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Menu Plan Monday (vegetarian)

This weekend has been very relaxing.  Yesterday we woke up late, lounged around, went for a long walk (about 4 miles or so), got massages (intense deep tissue), and met up with a friend for dinner at Homma’s Brown Rice Sushi (Palo Alto, CA).

Today I woke up early, but lounged around until I walked to the farmers’ market and back.

Here’s what I have planned for the week…

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Menu for the Week of April 05 – April 11

Sunday night – okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake).  inspiration from here, but nothing like that recipe at all.  to be posted soon.

Dinners –

  • return to Homma’s Brown Rice Sushi
  • stuffed portobello mushrooms & tomato-ey pasta (both inspired by Naturally Thin)
  • Vietnamese – Pho Vi Hoa (see here and here)
  • eating out with cousins (don’t know where yet; saw them at the farmers’ market this morning!)
  • stir-fries to use up extra veggies

Lunches –

  • scrambles/omelettes with fresh veggies & toast
  • tuna sandwiches & salad
  • sushi & salad
  • Chipotle with Bobby

Breakfasts –

  • fruit, yogurt, & granola/cereal parfaits
  • scrambles/omelettes & toast
  • toast with butter & jelly, fresh fruit
  • french toast

Desserts – trying for fruit this week, as well as faux cheesecake and these cookies that were on sale at whole foods.

Happy New Week!  Is anything exciting happening for you?

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Faux Cheesecake

I bought Bethenny Frankel’s new book, Naturally Thin, on Tuesday night after getting home from my cruise.  On Wednesday I ended up trying (and modifying, of course – who follows recipes?) three of her ideas.  I changed this one so much that I think I can call it my own:

Maggie’s Faux Choco-Banana Cheesecake

4-choco-banana-cheesecake

Ingredients (serves 2)

  • 2/3 cup lowfat cottage cheese (can use up to 1 cup depending on how much you want)
  • 1/2 banana, mashed
  • splash of extract (I used vanilla, but anything would work)
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon stevia (or 2 teaspoons other sweetener – sugar, honey, etc.)
  • 1 square of chocolate, crushed up (I used Ghirardelli’s 60%); or 1 tablespoon of crushed up chocolate chips

Directions

Put everything in a mini food-processor and blend.  Serve chilled.

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This is perfect for dessert or a snack at any time.  It really satisfies a sweet tooth but it’s not heavy!  It’s crap-free and wonderful.

What’s your favorite flavor of cheesecake? I think mine is this one 🙂

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Cruise recap – Thursday & Friday

On Thursday night we got to L.A. around 7pm (traffic was so bad).  We settled into our hotel room and went upstairs to the hotel restaurant for dinner.  Both the hotel (the Queen Mary, an old retired cruise ship) and the food were mediocre at best.

1-veggie-burger

Dinner was a veggie burger (and a grilled portobello), fruit salad, and 3 (!) of these buttery rolls.

2-buttery-rolls

Breakfast at the Queen Mary was buffet style – fruit and wheaties.

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It was so nice to finally get onto the Carnival Splendor around noon on Friday.  We got settled in again, unpacked, explored, and then went up to the buffet for lunch.  I am no good with buffets. I have to get everything and I end up wasting a lot and eating a lot.  This was the first go:

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I didn’t eat everything there, but I do remember that I went back for seconds of the things I liked, plus some bread.  Bobby and I shared a nice fruit bowl for lunch-dessert.

I decided to eat seafood and dairy on the cruise.  And I’m going to keep eating them.

Dinner on Friday night was at the fancy cruise restaurant (the Gold Pearl, decorated with… big gold spheres – a little tacky, but cute!).  I forgot to take pictures of everything, but here are some yums…

Appetizer – gazpacho:

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Appetizer – fruit salad:

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Appetizer – iceberg wedge with breaded and fried veggies:

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Appetizer – shrimp cocktail:

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I actually forget what my entree was this night.  But it must not have been that filling because we stopped by the sushi bar afterwards!  Sushi and sides:

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Fruit and frozen yogurt (imagine much more frozen yogurt though):

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Amazing food, and there’s more to come!

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Cruise excursion – horses!

We are back!  I had a wonderful time on the Mayercraft 2 cruise (John Mayer, Guster, O.A.R. and others).  We left on Friday afternoon out of L.A., docked in Cabo, Mexico for a the day on Sunday, and returned to L.A. on Tuesday morning.

maggie horseback

When we were in Cabo we decided to do a cruise excursion – horseback riding!  After a 30-minute drive in a freezing (air conditioned) bus, we were on a farm by the sea.  I saddled up and got to ride “Toro“, while Bobby rode “Pepe“.

bobby horseback

We rode a desert path out to the beach and proceeded to ride up and down the shore while two adorable mutts nipped at our horses’ heels.  I want a puppy.  After we rode back to the ranch we milled around with $2 Coronas and limes.  We even got to see a camel (Camels in Mexico?  I guess!).  Her name was “Suba“.

maggie camelbobby camel

On the customs form that we had to fill out when we returned:

11. Mark an X in the Yes or No box. Are you bringing with you (d) soil or you have visited a farm/ranch/pasture outside the United States?

12. Mark an X in the Yes or No box. Have you or any family members traveling with you been in close proximity of (such as touching or handling) livestock outside the United States?

Sketchy!  We said no on both.  We didn’t want to be quarantined for riding horses.

What excursions have you done on a cruise?  What would be your ideal excursion?

(And don’t worry, food is coming!  I just need to dedicate some serious time to getting a major food post organized.  For now enjoy the horses.)