Just Take My Word for it...

Happy Humpday! The week's almost over already...can you believe it?

I woke up to a beautiful blanket of snow, and was ready to play with a [small] portion of my Bob's order that I received yesterday. 

I actually ordered a ridiculous amount of grain-y things...but I decided to start here! I've got to pace myself, though - unfortunately, I can't open them all at once! I have a "thing" about that, hah.

What better way to try them with a new "combo," too?

How about some plum oats?!

The Mix: 2 T. Barley Flakes, 2 T. TVP, 1/4 c. almondmilk, 1/2 c. brewed coffee, goji berries, majority of a chopped plum, cinnamon

On the Top: caramelized plum, pineapple chia seed "icing," dates, toasted coconut, toasted almonds, ground flax, pom. strawberry jam, and white choco. coconut PB.

mmm! quite good :)I just wish the plum was a bit more ripe. The slices I warmed up in a skillet with some maple syrup were okay, but the chunks in with the cereal were a bit tart. This was my first bowl in eons that didn't have banana!

Verdict on the barley flakes? Good! I still combined them with TVP because I really like to get a lot of protein at breakfast. That's why I do it with normal oatmeal, too. Hey, it's what works for me! These were quite voluminous - my bowl was almost too small! And I liked their chewy texture. Not too much of a taste difference, really. But that's okay! I love experimenting with new grains.

Lunch: carrot sticks and a panini wrap consisting of hummus, two fried eggs, spinach, red onion, red pepper, dill pickle, and a dash of the cheesy ranch sauce leftover from last night's dinner.

Snackage during work: homemade "trail mix" [kashi H2H, total, Snyder's butter snaps, dates, raisins, walnuts, crumbled mate bar, crumbled kashi bar. basically, the whole cupboard.] huuuuuge orange, and that white container is some almondmilk for coffee 

Snackage on the drive in: spelt toast with PB, jam & dates, nanner.

good foodage.

The mac at work finally got up and running around noon today. Luckily, nothing was lost and it was something I don't understand and can't even recite back to you all because I am terrible at understanding computer dynamics. lol! But, it was just mr. mac's time to have a freak out. He just chose me as the crash dummy :)

I had dinner ideas involving a sweet potato, an apple, and chicken or chik'n planned, just wasn't sure what exactly, so thoughts were rolling around in my head for the afternoon. Eventually, my beloved bulgur came into play, and I decided I'd try a lemony bulgur salad with sweet potato, apple, and chicken.

It sort of held true...

[disclaimer: i sincerely apologize for the poor quality of my dinner photos lately! I feel like they all look the same lately, and not very appetizing. I really can't wait until it's light out both morning and night! that will be a huge help. So, until then, take my word for it: I'm not just eating a bunch of gross stuff! haha]

(I realized I forgot dressing for my spinach shortly after these pictures. I didn't feel like re-shooting just for that)

Anyways! Now that those disclaimers are out of the way, this was really good. Promise. 

I ended up just hoping it'd turn out good and made extra, thinking it'd be a really good wrap filler. I definitely am glad I made that call! Here's what I did - just use the seasonings to your taste - that's what I did, so don't have exact measurements.

Creamy Sweet Potato and Bulgur Salad

-1/2 c. cracked bulgur wheat [I use hodgson mill's bulgur with soy]

-1 c. water + 2 T as needed

-diced red onion, about 1/4 c.

-dab of butter

-handful baby spinach, torn

-diced carrot

-1 small sweet potato, or 3/4 med., cooked and cubed
-1/4 c. raisins
-1/4 c. walnuts or almonds, opt.

-minced garlic

- salt and pepper

-lemon pepper

-dash nutmeg

-dash curry powder (opt)

-dried basil

-1/4 c. greek yogurt

-1 t. raspberry dijon mustard

-2 T. unsweetened applesauce

-1 T. lemon juice

Toast the bulgur and red onion in small amount of butter and minced garlic until fragrant - about 10 m. Season with salt, pepper, lemon pepper, basil, and nutmeg.Add water and spinach and carrots and simmer until tender / water is soaked up. Add in raisins.

Meanwhile, mix together greek yogurt, applesauce, lemon juice, mustard, basil, lemon pepper, and curry powder (if desired). 

Once bulgur mixture is ready, add your cooked and cubed sweet potato. Allow to cool for a bit before combining the dressing and bulgur. Mix in nuts, if desired.

