Threepeat

Did everyone make it to Friday okay? I sure did - now it's home free for a whole week!

The funny thing for me when I'm on break from school, though, is that not much changes! I still work MWF, and if it wasn't winter I'd be working all week!

This morning had some new guests - and a good thing, because otherwise it would have been very repetitive! Not that I'm complaining, but you guys might get a little bored ;)

Ironically, not one of the jams from yesterday. This one's been chillin' out in my cupboard for a while. It was time to break out that and Cinnamon Raisin Swirl for my Coconut Plum Brekkie Bowl.

In the Mix: 2 T. Spelt Hot Cereal, 2 T. TVP, 1 T. Wheat Bran, 1/2 c. brewed coffee, 1/4 c. almondmilk, goji berries, cinnamon, vanilla, 3/4 diced plum, 1/2 pkt. sun crystals

On the Top: the same yogurt-chia seed icing from yesterday, plum jam, cinnamon raisin swirl PB, flax, raisins, and caramelized plum & coconut.

deeee-vine.

I think the plums I picked up still need a couple more days to get nice & juicy-ripe, though. 

I've had a couple questions on the so-called yogurt chia seed "icing," and realized I never really addressed it.

Basically, I prepare approximately equal parts almond milk and plain greek yogurt, mix it together, and then add in chia seeds, allowing the chia seeds to soak up some of the mixture, but not so much that it gets to the consistency of normal pudding or yogurt. I love the texture of the chia seeds prepared this way - and find normal yogurt too thick and...well, weird...on top of oats.

If I'm making a large batch to get me through a couple mornings (and bites throughout the day!) I just do a basic mix of the yogurt, milk, chia seeds, and then some vanilla and/or maple syrup or jam for sweetener, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and sometimes acai powder.

It's also really good with pumpkin puree, mashed banana, anything!

What are your favorite uses for Chia seeds?

This was a really good batch - but I say that all the time!

I love the Spelt, and the PB was amazing, too! I was expecting it to be more raisin-y, but I just realized a few minutes ago after I was helping myself to more that they're mostly on the bottom - so next time I use it I need to be sure to stir!

Self explanitory leftovers. I meant to grab half a sweet potato I had left or make the last naan dough up to go with it, but totally forgot. As it was, as much as it looks, it was not enough and I was ravenous by the time the day was done!

An Apple Walnut SoyJoy bar was broken into on my drive home. Always prepared with the snackage! The apple walnut flavor is actually really good. My first soyjoy bar was raisin almond, and some of you may remember my on-the-fence opinion on it. The parmesan cheese really weirded me out, too. But this apple-walnut one didn't have a strange after-taste at all, and the apple flavor was naturally apple-y, not artificially at all, like some bars can be. Overall - I recommend! 

I came home and prepared a three-peat dinner:

The last of the noodles, last of the sugar snap peas, last piece of naan dough, and half of a leftover sweet potato. And some almond mozzarella on top for fun and because it is so dang delicious.

I think that is my favorite shirataki recipe thus far. And I loved having that naan dough at my disposal! I will have to be making more soon :)

Does anyone have any fun plans for the weekend?

I may need to bake up some of my carrot-bran muffins. I'm all out! I like having them with my nightime snack. That or I may try my hand at some sort of raw cookie. I've never made them before. I usually just help myself to a handful of dates :P

And also, a question for other bloggies: I've been hearing lots about wordpress being much more beneficial in the long run versus blogspot. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Those of you who have gone from one to the other, or have thought about it as well? Would love some opinions :)

I'm thinking about doing a fun giveaway soon, too! Any thoughts? I realize I'm far from a "big" blog, - but I think a fun little "vermont pride" giveaway will be fun - especially since I really appreciate you guys who do read on a daily basis. Even when I'm boring, like today :)

I Got Issues.

Uh, so, can anybody else hardly believe it's Thursday already?!

It snuck up on me - and I'd almost forgotten that I'm on break from classes all of next week! My college goes on break every 5 weeks (or 6?) so that kids don't get depressed. They always come at jussst the right time - whenever I get the thoughts of "hmmm..do I really need to go to class today...?" I can tell there's a break coming up :)

Yes - believe it or not, there's oats under there!

As I've mentioned before, I've never been a huge chocolate fan. Even growing up I'd opt for the skittles or gummy bears, if I had to chose a candy. Exceptions were if coconut and/or almonds were in the chocolate, of course :) Go figure - now that dark chocolate is discovered to be good for your health, right? hah. But anyways - sometimes I get the urge for some chocolatey goodness, and this morning was a prime example.

