We did the lunch special at Edo Sushi. I got chicken and broccoli again ($5.75; steamed) and Bobby got Salmon Don ($12). These are Droid pictures. The special comes with soup (miso for me)…

And then you get your entree. Mine came with rice on the side but I saved it to make fried rice later.

Edo’s is my favorite Pennington restaurant.

Dinner was at a new place called Pho 99; it’s Vietnamese. It’s up on Route 27 past Princeton. I opted for the papaya salad with shrimp (my usual). It comes with peanuts and a nice Vietnamese dressing. I also add hoisin sauce.

It was actually quite average and much smaller than I’m used to. Bobby offered to share his very large bowl of pho with me (beef noodle soup) and I happily obliged.

The pho was delicious. The broth was really good; so was the beef; the noodles were just average though. I’m like Heather; I don’t have beef often, but sometimes it just hits the spot. This was super lean and thinly sliced.

I have to go get dressed and ready for the wedding (it’s at 2:30pm)… after the reception we’ll do some more moving or wait until tomorrow.

Holding myself accountable – I have not gotten in a good workout this week or last week at all. I want to get back on track with that. I haven’t even been able to do my standard walking or yoga. I’m writing this here for answerability. Maybe I’ll try to get a walk in before the wedding. I have also been eating grapes by the pound, and I need to stop for the sake of my skin, tummy, and wallet (grapes are expensive; they make me bloat; I just had a facial – I don’t want to ruin it). The facialist said to cut back on sugar and I want to listen to her (I know she’s right).

What are you doing this weekend?

Like this post? Check out...

• September 18, 2009 -- Sealeg Salad (imitation crab meat)
• March 8, 2010 -- Walking the Happy Walk & the Aisle
• July 5, 2009 -- Review: Holey Donuts
• February 15, 2009 -- Menu Plan Monday (vegetarian/vegan/macrobiotic)
• November 8, 2009 -- Foodbuzz Festival Day 2: Hearts

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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 22, 2008 -- Maggie’s "Panzanella"
• June 3, 2009 -- Challenges Galore
• April 14, 2008 -- Tofu yogurt
• September 19, 2009 -- Be Beautiful!
• May 9, 2008 -- Strawberries and couscous love

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I say this about a lot of things, but you *must* make these. You will not be disappointed!

Goji Nut Biscotti

Ingredients (makes ~12 small biscotti)

• 1 cup oat bran
• 1/3 cup quick cooking oats (instant) (can sub with flour or oat bran)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 dashes of salt
• 1 teaspoon spice (cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice)
• 1 egg + 1 egg white
• 1/3 cup sweetener (I used Trader Joe’s stevia)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup goji berries
• 1/4 chopped nuts of choice (see notes below)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Soak the goji berries in hot water.
3. Mix together the oat bran, oats, baking soda, salt, and spices.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Beat this pretty well.
5. Slowly add the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Drain the berries and add them, and then add the nuts. The dough should be dry enough so that you can work with it. If it’s not, add a bit more oat bran (or don’t add all of the egg mixture).
6. Spray a cooking pan with non-stick spray and shape the dough into a long log shape, about 1/2 – 3/4 of an inch high. You can top with extra nuts or oats. Bake this for 20 minutes.
7. Remove the log from the oven and reduce heat to 300F. Cut the log into pieces and bake them on one side for 15 minutes. Take them out, turn them over, and bake them for another 15 minutes. If they are still not hard, turn them again and cook for 10 more minutes.
8. Enjoy dipped in coffee, tea, peanut butter, or plain.

For the nuts I used these things I found in the Asian grocery store called “olive kernels” (seen above). I recognize the flavor, but I have no idea what they really are, or if maybe they have another name. The nut is definitely used in a Christmas cookie that I have every year, but I cannot remember which cookie and I have been unable to find out anything online.

Help! Do you know what these nuts might be?

Like this post? Check out...