I didn't end up using all of the dressing - use your judgement! And hopefully I remembered everything...heh.

I had it with a naan cooked in lemon pepper. I just sprayed the cast iron skillet, sprinkled it with lemon pepper, and then slapped the naan bread down. The lemon pepper really added to it, I must say! (both the naan and the salad)

I was too lazy to  roll my naan dough out. I guess it's not very naan-like, but I'll still call it that.

Hopefully I haven't made everyone lose their appetites! I promise it was quite satisfying, however! Creamy, refreshing goodness. I eat a lot of spicy foods - as you all well know - and sometimes forget how much I enjoy food that isn't spicy, as well. For some reason it seems more satisfying and healthy, lol.

I think I've gotten so distracted so many times throughout the course of this posting, that I really hope it makes sense. I've got a lot running through my head - shooting a senior portrait tomorrow, and need to get my photos ready for our first critique, too. And need to take advantage of a bunch of BOGO sales at price chopper! Food is always a priority, ya know ;)

Anyways - that is all from my end. 

What's your favorite Bob's Red Mill product? Or, what's a grain you love, or one you really want to try?

One of those Days...

Today was kinda  one of those days that just remind you we're all human :)

You know...everything's going great for a couple weeks, and then you get a day where it seems like nearly everything that can go wrong, does? Ehhhh, well. 

It started out fair enough:

It was kinda like a trip to the tropics, actually!

Mixed in with the oatmeal was banana, sliced pineapple, and goji berries.

And on the top?  Flax, toasted coconut, toasted macadamia nuts, sliced banana, raisins, chia-seed yogurt "icing," pomegranate-strawberry jam, and Naturally Nutty Choco Coconut P.B.

Yum!

It was quite colorful underneath, too - I took a photo but it was blurry. Should have taken that as a hint...

Afterwards, packed up a lunch consisting of a sweet potato & tomato pita panini, an orange, sugar snap peas, carrot sticks, and homemade trailmix.

The rest of my morning banana and a half a slice of bakery spelt bread with A.B. and pomegranate-strawberry jam for the car ride in, too. Why half? For some strange reason, the other half got stuck in the toaster and started smoking. Uh, whaaa? I guess I sliced it a bit uneven. Oh well. I wasn't hungry, I just wanted it. lol. An added boost to my day, if you will.

Work started out okay...I shot an artist reproduction all by myself (involved a lot of light fidgeting and I've only done it twice before) so I was pretty proud, even though someone came in looking to have their passport taken while I was right in the middle of shooting, so of course I had to hurriedly disassemble the repro-lighting set-up to get the lighting right for a portrait/passport to shoot that. Shoot the passport, re-assemble the lighting, shoot the painting, and again disassemble the repro lighting to re-assemble the passport/portrait lighting. Oi. It's good practice.

I guess. haha.

So that wasn't too bad. But then it happened.

It? you ask?

Well. I seem to have a knack for being the one using technology when it decides to finally...uh...kaput.

I was happily retouching and printing photos from the Mac, when I turn around to grab a print off the printer to put on the dry-rack. Next thing you know, I turn around and there is a message saying "You need to restart your computer now." In about five different languages, and unlike any message I have ever seen before.

My "project" boss had just left for the day because his sister-in-law was having a baby. (the one who kinda oversees digital/tech-y jobs and gives me the stuff to work on)

I was going it alone. (well, with my other boss - runs the business, but not as UTD with the digital projects & such)

After much googling, I discover it is a kernel panic, which has to do with incompatible RAM or software, or a severely corrupt hard-drive. Cool, right? Well, let me tell you, I was in a kernel panic for the better part of the day. When I left it was still a very unhappy Mac, so I guess we'll find out Wednesday what the word is.

To make matters worse: An order came through that needed to be printed off of that Mac that the customer needed tonight. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be happening. I had a feeling that would happen.

But hey - dinner would make everything better, right? Salmon tonight. I love salmon! And I'd do a Maple-Ginger glaze. Mmmm! I love maple! and Ginger!

Uhh, okay...I love ginger in moderation. Unfortunately, I had a minor accident with the ginger shaker and added way too much. Like, a nearly unbearable amount. Pretty sure I only kept eating in efforts to convince myself that it wasn't that bad. But...it really wasn't that great. The good part of this meal? The orange slices. And the salmon was okay when I scraped the glaze off. heh...

