Tag Archives: oats

Finally, a moment to sit…

Jeez…It feels like it’s been a week since my last post!

What a busy weekend. I still feel like I didn’t get anything done, but I always feel like that. I’m always thinking about what I didn’t do, instead of focusing on my accomplishments.

Maybe I should write it all down so I can see it on paper, because I know I did A LOT. Or maybe, I should blog about it…

I worked on Saturday from 5am until about noon, which makes for a pretty early morning with a 60-mile commute. I lucked out, though…it seems there were some white sweet potatoes, peaches and nectarines ripe for the taking, and nobody else wanted them. I took a bunch, and left a bunch behind in hopes that someone else in my office might take advantage of free produce!

Take a look at my booty (hee hee...)

Not a bad haul, eh? 

The little fam and I made a run to the local greenhouse and our favorite “Bent & Dent”, where we always find unexpected treasures. I picked up the first of my seasonal herb plants (cilantro and oregano) and stocked up on rolled oats, organic tea, breastmilk storage bags, and lots of other goodies for dirt cheap (mostly discontinued and close-coded items). It’s amazing how many organic products you can find at Bent & Dents and clearance aisles (although, I’m thinking that’s not a good thing, because it means nobody is buying them…)

I was feeling inspired by my sweet taters, so I threw them on the grill alongside some salmon (both in foil packets.)

I felt a salad coming on, so I started rummaging through the fridge to see what I had to use up. I sent the husbo to the garden to collect some greenage, and proceeded to build what shall hereby and forever be known as the Snowball Salad. 

It just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger

and it was OFF. THE. CHARTS.

DIY Snowball Salad

-Grilled lemon pepper salmon

-Grilled sweet potato chunks

-Garden greens (spizznach, beet greens, lettuce mix)

-Black beans

-Avocado

-One falafel ball

-Carrot

-Zucchini

-Mushrooms

-Oregano

-Italian vinaigrette

-Everything else in your fridge

One thing missing: Big spoonful of zingy salsa (I didn’t figure that out until I was done.)

No, I did not eat the whole thing. Yes, I came very close. I see more Snowball Salads in the near future!

And for dessert:

Any chocolate that comes in a black wrapper has to be good, right? Nope. It was very waxy, and very disappointing. Boo on that.

Big surprise of the day: Mommy and Daddy even had a few minutes at the end of the night to relax together, alone.  Mark that one in the record book! (and get your mind out of the gutter…)

Fast forward to Sunday morning:

Breakfast at Subway (See tomorrow’s post for more details…)

Grocery shopping

Home to clean like a hurricane, do 2 loads of laundry, and snack on this old friend from late last summer! It was still fantastic after a long sleep in the freezer. Don’t you love it when you do something great for yourself, and later you get to enjoy it and remember how cool you are? 

Pineapple Zuke Bread

 

…made a BIG FAT DELICIOUS CREAMSICLE!

This is one of my all-time favorite drinks. The Polar vanilla seltzer makes it smell just like a creamsicle, but it’s not nearly as sweet. I use about 1/4 calcium-fortified OJ to 3/4 seltzer. LOVE this

Made Finn’s dinner for tonight/lunch for tomorrow: funky white sweet potato puree.

This came out surprisingly smooth and creamy. I can’t wait to start making pureed everything.

Packed my lunch/breakfast/snack for tomorrow:

Has anyone out there tried these Evol Burritos? I’m very excited about it. That, and my tiny banana. I love that I can be excited about a bag lunch. (My kick-arse husbo bought me a new lidded oats mug!)

Then, finally, baby and I headed over to the ‘rents so Shane could paint at home in prep for the appraisal. No baby in the house with paint, No-VOC or not.

Upon our arrival, Mom was busy creating this lovely concoction:

Rhubarb and raisin chutney. Really nice with a grilled pork chop. Spinach and orange salad on the side. (Vitamin C + Iron = better absorption. Go Mom!)

Alright, so maybe I did get something done this weekend.  :)

It was a pretty good food weekend. Sometimes I feel like I’d have so much more time if I bought more prepared foods. Then, I tell myself to shut up.

Now, my sweet potato-filled boy is snuggled in his bed and I’m going to spend some time with my Mom. It’s Survivor finale night!

If Parvati wins, I’ll be so p’ed.

_____________________________________

Do you give yourself credit for what you get done, or do you tend to focus on the one thing you didn’t accomplish (like me)?

I didn’t get my run in this weekend. Something had to give. What did you NOT get done this weekend?


1 Comment

Filed under Parenting & Family, Recipes & Food, The Everyday

That Healthy Me is one smart cookie…

So, I had bread on the brain yesterday…but not so much that I actually remembered to bring my bread with me to make a sandwich at lunchtime. 
:(

 This time I did actually listen to Healthy Me and plan ahead, but forgetfulness won out. Happens a lot lately.

Lemon: I found myself with a can of Nature’s Promise tuna, a little hummus, and some spinach leaves, all the parts to a mean sandwich, except for the bread. (Along with a few leftover Low & Slow sweet potato slices on the side…)

Lemonade: Look how fancy I was with my spinach leaf wrap appetizers!

First on the agenda today: Classroom obervations. This time it’s K through 2nd Grade, so I figure I’ll be  hopping all morning. This calls for a substantial breakfast featuring the always reliable almond and bananalicious Overnight Oats, with a few blackberries for moral support.

