lasts

BREAKFAST:

Peanut butter toast and the last three dates. (Sad face.) Coffee and vitamin not pictured.

LUNCH:

The last piece of lasagna, a pear, and the last bites of the Green & Black's bar. (Double sad face.)

SNACK:

Apple, scone. A few corn chips with melted cheese with the kids, too. :)

DINNER:

Leftover tofu joes, the last of the coleslaw, and squash.

TREAT:
Not pictured -- Daring Baker's project!

EXERCISE:
Nothing out of the ordinary today. I'm having a lazy Monday.

Until tomorrow!

a well-balanced day!

BREAKFAST:

A scone and a pear. I realize the scones look like muffins . . . I dropped them into my silicone muffin pan so I wouldn't have to switch multiple cookie sheets in and out of the oven. Funny shape, but still tasty!

LUNCH:

Kale and mushrooms, squash (with maple syrup and Earth Balance,) and tofu sloppy joes (from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics,) on a part-wholegrain bun, topped with coleslaw.

TREAT:

More pudding. Still just as tasty as yesterday, but strangely, more dense.

EXERCISE:
Courtney and I went for a 90 minute walk this afternoon, and I'm guessing it was at least 3 1/2 miles, maybe more. Even though it was cold out, I was glad to be outside enjoying the sunshine!

SNACK #1:

I was really hungry when I got home from my walk, so I made an apple with peanut butter. About five minutes after I finished eating it, I realized there was no way that alone was going to hold me until I finished cooking dinner, so . . .

SNACK #2:

Cashews and dates.

DINNER:

I made a recipe for Harira from Cooking Light, some 100% whole-wheat bread from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, and a side salad topped with leftover eggplant pickles. The soup was pretty good but it needs . . . something. (Even after I topped it with a little drizzle of olive oil.) Maybe some spice? Maybe I'll pick up some harissa to add to the leftovers!

TREAT:

Green & Black's organic dark chocolate.

Until tomorrow!

hollandaise saga

Apologies: I didn't intend on skipping the FLOG two days in a row -- things just got in the way. Today, we return to regularly-scheduled flogging action.

AM SNACK:

Sliced local honeycrisp apple. Coffee not pictured.

BRUNCH:

Eggs florentine and oven-roasted rosemary and garlic blue potatoes. Orange juice and vitamin not pictured. (I ended up only being able to finish one of my two egg stacks . . . I hate it when I overserve myself and waste food! Now I know for next time.)

So, about that hollandaise saga . . . I followed the recipe and directions in Sunlight Cafe. Mollie Katzen made hollandaise sound so easy! My first batch "broke," so it was oily and chunky, and not at all appetizing-looking. (I even tried whisking in an extra yolk, which I've heard can fix a broken hollandaise. No luck.) My second batch, I followed her ingredients but came up with my own directions. Success! Thick, lemony, rich hollandaise. Dan has been begging for hollandaise for months and months, so I finally decided to indulge both of us a little bit! Fan-tastic.

TREAT:
Will remain a mystery, since part of it was my Daring Baker's project for this month. More on that in a couple of weeks. :)

SNACK:
Half a banana-cherry-almond scone, based on the Banana-Date Scones from VCON. Sorry about the lack of picture . . . I was THAT hungry. I'll snap one tomorrow, promise!

DINNER:

Pizza! Crust is from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, topped with the end of the jar of marinara, mozzarella and parmesan, sliced mushrooms, quartered artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and some leftover eggplant pickles from New Year's Eve. Greens with balsamic and olive oil on the side. (I did go back for a second piece of pizza . . . YUM.)

TREAT:

I made butterscotch pudding from Joy of Vegan Baking this afternoon -- it's pretty dang tasty! Creamy, sweet, caramelly . . . just what you'd expect from butterscotch pudding. :) Not pictured: Medjool date.