However, I think my "hey you're human" day is turning around after all. I just found another bag of butterscotch chips in the cupboard. And I made a piece of Spelt toast without burning it. You'd best believe I'm enjoying a bowl of warmed-up applesauce with P.B. and butterscotch chips, and some spelt toast with PB & J :) Pretty sure I'll be nomming my way through the night, though - I tend to do that when I'm unhappy with my dinner because I feel like i was ripped off, food-wise. lol.

Pretty excited to be watching the downhill skiing now - these guys are crazy! Did anyone else catch the men's moguls last night? My knees hurt just watching. Pretty insane, pretty awesome.

AND! We're finally supposed to get a minor snow storm tomorrow! It's been far too long since Vermont's seen snow...you guys in the South are hogging it all this year!

On a relatively unrelated note:What's your favorite jam, jelly, or preserve?

Brand or flavor :)

I love finding interesting new jams and preserves...kind of like a nut-butter obsession but different...though I'm pretty sure I'm beginning a nut-butter obsession, too!

Recipe: Meatballs Two Ways

Turkey Meatballs, Two Ways

Take One: Sundried Tomato and Feta in Phyllo Cups

To get to "Spicy Buffalo Turkey Meatballs," scroll past all my blabbing.

Giada DeLaurentis is probably my favorite food network gal. I mean, look at her. She's adorable! And, she has good recipes to boot. One day I was watching her make a turkey meatloaf with sundried tomatoes and feta. This was when I was completely obsessed with any sort of italian cuisine, and vampires were sure to stay far from my home due to the copious amounts of garlic that I added to everything.

Of course, I still love italian cooking, but it seems that during the winter months I've become more apt to make something spicy, or mexican-esque. 

Regardless - I knew I had to make this meatloaf. 

I called up my mom, and told her I was coming over and making them dinner. I was making them meatloaf!

Imagine her disbelief. I was going to make meatloaf? The daughter who, for the past 19 years, couldn't be force fed meatloaf? Oh, yes. I forgot to mention: I "hated" meatloaf. Meatloaf, to me, equaled weird onion soup mix, ketchup, and ground beef. Uh, thanks, but no thanks.

But Giada was onto something good.

Okay, enough, enough. How does this relate to meatballs? 

Well, the meatloaf went over with rave reviews, but that was eons ago. I haven't made it since, and tonight I was planning on making dinner for the fam, and wanted to change up the recipe a bit, and make them into turkey burgers! Well, I ended up being ditched (being the grandma that I am) and was on my own for dinner. Since I'd already defrosted the ground turkey, and tomorrow being the superbowl so the turkey won't get used then, I figured I'd just stick to my gameplan - but instead, I decided on making them meatballs (easier to add to lunches). So, here we go. I did try to measure most everything so I could relay it again, rather than just adding a bit of everything.

Ingredients:

-10 oz. 99% lean ground turkey

-4 sundried tomatoes, chopped

-1 oz. Crumbled Feta Cheese - I like to use the F.F. Mediterranean Herb kind by President - (Alternatively, I think a really good marinated mozzarella would be amazing - I wanted to use the feta I had, though.)

-scant 1/4c. chopped scallions

-2 T. almond milk

-1 egg

-2 T. rolled oats

-1 T. grated Parmesan Cheese

-1/4 t. minced garlic

-1/4 t. dried basil (I would have preferred fresh, but couldn't justify buying a huge pack at the grocery store today)

-salt and pepper

-dash nutmeg

-1/4 t. garlic salt with parsley

-pre-cooked mini Phyllo cups

Destructions:

Preheat oven to 400*.

Combine all ingredients except for the feta and phyllo cups:

Form by the small handful (uh...maybe...1/8 cup size?) into small patties, and press some crumbled feta into the mixture. Fold over and press into a ball.

Place on a greased cookie sheet or glass baking dish.

Sorry if raw meat grosses you out. It still grosses me out...I wouldn't touch it until a year or so ago! hah. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes, checking first at 15. They didn't take very long.

The colors of Italy!

If desired, place meatballs in fun little pre-made Phyllo cups! I devoured these with a side of bulgur with spinach and carrots, and a spinach salad with that divine Raspberry Dijon Mustard. The Raspberry Dijon actually went quite nicely with everything else!

They would also be really good in a pita - Greek it up with some Tzatziki, perhaps?! That's my next plan.

