I don’t know the recipe, but I know it had lots of peanut butter. It was delicious. Maybe I’ll ask her how she made it sometime soon. It had all of my favorite veggies – broccoli, mushrooms, carrots (which I actually avoided because I’m trying not to turn orange), and red peppers. She’s not scared to use enough oil to make it taste good either.

This morning (and yesterday I think) for breakfast I made a really good bowl of hot cereal. I mix together…

• ~1/2 cup of quick cooking oats
• a few tablespoons of farina
• cook it in water & almond milk
• cinnamon, almond or orange extract (or both!), dash of salt

I like to top it with milk (whole cow’s milk or more almond milk) and maple syrup or honey. My facial lady told me to avoid sugar and see what happens (I know what will happen – my face will be clear), so today I had it with no syrup (but extra milk).

Uh oh. I think I have a new addiction. It sounds like kabocha, but it’s more expensive – kombucha.

The one I tried was $3.39 (yikes) and it was "GT’s Organic Botanic No. 7 Kombucha". I specifically got the one with probiotics to help with my digestion. This one was raw.

Kombucha is a fermented Chinese tea. It takes about 30 days to make; during the process various nutrients are formed (enzymes, probiotics, amino acids, antioxidants, and polyphenols). It’s basically the healthiest thing you could possibly drink.

Some people say it tastes like vinegar; I thought it tasted a little bit like wine, only fizzy and better (I don’t really like wine). I’ll definitely be buying this again as soon as I can wrap my head around the price. It’s so darn pricey. I will absolutely try to make this in the future. Tips?

Speaking of yummy things, I did these 5 videos yesterday for exercise. They are each 10 minutes. Try them out! My sister loves Polly’s videos too.

• YOGA for yummy abs
• YOGA for upper thighs
• YOGA for your muffin top
• YOGA for yin
• YOGA for triathletes

Do you like kombucha? Have you tried it? Have you tried Polly’s videos yet? (It’s her birthday week by the way!)

P.S. Check out Clare’s Positivity Giveaway. She’s so sweet

Like this post? Check out...

• August 9, 2009 -- Chipless Nachos
• December 19, 2008 -- My favorite flow
• January 20, 2009 -- Broiled veggies (BSI entry)
• January 27, 2010 -- My boyfriend’s back…
• June 11, 2010 -- Balance & a Blogger Sweetheart: Clare

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Dad’s was topped with granola and maple syrup; mine with sesame seeds and maple syrup. (My dad did the Amazon deal already – what are you waiting for?) He wasn’t too impressed with oat bran, but he did admit that it was a brick-in-the-belly breakfast.

After packing some snacks (bars and fruit) we headed down to Monterey. We wandered around Cannery Row and Fisherman’s wharf…

Then we headed out to a park in Monterey for a short (but hilly) hike. We hit up Trader Joe’s for lunch before proceeding on to another state park on the way home – Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. This place was amazing. This tree was around before Jesus was even born. It was 2200+ years old when it fell back in 1934 and had been around for the signing of the Magna Carta, the Revolutionary War, and even when the Normans conquered England (1066).

These trees are huge.

As is this "banana slug".

When we got home it was time for drinks. I had a glass of wine – Murphy Goode’s Fume – and dad had more beers. I cooked up a quick and easy frittata for dinner using 6 eggs, zucchini, red pepper, red onion, and goat + parmesan cheeses.

On the side I made broiled tomatoes (idea from Whole Foods) – tomatoes cut in half, topped with olive oil, salt + pepper, oregano, and parmesan; bake at 400F for 10 minutes; broil for another 5.

And because I can’t go another night without kabocha, I made a big batch and ate it all myself.

I’m now munching on grapes and cursing Qumana for deleting the post that I just wrote (it looked pretty much the same as this one – I hope, anyway). Now I have to study like a mad woman for my anthropology midterm tomorrow.

Are you good at studying/preparing in advance for tests/whatever? Or do you procrastinate? For me it all depends on my other time commitments, my mood, and the class/work itself.

Like this post? Check out...

• October 31, 2010 -- What’s Up Sunday – 10.31.10 – Happy Halloween!
• August 9, 2011 -- Garden Beets and Nuggets of Wisdom
• January 28, 2009 -- Green Monster Madness
• October 1, 2008 -- 01 October 2008
• February 1, 2012 -- What Do the Cooks Eat?

