Desert Island

Yesterday the lovely Allie was kind enough to tag me as one of her seven desert island friends. I’ve been running low on interesting food fodder lately, so it was perfect timing on her part! I’ve got to answer the seven following questions:

1. For which reality show would you want to be a judge? No contest here- Top Chef Just Desserts. Until they come up with a vegan cooking show, that is!

2. If you could interview anyone in the world, who would you choose? Leonardo DiCaprio. It's far less superficial than it sounds when you consider all the humanitarian efforts he’s a part of! Plus, it would fulfill my lifelong dream of meeting him.

3. What is one piece of advice you would tell your 3rd grade self? Hold your head high around those mean girls- in ten years, no one will remember that you wore the same outfit twice in one week. Also, tater tots, chicken nuggets, chocolate pudding and strawberry milk do not comprise a balanced meal.

4. If you could have a role in any movie/TV show (already released), which would you choose? (Harry Potter!! I had to answer that one myself.) Rose’s part in Titanic, followed by Hermione’s role in Harry Potter.

5. What is your favorite dessert (be specific!)? The mint chocolate sundae at Pure Food and Wine. Life-changing.

6. If you could magically be fluent in another language, which would you choose? Probably Arabic or Mandarin- they're the most useful in today's world!

7. What is one item on your holiday wish list? Make sure your family members read your answer J Anything and everything at Lululemon. Plus running shoes, cookbooks and dark chocolate!

And now as my seven deserted island friends, I choose Gracie, Chelsey, Freya, Molly, Chelsea and Megan. Please answer the following questions J

1. What is your biggest fear? (It can be silly or real)

2. If you were onstage at a karaoke bar, what would you sing and why?

3. Do you write in print or cursive?

4. Have you ever been fired from a job?

5. If you could go to the Olympics for any sport, which would you choose?

6. How many cell phones have you owned?

7. What’s your sign (wink wink)?

* * *

Onto today’s eats!

This afternoon I snacked on two pieces of whole-wheat sourdough topped with Trader Joe’s peanut flour paste.

For those of you who have asked, I don’t measure the amount of water I use- I just add a drizzle until it’s the right consistency! Today I mixed in some honey and vanilla extract as well.

I finally headed to the grocery store this evening, and as a result dinner was a salad beast full of fresh veggies.

Spinach, tomato, chayote squash, carrots, pickles Whole Foods lemon hummus and a vegan Gardenburger, along with a chewy, doughy pita for dipping.

A cinnamon-topped apple and two four squares of Ghiradelli 86% dark chocolate for dessert.

I’ve been sipping on a mug of almond milk cocoa and snacking on unpictured cashews while doing homework this evening, as well.

Almost halfway through the week!


If you could only choose one person, who would you bring to a deserted island with you?

Just for fun: what would you sing at a karaoke bar?

November Goals in Review

Can it really be the last day of November already?! With Foodbuzz, my half-marathon and Thanksgiving break, it’s safe to say this month flew by faster than an other this year. Luckily, December is my favorite cold-weather month!

On November 1, I posted five goals I wanted to work on throughout the month. So how did they turn out?

1. Keep my apartment neater by putting clothes away as I wear them and doing my dishes right after eating. I did better in this department, but there’s still room for improvement. I’m pretty sure last night’s dinner dishes are still in the sink…

2. Finish all homework the night before class, so that mornings aren’t as stressful. This goal went really well! I can’t remember doing any AM homework in the last month.

3. Learn to use my camera better. I finally bought a DSLR book, so I have no excuse to keep using the manual settings! Meh, bringing this goal with me into December. The book I bought ended up being more of a composition manual than an actual camera guide, so I’m hoping to study some online resources I’ve found over break.

4. Drink more water- I was doing great with this until the weather cooled off! 75% effort on this one. I’ve replaced my second mug of morning tea with a glass of water and have remembered to bring my water bottle to class about half the time.

5. Finish my half marathon in 1:45 or less. This goal will definitely be a challenge, but it’s hard enough that if I do succeed I’ll be ecstatic, and if I don’t I won’t be crushed. Not even close. But hey- I’m proud of cutting 4 minutes off of my last half time, I’m planning to run my next half in late spring, so I’ll reinstate this goal then as a training incentive.

