone can do without thinking.  But this was really yum, so I wanted to share it with you.

Shrimp, Avocado, Tomato, Arugula, Harissa Mayo Club

Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, tails removed

2 1/2 tablespoons corn starch

1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

handful of arugula

half an avocado, sliced

1 tomato, sliced

3 tablespoons of mayo mixed with 1 teaspoon of harissa paste

6 slices multigrain bread, or any bread of your choice (if you don’t want to add an extra slice of bread just use 2 slices)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Method:

Toss the shrimp with cornstarch, chili flakes, and salt.  Pan fry in oil about 3 minutes per side or until cooked.  Toast the bread and spread the harissa mayo on the bread (both sides or one side).  Add the shrimp and arugula to one layer and then tomato and arugula on the next layer of the triple-decker.  Cut across diagonally and serve.