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• 10 standing lunges
• 10 walking lungues
• 10 pushups
• 1 lap around the park (< quarter mile?)

Repeat 3 times.

We also walked to and from the park, so I’d add at least another quarter mile to that. It took about 40 minutes total. I think my time for the 3 cycles was about 10 minutes, but we did stretching before and I’m also counting the walking time. During the day I walked a lot (shopping) and I think I did some of the DVF exercises in the morning.

Wednesday I did the Diane von Furstenburg exercises again. I love these. They are so simple. I did most of them while watching “Faces of Culture“, a video series that I have to watch for one of my anthropology classes. I also walked 2 miles – 1 mile each way to and from the grocery store.

Here are some foods I’ve been meaning to share. Kabocha with goat cheese (why not? It works with parm).

A “grilled” (waffle iron grill) sandwich with a chicken burger from Trader Joe’s, alfalfa sprouts (alfa-alfa is what Bobby calls these), and some cheddar. Lightly buttered on the outside for crispiness.

A classic bowl of oat bran. Oat bran, ground flax, coconut flakes, protein powder, cinnamon, vanilla, salt (always). Topped (post-picture) with real maple syrup. Real maple syrup appears on all of my oat bran bowls now. It is a staple. This bowl was put in the freezer for 10+ minutes after cooking.

Do you have a “staple” food? Mine is certainly kabocha, all the darn time. Others that make frequent appearances include oat bran, homemade ketchup, and stir-frys. Nut butters go in and out, depending on how I feel. Recently I have been rather obsessed with burdock as well.

Like this post? Check out...

• February 22, 2008 -- More stir-fry ideas
• December 11, 2008 -- Lara… balls!
• December 5, 2009 -- Review: Joe’s Shanghai In Chinatown (New York)
• September 24, 2008 -- Goodeats for 9/24/2008
• January 14, 2011 -- Jazz Apples and Walking at Home

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Our two fats cats. (Cous and Bo = Couscous and Kabocha.) Oops, look at those dirty socks on the floor.

I did actually manage to give Bobby a haircut, so maybe the day wasn’t so unproductive after all. He’s playing some xbox game here. It has something to do with Japan. Sometimes I “help” him play by watching out for the red dots (those are the enemies) and pointing excitedly. I think I did a good job on the hair; this was my second time cutting it for him.

I also did an easy walk on the treadmill tonight (1.8 miles, 3% incline) while Bobby ran and lifted. When we came back inside I did some nice stretching exercises inspired by Diane von Furstenberg (more on that later).

For dinner I had my two favorite foods: fluffy waffles* with butter and real maple syrup, and kabocha*. The recipe for the waffles is HERE. I made it fattier by using egg yolks instead of applesauce and kefir instead of milk. Bobby did his own thing and went for rice and chicken. I like breakfast for dinner.

I just steamed the kabocha and stuck it in the freezer to cool. All together now.

With these goodies, I had a bit of fluffy bread* that Bobby bought yesterday. There were several persimmons afterwards.* Did you know they are especially delicious with almond butter? Try it.

Did you have a lazy Sunday?

*Edited to add (on 6/14/2011): Holy crap what a carby dinner! No wonder at the time I was feeling a little mushy. This was from back in the days when I still wasn’t eating as much fat and protein as I should have been (though, had you asked me, I would have said I was eating plenty of fats). As you can see, I had carby munchies – the carbolicious dinner only enhanced my cravings for starchy, sugary things, which is why I followed up this large meal with more bread (starch) and more fruit (sugar).

Like this post? Check out...

• April 12, 2010 -- My recent favorites.
• March 28, 2010 -- Another Perfect (Souen) Sunday
• January 26, 2010 -- Ch-ch-ch-changes
• December 12, 2008 -- Back to the grind!
• February 7, 2012 -- Meal of the Day #2

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Post tags: breakfast for dinner, cats, dinner, fruit, kabocha, persimmons, vegetarian, waffles, walking

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The salad is an appetizer salad, but it is huge. I would call it a full meal. Of course I also helped Bobby with this (Shrimp with Angel Hair: Large Shrimp Sautéed with Herbs, Lemon and Garlic Combined with Angel Hair Pasta, Tomato and Fresh Basil)…

The shrimp were fantastic. The angel hair was just okay – I’m not really a pasta person. I nabbed some of his Small Salad (Chopped greens with shredded carrots, zucchini, and beets. Topped with croutons, tomato wedges and cucumber slices). Tossed in sesame soy dressing (my suggestion).