I yielded 11 meatballs with these quantities.

Take Two: Spicy Buffalo Turkey Meatballs

Rather than make a whole bunch of meatballs in the same fashion for just myself (the rest of my family aren't as fond of leftovers as I am - go figure) I decided I'd just do half each...and I wanted some Frank's! Frank and I go way back. I was actually thinking about how long it'd been since my last Buffalo Chicken Wrap, and decided - why not make Buffalo Turkey Meatballs and have that in a wrap?! I winged it on this one, but they came out pretty well! Hopefully the measurements are accurate :P

Shown in the background, spotlight stolen by the Sundried Tomato & Feta Meatballs.

Ingredients:

-10 oz. 99% lean ground turkey

-1 egg

-1 T. Almond Milk

-3 T. Frank's Red Hot (If you don't like them too spicy - I, personally, will be adding more next time.)

-2 Suzie's Spelt Multiseed Flatbreads, crushed

-scant 1/4c. chopped scallion

-1/8 c. chopped red pepper (I used orange due to the fact that he was on his last leg.)

-1/2 t. minced garlic

-salt and pepper

-1/4 t. lemon pepper

-1/4 t. chili powder

-1/2 t. Dijon mustard

-1 cheese wedge, chopped up

-little bit o' crumbled feta cheese.

Destructions:

Combine all ingredients.

Form into balls, and place on sprayed cookie sheet.

Name that country! Orange, green, and white? Ireland, anybody?

Bake at 400* for approx 15 minutes.

Don't overdo them, like yours truly. 

Hey, I was busy loving those Sundried Tomato ones. It could have been worse.

Devour!

It's all the Rage

It's funny how as you grow up, everyone's telling you to not be afraid to be different, be your own person.

For the most part, I feel like I'm pretty successful with this advice. I don't feel like I stick out like a sore thumb by any means, but I definitely have different interests, tastes, styles, and hobbies than a lot of people I see on a daily basis.

However, I've come to the conclusion that sometimes, you've just gotta follow the things that are all the rage! This includes the newest team member of what is now my breakfast cinctuplet. Actually, after all the toppings I throw on top on a daily basis, it's far more than a cinctuplet, but I digress.

Chia seeds!

I ordered these from The Raw Food World's Amazon.com store, in addition to some Acai powder, and got them in the mail yesterday. Let me just say - the Raw Food World has amazing customer service! Though the shipment was through Amazon, they included a handwritten thank-you note in addition to samples of other nifty products - Hemp protein powder, Cholerra, and an additional Chia seed sample. Too cool! It's nice to know that as a customer, you are appreciated. 

equal parts bulgur with soy, TVP, oatmeal, and wheat bran (I use 1 T. each, to make a standard 1/4c. serving size) with equal parts almondmilk and brewed coffee, 1 tsp Chia Seeds, 1/2 banana, whipped in, nutmeg, and vanilla. Topped with shredded coconut, remaining nanner, dates, raspberry preserves, Barney Butter, and a "glaze" of almondmilk, Greek Yogurt, and unsweetened cocoa powder.

Naturally, I was psyched for my first Chia seed experience this morning! This was a delicious bowl! Other rage that I took way too long rebelling against? Nut butters! oh. ma. gaw. They are just so perfect. I can't wait to try others, like cashew, sunflower, etc, in addition to flavors!

What is your favorite nutbutter?

When it comes to the Chia seeds, they really weren't noticeable. In fact, I only remembered the addition until halfway through, haha. My excitement over how good this was caused me to forge. Probably because I started out with just a small amount. I don't think they really add a flavor, anyway. But muy bien health bennies!

The acai powder is quite good - I enjoyed it with a cup of almondmilk last night. But when it comes to the chlorella and the hemp protein powder - I'm lost! Chlorella just reminds me of cholerra. Hopefully it won't give me that. hah! But, I guess they're just tablets that you can eat just like nuts. I can see the protein powder sitting for a while though. I'm pretty good about my protein intake :)

Worked today, so I among my various snacks I packed some leftover sweet-potato pie for lunch. Just as good, if not better, the second time around! I have a littttle bit left that will go perfectly with a bigggg salad to bring for lunch tomorrow, too. That concoction is a keeper!

Tonights dinner was super random. I could not make up my mind for the life of me! I kept going back and forth between scallops or quesedilla. Finally, I decided on both. And salad. And broccoli. Uh, random?

