Tag Archives: whole

Jamocha Madness!

Yesterday, something alien took over my body and I had a moment of JAMOCHA MADNESS!

Everyone in the office was talking about running out for Brewster’s ice cream, which I’ve never had, but it really planted the ice cream bug in my ear. Then, I walked out to my car around 3pm and it was hot. And it was Friday.

That’s when it happened. I drove right to Arby’s ( 8O ) and got this cute little $1.00 size Jamocha shake. (Oh yeah. That’s right. I’m that spontaneous. Kind of like a daredevil.)

Adorable, don’t ya think? Ok, so maybe a shake this size doesn’t qualify as full-blown madness.

(and, as you may have noticed, I’m not doing so well with cutting out dairy. I hate milk, but the cheese and ice cream are a different story. I have cut way, way back, though. Call me a work in progress.)

I loved Jamocha shakes as a kid, and I hadn’t had one in years–maybe decades–and this one ROCKED. Plus, I really think getting that tiny little shake through that super huge straw qualified as exercise. Bonus!

I do have to disagree with the sentiment on the cup, however. It reads: Happiness is just a curly fry awayMy personal happiness definitely has nothing to do with the location of the nearest curly fry.

I’m glad I stopped, too, because we didn’t end up eating dinner until nearly 8:30pm and I hadn’t eaten since the falafel at noon. I was ravenous. We really need to work on that.

The husbo wanted to go to Red Robin. I felt a challenge coming my way. I like their burgers, but I rarely eat them, and I didn’t feel like weighing myself down with a heavy meal. Plus, even at 6 months old, I want my son to see me making better choices than a mammoth burger and fries (He’s mesmerized by our food now!) I considered the tuna focaccia, which never disappoints, but then I saw it…

The Bamboo Steamer is back!

I used to get the Bamboo Steamer years ago, but it was taken off the menu for a long time. I even contacted their customer service center to ask about it, and they said it was discontinued (which happens to everything I like. EVERYTHING.) Now, here it is again, with a big, happy “New” next to it on the menu! Woohoo! It is comprised of a pile of steamed veggies, a pile of teriyaki noodles, and an optional grilled chicken breast, with ginger sesame and ranch dipping sauces on the side. There are, no doubt, unhealthy aspects to this meal, but for a restaurant meal, it’s a pretty darn good option. Plus, it’s AWESOME.

Looks good, no? I was thrilled to find it, but not so thrilled to notice the very obvious absence of the aforementioned dipping sauces. Argh! It’s just so frustrating when someone messes up your order.

Ah, to be so happy, and yet so not happy, all at the same time. 

C’est la vie, I s’pose!

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Have you found a healthy option at an otherwise not-so-healthy restaurant? Do share!

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An unexpected fall day in May sparks a little creativity…

I’ve got bread on the brain.

Isn’t it funny how bread got such a bad rap for a while there? Poor bread…so misunderstood.

I’ll admit it. I bought into the hype for a while, and I’d like to hereby issue a formal apology to bread.

But not to white bread. I still don’t like that guy. 

But this guy, I like…

Bad news: No PB&J for me anytime soon. A moment of silence, please…

So, what ‘s a hungry girl to do? Well, I need to use up the latest pile of greens so my husband stops making salads covered in Goldfish crackers…

and I lucked into a bounty of Crofter’s Pomegranate Jelly in the grocery store clearance aisle (!) for a mere buck forty a jar, so my wheels started turning…

LaBrea Organic Multigrain + leftover chicken + pom jelly + spinach and beet greens + a quick shred from a block of sharp white cheddar (still love/hate on the cheese issue) = one heckuva good sandwich! Especially when paired with local asparagus and crisped up in my trusty electric skillet…

Instead of complaining about the cold, damp, very un-May-like weather, I decided to follow some inspiration imparted by The Healthy Everythingtarian and turn my N into a P…

I hate this stupid, crappy cold weather. I want to wear flip-flops and the sun should be shining in May!

I get a free day of Autumn right in the middle of May! Woohoo! What better thing to do in the fall than roast sweet potatoes!

I’d been putting off  trying the Low & Slow method that’s been swirling around the blog world because I didn’t want to heat up the kitchen, so I carpe’d the diem and rubbed some thick slices of potato with the yummy organic macadamia nut oil I’m always trying to use. It’s infused with a Tahitian vanilla bean and it’s AMAZING.

For more lowdown on the Low & Slow, I’ll refer you to Kath, because if you’re not reading her, you should be.

I was totally impressed with the results. My husbands’ take: “It tastes like a breakfast pancake.” I think he’s on the right track. They couldn’t have turned out better if I’d mashed them, made patties and fried them.

Soft, sweet, and soul-satisfying: The perfect fall food!


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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!

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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!

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Share your favorite two- or three-ingredient recipe!

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