Let’s not forget the brown bread. I had most of this with butter.

And we got this Pomegranate Mojito too – Mount Gay and Bacardi Superior with Pomegranate Finished with a Float of 10 Cane Rum. Bobby gets tipsy easily and was very giggly by the end of dinner. I can hold my liquor even though I almost never drink

We didn’t get dessert at the restaurant, but you can bet that I had a huge bowl of steamed kabocha when I got home. It was super ripe and delicious. I also had a persimmon that I picked up yesterday. Persimmons are definitely my favorite fruit; I hope they are as cheap in NYC as they are here. (Ha. No way.)

When we were seated at the restaurant we were also presented with a Nutrition Guide. It listed the approximate calories and nutrients for each dish. It actually did affect my decision – I was in the mood for the Asian Chicken Salad, but after seeing that it had 2600 mg of sodium, I decided to pass. Sodium is very necessary and certainly good in moderation, but 2600 mg in one dish? I think that’s a little bit ridiculous. I couldn’t even figure out where it was coming from (not from the dressing – I looked that up). I tend to get a lot of sodium already because I put salt in everything – it’s the most important ingredient when I make oat bran. The average recommended intake for sodium is between 1500-2400 mg per day for the average adult.

What do you think about restaurants giving out nutritional information? Would it affect what you order?

Like this post? Check out...

• August 16, 2009 -- Raw Peanut Dressing
• January 10, 2011 -- Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce Recipe
• June 10, 2011 -- Five Things Friday – from France!
• May 6, 2008 -- Healthy curry creamy leeks (vegan)
• June 9, 2009 -- All my favorites

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Bobby tried VIA last week in some kind of taste test, and he said it was really good. He’s not really a coffee person, so I thought he might be on to something. I picked up a pack of 12 instant coffees in the Columbia flavor. I think it was $9.95 for the pack? That’s a decent price for coffee that tastes great, in my opinion. It’s less than $1 a cup. It’s simple to make; you just pour hot water over the coffee and stir. They have another flavor, the Italian Roast, which is stronger.

To offset my new bad habit (coffee), I went for an old healthy classic: a macrobiotic breakfast. This oat bran was cooked with flax seeds, a little bit of unsweetened shredded coconut (not macrobiotic), soy and rice protein powder, and a dash of sea salt. I froze it for about 10-15 minutes before eating. I also made miso soup with water, seaweed, and miso.

On today’s list of things to do is a walk to clear my head (airlines suck and make me pissed), some moving prep (I’ve already sold our dresser and night stands), and kabocha. I haven’t had kabocha in a while and I miss it. Bobby is at his computer class all day so I’m on my own.

What are you up to this weekend?

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• January 24, 2009 -- Happy Yoga Day!
• January 5, 2010 -- Review: Core Fusion DVD (and an award)
• September 15, 2010 -- I’m not too old… {Birthday Post}
• April 28, 2010 -- New Jersey: Trail Making & Wedding Planning
• November 10, 2010 -- Everything Is a Contradiction – Just Eat Food and Stop Thinking So Much.

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So I forced them open! Bobby calls this “constipated Maggie”.

He’s no better. He can’t get his head out of the rice!

Ahh, there he is.

So my favorite carbs are clearly squash (pumpkin in particular, and kabocha more specifically) and rice cooker oatmeal. Bobby’s favorite carb is rice.

What’s your favorite carb?

Like this post? Check out...

• September 14, 2010 -- Eat Me, I’m Delicious (Healthy Coconut Pancakes Recipe)
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• October 1, 2008 -- Eats for 9/30/2008
• January 12, 2008 -- Italian Ratatouille Recipe | How to Make Ratatouille
• January 28, 2008 -- Mussels a la tomato

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Another announcement – HealthyYum has a coupon code for organic healthy Halloween candy. Check it out!

Recipes used in this post:

• Butternut Squash Fries (for all types of squash though)
• Homemade unsweetened ketchup (with added stevia this time!)

