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Filtering by Tag: ezekiel

'tini tuesday

Andrea

The deadline completion celebration continued tonight with martinis and dinner at one of our favorite Charlottesville restaurants.  I know I say that a lot (favorite C'ville restaurants) but we have a LOT of fantastic food joints in this little town.  :)  Martini Night actually used to be a weekly event with some friends of ours, but when the holidays hit we fell out of the routine a bit.  We got back into it tonight with our good friend Virginia at Bang!, an Asian-inspired tapas restaurant with awesome food and killer martinis.   But, before I get ahead of myself, lets talk about food that I prepared today.  I woke up thinking about yesterday's breakfast and decided to go for a repeat.  I'm sorry I'm boring, but it was that good.   Breakfast:  toasted ezekiel, 1-1/2 tbsp dark chocolate dreams pb, 1 cup strawberries [336 cal] 090217-b1 Lunch today involved another of my new purchases...Arnold's Sandwich Thins!  I could say that I wanted to truly experience the flavor of the Thin by not mucking it up with lots of filling, but in truth I was just running short on time.  :) Lunch:  arnold's sandwich thin with TJ's natural, crunchy PB and sour cherry preserves.  Also, a salad. [428 cal] 090217-l21 My salad contained:
  • baby greens
  • cucumber
  • orange bell pepper
  • the last of my roasted garlic hummus, about 1 tbsp
  • hearts of palm
  • dried cranberries
  • TJ's fat free balsamic vinaigrette
090217-l1 For a snack I packed another repeat, 1 orange, 5 strawberries and 1/4 cup Fage 0%. 090217-s11 And then, tragedy struck.  I went to the fridge for my fruity yogurt bowl at about 3:30, enough time to digest my snack before my run at 5:15.  When I got to the fridge, I couldn't find my bowl!  I quickly returned to my office and my tote bag, where I discovered my bowl.  Warm as could be.  I did some research about how long yogurt could remain at room temperature before the threat of bacteria struck and concluded that it wouldn't be a smart idea to eat it.  Apparently, if the container is sealed, yogurt can last up to 8 hours at room temperature (according to some sources...but eat at your own risk!).  However, if the yogurt is open and exposed to the air, I couldn't find any site that thought it was ok to eat after 2 hours without refrigeration.  I can't tell you how sad I was to have to throw this beautiful bowl away.  SO sad.   Instead, I had an apple and 1/2 a Clif Chocolate Chip bar.  This Clif flavor was good, but I actually prefer the flavor and calorie count of the Clif chocolate chip ZBar more. Snack:  1 apple and 1/2 Clif chocolate chip bar. [200 cal] 090217-s2 I left work a little early and went for a run with my friend Kelly.  We did just 3 miles and it was so laborious for me tonight.  I'm always amazed at how different a run can be from day to day.  This was the same route we did last week, I just cut it a little short because we had dinner plans.  Tonight my legs were heavy and my stomach was crampy.  I blame the first ailment on my two consecutive days of intense yoga...I was so sore today!  And I blame the second ailment on my apple.  Apples just don't agree with me as pre-run snacks.  I've tried it before and I always get crampy.  I thought today that I had plenty of time before my run, but apparently not.  From now on, apples are off-limits after lunch on running days. Exercise:  3 mile run [-318 cal] Dinner was sooo tasty.  I LOVE Bang!  We ordered an assortment of tapas to share amongst the three of us.  There were wild mushroom dumplings, crab pot stickers, edamame, coconut rice, veggie curry, and other dishes that involved either beef or shrimp, none of which I ate because I'm not a fan of either.  There were also delightful little slaws and salads that come alongside the main dishes.  These may be my favorite part of the meal, and have inspired me to make more Asian-inspired slaws in my own kitchen.   I also had the Bang! Lemon Drop Martini.  This martini is perfect.  Its the martini that I strive to make at home but just haven't perfected yet. I've tried, trust me, I've tried.  It has something to do with the specific sour they use, or the lemongrass infused simple syrup (I'm just not that ambitious).  But it is GOOD, and I enjoyed every sip.   The food portions are tiny, so we left still slightly hungry but with much lighter wallets.  I'm thinking there is some sort of pre-bed snack in my future... G'night!
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categories breakfast, dinner, lunch
tags arnold's, bang!, ezekiel, fage, pb & co, running, salad

getting back to normal...