Not stellar results, but not bad, either! I’m still thinking of some good December goals…

* * *

This morning, I was excited to get to the gym for some strength training! I had my usual Z-Bar before completing 50 minutes of full-body weight training. I haven’t done a strength workout since well before my half, so it was nice to get back into the groove.

Breakfast was a bowl of Kashi GoLean with a bag of frozen blackberries and almond milk.

I've received several comments asking how cereal keeps me full. My answer? Volume! My bowls are always several “servings,” with plenty of fruit as well.

After a morning of classes, I prepared a simple can of soup for lunch.

I’d had high hopes for this lentil-apple blend, but it ended up being just okay. Not bad, but I probably wouldn’t buy it again. It did pack an incredibly impressive 50g of fiber per can, though! (Edited to add: I threw the can of soup in the recycling and therefore checked the nutrition stats on the Imagine website instead. Turns out the 50g was a typo- it's only 10g fiber per can!)

On the side, I had a slice of whole-wheat bread with peanut butter, a bowl of fresh strawberries and a few pickle spears.

Hope you’re having a wonderful Tuesday!

Did you have any November goals? How did they turn out? Do you have any goals for the upcoming holiday season?

It's About to Get Crazy...

Hold onto your hats everyone- the next two weeks are going to be a little crazy!

In between the mountains of homework, research papers and finals that overtake college life this time of year, I’ve also got lots of fun stuff on the agenda: a visit from my parents this weekend, Mike’s multi-day birthday celebration next week, and a huge Christmas party next weekend (which I’m preparing the desserts for!). It’s definitely going to be an eventful end of the semester!

In class this afternoon, I snacked on an unpictured chocolate peppermint stick Luna bar. Since I still haven’t gone grocery shopping (and probably won’t until tomorrow afternoon), I picked up an easy dinner at the Space Market on my way home.

Two spicy vegan “chicken” salad pitas with a few pickle spears.

Pineapple for fruit.

And a little dark chocolate action, courtesy of Yelena and my Chocolate Show swag bag.

I also broke into the remaining Frog’s Hollow Farms dried peaches I received at Foodbuzz.

They were just begging for some peanut butter dippage J

Homework time!

What’s the busiest time of year for you? How do you stay balanced during those crazy weeks?

Cheerio!

Back in NYC at last!!

It was tough to say goodbye to my beautiful house this morning, but knowing I’ll be back in two weeks made it far easier. I can never decide whether I’m a city or country girl- when I’m home I miss the city, and when I’m in the city I miss home!

For breakfast this morning, I poured myself a big bowl of Cheerios and banana.

Cheerios are quickly heading to the top of my favorite cereal list. They may not be protein or fiber-packed, but they have a short, pronounceable ingredient list and barely any sugar. Plus, they remind me of being a kid!

My train ride back was quick and easy. I’d packed a simple lunch to eat on the ride:

Maranatha peanut butter on Alvarado bread, with baby carrots, a gala apple and two mini cashew cookie Larabars.

I’m currently noshing on a bowl of Three Sisters Honey Oaties. It’s literally the only ready-to-eat food I have in my apartment right now- I really need to go grocery shopping!

Told you I’ve been loving the O’s lately J

Off to class- cheerio!

Did you grow up in the city or the country? Where do you live now? Do you ever miss your hometown?

See Skreet Scamper

Bonsoir mes amis! It’s been a rather uneventful day- I’ve spent most of it parked on the couch with WordReference and French papers. Since I don’t have class until 2 pm tomorrow, I’m heading back to the city in the morning. My train ticket is nearly half of what I’d have paid to go back tonight!

This afternoon, I snacked on three bowls of millet puffs with cinnamon and almond milk. I couldn’t leave any behind to go stale J

I also had a few spoonfuls of peanut butter straight from the jar.

Late in the day, my brother and sister-in-law stopped by with Skreet for some puppy playtime. They live in an apartment and can only take Skreet out on a leash, so he was stoked to run around like crazy!