But, since I'm obviously a really random person anyway, this was just fine! Sorry it's not very exciting :P That "pita quesedilla" certainly tasted exciting, however! And if it makes you feel better, I at least kept the flavors consistent throughout :)

"Quesedilla" : Spread 1 laughing cow wedge and Raspberry Dijon Mustard over half a Joseph's Flax Pita. Layered with red beans, red and yellow pepper, and chili powder. Folded back over, and pressed on the panini.

Scallops and Broccoli: Sauteed in a "sauce" consisting of balsamic vinegar and Raspberry Dijon Mustard, splashed with some lemon juice, and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

The pita was uh.mazing. The laughing cow with the raspberry dijon mustard was the perfect combination. Reminded me of cranberry goat cheese! I don't know what I did to be deserved the luxury to have found raspberry dijon mustard, but I'm sure glad it happened!

It also paired well with the scallops and broccoli, and makes the best salad dressing!

I still have to try the Maple one. I'm thinking it will go really nicely with salmon.

But, that's all from my end of the world! I've got to catch Throwdown with Bobby Flay tonight - Vermont represent! Not that I wouldn't be watching the Food Network anyway ;)

What's my breakfast concoction gonna be tomorrow?!

Love

It's official.

I'm in love.

Initially, I was going to talk about how I fell in love with this new Silk PureAlmond Original Almondmilk, and that there is officially no use for me to need a Valentine this year.

d.e.l.icious. Remember when I was having a big coffee creamer dilemma? It's been solved. Who knew almondmilk was the answer? I disliked almondmilk the first time I had it months ago. But this Silk brand is absolutely amazing..

But, behold! I realized that I may be cheating on my new lover, with the delicious bowl of oats to follow my first encounter with almondmilk:

Your parents lied to you when they said carrot cake wasn't for breakfast.

That's right...Breakfast Carrot Cake...uh...Porridge? Some hybrid word born from "TVP-Bulgur with Soy-Wheat Bran-Oatmeal"? I'm not sure what to call my mix. 

In the Bowl: The new "usual" mix of equal parts TVP, Bulgur with Soy, Wheat Bran, and Oatmeal, and equal parts Almondmilk and brewed coffee.

Also: half a large carrot, grated, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground ginger, 1 packet SunCrystals, half a banana, and vanilla.

Topped with: "Icing" consisting of large spoonful of greek yogurt, splash almondmilk, cinnamon, and agave. In addition: sliced banana, dates, raisins, crystallized ginger, and additional grated carrot.

Forgot to add because I was so excited: shredded coconut.

The icing seriously made this. I wasn't going to dress it up in such a way but then I saw the Greek Yogurt staring at me so innocently, and my new lover Almondmilk was asking to get more incorporation into the dish, as well.

So.dang.good.

I was excited and nervous about the Almondmilk when I saw it at the store the other day. I remembered the first time I tried it, I could take it or leave it. But I was intrigued that Silk now made an almondmilk line! They had vanilla and original - I opted for the original. It's perfect! And I can use it in my coffee happily! Meaning, not feeling like I'm being deprived of an enjoyable cup of coffee without those terrible creamers because it tastes just as good, if not better! That and it's delicious on its own - way better than soy or regular milk.

And then, I met another new love shortly before leaving for class:

My first Luna bar. WHAT?! I'm only just getting in on Luna bar action? I really must have lived in a cave... Unwrapped and bagged, because I'm always the disruptful one nomming on food in the back of the room. Was hoping this might reduce my disruptful-ness.

Seriously have been missing out on the bar & peanut butter craze. I've got a lot of catching up to do. Must.try.Chai.Tea.flavor. STAT!

Cookies 'n' Cream Delight was just that. The folks at Luna don't lie! I'm a big cookies n cream fan, and this was just like the ice cream :)

I'm also beginning to LOVE my Tuesdays. Why Tuesdays, you ask? Seems like a terrible day to love. You haven't reached Wednesday, and you're still far from the weekend.

Well, I love Tuesday because I love being able to come home and make a lovely lunch, utilizing wraps, hummus, fried eggs, and veggies, which we all know I ... you guessed it... love!

I was really proud of how well I wrapped and pannini'd that wrap...

Only half the orange and carrot made it to the photo shoot alive, though...

En la tortilla: fried egg, more hummus than Cedar ever intended for one person to eat at once, dijonnaise, pickles, red and yellow pepper, romaine, feta, and salsa.