Andrea

Helllllooooo!  I finished my deadline!!!!!!!!!  WooHoo!!!!!!!!  That means that I should be posting regularly again, until I go out of town this weekend...no promises then.  :)   THANK YOU ALL!!!! for the sweet comments on my blog yesterday!  Aww, you totally made my day and reinforced that I made the right decision for my body. I am constantly amazed at the support you all give and am truly appreciative of your thoughtful messages.  :)  And you're right, I made the decision for me and was totally secure with it before posting, I just love that you all recognized that and supported me fully.  So, THANK YOU! Yesterday's eats are not even worth mentioning.  I did have a lovely bowl of oatmeal as I was writing my tome about running, but it all went downhill (WAY downhill) from there.   My time in the office wound up being far longer than I anticipated (11 hours!  on Sunday!) so I found myself completely unprepared for meals.  I didn't bother with pictures...you wouldn't be interested.  Trust me.  I did manage to make it to my favorite Sunday YOGA class though (are you proud, Heather?!?!  :)   ) so all was not lost. I woke up early so that I could have extra time in the office before my submittal at 4pm.  Knowing that today was going to be extremely stressful I decided to treat myself with chocolate for breakfast...!   Well, healthy chocolate, in the form of PB&Co Dark Chocolate Dreams... Breakfast:  toasted Ezekiel muffin with 1-1/2 tbsp dark chocolate dreams PB and 1 cup of sliced strawberries...divine! [336 cal] 090216-b1 This weekend, in the midst of my V-Day activities and crazy work schedule I found time to make a trip to the grocery store.   I was short on time so I decided to go to Harris Teeter instead of Whole Foods because it was closer, bigger, and had a better chance of being less crowded.  The trip was pretty exciting...I found two blog-famous items that I've never tried before, Arnold's Sandwich Thins and Flat Out Wraps!!!   Lunch:  veggie + hummus on a whole grain Flat Out Wrap [176 cal]  I know this is really light, but I had intended on eating the snack below with lunch.  I just didn't have time... 090216-l2 I was so busy today right at lunch, so I wolfed down the wrap and saved the rest of my lunch for a snack later.  The flat out wrap was REALLY good!  The shape is genius.  Seriously.  The texture was lighter than my typical whole wheat tortillas, and only 100 calories as compared to 130 calories.  So far, I'm impressed.  I've heard that the ingredients aren't particularly thrilling, and I honestly don't have the energy to get up and go to the kitchen to look at the back of the bag.  So I'll report on that some other time.  :) Snack:  1 orange, 4 strawberries and 1/4 cup Fage 0%. [156 cal] 090216-l1 Tonight I finally made it to another yoga class at the studio where I have an unlimited pass for the month. What timing.  I don't think I could have picked a worse month to invest in an unlimited yoga pass!  My work schedule has just been way to crazy.  The class was awesome, I'm so impressed with both instructors that I've met at the studio.  It was a 90 minute Ashtanga class and I loved the pace and time taken to really get into poses.  We did lots of back bends and plank variations...I'm definitely going to feel it tomorrow.  There's nothing like going to a class and having an instructor help you to improve your practice.  I feel like its worth the money not only for the class itself but for the added benefit I get when I practice on my own at home.  I've got lots of catch-up to do to make my pass purchase worth it, and I'm hoping that now that my deadline is over I will be able to make yoga a more regular part of my routine again. Exercise:  90 minutes of Ashtanga While I was at yoga my hubb started on dinner.  I picked out a recipe for Root Vegetable and Mushroom Pie with Rosemary Biscuit Topping out of this month's issue of Bon Appetit.  When I walked in the door at our house I was hit by an aroma so amazing...a home cooked meal!  It had been way too long.  There was still a lot of work to do...this recipe is NOT a quick one, and I definitely don't recommend it for week night cooking.  My hubb started when he got home at 6:45 and we didn't eat until 9:15!  However, it was worth it.  SO worth it.  Just make it when you have LOTS of time and well before you anticipate getting hungry! Dinner:  Root Veggie Pie with Rosemary Biscuit Topping [446 cal] 090216-d6 We had to modify the recipe quite a bit because I was missing a few ingredients.  I have a terrible habit of not reading recipes thoroughly before going to the store...often missing ingredients and minor details such as the ridiculously long prep time. Root Veggie Pie with Rosemary Biscuit Topping [modified from Bon Appetit, March 2009] makes 6 servings 446 calories, 14.3g fat, 8.1g sat. fat, 65.2g carbs, 12.5g fiber, 15.2g protein Ingredients: Filling
  • 6 cups beef broth
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped to 1/2" dice
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 large parsnips, chopped to 1/2" dice
  • 1 large rutabaga, peeled and cut to 1/2" dice
  • 1 large turnip, peeled and cut to 1/2" dice
  • 1/2oz dried shitake mushrooms
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 cups chopped onions
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup soy milk
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • salt + pepper
Biscuits
  • 2-1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp chilled unsalted butter, diced
  • 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
Method:
  1. Bring broth to a boil over medium heat.  Add carrots, celery, parsnips, rutabega, turnip, mushrooms and onion.  Simmer until veggies are tender, about 7 minutes.  Drain, but reserve veggies and broth separately.
  2. Melt butter in same pot over medium heat.  Add garlic and rosemary and stir for 2 minutes.  Add flour, stir for 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in reserved broth, then soy milk and wine.  Cook until sauce is thick and reduced to 4 cups, whisking often, about 8 minutes.
  3. Mix in reserved vegetables and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Transfer filling to a buttered 13x9x2-inch baking dish.  Preheat oven to 400* and bake until bubbling, about 60 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare biscuits by mixing flour, baking powder, rosemary and salt in a mixing bowl.  Add chilled butter and use fingertips to blend until mixture resembles course bread crumbs.  Gradually add buttermilk, tossing with fork until dough is evenly moist.  Add more buttermilk if needed to make dough bind.
  6. Pull filling from oven when ready.  Drop biscuit dough onto hot filling by heaping tablespoonfuls.  Bake uncovered for an additional 45 minutes, until toothpick inserted into biscuit comes out clean.
090216-d1 photo courtesy of my hubb 090216-d5 090216-d7 I also made my favorite drink using one of winter's best fruits, the Meyer Lemon.  You know, in celebration of completing my deadline.  :) 090216-d2 Bella Eats Lemon Drop Martini makes 2 drinks, 300 calories each
  • 2 parts vodka
  • 1 part limoncello
  • 1 part sour mix
  • 1/2 part simple syrup (1:1 sugar and water)
  • juice from 1/2 lemon
Just shake it all up with ice and enjoy! 090216-d3 And...its bed time.  Or, at least, reading a good book in bed time.  :)  I hope you all have a great Tuesday!
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categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, recipes
tags ezekiel, fage, flat out, lemon drop, martini, root veggies

on running, and my first 5k

Andrea

Happy Valentine's Day!!!  