• March 22, 2008 -- What have I been eating?
• August 24, 2010 -- Updates
• January 22, 2009 -- So many things
• September 16, 2008 -- Birthday Eats for 9/15/2008
• April 12, 2010 -- Food Blog Faux Pas

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This is a bowl of cereal – peanut butter chocolate balls (Leapin Lemurs I believe), kamut puffs, sunflower seeds, a banana, and kefir (watered down a little bit to be more milky). I had with it some delicious cookie tea from Lupicia.

This next bowl is more cereal in a yogurt mess – kamut puffs, granola, sunflower seeds, a banana, and Oikos Greek yogurt. The granola has pumpkin seeds in it. It’s from Nature’s Path. Again, served with cookie tea.

I’ve also been digging popcorn (topped with cinnamon, salt, and chili powder).

Bobby loves homemade ramen – just fresh noodles, shoyu sauce, celery, and tofurkey slices. We get the noodles in the refrigerated section of the Asian market.

And we all know I love salads. This one is topped with lots of olives, pickled beets using Clare’s recipe (more on that later – delicious), pickles, parmesan (duh), and Newman’s Own lowfat sesame ginger dressing (it’s back!).

I’ve been using a cool site called Meals Matter to try planning more of my meals. It makes me branch out and I’ve been less inclined to snack at night when I know what my breakfast the next morning will be. Though… I have to admit. Last night I had a little bit of a snack attack with apples (the ones we picked) and a Vosges Black Pearl Bar (chocolate with wasabi, ginger, black sesame seeds – I swear it’s awesome). I did make it 2 whole days with no night time snacking, and that is big for me.

What was the last thing you indulged in?

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• February 8, 2008 -- Lazy breakfasts…
• April 19, 2011 -- America Wakes Up (Sugar = Evil)
• December 20, 2009 -- How To Make Gingerbread Houses
• June 19, 2008 -- Mango Ginger Tofu from VWAV
• September 28, 2009 -- Recipe: Brancakes (Pancakes)

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Anyway, this is my method for rice cooker oats. They come out so creamy and delicious. They were actually better than the oats I had on Sunday.

Rice Cooker Oatmeal

Ingredients (serves 1-2)

• 1 cup oats
• 2 and 1/3 cups water
• 2 dashes of salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
• 1 teaspoon stevia (optional)
• toppings: chopped dates, granola, crushed raw cashews

Directions

1. Dump the water, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, and stevia in the rice cooker. Press “cook”.
2. Come back about 10 minutes before it’s done (according to the timer – this will probably be about 10 or 15 minutes after you started it) and open up the cooker. Stir around the oatmeal (it will probably be more liquidy on top) and mix it up well. Let it cook for another 5-10 minutes.
3. Scoop out your serving and top with your favorites. Mine are dried fruit (dates), granola, and nuts (cashews this time, but almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds are also great).

I had half for breakfast (so a 1/2 cup serving) but then I ended up eating the other half plain as a snack a few hours later. It was so good plain. I love adding cinnamon and vanilla to my oats. The stevia added a little bit of sweetness too – perfectly delicious.

If you’re short on time, this is a great method for cooking oats. You can toss them in the cooker and hop in the shower. While you’re getting ready, the rice cooker does all the work. And it’s way better at making creamy oatmeal than I am. If you don’t have a rice cooker, you should definitely consider getting one… it’s not just for rice!

Like this post? Check out...

• August 30, 2008 -- Goodeats for 8/29/2008
• November 15, 2008 -- At Bobby’s parents’ house
• September 14, 2011 -- It’s My Party, and I’ll Adho Mukha Vrksasana If I Want To
• August 23, 2010 -- Goal Setting
• May 11, 2011 -- A Spiced Rice Obsession

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Raw Peanut Dressing

Ingredients

• ~1/2 cup (raw) (pea)nut butter (you could use a different nut butter of course)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1.5 tablespoons each of rice vinegar and apple cider vinegar
• 1.5 tablespoons bragg’s liquid aminos
• 3 cloves of grated garlic
• stevia, to taste
• 1/4 cup water (or more)

Directions

1. Blend everything but the water in your food processor. Then add the water and use more if needed; adjust to your desired thickness. It will thicken more in the fridge.
2. Serve over raw salads or use as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, sushi, etc…

This used up just about all of the crunchies that were left, so I used the near-empty jar for my morning protein oat bran (soy protein powder).