With some delightful Snyder's oat bran pretzels. These pretzels are really good! 

A little bit of heaven on a plate...I'm so easily pleased.

You know what else is awesome about tuesdays? 

While I'm home, I can prep dinner!

Any guesses as to what I made up tonight? I'll give you some hints:

Anybody? Anybody? Okay, one more...

I warned you...

I'm hoping my concoction tastes as good as its' parts!

What's one thing you've loved about your Tuesday so far? I hope there's at least one thing!

Oh, Hey, February...

...how did you sneak up on us so fast? I'm still in November!

I've finally found the perfect combination!

Equal parts bulgur with soy, TVP, oatmeal, and wheat bran! Simmered with equal parts milk and coffee, or milk and water if you choose - with cinnamon and nutmeg and vanilla (to the extreme) and whipped banana! 

Topped with the rest of the nanner, dates, red raspberry preserves, wheat germ, and Barney Butter!

Oh, yes. I went there.

Oh, how I love dates. And nanners. And Barney Butter. And this whole concoction.

And, of course, Green Mountain Coffee "Golden French Toast" flavor.

d.e.l.icious.

Why do I feel the need to combine four different grains/proteins for  complete breakfast?

I'm not really sure. BUT! I like the higher protein content of the TVP and bulgur with soy. I'm not sold on the texture of TVP alone, nor the texture of Bulgur alone - as a breakfast food, that is. The two combine are really good. And then this morning I figured, why not sub some TVP for regular rolled oats?!

Maybe I'm just weird to want the best of four worlds, though...

Do you like mixing foods, or are you picky about keeping everything separate?

I do the same thing with food on my plate...mix it all up! 

Work started out sllllooowww this morning. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to noon without lulling off into sleep! But then luckily after my amazing lunch of leftover noodles, a fun graphic design job came in, along with a bunch of stuff to print! Score. All accomplished while grazing on veggie crisps all. day. long. No shame.

Except, working on other peoples' business cards makes me realize how badly I need to re-do mine! Luckily, I have until April or so before I start needing them. It's always good to be prepared, though!

I've been having wicked cravings for a Mexican-esque dish lately! I was tempted to make a Mexican polenta casserole like I had thought I was going to make last night, but then didn't want to wait for it to bake, etc. So instead I made a sort of huevos-rancheros-meets-red beans & rice dish!

It was actually really good - and you know you'll be seeing red beans throughout the next couple of days now that I've opened a can! I'm not complaining :) Especially since I don't think I'll be able to kick my mexicn polent casserole idea until I finally make it!

Here's what I did!

For the "Rice" layer (bottom): Brought equal servings TVP and Bulgur Wheat with Soy to a simmer in equal parts Imagine Orgnic Creamy Broccoli Soup and water. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin.

For the Bean Layer: Saute minced garlic, onion, carrot, and red beans and season with spicy brown mustard, pepper, chili powder, and cumin. Add in one cheese wedge.

For the Top Egg Layer: Saute red and yellow pepper and add in egg mixture - eggs, milk, spicy brown mustard, salsa. Season with salt and pepper. 

Layer in your bowl and top with salsa, franks, parmesan, real bacon bits, and remaining red and yellow pepper. Viola! 

Take away the heat with a refreshing dessert:

All mixed together: 1/2 thinly sliced banana, instant oats, greek yogurt, dates, drizzle agave, and instant vanilla pudding mix. Freeze for 30m and enjoyed with some Total complete :)

So, overall, a pretty boring day. Time for a new Two and a Half Men! The only decent show left on television...lol.

How was everyone's February First?

Productively Unsuccessful

Figured I'd break today up into two posts, even though I'll probably be eating dinner in like...2 hours anyway. I'm bored. Just busted out my last paper and got a mock-portfolio together, as well as went into town earlier this morning to clean my office. And managed to find a cool run-down barn long the way that I snapped a couple photos of! Film though, so they'll have to wait to be seen :) For a while there I was feeling really lazy and unproductive...but I guess I did get some stuff done today after all! hah.

This morning started off with an amazing yet severely unphotogenic mix!

1 Tbs each of: Yellow Cornmeal, Bulgur Wheat with Soy, Wheat Bran, and TVP, with 3/4 c. brewed coffee, 1/4c. soy milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, Truvia, and 1/2 thinly sliced banana stirred in quickly. Topped with 1/2 nanner, red raspberry preserves, and a portion of my Barney Butter sample! 