er...day after V-Day!  I started this post yesterday but didn't have a chance to finish it, so bear with me if some of my wording is off...  :) My hubb and I started the morning right with the Amnesty International Valentine's Day Couples 5K...so fun!!!  What a beautiful morning for a race! race-2 There were probably 200-300 people there, all in their bright-colored cool-weather gear.  The temperature was 25* when we left the house, and it probably climbed to 30* by the time the race started.  My hubb and I stayed together for the first mile, then I urged him to go forward without me once I heard our 1-mile split...9:14!!!  That is fast for me, and I felt like I was going to burn myself out too quickly if I tried to keep up with him.  He pushed ahead and I slowed down just slightly...my second mile split was 18:42!  The first two miles were on a hilly road, and the last mile was on a very hilly trail through the woods that slowed me down quite a bit.  We even had to climb over a fallen tree!  So my final time was 30:20...which I am THRILLED with!  I really wanted to beat a 10 min./mile average and would have loved to beat 30 minutes, but I wasn't expecting the trail and that totally threw my time off.  If the entire 3.1 miles had been like the first 2 miles I think I would have finished around 28 minutes... My hubb did really well too for his first race, finishing just ahead of me.  I can't wait for our next race together! race-1 So...I have been thinking about running a lot lately.  You all know that I had a foot injury a few weeks ago that slowed my training down quite a bit, in fact it completely halted my training for about a week and sent me from a 5.5-mile long run back down to 3-miles because of foot pain at any greater distance. It was frustrating.  Its still frustrating, because even after last weekend's 4.5-mile push my foot was really sore.  You all know how much I wanted to finish the Charlottesville 10-Miler this year after injury kept me from it last year, and you've been an incredible support system, helping me to get through ridiculous cold weather runs and injury and being a great source of advice and encouragement.  I have been dreading writing this post ever since last weekend's run, because that run was my test.  The test to see how my foot would feel at a distance greater than 3.5 miles.  The test to see how my endurance held up during my training hiatus.  The test to see if it was possible for me to push forward and complete the training for the 10-miler, which is now a mere 7 weeks away.  And...my foot failed the test.  I hope that I don't get any negative feedback for the statement I am about to write, for my greatest sadness in this whole experience is my fear that I am going to disappoint you all. I've decided to stop training for the 2009 Charlottesville 10-Miler. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who think that going from 4-5 miles to 10 miles in 7 weeks is totally a possibility, and it probably is, for some people.  But I've learned that my body doesn't handle accelerated training and big increases in running distance very well.  I injure myself, and no race is worth me injuring myself any further than I already have.  And, I realized in the last few days that the last sentence in the above paragraph was what was keeping me in the training program, not my intense desire to run the race by my even greater desire to not disappoint you all.  When I went back and read my running story yesterday, these are some of the statements that leapt from my computer screen...
I never liked running, it was hard, I told myself I wasn’t made for it.  But secretly when I would see a runner out on the road lost in their own world or a pair of runners chatting away as they jogged I would think “I wish that I loved to run.”  I’d hear friends talk about how they “just NEED to run, my day’s not complete without it” and I’d think “why I can’t I have that passion for something so good for me?” ...in an effort to find the inner runner in ME, I’ve signed up for the training program again this year.  To be clear, I am participating in the program to find my motivation, my inner runner and hopefully a few more running buddies. I will be perfectly happy to get back up to 4-5 miles and stay there if I feel like my body can’t handle any more distance. I am determined to listen to my body and slow down if I start to feel injuries coming on.
I remembered that I started this training program so that I could get back into running.  So that I could learn to love to run, whether with a running buddy or on my own.  Through this experience I've learned that I really enjoy running 3-4 miles, and anything past that gets boring and tedious for me.  I've learned that 5K's are a lot of fun, and I get a big thrill out of pushing myself to go faster, but not necessarily longer.  I've learned that I look forward to a 3-4 mile run with my hubb or a friend, but when I get to 5-6 miles I dread it.  I've learned that my body may not be capable of safely running long distances...and I'm ok with that.  So, in my eyes, this training program was a complete success. I've decided to stick with shorter distances.  To run for my health and my enjoyment and to challenge myself by increasing speed rather than distance. There are plenty of 5K's out there, the C'ville Women's 4-Miler, even some 8K's and 10K's that may be possible.  I may even try a mini-triathlon sometime.  And maybe eventually I'll try long distances again, if after running consistently for awhile my desire to challenge myself in that way returns.  But I won't be disappointed with myself if I never get to that point, and I hope that you all won't be disappointed either. Whew!  Thanks for sticking with me, if you've gotten this far!  I really needed to get it all out there, and I'll be updating my running page soon to reflect the latest events in my story.

Now, on to food!

My apologies for not posting the last couple of days.  I know you all understand since I have been on a big big big deadline.  Unfortunately, my deadline was pushed from Friday to Monday.  Typically I would be thrilled to have 2 extra days to work on a project, but not when those two days are my weekend!  Argh.  Most of my meals were packed up in the morning and eaten at the office, so they are pretty standard. Breakfast Thursday:  toasted ezekiel muffin, 1/2 with 1 tbsp TJ's natural PB and 1/2 with 1 tbsp sour cherry preserves.  And some red grapes. [415 cal] 090212-b11 Lunch Thursday:  big ol' salad with spinach, baby blends, red bell pepper, broccoli, cucumber, hearts of palm, black olives, roasted garlic hummus and some TJ's fat free balsamic vinaigrette. [207 cal] 090212-l11 Snacks Thursday:  an apple (saved my pear for a snackie dessert bowl once home) and a Clif White Chocolate Macadamia Nut bar, 1/2 before my run and 1/2 after.  I am IN LOVE with the WCMN bar...even more so than the iced gingerbread.  Which is a good thing because the WCMN bar isn't seasonal! [321 cal] 090212-s11 Exercise Thursday:  3-1/2 mile run with my friend Kelly...it was fabulous and got me totally pumped up for my 5K. [-360 cal] I actually made dinner in the morning and packed it up to take to the office with me, knowing it would be a late night.   Dinner Thursday:  baked chicken breast with Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce, 1 cup steamed broccoli and 3/4 cup Near East Whole Grain Blends, roasted garlic flavor. [406 cal] 090212-d11 And I know you all have seen this fabulous sauce popping up all over the blog world...  I received two bottles of Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce last week and was excited to try it on my chicken.  Let me tell you, it is some good stuff.  Its kind of a cross between bbq and worschestshire sauce, with a smokey tang that truly would be good on most anything I can imagine.   090212-d21 I"ll be hosting a give-away so that a couple of my lovely readers can try out their own bottles of Country Bob's, but I need to clarify a couple of things with the company first.  Stay tuned! Dessert Thursday:  snackie dessert bowl with 1 sliced pear, 2 heaping tbsp Fage 0% yogurt, 1 tsp honey.  No picture, I was too tired. [149 cal] Daily Totals: Thursday
  • Calories Consumed:  1498
  • Calories Expelled:  360
  • Net Calories:  1138
Breakfast Friday:  toasted ezekiel muffin with 1-1/2 tbsp TJ's natural PB and a sliced banana [423 cal] 090213-b11 Lunch Friday:  1/2 a leftover chicken breast, thawed black-eyed peas and ham from New Years Day on a bed of spinach, and some red grapes. [360 cal] 090213-l11 Snacks Friday:  a mandarin orange, I decided against my apple because it just didn't sound good.  Weird. However, when my boss brought in red wine, cheese and crackers for our Friday afternoon festivities, that sounded good.  It had been a long week, and it wasn't close to being over.  I had a small glass of wine and about 2oz of swiss cheese, with 4 table water crackers. [402 cal] 090213-s11 I wanted to load up on carbs for our race the next morning, so dinner Friday was a kitchen sink pasta. Saturday is grocery day, so I had some veggies that I wanted to use up.  Basically anything and everything I could find went in. Dinner Friday:  kitchen sink pasta and lots of water [548 cal] 090213-d1 This yummy bowl contained:
  • 1 cup brown rice pasta
  • 365 brand marinara sauce
  • onion
  • garlic
  • bell peppers
  • broccoli
  • chickpeas
  • shitake mushrooms
  • fresh basil
  • crushed red pepper
  • 2 tbsp part-skim mozzerella
090213-d2 It really hit the spot.  Sometimes a big bowl of pasta is exactly what you need after a long week. 090213-d31 Daily Totals: Friday
  • Calories Consumed: 1733
  • Calories Expelled:  none
  • Net Calories:  1733 (yikes!  luckily wine/cheese friday is only one day/week!)
I don't have many pictures for Saturday... Breakfast Saturday:  1/2 Clif Iced Gingerbread bar pre-race, 1/2 banana and 1/2 bagel post-race [330 cal] Lunch Saturday:  3/4 cup Fage 0%, 1 sliced banana, a drizzle of honey and 1/4 cup TJ's pumpkin spice granola...it was exactly what I wanted. [331 cal] 090214-l1 Snacks Saturday:  1 pear and 4 table water crackers while at the office, a ZBar after grocery shopping [311 cal] My hubb and I had a lovely Valentine's Day evening.  We started off at an engagement party for some good friends.  I have a picture of Liz and I, but sadly none of me with my hubb!  Such a shame because he looked so handsome all dressed up... lize-engagement After the party we went to dinner at L'Etoile, a French restaurant in town that I have been dying to try for quite some time.  They serve food prepared using a lot of locally-produced products, which I am a big proponent of.  Again, no pictures!  So sad because it was really a wonderful evening. We started with wine (I had chardonnay) and an amuse-bouche from the chef, a bite-size morsel of cornichon, prosciutto and roquefort sprinkled with fresh chives.  It was perfect. Then I moved on to the lobster bisque, which was hands-down my favorite part of the meal, even better than dessert.  I just don't get enough lobster in my life... My hubb had the duck confit, which I also tried a bite of and loved.  I'm not usually a fan of duck because it is so oily, but this dish was divine.  After our appetizers we were brought the winter salad, which consisted of arugula, apples, walnuts and local cheese with a champagne vinaigrette.  I am a huge fan of arugula, I loved the combination of its spicy bite with the sweet apples and vinaigrette.  For my entree' I picked the rockfish in brown butter sauce with fingerling potatoes and hericot verts.  The fish was cooked perfectly, but the flavor wasn't anything outstanding.  And my potatoes were undercooked, still a little crunchy and lacking in flavor.  For dessert we decided on the tasting for two, which consisted of chocolate cake with peanut butter ganache, kettle corn revisited...a sweet/salty combination of cake and ice cream which was truly wonderful, a "french toast" brioche bread pudding with maple syrup and brown sugar, and an undercooked creme brulee'.  It was a lovely evening in a beautiful atmosphere with delicious food and the love of my life.   And now, I must return to the office.  :(  I am going to take a break mid-day to go to yoga, and hopefully we'll be having dinner with a friend tonight.  I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend!!!
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categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, product review
tags country bob's, ezekiel, race, running