Yep - under that mess is a good ol' batch of banana-almond chocolate spelt & tvp cereal!

It's no secret how much I love spelt bread - so I couldn't wait to try this Rolled Spelt hot cereal! Unfortunately, I should not have used them in such a "flavor-masking" bowl such as  this - I couldn't detect the differences of flavor between spelt and oats. Oh well - tomorrow!

In the Mix: 2 T. TVP, 2 T. Rolled Spelt, 1 T. wheat bran, 1/4 sliced nanner, goji berries, almond extract, 1.5 t. organic unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 packet sun crystals.

For the "Icing": Greek yogurt, chia seeds, acai powder, dollop honey, vanilla extract, almondmilk

On the Top: sliced nanner, icing, toasted coconut, toasted almonds, flax, strawberry-pom jam, white choco coconut PB

Yum-o! I lovelove the combo of almond, coconut, banana, and chocolate!

This morning I actually didn't go to my first two classes - but only because it was a make up day! Teachers kinda "get" that kids hate showing up when break is so close I guess, haha. So - I scheduled to shoot a senior portrait and then thought I'd run into town to Bed Bath & Beyond, and Hannaford. (rut roh - now you have an idea what the title of this post alludes to, huh?)

Anyways - still packed a lunch and snacks!

Simple Bulgur wrap with spinach - that bulgur from last night is a great wrap filler! Would have been better pressed on the 'nini maker, of course ;)

naranja, trail mix, veggie crisps, wrap, tea, nanner, spelt toast with dates, pb, and jam.

and of course coffee and agua!

After a very cold but good shoot, I hit up Bed, Bath & Beyond in search of cute bowls and plates. I've been getting so bored photographing the same old ones, I'm not gonna lie. Is that bad? haha. 

That and, I adore browsing through all those kitchen appliances - I could have a hay-day in there! I found some super cool bowls and plates - you'll see! Next up? Hannafords. Oh, heavens. Why am I allowed in there? I've got serious issues. All I needed were some shirataki noodles! But of course I had to browse the peanut butter and jam aisle and wound up with two new PB & Co PB's and two new jams. And trust me - I almost had far more jams! Luckily, I shied away from the mustard aisle, but only because there was another woman blocking the whole shelf. I silently thanked her. Although - I have been dying to find PB&Co around here - and the jams were on sale :)

After making it back to campus and nomming on my lunch while surfing the web in my mom's office [the only other place to eat without freezing or looking strange is the dining hall - and you can't get in without paying or swiping ID. Since I commute, I don't have a meal plan, so would have to pay.] I had our first photo critique. It went much better than I thought! Still not sure what the teacher thinks, but there were good critiques and some really nice work from the other students, too. I was surprised, though - for once, I was the talkative one! Usually, I listen to everyone else and chime in when really necessary or I have something I really want to say. This is a really quiet group, however!

It was also a very fast critique. I made it home in time to edit some of the senior portraits & snack on some spelt bread (with, of course, pb, jam, and dates & a vanilla latte) before making possibly the best dinner of the week. Hmm...lemon...sensing a new pattern, here...

I can't help it - I love shirataki noodles! Maybe it's in my blood - my mom loves them, too. 

Creamy Lemon-Garlic Noodles with Tuna, Bacon, & Veggies

Ingredients For the Noodles:

-1 pkg Shirataki noodles/pasta, rinsed & microwaved 1 m.

-1 can chunk tuna

- 2-3 T. olive oil

-1/4 c. diced red onion

-1/2 carrot, diced

-1 T. minced garlic

-3/4 c. sugar snap peas

-2 slices cooked turkey bacon, diced

-salt, pepper 

For the Sauce:

-1/2 c. plain greek yogurt

-1 T. lemon juice

-lemon pepper

-crushed red pepper

-basil

-scant 1/4 c. almondmilk/milk/cream

-1 T. BBQ sauce
-1 T. dijon mustard

Sautee minced garlic, red onion, carrot, peas, and bacon in olive oil until soft. Add in tuna, and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for the sauce, seasoning to taste.

Add noodles to veggie mixture and combine, followed by the sauce. 

Serve with lemon-pepper naan (naan dough prepared in lemon pepper-covered iron skillet) and parmesan cheese.