Can you spot Skreet?

Run, Skreet, run!

So stylin’ in his fleece jacket.

I went for a short sunset walk with my dad before throwing together a simple slop bowl for dinner.

Carrots, tomato, broccoli, spinach, Trader Joe’s meatless meatballs and marinara sauce, all seasoned with garlic, salt & pepper and dried basil and served with a multigrain sandwich thin.

A citrusy dessert plate of clementines, Chocolove orange peel dark chocolate and a few unpictured dark chocolate covered walnuts rounded out the meal. I went back for two more clementines- they’re my favorite citrus fruit.

Off to enjoy my last night at home. Have a wonderful end to your weekend!

Homework Catchup

Is it really the last day of Thanksgiving break? Where have the last ten days gone? Obviously I was having way too much fun doing nothing to do my piles of schoolwork, so the homework catchup is today's priority. Only 16 days of papers and tests left before I'll be home again for Christmas!

I woke up bright and early and fueled for my morning of homework with a bowl of Kashi GoLean, blueberries and blackberries in almond milk.

Berries are my favorite cereal topper, but it’s back to bananas tomorrow. Eating $6 worth of fruit in one sitting isn’t really an economical habit.

After a few hours of schoolwork, I debated between going to the gym for a BodyPump class or staying home and using the elliptical. Ultimately I decided not to waste time driving, and instead completed 45 easy minutes on the elliptical while watching the end of HP2 J

For lunch, I packed a plate with plenty of good stuff.

I had a sandwich on Alvarado high-protein sprouted bread, stuffed with a Trader Joe’s vegetable masala burger, mustard and a plum tomato.

A cinnamon-topped honeycrisp and some roasted almonds.

And baby carrots + pickle spears.

Two three mini candy canes to tame my sweet tooth. ‘Tis the season!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a hot date with a French paper. Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

Carb Heaven

Though I know I already went on about my love affair with my graduating class, you’re going to have to humor me one more time J This evening, I met up with a few girls at Bertucci’s, home of the best rolls ever.

Seriously, if you’ve never been to Bertucci’s because of the chain-restaurant stigma, you’re missing out. These things are carb heaven- crusty, sweet outsides and perfectly fluffy, doughy, piping-hot insides. Bliss. I had two.

As my entrée, I decided to go with the unlimited soup-and-salad combo. I had two servings of house salad:

And a bowl of Tuscan minestrone soup:

I have to say that I forgot how good Italian salad dressing is. I tend to use simpler dressings like oil and vinegar, humnut sauce or hummus because they have more nutrients and staying power, but every once in awhile the good old-fashioned Kraft stuff is awesome.

It was a fun, casual dinner.

We passed on dessert, so when I got home I had a handful of delicious dark chocolate covered walnuts and a small slice of Amaretto pound cake.

Down to the last 70 pages of Harry Potter. Hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend!

What’s the best bread you’ve ever had?

Themes of the Week

As delicious as last night’s dessert buffet was, my digestive system still isn’t quite as happy as my taste buds were. The remedy? Lots of whole grains and fresh produce, of course!

Breakfast was a bowl of Kashi GoLean, blackberries and blueberries.

Lots of fiber + crunch!

After a session on the elliptical watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, I was craving veggies like nobody’s business. These hummus salad beasts have become my staple this week!

Romaine, tomato, pickles, broccoli and carrots with lotsa Sabra.

Two slices of Alvarado high-protein toast.

My mom has been nagging me to consolidate my jars of nut butter, so I dug around for the emptiest one: PB&Co.’s Bee’s Knees. This is actually my least favorite of all the PB&Co. flavors, but I still had no problem polishing off the remaining ~2T with a honeycrisp apple.

When I felt snacky a little later, I had two large bowls of millet puffs and almond milk. I ate these all the time over the summer, and I forgot how much I loved their kettle-corn-like taste!

On my agenda for this afternoon: rereading the last 300 pages of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Can you tell I’ve been on a slight HP kick this break? J

What have been the "themes" of your week? Any current food, book or movie obsessions?