a seasonal dinner

Andrea

Good evening, lovelies!  Have you all hopped over to Meghann's blog to check out the Blogger Bake Sale?  There are some amazing-looking baked treats up for sale, and all proceeds go to a wonderful cause, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Bidding ends at midnight for Day 1 so be sure to get over there and place your bids before your favorite items get snatched up!  I've got two items up for sale, chocolate chip cookies and my own banana apple bread. This morning I woke up feeling really yucky.  I was nauseous and light-headed, and would have put-off work for a few hours had I not had so much to do at the office.  I dragged myself up, took a shower, made my breakfast then went straight back to bed.  After about 30 minutes I felt a little bit better and got moving again, and my hubb  brought me a glass of OJ to get something in my stomach.  I wound up packing up my breakfast and taking it to the office with me, eating it once my stomach felt not-so-flippy. Breakfast: 8oz of OJ, a toasted ezekiel muffin with TJ's crunchy peanut butter and sliced apples. [446 cal] 090209-b1 My hubb was such a sweetie and made me this gorgeous salad for lunch, complete with homemade vinaigrette!  He even took pictures...can you believe him?!?  I also was craving some soup, so I ran across the street to Revolutionary Soup for their Spicy Senegalese Peanut Tofu soup...YUM.  I must learn how to make this. Lunch:  fresh salad and spicy peanut tofu soup, along with a small whole wheat roll. [salad = 200 cal, soup = ???, whole wheat roll = ???] 090209-l1 My salad had:
  • baby greens
  • spinach
  • cucumber
  • yellow bell pepper
  • dried cranberries
  • slivered almonds
  • 3 tbsp roasted garlic hummus
  • homemade balsamic vinaigrette
Sadly, my stomach got all weird again about halfway through my salad so I couldn't finish it.  :(  I had a couple of iffy hours where I was willing time to go by so that I could go home and lay down.  I decided to eat a granola bar to settle my tum around 5:00, and it actually helped quite a bit.  But not enough for me to feel up for yoga at 6pm...I'm so sad that I missed it. Afternoon Snacks:  A Quaker True Delights bar while at work, a dried fig while cooking dinner. [162 cal] 090209-s1 090209-s2 When we got home I knew I wanted something warm and comforting.  Luckily I had some soup on the menu...  This weekend I managed to fit in 2 long hot baths, complete with bubbles, vino and the latest Bon Appetit magazine.  I also had the February 2008 issue of BA, which I hadn't had a chance to read last year because I was deeply entrenched in my graduate studies.  I held on to all of my neglected foodie magazines so that I could read them this year, during their intended month to take advantage of the seasonal recipes always featured.  I read about yukon gold potatoes, kale, meyer lemons and leeks.  My reading left me craving a hearty winter soup...and a lemon drop martini.  I fulfilled the first craving tonight, the second will probably wait until the weekend.  :) 090209-d5 090209-d1 Tonight's dinner isn't a recipe from BA, unfortunately...it probably would have turned out a bit better if it had been.  It was good, the flavors were spot-on, but the texture of the soup was a bit, well, gluey.  For lack of a better descriptor.  I believe the reason for the extra thick creaminess was my use of yukon golds, which in hindsight I think would be better suited to a chunky soup than a pureed soup.  Lesson learned.  I will definitely try this recipe again, just with a different type of potato. Dinner:  potato leek soup with kale and hearty oat biscuits. [437 cal] 090209-d3 Potato Leek Soup with Kale 226 calories, 7.4g fat, 1g sat fat, 37.5 carbs, 4.9g fiber, 9.2g protein makes 4 servings Ingredients:
  • 2 medium leeks, chopped finely
  • 1/2 large onion, about 1 cup chopped
  • 2 ribs of celery, chopped
  • 3 potatoes (next time, I'll use russet)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cups of veggie broth
  • 4 cups chopped kale, loosely packed
  • salt + pepper
Method:
  1. Heat oil on medium.  Add leeks, onion, celery and potatoes, stir to coat with oil.  When veggies start sizzling, lower heat and cover pot.  Let the veggies sweat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally , until veggies are tender.
  2. Add veggie broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat back down to simmer and cover.  Let simmer for about 20 minutes until potatoes are starting to fall apart.
  3. Puree' soup in a blender until smooth and creamy.  Pour back in soup pot and keep warm on low heat.  Season with salt + pepper.
  4. Place chopped kale in large saucepan and cover with water.  Boil for 5 minutes, until kale is bright green and tender. Drain kale and add to soup.
090209-d2 I also made some hearty oat biscuits with the addition of sharp white cheddar cheese and scallions.  Again, flavors were great, but the texture was off.  The dough was wetter than normal...I'm thinking that in my slightly hazy/ill state I mis-measured something.  I'm going to hold off on sharing the recipe this time because I really want to work on perfecting it and I don't want to mis-lead you. 090209-d4 Dessert:  more beautiful grapes. [110 cal] 090209-d6 Alrighty, I'm feeling much better now but am ready for bed.  I really want to get up in the morning for my run so that I can keep my evening free for yoga, although that means I'll only be getting about 5.5 hours of sleep.  :(  There are not enough hours in a day!!!  How many hours of sleep do you get a night?  I feel really lucky if I get 7, but I'm usually closer to 6.  Not good... G'night!
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categories baking, breakfast, dinner, lunch, soup
tags bread, ezekiel, kale, leeks, oats, potato, salad, soup