EXERCISE:
Walk to the library -- about a mile. We had planned on walking home, too, but the sun had set and it was COLD, so we took the bus. Alas.

~~~~~~~~~~

I'm pretty full, even though we finished dinner over a half an hour ago. Let's hope I can prevent Dan from convincing me to make popcorn later!!! (He's a bit of an enabler when it comes to salty snacks. Oh well!)

Until tomorrow.

some pre-FLOG action

The week's groceries:


BULK:
local, organic, whole-wheat bread flour
arrowroot powder

FROZEN:
coconut sorbet
local, organic spinach
organic baby lima beans

HERBS & SPICES:
kava kava root

PACKAGED GROCERY:
organic safflower oil
marinated artichoke hearts
Spanish saffron
tomato paste (in a tube)
organic vanilla caramel hard candy
organic ginger mints
organic tomato sauce
organic diced tomatoes (no salt added)
organic tomato paste (in a can)
Seventh Generation TP

PRODUCE:
organic celery
organic bananas
organic lemons
organic cara cara oranges
organic pears
organic dino kale
organic cilantro
organic parsley
local, organic cremini mushrooms
organic yellow onions
organic green pepper
local, organic blue potatoes
local hydroponic lettuce
local, organic winter squash
local hydroponic tomatoes
organic Medjool dates

REFRIGERATED GROCERY:
local, organic unsalted butter
whole wheat English muffins
organic tofu
local, organic, free-range eggs

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Here's a question: what do you know about hydroponic produce? What do you think about buying hydroponic produce? I've bought local "Living Waters" tomatoes before, and this week is my first time buying local lettuce (in the middle of the winter.) I also could have purchased a local bell pepper, but they were VERY expensive, compared to organic peppers from farther away.

Thoughts? Opinions? I don't know much about hydroponic produce (other than a rudimentary understanding of how it's grown,) so I'd love any input!

ridiculously phenomenal, ginormous lunch

BREAKFAST:

Oatmeal made with almond milk and sliced apples, topped with a drizzle of honey and a scoop of peanut butter. Coffee not pictured, and I may have forgotten my vitamin today . . . oh well!

LUNCH:

St. Paul's cook knocked lunch out of the park today: quesadillas (filled with beans, cheese, and tons of veggies,) beans and rice, chips and mango salsa, and salad. I must be honest . . . I completely overate, but it was completely worth it!

SNACK:

Even though I was STILL FULL from lunch when it was nearly time to head out for choir practice this evening, I knew I needed to eat something. The last of the cherry pecan bread (sad face!) and a tangerine made good pre-choir munchies.

ANOTHER SNACK:
I had a clementine, two sugar snap peas, and a cookie during our choir break. (People take turns bringing treats.)

LATE DINNER:

Leftover lasagna!

EXERCISE:
Ehrm . . . nothing out of the ordinary today. Just the usual walking to get places, etc.

~~~~~~~~~~

Just the other day, I was looking in the mirror and exclaimed, "man, I need a haircut." What did I find in my mailbox today? A "Happy New Year" postcard from my stylist, offering me $10 off a haircut! Hooray for Eunice! (She's the best haircutting person EVER. $10 coupon or no $10 coupon, my hair always looks fantastic!)

few pictures, but great food!

I promise I put my camera in my backpack this morning, but promptly forgot about it. Apologies! FLOG, anyway . . . .

BREAKFAST:
Two slices of cherry-pecan bread (a gift from a kid in my class . . . and I HAVE to ask her parents for the recipe!) an apple, black coffee, and my multivitamin.

MIDMORNING:
Four pretzels I bummed off one of my coworkers, and a dark chocolate-covered caramel I bummed off another one of my coworkers. We preschool teachers are good at sharing. :)

LUNCH:
We are off our campus for training this week, visiting our coworkers on the St. Paul campus, and their cook ROCKS. He made a baked potato bar for lunch today -- and it was AMAZING! I topped my tater with (his homemade) vegetarian chili, shredded cheese, sour cream, and fresh salsa, and also loaded up the rest of my plate with delicious salad with TONS of fresh veggies. (I wish he was our cook!)

MIDAFTERNOON:
Another apple and a couple of small pieces of candy.

DINNER:

Leftover veggie, brown rice, bean, and cheese burrito, topped with salsa, and coleslaw and orange juice on the side. Delicious and filling!

TREAT:

Two more slices of cherry-pecan bread. This horribly over-exposed photo doesn't do the bread justice, but I thought Oliver's nose was pretty cute, so, there you go.

EXERCISE:
45 minutes of yoga. My abs and arms are sore. I expect they will be more sore tomorrow?

~~~~~~~~~~

I'll try harder to remember to use the camera tomorrow . . . I forget whether we're having stir-fry or quesadillas for lunch, but regardless, I must document accordingly!

so . . . much . . . candy . . .

I apologize, but I'm not going to FLOG today. I completely lost track of how much candy I ate at training today, and I have pictures of nothing. (I did manage some healthy choices as well, like three pieces of fruit, a giant salad, lots and lots of water, a healthy dinner, but definitely way too much candy.)

I hate eating when I'm bored. Guilty as charged.

EXERCISE:
After sitting on my butt in a conference room all day, (snore,) I did 25 minutes of yoga when I got home. I aim to do more tomorrow, because it made me feel GREAT!

~~~~~~~~~~

I'm about to complain, which I realize I rarely do on this blog. I must state one of my hugest pet peeves in the whole wide world:

I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE SAY THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND REPEAT EACH OTHER DURING MEETINGS.