Word origins:

• peanut – the word was first used in 1807. Before then it was called ground nut, ground pea (1769). Originally from South America, the peanut plant was traded into Africa and Peru (1502) and made its way to China by 1573. The term peanut butter was first seen in 1903.
• raw – comes from various words in Old English, Old Norse, German, and Proto-Indo-European; the various meanings were uncooked, raw, congealed, bloody, raw flesh, hard, flesh, not cooked, thick blood, thick fluid, serum. Not exactly the pure and healthy meaning it’s taken on recently, huh?

Like this post? Check out...

• November 19, 2008 -- Delicious ketchup and Chobani samples!
• March 24, 2010 -- Movin’ On Up…
• June 10, 2009 -- Mom’s first day :)
• October 4, 2008 -- 30 Day Shred Routine
• August 23, 2010 -- Goal Setting

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I don’t know how it happens, but I unconsciously avoid the chunks and am left with a jar of peanut bits and a little bit of creamy peanut butter. Just one of my quirks, I suppose. I don’t know what to do with the bits besides eat them plain; I’m not complaining though. But I really should only buy creamy.

When I’m not desiccating (= removing moisture from) nut butters, I like to make raw salads.

This is:

• kale (1/2 bunch or so, maybe a little more) – massaged with 1/2 avocado and my own version of liquid gold elixir (olive oil, rice vinegar, bragg’s liquid aminos)
• 1 tomato, chopped
• white onion, chopped
• 1/2 ear of raw corn
• salsa (taco bell brand… not exactly raw! but you could use raw salsa)

I massaged the kale with the avocado and dressing, then topped it with the other goodies. As soon as I was done I made a repeat salad; do you ever do that? Sometimes after I have a salad I go back and make the exact same salad for seconds.

In this case it was nice because I was able to use the rest of the kale head, the other 1/2 ear of corn, and the other 1/2 avocado. It works out. Maybe the reason I make the repeat is to use up the leftovers from the first one!

Here are some word origins for y’all…

• vegetable (Dori) – vegetables comes from a base in proto-indo-european (PIE = basically what preceded all of the european languages) that means “be strong, lively”. It’s also related to watch, vigor, velocity, and possibly witch. after PIE it went through Latin and French before it came to English.
• shampoo (Heather) – this comes from Hindi (champo) where it meant, “to massage”, or “to press, knead the muscles”.
• massage – this is from French, and before French it probably came from Arabic (massa = to touch, feel, handle). If it did come from Arabic it was probably picked up in Egypt when Napoleon was there. If it didn’t come from Arabic, it probably came from India (the French colonized it) from the word amassar (to knead), which came from Latin massa (mass, dough).

Gotta go grade… Have a great night/morning!

P.S. I’m in the middle of The Time Traveler’s Wife. So freakin’ good. Have you read it? I’m going to see the movie so I have to read it first.

Like this post? Check out...

• May 12, 2010 -- Recipe: Grilled Portobello Kale Salad
• July 1, 2011 -- Potluck BBQ RECIPE: Mexican Couscous and Bean Salad + How to Cut an Avocado
• May 11, 2011 -- A Spiced Rice Obsession
• February 16, 2011 -- Butternut Kale Salad (Whole Foods Inspired Recipe)
• October 7, 2010 -- Family, Salads, Documentary, Flowers, Dessert, and Zumba (!)

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My favorite meal to order there was this Fruit & Nut Plate. It’s yogurt, granola, nuts, fruit, and honey. The fruit varies every time you go.

This falafel salad was always a winner as well. Bobby even ordered it several times.