"healthified" lasagna!

Andrea

Yay Wednesday!  Whew, I'm tired tonight bloggies!  I'm going to try to keep my writing short and sweet tonight...but I apologize in advance if its not.  You know me, I love talkin' about my food!  :) Breakfast:  Ezekiel plain english muffin (so good!), 1 tsp whipped Earth Balance, 2 egg whites scrambled with spinach and a small slice of pepper jack cheese.  Also, 1/2 an apple.  Yum!  The pepper jack cheese was the perfect spicy touch on my egg sandwich...loved it! [349 cal] 090204-b1 Lunch: a salmon spinach salad.  I had about 2.5oz of salmon leftover from last night, 1/2 cup of TJ's Harvest Blends and 2 cups of fresh spinach.  I also crumbled 4 walnut halves on top and squeezed blood orange juice all over it.  SO TASTY!!!  I'm usually a little weary of leftover fish, but I actually really loved the salmon icy cold on top of a salad.  Also, a blood orange. [340 cal] 090204-l1 Snacks:  I forgot to take pictures!  :(  I had a single-serve Oikos, blueberry flavor, at 3:30 and a Quaker True Delights granola bar at 5:00.  Both were delicious and kept me fueled for yoga. [250 cal] Exercise:  YOGA!!!  Oh how I love going to classes.  Tonight I tried out a new studio that several friends have recommended numerous times.  They are running a special right now that all new students can sign up for unlimited classes for one month for only $50!!!  I jumped on that, so you'll be seeing lots of yoga workouts popping up on the blog for the next 4 weeks.  WooHoo!  :)  I'm excited to improve my balancing and upper body strength...I am majorly lacking in that area of yoga.  Tonight's class was a 90 minute Intro to Ashtanga.  I've always gone to Vinyasa classes, which are very similar to Ashtanga, but I think Ashtanga has the potential to be more strenuous.  Both are considered to be power yoga, and both leave me dripping with sweat.  I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to trying out more classes at the studio!  :) I wasn't sure how to count my calories...myfooddiary isn't too specific.  They just break up yoga into "power" and "stretching".  So I counted 60 minutes of "power" and 30 minutes of "stretching", figuring I was REALLY working for at least 2/3's the class, and the other 1/3 was warm-up and cool-down.  Anybody have any other suggestions? [-400 calories] My hubb and I cooked dinner together tonight.  I love that!  We made a healthier version of lasagna, inspired by the Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites Cookbook, one of my faves. Dinner:  "healthified" veggie lasagna and a small glass of cabernet [about 550 cal] 090204-d7 090204-d6 090204-d5 This lasagna was SO good, and while we couldn't eat it every night, it is so much healthier than my old meaty, cheesy, creamy versions from the past.   Healthified Veggie Lasagna [inspired by the Moosewood Cafe Low-Fat Favorites Cookbook] 8 servings 443 calories, 11.9g fat, 4.9g sat fat, 59.6g carbs, 6.3g fiber, 21.5g protein Ingredients:
  • 16oz brown rice lasagna noodles, cooked until al dente'
  • one jar of marinara sauce, about 3 cups
  • 2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
  • 1-1/2 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella, divided
  • 1/4 cup parmesan
  • 4 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 bell peppers, sliced
  • 3 portobello mushroom caps, sliced
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 small jar of sliced olives
  • salt + pepper
Method:
  1. Boil lasagna noodles until al dente, set aside.  Preheat oven to 350*.
  2. Heat oil in saute pan over medium heat.  Saute garlic, onions, peppers, mushrooms for 2-3 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup of wine and stir well.  Add tomatoes and bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat and cover pan.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.
  3. Rinse spinach and drain.  Place in sauce pan and cover, turning heat to medium high.  Stir occasionally, until spinach is wilted. (Should cook with just water clinging to leaves after rinsing).  Chop spinach and mix together with cottage cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella and parmesan.
  4. Spoon 1/2 cup of marinara sauce into bottom of 9x13 glass pan.  Add one layer of noodles.  Spoon 1/3 of veggies (use slotted spoon) on top of noodles.  Add 1/3 of cheese/spinach mixture.  Sprinkle 1/3 of olives on top.  Add another layer of noodles.  Spoon 1/2 cup of sauce on top of noodles, then veggies, cheese mixture and olives.  Repeat.  Add one final layer of noodles and last of sauce on top.  Sprinkle last 1/2 cup of mozzarella across top.
  5. Bake at 350* for 20 minutes.
090204-d1 090204-d2 090204-d3 090204-d4 Must. Go. To. Bed.  G'night!  :) Edited to Add Daily Total:
  • calories consumed = 1492
  • calories expelled = 400
  • net calories = 1092
Light again!  I'm really not meaning too...I'll grab a date before bed.  Promise.  :)
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categories breakfast, dinner, healthified favorites, lunch
tags "healthified", cottage cheese, eggs, ezekiel, lasagna, salad, salmon, veggie