Good god, I have better things to do with my time than sit around and listen to you all talk about how smart you all think each other are. RAWR!

~~~~~~~~~~

Ok, complaining over. Back to regularly-scheduled FLOG action tomorrow!

gotta love the $1 ice cream cone

BREAKFAST:

I discovered four homemade waffles in my freezer the other day! I had two of them for breakfast this morning, with peanut butter, sliced bananas, and maple syrup. Glass of orange juice on the side. Coffee and vitamin, too.

LUNCH:

Leftover lasagna (this was actually just one piece, but I chopped it up so it would heat more evenly in the micro,) a side salad, and another cup of coffee. Strangely, I only drank half that second cup!

TREAT:

Oliver was kind enough to knock the containers of Christmas cookies on the floor, so I HAD to eat the broken one, right?? :) And the molasses cookies are STILL SO GOOD!

MID-AFTERNOON SNACK:
$1 ice cream cone (eh, fat-free frozen yogurt??) at IKEA. YUM. I don't care if it's January and it's -2 degrees Farenheight outside! Eat the $1 ice cream cone every chance you get!!!! (Fortunately, I'm not at IKEA all that often, so the $1 ice cream cone really is a treat.)

DINNER:
Ann treated me to crunchy tacos at Chipotle, since she had a couple of free burrito coupons. I had them fill my tacos with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, peppers & onions, mild pico de gallo, medium corn salsa, and guacamole. MMMMMMMMM . . . !!

EXERCISE:
Ann and I walked around Lake of the Isles this afternoon, which took us about 75 minutes. We estimate the lake path is slightly over two miles.

~~~~~~~~~~

I love IKEA. I got two new rugs for my entryway, a tall jar to keep dry noodles in, and two bookends, for only $10.10! Woo! Oliver had to try out both of the rugs as soon as I got home, just to make sure they were cat-approved, I guess.

getting there . . .

I feel like I'm starting to get back on track with the healthy eating and exercise today -- the sleep and junk yesterday must have done some good!

BREAKFAST:

Coffee and vitamin not pictured, of course.

BRUNCH:

It's nice to be back to our usual weekend "routine" of hashbrowns, greens and mushrooms, and a poached egg. I made a quick citrus salad, too, including a red grapefruit, a blood orange, a Cara Cara orange, and a drizzle of agave.

TREAT:

Never-ending supply of Christmas cookies!

MID-AFTERNOON SNACK:
Dan bought me a 12-ounce cherry-chocolate Italian soda while we were out running errands, and I also had another cookie when we got home.

DINNER:

Light Whole Wheat Bread (with Earth Balance) from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, Cannellini Beans and Wilted Greens (from The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook,) and oven-roasted green beans.

TREAT:

A piece of Twizzler's "pull'N'peel" licorice. (Dan's a bad influence in the licorice department!)

EXERCISE:
Dan and I ran errands on foot this afternoon, which took us about 90 minutes. We walked at least 2.2 miles, probably more. (Target is a big place!)

~~~~~~~~~~

I must confess, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day really is THAT easy. I'm incredibly impressed -- no more kneading! Bread ready when I want it to be! No dense, nasty, hockey-puck like loaves of whole grain bread! Buy this cookbook, I tell you!

yesterday's sicky-poo flog

BREAKFAST:

not pictured: black coffee and half a (very large) lemon-poppyseed muffin that I ate at work, before I decided to come home sick. (Coming home had nothing to do with the muffin.)

LUNCH:

Yummy leftovers. Not pictured: vitamin. (Forgot it at breakfast.)

SNACK:

I only ate about half the muffin -- didn't have much appetite yesterday.

DINNER:

Luckily, I had made the lasagna I wanted to serve the night before, so all I had to do in my sickened state was bake it off and make a salad.

TREAT:

There MAY have been one additional cookie consumed as well. :)

MOVIE SNACK:
I made Dan and I some popcorn (with melted Earth Balance and some salt) to enjoy while watching a movie. I also ate two homemade caramels. Have to balance the salty and sweet, eh?

EXERCISE:
None. Trying to stay awake during the afternoon was hard enough work! (I did eventually nap . . . I was feeling lousy yesterday!)

~~~~~~~~~~

Does anyone else CRAVE junk when they are sick? I certainly do. I'm feeling much better today, (although I still have a nasty cough,) so let's hope I can cut down on the cookies and get some exercise!

food, food, food, food, food

First, the grocery haul:


BULK:
organic baby lima beans
locally roasted, organic, fair-trade coffee

CHEESE:
12 oz ricotta
local pepper jack
local part-skim mozzarella

FROZEN:
local, organic spinach

PACKAGED GROCERY:
organic blackstrap molasses
organic canola oil
canned artichoke hearts
Yogi echinacea immune support tea
organic light agave nectar
organic pasta sauce
organic, no-salt-added, diced tomatoes
local lasagna noodles

PERSONAL CARE:
2 pkg Seventh Generation tampons (on sale!)

