Bonsoir! First of all, thank you all so much for your supportive words on my last post- it means a lot to me :) I hope you've all had a fabulous end to your weekend. I'm getting ready to hit the books tomorrow- hard to believe that this will be my last full semester as a college student!
Mid-afternoon, I snacked on two small Trader Joe's whole-wheat tortillas with almond butter and a sliced apple.
You want to know my best trick for mixing up a new jar of natural nut butter?
Yup, a hand mixer! It sounds like a lot of effort, but it's worth it to have a stash of perfectly blended, clumpless buttah chillin' in the fridge. Plus you get to lick the beaters and scrape the bowl, which is extra awesome :)
For dinner, I threw together a beast. I love my salads- they're my favorite single-girl dinner!
Spinach, a huge tomato, cucumber, baby carrots, Trader Joe's organic baked savory tofu and lots of TJ's horseradish hummus to finish.
Shake shake shake, so that each piece is covered in hummus yummus.
On the side I had one two multigrain sandwich thins and a segmented ruby red grapefruit.
And to tame my sweet tooth, a block of Baker's dark chocolate. I forgot I had these until I organized my pantry this afternoon- they're relatively good quality and uber cheap at just three-ish bucks for 8 ounces.
Speaking of my pantry...
I've gotten a few requests for a guide to my food staples; since I'm well-stocked at the moment, I figured now would be a good time!
I go grocery shopping two to three times a week: one big shop, and one or two smaller stops for fresh produce and forgotten items. While the list changes every week, there are a few items I always have handy.
1. Cereal, Oats and Almond Milk
Duh, right? It's no secret that I love cereal, and I always have a few boxes in my pantry. My favorites are Kashi GoLean, Fiber One, Nature's Path SmartBran, Cheerios and Uncle Sam, so I usually buy whatever is on sale. Old-fashioned oats are another staple item, though I don't purchase them as often since they're easy to buy in bulk. And of course, some sort of milk is necessary for both those items- I prefer Almond Breeze unsweetened original or vanilla.
2. Bananas
Though eaten alone bananas are actually one of my least favorite fruits, I love adding them to oats, cereal, nut butter sandwiches or peanut flour dip. They're cheap, versatile, easily transportable and add natural sweetness to any meal. Love 'em.
3. Hummus
Over the past year or so I've fallen more and more in love with hummus; now, I eat it almost every day! It adds a lot of flavor to pretty much any savory food, and makes an incredible, protein-filled salad dressing (see above). My favorite brands are Sabra, Tribe and Trader Joe's- Sabra is the creamiest, Tribe is the most bang for your buck, and TJ's has the best fun flavors.
4. Breads
I love carbs. Therefore, it's rare that I don't have several readily available sources of them in my fridge and freezer at any given time. Currently, I have three loaves in my freezer (Vermont Bread Company Whole Wheat, Food for Life Millet and Ezekiel 4:9), as well as sandwich thins, mini tortillas, whole-wheat wraps and whole-wheat bagels in my fridge.
4. Other Fresh Produce
Besides bananas, in order to get a minimum of five servings of fruits & veggies per day, this drawer always has to be stocked! I usually have some kind of leafy green or lettuce, as well as apples, baby carrots and whatever else is on sale and delicious. Currently, I have spinach, gala apples, strawberries, cucumbers, onions, carrots, tomatoes and sweet potatoes.
5. Nut Butter
It tastes amazing, is full of nutrition and can be added to pretty much anything. Enough said. I keep several jars in my pantry at all times, and am always on the lookout for new ones.
6. Dark Chocolate
Knowing my passion for chocolate, my friends and family often give me bars for special occasions or just as a kind surprise (my sister-in-law gave me the Pound Plus bar for Christmas). I also keep my eyes open for deals on good-quality bars, like the five Lindt packages that were a dollar apiece at HomeGoods. Gotta get my daily fix!
Obviously, I do eat a lot of the same foods on a regular basis, but I try to mix things up, finding new ways to use tried-and-true ingredients and discovering different foods to use in unusual recipes. There's nothing wrong with picking favorites as long as you're open to everything!
What are your pantry staples? And tips or tricks for getting deals on them?