road food

Andrea

I just couldn't resist getting a quick post in today before heading out to NC for the next 30 hours.  :) I've packed myself some snacks to help resist the urge of eating unhealthy meals on the road, and wanted to show you guys what I've eaten so far today.  More quick and easy favorites... Breakfast:  toasted ezekiel cinnamon raisin muffin with 1-1/2 tbsp natural PB and 1 small pink lady apple. [384 calories] 090130-b1 Lunch:  baked sweet potato with 1/4 cup wheat berries, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 2 tbsp edamame, 2 tbsp corn, sea salt [341 calories] 090130-l1 Snacks: [for today and tomorrow's road trips] small pink lady apple, clif bar, quaker true delights bar, walnut halves and dried turkish apricots.  These will be spread out over the next couple of days, and probably not all consumed.  But I've included calorie counts below so that I can pick and choose to make up my snacks while I'm out of town.  What do you pack for road trips? [apple = 80 calories, clif bar = 250 calories, true delights bar = 140 calories, 1/4 cup walnut halves = 215 calories, 1/2 cup dried apricots = 173 calories] 090130-s1 And I'm off!  Have a great weekend!!!  :)
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categories breakfast, lunch, snacks
tags ezekiel, quick and easy, snacks, sweet potato

injury advice?

Andrea

Good evening!  How was everybody's day?  I was in total detox mode after the last two days filled with cookies and fried chicken!  I woke up knowing that I wanted needed to eat completely healthfully to get back on track.  I even managed to resist the temptation of pizza when my hubb went out to get his lunch.  :) The day was started off right with my favorite muffins and a cup of hot tea. Breakfast:  toasted ezekiel cinnamon raisin muffin with 1 tbsp natural peanut butter and apple slices. 090121-b12 Morning Snack:  oikos - blueberry flavor, leftover from the snack I never ate on Monday. Lunch:  a big ol' salad.   090121-l2 This delight contained:
  • spinach
  • celery
  • cucumber
  • broccoli
  • red bell pepper
  • hearts of palm
  • strawberries
  • garbonzo beans
  • poppyseed dressing
090121-l1 Afternoon Snack:  a perfect tangelo and a Clif Nectar Cacao, dark chocolate raspberry flavor.  I enjoyed the bar before my evening run and the tangelo after. 090121-s2 090121-s Exercise:  a 3-1/2 mile run with my dear friend Kelly.  This was a much more enjoyable run than last night's because (1) I had company to chit chat with and (2) we went at 5pm and still had daylight!!!  Yay for longer days!!!  :)  Thank you all for your supportive comments on last night's post, you have no idea how much it helps to know that I have a whole community of people cheering me on!  I really think that I could learn to love running in the right conditions. A little daylight, a slightly warmer temperature and good company make all the difference!!!  :) However, I need a little injury help/advice.  I'm starting to feel my tendonitis flare up again.  I'm embarrassed to show you what my feet look like in the winter time, but I wanted to show all you runners out there where it hurts and see if you have any advice for me.   090121-foot Have any of you had pain there before?  It hurts the most when I've been sitting for awhile, and get up to walk.  Almost like its seized up and can't stretch back out.  It started bothering me on Monday, I'm sure taking last week off then going for a long run Saturday and an intense yoga class on Sunday flared it up.  I took Monday off running, but went again last night.  My foot hurt all day, but I really wanted to get my run in tonight.  I know, naughty.  I am committed to taking tomorrow and Friday off though, in preparation for my long run on Saturday.  So my question is, do I ice it or heat it?  I'm going to do my own research tonight on the 'net, but I was hoping some of you might have some personal, tried and true advice for me. Back to food... Tonight the hubb and I were called for emergency babysitting duty for friends.  The change of plans has thrown our evening and my super healthy tofu and swiss chard dinner off track, as I only had time for a quick carry-out decision.  I chose Chipotle because it had been awhile, and I felt that I could make a relatively healthy and quick choice. Dinner:  Chipotle burrito bowl with rice, black beans, grilled chicken, tomato salsa, lettuce and guacamole.  I also had a couple of chips.  :) 090121-d1 We're still with the kiddos...the 2-year old is fast asleep and my hubb is giving the baby a bottle after he woke up fussing.  Too cute.  Looks like it will be an all-nighter for us, although I'll probably leave at some point to go back to our house and take care of our pups.  In the meantime, I'm watching Lost and knitting a baby sweater for a friend.  :) G'night!
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categories breakfast, dinner, lunch
tags ezekiel, injury, running, salad

baby, its COLD outside!