And the desserts can’t be beat (chocolate mousse cake)…

Here are some word origins:

• school. the oldest meaning I can find is “to hold, hold in one’s power, to have”. the word scheme shares this root. that root comes from Proto-Indo-European.
• favorite. this comes from French, and it means “to favor”.
• fruit. this is from Latin. it comes from the same root as frugal; the root meant “to use, enjoy”. up until ~1225AD it also meant vegetables!
• dessert. this is also from French. it means “last course”, and literally means “removal of what has been served”. it’s from the verb desservir, which means “to un-serve”.

If you’re graduated, do you ever miss the “back to school” feeling? Or if you’re still in school, are you ready?

P.S. Want another book rec? I started Panic in Level 4 last night and am about to finish it now. It’s by Richard Preston, author of The Hot Zone. It’s several long essays on crazy science things – nonfiction. I liked it a lot. He’s an amazing writer.

Like this post? Check out...

• January 25, 2009 -- Serious yums
• October 26, 2011 -- Pumpkin Porcini Parsnip Soup @ Bis.Co.Latte (Hell’s Kitchen) [Review]
• January 30, 2010 -- Let Your Voice Lead
• February 7, 2009 -- Stovetop “baking” – soda biscuits
• April 19, 2011 -- America Wakes Up (Sugar = Evil)

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It was so good! There’s more rice underneath the meat and veggies; I just like stealing extra toppings.  I’m going to have fried rice more often.  This might be the only way that I enjoy rice.  Just as a comparison, here are Bobby’s dinner (left) and my dinner (right):

He had a huge bowl of rice, a small bowl of salad, and went back for more rice.  I had a huge bowl of salad, a small bowl of rice, and went back for more salad.  The salad (Thai papaya salad) was the same one I posted yesterday but with added shrimp and no carrot (no extra beta-carotene).

This dinner definitely counts as spontaneous (one of my July goals).

Today’s question is: What’s your favorite healthy fat?  Mine is hands down peanut butter (all natural, plain, freshly ground is best).  I like it more than any other nut butter, more than oils, more than avocadoes, more than olives…

Like this post? Check out...

• September 29, 2008 -- Breakfast for 9/29/2008
• May 5, 2009 -- Random experiments – burdock, pad thai!
• December 5, 2009 -- Review: Joe’s Shanghai In Chinatown (New York)
• February 26, 2009 -- Savory Eggplant Stirfry
• April 4, 2008 -- Spicy Thai green papaya salad

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Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 big portobello mushrooms
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• salt & pepper
• 2-3 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 cup chopped button mushrooms
• 2-3 tablespoons parmesan cheese (I added some finely shredded soy cheddar as well) + extra for sprinkling on top (1-2 teaspoons)
• 10 pistachios, crushed

Directions

1. Wipe off the portobellos and remove the big stem.  Discard the very tip of the stem (the hard part), and chop up the stem.  Put it with the chopped button mushrooms.
2. Mix together the garlic, balsamic vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper.  Brush the mixture on each side of the portobello caps, then put them in a ziploc with the rest of the mixture.  Refrigerate for an hour or so (more is okay).
3. Preheat the oven to 400F.  Mix the chopped mushrooms with the parmesan, oregano, and salt & pepper.
4. Take the mushroom caps out of the fridge and pan-fry them on medium high heat in a saute pan.  No oil or cooking spray is needed.  To make them crispy, flatten them while cooking by pressing down on them with the bottom of another pan.  After about 5 minutes, flip them and repeat.
5. Place the caps on a baking tray and put the chopped mushroom mix inside.  Top with a little more parmesan and the crushed pistachios.
6. Bake the mushrooms for 10 minutes, then put them under the broiler for another 2-3.  Enjoy!

I served this with a pasta recipe that I’ll put up tomorrow.  We both cleaned our plates and wanted more!  (But I’m trying to listen to Bethenny and eat mindfully by listening to my food voice… so this really was the perfect proportion.)

Like this post? Check out...

• December 4, 2008 -- Lovely day
• February 23, 2008 -- Vegetable sukiyaki
• October 10, 2009 -- Recipe: Gingery Chickpeas
• February 4, 2009 -- Hobbies & popcorn :)
• May 22, 2009 -- Whole Life Challenge: Day 1

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