Last night I made a delicious dinner, part of which is pictured here. Also pictured is my big pumpkin. This was miso soup (just hot water, miso, and wakame seaweed), “sweet dumpling squash” fries, and my homemade ketchup. Mmm… squash is amazing. What a lovely carb. Not pictured are the rest of the fries and 2 La Tortilla Factory wraps that I had with peanut butter

The sweet dumpling squash are small and roundish; they have delicata coloring. I also call them “I’m a cute squash”. They made great fries.

A few nights ago I made butternut squash fries for the first time in a while. Once I discovered kabocha, I kind of forgot about butternut. Butternut used to be my go-to squash, and now I remember why. (I still prefer kabocha though.)

These were also dipped in my homemade ketchup.

I got a few questions about my camera – I use a Nikon D40 (SLR). It’s digital. I got it about two weeks ago. The lens it came with (I got it on craigslist, so it didn’t come with the standard kit lens) is a 55-200mm, 1.4-5.6G lens. It’s great for zoom; it’s actually not that great for close-ups, so I’ll be getting another lens too as soon as I can. If you are debating getting a digital SLR, check out Ken Rockwell’s website. He has great information and advice.

I know, I know – I owe you a carb hugging picture. It’s coming. I just haven’t gotten around to taking it yet. Can you guess which carb (or carb appliance) I’ll be embracing? Maybe I’ll do requests.

(I also have some awesome breakfasts to share… Stay tuned!)

Like this post? Check out...

• June 14, 2011 -- On Waking Up Early & Summer Challenge
• January 31, 2009 -- So Fraiche and So Clean
• June 18, 2008 -- Scrambled Tofu Recipe
• November 21, 2009 -- Eating Out and About
• October 9, 2009 -- Branching out – new breakfasts, ramen, popcorn, and meal planning!

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Pepper-Lime Red Snapper

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 red snapper fillets
• juice from 1/2 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated pepper
• pinch of sea salt
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, grated
• topping: salsa, parmesan

Directions

1. Combine the fillets, lime juice, pepper, salt, and grated garlic in a bowl. Mix around so the fish is well coated. Let it sit 5-10 minutes in the refrigerator so the flavors really sink in.
2. Heat a pan on high heat. Spray with cooking oil or PAM. Cook the fish for 3-4 minutes on the first side, covered. Flip them over and cook them another 3-4 minutes uncovered.
3. Serve with fresh salsa and your cheese of choice (optional, of course). Seasoned rice is a good side.

Seasoned rice: add salt and pepper to your rice (1 cup dry) while it’s cooking (I do mine in the rice cooker – so simple). In the last 3-4 minutes toss in chopped carrots and celery. At the end, add 1 tablespoon of butter and mix it around until it melts and blends in.

Tomorrow morning I’m going to to San Francisco for a blogger meetup with Kath and maybe Jenna! I also have another awesome announcement. You’ll have to wait to hear about it though Bobby has class all day so I’m going to try to get lots of work done. Go enjoy your weekend!

Like this post? Check out...

• January 5, 2010 -- Review: Core Fusion DVD (and an award)
• July 29, 2009 -- Gazpacho Recipe (Raw)
• May 8, 2009 -- Review: Nature’s Path Oatmeal
• October 10, 2010 -- What’s Up Sunday – 10.10.10
• September 13, 2008 -- Last night’s snacks

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Ingredients

• 1 package of imitation crab meat (2.5 servings)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 small pickles, chopped (I used Chinese pickles)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• other spices (chili powder, dried onion, whatever else you like)
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (vegan canola oil mayo)
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• 2-3 tablespoons rice vinegar

Directions

Break apart the crab meat. Mix everything well. EAT.

Bobby liked his on fresh toasty bread; I liked mine plain. I think I had this with some roasted squash on the side.

I’ve been roasting squash a la Clare: cut up in pieces at 425F for 25 minutes. Here was delicata:

And kabocha (duh):

I just sprinkle some salt, oregano/dill, and cinnamon on them. I’ve heard you can use stevia, but I’m not a fan. Squash is sweet enough. I like to top them with organic, fruit-sweetened (or unsweetened) ketchup. My recipe is here.

Now have a sweet weekend! What are your plans?

(Words of the day here.)

Like this post? Check out...

• December 20, 2009 -- How To Make Gingerbread Houses
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• October 19, 2010 -- OZU Macrobiotic Restaurant Review (New York)
• July 21, 2009 -- More raw & combining stuff
• August 25, 2008 -- The rest of 8/24/2008

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