Andrea

Whew!  I have a bit of catch-up to do!  :)  I wish I could say that my lack of post last night was the result of a rowdy night out on the town, but sadly I just fell asleep while watching a movie with my hubb.  I'm feeling old.  :)  Is anybody else totally beat by Friday night?  I'm happy to go out Saturday or even Sunday nights, but Fridays?  Pop a movie in the dvd player and give me a bowl of popcorn and I am a happy girl.  I am thrilled to say that I got a whopping 12 hours of sleep last night!!!  We had the alarm set for 7am to meet the training group for a long run, but when I checked the temperature at that early hour and realized how cold it still was I made a snap decision to go for a later run (with much encouragement from my hubb!).   When we finally rolled out of bed around 10am, I fixed myself a light pre-run breakfast.  I'm going to be experimenting with some of your wonderful suggestions after last weekend's run so that I will be ready with my best fuel for the 10-miler race on April 4th. Breakfast:  1/2 sliced banana and a piece of whole wheat toast with 1 tbsp natural peanut butter and a drizzle of honey. 090117-b1 My hubb and I ran 5 (ridiculously hilly) miles today!!!  I tell you what, I really paid for not running all week.  It was tough!!!  But I finished, and that's all that matters!  My hubb was so sweet and stayed with me the whole way, slowing down to wait for me on several occasions.  There is no way that I would have finished if he hadn't been just ahead of me encouraging me to keep going.  For the first 2 miles I was miserable.  I had layered myself with Under Armor Cold Gear, a fleece vest, windbreaker, gloves, ear warmers and SmartWool socks, but I was still frozen.  My toes and lips were numb and my lungs burned from the 18* (felt like 7*) air.  The whole time I was thinking "why am I doing this?  i don't like to run!  this is crazy!".  But after 2 miles I got in the groove and realized I had to keep going because I would just get colder if I stopped to walk.  I finally warmed up, my toes gained feeling again, but my lips stayed frozen.  When we finally finished I couldn't talk right, it felt like I'd been numbed for a dental procedure or something.  Quite funny.  :)  I don't think I could have chosen a hillier route...what was I thinking?  But, it makes me even prouder to have finished because not only did we increase our distance from last week but we added a ton of hills in as well.  We rock!  :) My breakfast fuel held me over really well.  No tummy growling this week.  But when we got back I was ready for lunch. Lunch:  leftover roasted potatoes + squash (recipe below...SO good) on top of leftover bulgur and fresh spinach.  Also, a side of 1/2 cup Fage 0% and strawberries, which my hubb helped me finish. 090117-l1 090117-l2 This combo was SO tasty.  The spinach wilted a bit when I microwaved the bowl to heat up the squash and 'taters, making it more flavorful and the perfect consistency with the rest of the dish. 090117-l3 So a quick recap of yesterday is in order.  I'll try to keep it brief, but definitely hold out for the simple Roasted Squash + Potatoes at the bottom because it is a winner! Breakfast:  same as thursday, a toasted Ezekiel Cinn Raisin Muffin with 1 tbsp natural peanut butter, cranberry ketchup and apple slices.  Such a good, filling breakfast.  My second favorite, the first being oats.  :) 090116-d3 Lunch:  leftover stuffed acorn squash filling with roasted garlic hummus and fresh spinach wrapped up in a 8" whole wheat tortilla.  A side of extra hummus, 1/2 a red bell pepper and a carrot finished it off. 090116-l1 Snack:  My office had our weekly wine and cheese "yay its friday!" celebration, so I had more cheese, crackers, and wine than I probably should have.  :) It was "use up stuff in the fridge before we shop tomorrow" night, and it turned out SO well!  We had leftover baked chicken breast, an acorn squash, some red potatoes that were growing eyes, and a lot of fresh produce to use up.  I knew I wanted to make something with the squash and potatoes, and dreamed up this simple combo while at work. Rosemary Roasted Butternut Squash + Potatoes Ingredients:
  • one small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 1" cubes
  • 6-8 small red potatoes, bad spots peeled but remainder of skin left on, diced into 1" cubes
  • 1/2 an onion, diced into 1" pieces
  • 3 tbsp butter (yes, butter.  the hubb convinced me and i'm so glad he did) cut into 3 pieces
  • salt + pepper to taste
  • one sprig of fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnut pieces
Combine everything but the walnuts in a baking dish, with the rosemary buried in the center.  Roast on 375* for 45 minutes.  Put walnuts on a cookie sheet, place in oven on rack underneath roasting veggies, turn oven temperature up to 400* and continue to roast for an additional 10 minutes.  You may want to toss the walnuts at the 5 minute mark, just watch them so that they don't burn.  Remove rosemary and serve immediately, with walnuts sprinkled on the top. 090116-d1 090116-d2 I can't tell you enough how good this was!  Please, please, please try it!  :) The rest of dinner consisted of a HUGE salad and 1/2 a chicken breast seasoned with Chef Paul's Poultry Magic. 090116-d4 The salad contained:
  • fresh spinach
  • broccoli
  • red bell pepper
  • hearts of palm
  • celery
  • strawberries
  • blood orange pieces
  • creamy poppyseed dressing
YUM!!! 090116-d5 Its no wonder I passed out shortly after consuming this feast... Allison asked me yesterday to explain the difference between a blood orange and a regular orange.  Here goes! 090116-d6 The blood orange is one of my favorite winter fruits.  I look forward to it every winter similarly to how I look forward to currants at the end of fall and peaches in the summer.  It bas beautiful crimson flesh and a distinctive taste that is somewhere between an orange and a grapefruit.  It is tart, leaves a dry feeling on your tongue like the grapefruit but has a sweet finish like an orange.  You see them most often made into dressings, gelato/sorbet and drinks.  If you haven't tried one, go for it!!!  They are just coming into season so should be hitting your grocery stores any week now. And now I'm off for some grocery shopping with my hubb.  I hope you all are having a fabulous Saturday!
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categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, recipes
tags blood orange, butternut squash, ezekiel, fage, potatoes, running, salad

stuffed acorn squash

Andrea

I'm feeling a little uninspired verbally tonight so I'll keep this short and sweet.  First of all, thanks for all of the kind words regarding my lack of running this week!  You guys are great for understanding, but I do fully intend on getting back in the groove by Saturday.  I'm shooting for some sort of action tomorrow morning, even though it is supposed to be the coldest of our mornings this winter so far.  I was inspired by Meghann's workout bargain this morning, and am going to try and be similarly motivated tomorrow when my alarm goes off.  I'm not promising anything outside though, weather.com forecasts that the real feel temperature tomorrow at 6am will be -2*.  Yes, that's a negative in front of that 2*.  Brrrrrrrr.  :) Today's eats... Breakfast:  toasted ezekiel muffin with natural peanut butter, sliced apple and cranberry ketchup. 090115-b11 Lunch:  out with a friend at Bizou!  Definitely my favorite C'ville downtown lunch spot.  No pictures, but I assure you that I had a fabulous housemade peppery pasta with butternut squash purée and garlicky sautéed spinach.  It was soooooo good, and something I will definitely be trying to replicate soon. Snack:  blood orange with 1/2 cup Fage 0%.  I may have also had a fig almond brownie...  :)  090115-s11 Dinner:  stuffed acorn squash and steamed broccoli.  This was such a good dinner, and so warming on such a cold night!  :) 090115-d1 090115-d4 090115-d3 Stuffed Acorn Squash Ingredients:
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
  • splash of dry red or white wine
  • 1 cup cooked bulgur
  • fresh parsley
  • 1 cooked chicken breast (I seasoned with Chef Paul's Poultry Magic), shredded
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 small acorn squash
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • salt + pepper
Method:
  1. Cut 1 inch off of top of each acorn squash.  Reserve top.  If needed, cut a bit off of bottom of squash to flatten so that they will sit up in pan in oven. Scoop out seeds and strings.  Put 1/2 tbsp butter into each acorn squash and set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 400*.
  3. Heat oil in large saucepan.  Sauté celery, carrot, onion, garlic and bell pepper for 5-7 minutes until tender.
  4. Deglaze pan with red wine.  Add bulgur, shredded chicken, fresh parsley, salt and pepper to taste.   Allow to eat through an additional 2-3 minutes. Add spinach at last minute and allow to wilt.  Remove from heat.
  5. Scoop filling into squash.  You'll probably have quite a bit left over, depending on the size of your squash.  I think it will make a lovely wrap tomorrow! 
  6. Place tops back on squash, put squash in baking pan and bake at 400* for 1 hour.
YUM!!!!!! Dessert:  I snacked on some Annie's Cinnamon Bunnies and one square of a TJ's 72% cocoa bar while watching Private Practice.  Yay! Alrighty, its bed time.  My electric blanket is calling my name loud and clear!!!  Here's a fun question...What's the temperature where you are?
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categories breakfast, dinner
tags acorn squash, ezekiel, stuffed

i owe you...