Got caught in traffic on the way, Pennsylvania-style…

Don’t you just hate it when people don’t take their own advice? Well, that’s me today. I am constantly talking about the important of planning ahead and making sure healthy choices are on hand at all times, because it’s just really, really difficult to keep your eye on the prize when you’re hungry and crunched for time.

So I pull the brilliant move of leaving the house with no lunch and no snack. And I won’t be home until after 3pm. Healthy Me is totally going to kick Unhealthy Me’s arse if she finds out.

I like the fact that I get really uneasy now when I don’t know where, when or what I’ll be eating for the day. It tells me that I’ve made some permanent lifestyle changes. Yay for healthier lifelong habits!

Note to self: Even when you’re working nearly full-time, juggling projects, caring for a baby, and training for a new gig, it’s always worth getting up ten minutes earlier to ensure a healthy lunch. Especially while nursing. No excuses!

__________________________________

What do you do when you find yourself SOL at lunchtime? Do you have a favorite go-to lunch that fills the void when you don’t plan ahead? Let me know! I need ideas!

Leave a Comment

Filed under Recipes & Food, The Everyday

Almond Date Cream: Take 2

As mentioned in a previous post, I love almonds and I love dates, so I had to try the Almond Date Cream recipe in my new Vegan Planet Cookbook. (I think the book calls it Almond Butter Cream, but that didn’t seem an accurate description to me.)

The first time around, I couldn’t resist modifying the recipe to include the almond butter I already had. I loved the results, but decided to play by the rules this time and do things by the book…

I wasn’t sure if there would be a big difference in the results.

There was!

I combined 1 cup of almonds, 5 dates, and 1/2 cup of hot water in my little puree machine and let it all soak for about 2 hours.

It took a lot of effort on the machine’s part, but it handled the job. The almonds jammed up a little, so I did have to add a bit of almond milk to help it all blend and achieve a nice texture.

This wasn’t nearly as sweet as my first attempt, and the texture was thick, creamy and a bit grainy. I wasn’t sure about the mouthfeel at first, but I reserved judgement until I added it to my morning oats. 

I dropped a tablespoon of my new creation in with my slightly heated oats, almond milk, and some dried cranberries. I gave it a little swirl and…POOF!…it disappeared! 
8O
I like to keep my ingredients a bit separated in the bowl so I can choose what I’d like to have in each bite. Luckily, I didn’t really blend  the cream in all the way. Just  a little swirl. I was disappointed that I couldn’t really see it, but it made each bite taste a little different. Fun!

One warning: Try to pay attention to where this is in your bowl! The cream and the oats are so similar in color that you could end up with a mouthful of straight almond cream and then the rest of your oats could end up sad and plain. :(

The flavor was creamy, mellow and barely sweet, and the texture was surprisingly nice. Very subtle, but a lovely addition.

Of the two versions, I think I’d have to pick this one as my favorite because the ingredients were completely whole. The almonds are less expensive than the almond butter, too. 

A winner!

Leave a Comment

Filed under Recipes & Food

Dates and the Internet Cafe

Hi, all! Long time, no blog!

I didn’t post yesterday. I got home from work around 5pm, and it was a beautiful, sunshiny day. Two choices: sit down and blog, or move my butt and get some exercise with my boy. I love you dearly, but you lost. Nothing personal. :)

News: We decided to invest in a new Pest Management System for our Garden Irrigation Tank. We went for the eco-friendly version. 

Oh, you want to see it?

HA! Four new goldfish for our rain barrels! (Gotcha!) …for a grand total of $.44! They eat the skeeters. It’s quite efficient.

So I started off this morning with some Overnight Oats. Yes, I’ve jumped on the blogwagon…and it’s turned into quite the little love affair. If you’re not familiar with the OOs, get the lowdown at Kath Eats Real Food. It’s not really rocket science, but it’s great information. 

Yesterday’s oats qualified less as Overnight Oats, and more as On-The-Way-To-Work Oats, which is even more convenient for me. I used quick oats and they were quite nice by the time I ate them after my hour-long commute.

I think the reason I’m ready to elope with my oats is the addition of the Almond Butter and Date Cream I made using a recipe from my new cookbook.

First, I soaked 4 dates in water.

Then, I put them into my handy puree machine along with a big scoop of almond butter, adding a little of the soaking water until it was the right consistency.

And it looked a little something like this…

I threw a biggish dollop into my oats along with a few cranberries, and I have to say: The dates made a big difference. I love dates, and now I love this! You gotta love a quick recipe that calls for three whole ingredients.

The recipe called for whole blanched almonds and, because I can’t resist tinkering with a recipe, I used almond butter ( also because I happened to have almond butter), but I won’t do that next time. I just purchased a bag of blanched almonds for that very purpose. I’ll let you know how it goes. 

Incidentally, I also found a big jug of Green Works laundry detergent on clearance for less than $4, and I had a $1.50 coupon! Boo-ya.

Hey, you know how sometimes you’re sitting at an internet cafe trying to write a blog post and your son gets hungry and you try to discreetly nurse him and then he latches on and then you let down and then he decides that he’s done and then you spray like a sprinkler all over the place?

Yeah, that just happened. Gotta go!

Ta ta(s) for now!

_____________________________

Share your favorite two- or three-ingredient recipe!

2 Comments

Filed under Home & Garden, Parenting & Family, Recipes & Food