PRODUCE:
organic bananas
organic tangerines
blood oranges
organic green beans
local, organic green cabbage
local, organic red cabbage
organic dino kale
organic mixed baby greens
organic escarole
local, organic cremini mushrooms
organic green pepper
local, organic red potato
jalapeno pepper
organic cherry tomatoes

REFRIGERATED GROCERY:
organic plain soy yogurt
Earth Balance buttery sticks
organic flour tortillas
local, organic, free-range eggs

~~~~~~~~~~

And, today's FLOG:

BREAKFAST:

Granola with almond milk. Black coffee and vitamin not pictured.

LUNCH:

Homemade bean and rice burrito (loads of veggies and some pepper jack cheese in there, too,) topped with salsa, and a mountain of coleslaw on the side. Not pictured: a small apple I snacked on while cooking. (Lunch took longer than expected to prepare!)

DINNER:

Leftovers from last night, and a mug of hot apple cider.

TREAT:

Two Christmas cookies and a caramel.

I also had a few mugs of herbal tea today, one with honey.

EXERCISE:
1-hour walk with Dan this afternoon. We walk at a pretty good pace, although I'm not sure how far we walked. My guess would be 2 1/2 miles, at least.

Until tomorrow!

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a safe and fun New Year's Eve last night! I had a pretty great day, actually -- we only had four kids at work during the day, our mini dinner party was a huge success, and Dan and I had a blast at the theatre production we went to see later on! (We saw the Christmas show at a local comedy and improv theatre.) Food from yesterday:

BREAKFAST:

Apple-cinnamon oatmeal, made with almond milk. Not pictured: black coffee, multivitamin.

LUNCH:
Sorry there's no photo, but I ordered Jimmy John's with a few of my coworkers. I had their veggie sub (provolone, avocado, light mayo, lettuce, sprouts, tomato, and cucumber) on wholegrain bread. I also snuck two chocolate-covered caramel leaves out of our "teacher treats" drawer. :)

SNACK:
Again, no photo. (Dinner will make up for it, I promise!) Another pumpkin chocolate chip muffin, and a Cara Cara orange. I shared a few slices with the kids -- they loved it! (And, bizzarely, the orange distracted them from the Oreo cookies being served for snack! Strange, but cool.)

DINNER:
I had a small platefull, and a few scoops of seconds, from the following dishes:

Salatat Taheena (Tahini Mix), Labana ma' Za'tar (Drained Yogurt with Za'tar,) and Bathinjan Makboos (Eggplant Pickles,)

Mutabbal Koosa (Garlic Zucchini Appetizer,)

Maazat Hummus wa Zaytoon (Chickpea and Olive Appetizer,) Zaytoon bi Za'tar (Olives with Za'tar,) and Maazat Khurshoof (Artichoke Hearts in Vinegar,)
AND,

Pita and Za'tar flatbread.

All of the vegetable/entree dishes are from this cookbook:

(This book is absolutely at the top of my "to buy" list now. Everything was FANTASTIC!!!!!!! A very fun, tasty, casual meal.)

The breads were both from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. (Buy this book, if you haven't already!)

We also had leftover Christmas cookies, (I had a few,) and herbal tea for dessert.

ANOTHER SNACK:
Dan and I split a medium popcorn at the theatre.

EXERCISE:
Nothing noteworthy yesterday, other than chasing after preschoolers for eight hours. I'll try and make up for that today!

~~~~~~~~~~

Off to the grocery store in a little bit -- even though there are a few leftovers from last night, my kitchen desperately needs a restock! Later, skaters.

seriously lacking

My first FLOG is seriously lacking in the vegetable department. I'm low on veggies right now, (except for what I have planned for our New Year's Eve dinner,) so I did the best I could with what I have around!

BREAKFAST:

peanut butter toast and a banana.
Not pictured: black coffee and my vitamin.

LUNCH:
Strange to be home for lunch in the middle of the week, but I had a dentist appointment, so I went in to work late.

Pepper Jack quesadilla with loads of salsa, a Cara Cara orange, and

a caramel and a molasses cookie.

SNACK:

pumpkin chocolate chip muffin

DINNER:

leftover dal and the last chappati

I snuck four olives while I was cooking. :)

ANOTHER SNACK:

apple with peanut butter and a biscotto. (Is that the singular form of biscotti?)

EXERCISE:
I walked to the dentist, which was 1.2 miles. I intended on walking home as well, but it was SO FRIGGIN' ICY I didn't want to risk slipping and falling on my ass. Safety first, right?

Expect big food excitement tomorrow night . . . Dan, his brother, Ryan, and Ryan's girlfriend, Sara, are coming over for dinner, and I have a right feast scheduled! Until tomorrow . . . .