Andrea

...a post.  But instead of telling you about my sunday eats (which were unhealthy, eaten in the car, in ikea or out of a dominoes box) I decided to break up today's food journal posts.  Since I missed out on all of my baking plans this weekend (a trip to Ikea and the resulting piles of boxes, plastic wrap, tiny allen wrenches and discarded old furniture will do that to you...) I'm hoping to play a little catch-up tonight and tomorrow night.  Which means lots of pictures of baked goods are coming.  Yum.   Thank you all for the sweet congratulatory comments on Saturday's post!!!  I am so lucky to be part of such a supportive network of people, it really means a lot to me that you all are cheering me on.  :) Breakfast:  toasted Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin Muffin with 1 tbsp almond butter, sliced apple and 1 tbsp cranberry ketchup. 090112-b1 I'll give you a preview of what I'll be eating for lunch and my snack today.  I pack my food in the morning and take all of my photos before work, which is why I always have the same background in my shots.  I like the consistency, and it allows me to avoid awkward questions from my boss and co-worker.  They just don't need to know about the blog.  Not yet anyway. Lunch:  baked sweet potato with 1/2 cup of corn and 1/4 cup of edamame...and a good sprinkle of sea salt. 090112-l1 Snack:  1/2 cup of Fage 0% and 4 beautiful strawberries. 090112-s1 Last week I read this article by Mark Bittman of The New York Times about what common pantry items to ditch in 2009.  I found it very interesting and thought you all might as well.  He suggests replacing pre-packaged, preservative-full items with their natural counterparts...sounds right up our foodie alleys, doesn't it?   A couple of examples: OUT:  packaged bread crumbs or croutons IN:  make your own by chopping up bread and placing in a low-heat oven until brown and crispy.  Mark claims they will keep for a long time! OUT:  aerosol oil IN:  good olive oil in a hand-pumped sprayer OUT:  old spices - they're only good for one year!!!  (looks like I have some cleaning-out to do...!) IN:  fresh spices - if you take a whiff of your spice jar and get dust or a musty smell instead, toss it! OUT:  canned beans IN:  dried beans.  Cook up a pound over the weekend to use all week long.  They taste better, are more economical and take up less space in your pantry. There are so many other great suggestions...check out the article! I hope you all have a fabulous day, I'll be back tonight.  :)
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categories Uncategorized, breakfast, lunch
tags edamame, ezekiel, fage, new york times, sweet potato

almost there...

Andrea

Good morning! I'm going to try to keep this quick so I can get back to work.  Deadline is tomorrow at noon so life should return to normal then...hopefully!  :) Last night Brian and I went to watch our friend defend her title at CLAW, the Charlottesville Lady Arm Wrestlers.  We had just enough time after work to run home to feed the dogs, but not ourselves.  So, we stopped at our favorite pizza place on the Downtown Mall, Christian's Pizza (no website, sorry!).  I wanted to get one of their vegan slices so as to be a bit more healthy by eliminating cheese and adding a whole wheat crust, but they were all out of the pre-made vegan slices.  So, I settled for a classic fresh tomato, mozzerella and basil...it was delicious.  :)  I had one slice, but these are some huge pizza slices so it was perfectly filling. 081111-d1 When we got home we decided to watch a movie and I was in a sweet/snackie mood.  I decided to try out the Annie's Bunny Grahams and...let me tell you...I was very impressed!  (sorry for the blurry...) 081111-s3 I love these little bunnies!!!!!  First off, they are adorable.  Second, they have amazing flavor and Third, they are perfectly, deliciously crunchy.  I paired a serving of them with a sliced pink lady apple.  A very satisfying sweet/snackie experience. 081111-s2 Ok, now for today.  And I'm sorry again for being so quick... Breakfast: Ezekiel cinnamon raisin muffin (1/2) with almond butter and banana slices on top, paired with a cup of plain Oikos and the rest of the banana slices. 081112-b3 These Ezekiel sprouted wheat muffins are great.  I'm still not totally sold on the plain sprouted wheat bread, but the cinn raisin muffins and the onion sesame bagels are really tasty. 081112-b11 And I've been using Whole Foods brand almond butter, but I'm not totally sold on it yet.  I'm really trying to love almond butter, but this brand isn't doing it for me.  Do any of you have a favorite almond butter brand? 081112-b2 Lunch:  What is becoming my "I don't know what to make for lunch" lunch...the veggie wrap.  Its just so tasty and it never fails to satisfy me so its a great go-to lunch when I'm not feeling creative in the morning. 081112-l1 Ingredients:
  • whole wheat tortilla
  • 2 tbsp roasted garlic hummus
  • baby greens
  • red bell pepper
  • cucumber
  • banana peppers
  • alfalfa sprouts
Paired, of course, with a pink lady apple.  :) 081112-l2 And for a snack I have yesterday's Larabar stashed in a drawer at my office.  The salad filled me up so much that I ate just 2/3's for lunch, had my apple and hour or two later, and the rest of my salad a couple of hours after that. 081111-s11 And thats my day!  Tonight Brian and I are going to a friend's house for the premier of Top Chef!!!!!!!! We have a tradition of cooking with a theme on Top Chef nights, sometimes it is a key ingredient (think BSI contest).  I think I may try to come up with a recipe for the BSI contest this week using sweet potato and try it out on everybody... I'll report in later.  I was so inspired by Meghann's recipe this week, if you haven't seen it yet you should check it out. Have a fabulous Wednesday!
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categories Uncategorized, product review
tags almond butter, annie's, ezekiel, oikos