What did I think of the Barney Butter? Um, yum. Hello. It is definitely way different than the Full Circle 100% Almond Butter kind I purchased recently (which, by the way, has definitely grown on me.) but in a good way! While I've come to love the Full Circle kind, it's not something I enjoy by itself, necessarily, whereas the Barney Butter is sweetened and is actually, to me, more like a different sort of peanut butter! And let me just say...even though I'm way behind on realizing this...it is amazing in a hot breakfast cereal concoction! I don't know why it took me so long to hop on the nut-butter-in-oatmeal train. I don't know if I was even living then, apparently! So, definitely scurry on over and see if Barney Butter is still giving away some free samples! Mine came super fast - I don't think it even took two weeks - which is pretty unique when it comes to samples. Definitely a good company. And where would I be if Karla hadn't given me the heads up about it? Pretty sure I'd still be under a rock.

Last night while I was surfin' the web I started looking into breakfast polenta! Since polenta is just yellow cornmeal which is very similar to grits, I figured it's had to have been done. And my oh my, it has! There's tons of sugary concoctions out there, so I decided to incorporate it into what is becoming my morning mish-mosh of grains! Since cornmeal doesn't have anywhere near the nutritional value of Bulgur or TVP, I decided to just replace one of the tablespoons of TVP with yellow cornmeal to see what the outcome would be. Not a huge difference, really. But worth experimenting with more! This breakfast makes me so full! Which is sort of sad since it all adds up to a normal portion size. I'm not sure if I want to cut it back a bit and maybe add a little more fruit or not. I know I should at least be eating that much for breakfast, so I'd like to leave it, haha. Why is my stomach so small?! I'm such a grazer. 

P.S. I apologize for how unappetizing this breakfast combination looks. I know Bulgur has a brown color already, but the coffee instead of water makes it even more brown...resulting in...well, you can imagine. Hopefully the delicious bananas, jam, and Barney Butter disguise it a little bit?

This is going to turn into a very review-y post, I can tell!haha.

Afterwards, I got ready to go into town and clean the office & see if I couldn't find some cool old barns. I like getting the office out of the way early in the day, and usually don't leave it for Sundays. I was just not in the mood yesterday. I knew I'd have some papers to finish and wanted to work on getting some photos together for a portfolio, as well, so I hustled in and out.

Since it's a good drive, by the time I was done it was almost noon and I was ready for a snack, so I tried one of those SoyJoy bars I'd tried a while back. Initial reaction? hmm. Interesting.... 

First I thought it almost had a chemically, artifically taste, but an intriguing taste, so of course I tried more. And whaddya know, it grew on me. Halfway through though, I became interested in the ingredients and discovered it has parmesan cheese in it. Uh, what? I admit, I must have been in a rush because checking ingredients in foods is usually a given before I buy it. But after that, I kept tasting a Parmesan cheese after-taste. No joke. I'm not sure if it's psychological or legitimate...but I think that's what I tasted at first too. I just...wouldn't have thought in my wildest dreams it was parmesan cheese.

Anyway, cutting to the chase: Raisin Almond SoyJoy=okay. Not bad. Not sure I'd buy it again, though, due to how many bars are out there that I do love. HOWEVER! I have a bunch of other flavors to try, and only some of them have parm cheese! So I'll definitely let you guys know what the dealio is with the others.

What are your thoughts on the Parmesan Cheese and SoyJoy bars? 

haha, sorry...gotta ask.

MOVING on.

Heaven.

Oh, how I love wraps.

Oh, how I love Cedar's Hummus wraps. (Or should I say Hommus? Why is there such a discrepency in the spelling of hummus, anyway?

In La Tortilla: Roasted Red Pepper Cedar's Hummus, dijonnaise, red pepper, 2 fried egg whites, romaine, red onion, President Mediterrnean Herb Feta Cheese, and tomatoes.

Holy yum. I love feta cheese...and was ecstatic to see a new President flavor! 

Only thing that coulda made this better was some beans!

Or if I'd remembered the pickle...ah well.

And this may come as a shock, but I'm currently enjoying some of the delicious frozen greek yogurt :)

What's your favorite wrap or sandwich? And what should I make for dinner?

Hah. Kidding. Except not really...

Catch ya' later!