Delish! Seriously loving having that naan dough on hand, and it is so. darn. good. with the lemon pepper!

Whatcha think of new plate #1, btw?! I think it's pretty neat - though I do wish it wasn't so flat!

Honestly - I think the shirataki noodles are perfect for this. I don't look at them as a sub for pasta - I look at them as jazzy ramen noodles! haha.

Lately, my "unpictured evening snacks" have often been consisting of heated applesauce and/or greek yogurt, with jam, pb or ab, dates or raisins, and some kashi (and sometimes some of those butterscotch chips!) or a slice of spelt toast with pb or ab, jam, and dates, also heated. Can you tell I seriously adore dates? 

What's your favorite unusual snack?

I guess toast isn't unusual - what's unusual is that I love something so simple! haha.

Change is a-comin'

Be proud, readers: I didn't stuff anything in a pita for dinner today, and even breakfast was a leeeetle different!

Breakfast Cookie: approx: 2 T. oats, 1 T. wheat germ, 1 tsp. flour, 1/8 tsp. baking powder, stevia,1/2 T. egg beaters, vanilla, frozen blueberries, & cinnamon. Topped with brown cow 0% plain, banana, wheat germ, and a splash of s.f. maple syrup.

Delicious! Didn't think it would be quiiiite enough to keep me satiated most of the morning at work though, so I toasted a corn vita-top before I left and ate it on my drive in. Definitely digging the corn flavor! Quite good. The sugar alcohols in vita tops don't really knock my socks off; I admittedly use more artificial sweeteners than I would really like to (*cough*sugar free maple syrup addiction*COUGH*) but somedays I'm not so picky about it. I try to eat healthy otherwise, or use stevia, honey, or agave to sweeten things where really necessary, so hopefully it won't be the death of me :P Do you have any strong feelings about artificial sweeteners? What about ones marketed as natural, like stevia?

I had a little bit of turkey salad leftover from last night; just enough to make the perfect lunch out of! So I had that along with a bunch of other veggies and some more laughing cow on a toasted sandwich thin. That was some goooood turkey salad, let me tell you. Dijonnaise = good stuff.

Work flew by today, sort of unusual for this time of year, but I love it when that happens! For some reason I didn't get hungry most of the day. I was fairly inactive (there was a lot of scanning at the computer to be done versus running around like a crazy person) which probably explains that, but I get kind of weirded out when I think I haven't eaten enough throughout the day and don't feel hungry, especially because I've been trying to make a point to eat more snacks lately. I had carrots with lunch and the rest of my banana mid-morning, but usually I'll have crackers and a cereal/power/granola bar throughout the day as well, but before I knew it the day was over. Oh wellll.

Wasn't sure what to do for dinner since I didn't have a super-strong hunger for anything, but then remembered the Shirataki Noodles I still had waiting to be used. Shirataki Noodles are tofu noodles that are, essentially, like eating nothing, haha. They definitely have lovers and haters if you read the forums, but I think I'm a lover :) I'm also not a rabid pasta fan, mind you, which could be the difference. If I can eat something that, to me, tastes nearly the same as the original but for far less carbs, calories, cholesterol, and sugar - by golly I will! Even though I'm not on a calorie-counting diet by any means, pasta is definitely loaded with carbs and we all know I love me some carbs throughout the course of my day! (just...not today, apparently. hah!)

But, enough of that.

I bounced back and forth between making a sort of alfredo-esque sauce, like I did last time I had these noodles, or a tomato-based sauce. I decided I was digging the tomato idea for tonight :) I threw together some stewed tomatoes, red pepper, garlic, sugar peas, mushrooms, cajun andouille chicken sausage, and onions - seasoned with  little bit of salt, pepper,crushed red pepper, and basil. Topped with some parmesan and bon appetit!

I love the Bilinski Farms chicken sausage and this cajun andoiulle (okay, I honestly can't spell that. sorry.) flavor is SO SO good. If your supermarket carries them, try them!

I added some fresh bread halfway through to add a bit to the meal, it initially escaped the camera. I bet you know what a piece of whole wheat fresh bakery bread looks like though :)

Just made some hot cocoa and a quick cookie, and I'm sure there is more in store. Now I'm off to get stuff ready for tomorrow (classes start back up! guff!) and catch up on flickr, spark, and blogs!

Do you like work days that are packed full of stuff to do, or would you rather a liesurely workflow? I love keeping busy at my job, personally. Before you know it, you're driving home!

Peace!