First up: here are two breakfasts. Cheesy grits topped with leftover chicken (1/4 cup grits, cooked in water; cheese added at the end). There was a little bit of avocado on there too (avocado came with the chicken salad that this is leftover from).

Oat bran cooked with protein powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and a dash of salt. Topped with sesame seeds and maple syrup.

Have you tried Averie’s raw vegan cookie dough balls yet? Okay, mine are not balls (the first batch was), nor do they have chocolate chips. They are so simple to make.

Averie-inspired Raw Vegan Cookie Dough Yum

Ingredients (1 serving)

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• a little bit of water

Directions

Mix syrup and flour together. Add a few drops of water at a time until you get your desired consistency. I like mine a little bit too wet for balls (TWSS?).

Variations

• part wheat germ, part flour (my favorite)
• part wheat bran, part flour
• ground nuts for flour (Averie‘s original recipe)
• part oatmeal or oat bran, part flour
• grind oatmeal/oat bran in the blender and sub for flour

I also made bread the other day. I just took my Easy Peasy Pizza Dough recipe and subbed in a few things for the flour. Instead of 3.5 cups of flour, I used the dregs of a cornbread mix (maybe 1/4 cup – Jiffy brand), some Heart Smart Bisquick, and whole wheat flour. It came out well. It was a little dense, but yummy with soft butter.

I have 3 more pictures of healthy yums, but I’ll save them for when I’m on the road and lacking in delicious food.

I can’t wait to pick up Sophia tonight and go to the Foodbuzz Festival.

What are you doing this weekend? You know what I’m doing.

Like this post? Check out...

• August 23, 2010 -- Goal Setting
• July 26, 2009 -- Stirfry, being not veg, and frozen yogurt :)
• November 3, 2009 -- Walk This Way
• May 13, 2009 -- Raw-ish Oatmeal Cookie Balls
• September 3, 2010 -- The Rational and Emotional Brain Battle

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I did have a yummy dinner before my muffin (thanks for the treat, Jill!). I made a hugh jass stir fry with random veggies from my freezer plus sliced burdock. I topped it with smoked mozzarella cheese. So simple, so delicious.

I also had a heart-healthy (3/4 cup) serving of protein powder oat bran (oat bran, protein powder, cinnamon, salt, vanilla). I topped it with lowfat milk and real maple syrup. And sesame seeds.

Then the muffin. It was a very satisfying dinner.

I did Get Fit With Catra again tonight with Jill, and it was fun. Our workout was…

• 1 lap around the park
• 25 sit ups
• 25 jumps (onto a 2 foot high wall)
• 25 jumping jacks

Repeat circuit 3 times. We also walked to and from the park. When I got home I did 25 minutes of yoga – mostly Eoin Finn’s Yoga Quickie, but I did my own thing at the end.

I’m off to snuggle with my sweetie. My dad left this morning and I’m sad… but happy that I will see him in 2 weeks We are moving in less than two weeks and I’m so excited!

Do you have any tips for moving? I’ve done it a lot, but I’m always game for more pointers.

Like this post? Check out...

• October 1, 2009 -- Good bread & some workouts
• May 25, 2008 -- Day 3 in Ithaca (Friday) – Dinner
• September 13, 2008 -- Wait, wait, wait…
• April 23, 2008 -- Grilled Cinnamon Oranges
• December 18, 2008 -- And the winner is…

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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...

• September 27, 2008 -- Apple-Banana-Oat Loaf – Blogger Secret Ingredient!
• May 10, 2008 -- Asian Pear and Date Couscous Cake
• June 20, 2009 -- Sushi Fridays, Chayote, Delicious Fruit
• March 18, 2009 -- Guest Post
• May 30, 2010 -- Review: Sacred Chow Vegan Brunch (New York)

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Today’s breakfast was simple – oat bran, protein powder, lots of cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Topped with fresh maple syrup. This stuff rocks. You can still get it on sale at Amazon – $26 for 2 big jugs. Check out Alisa’s blog for the deets. The background of papers is the result of me studying for my anthropology midterm.

Dad got here late in the afternoon, and we hit up Whole Foods before going out to dinner. We got some yummy appetizers: big local globe grapes…

And Jarlsburg cheese (swiss) with organic water crackers. Dad also got this kinda cool Spicy Pumpkin Ale. I don’t usually like beer, but it was decent.

We went to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner. It’s that awesome salad/soup/dinner buffet. I forgot the camera, so no pictures. My eats were pretty standard – 2 humongous salads (mostly raw), some lentil and ham soup, and frozen yogurt with cookies for dessert.

I’m really glad my dad is here. We’re going to do some sightseeing and he’s going to help us get ready to move. I can’t believe I’m moving back to the east coast in just a few weeks. I’m incredibly happy about it. I’m going to be so much closer to my family, and it’ll be really easy to visit Bobby’s family too (just a 2.5 hour plane ride, and in the same time zone).

What do you do with your parents when they visit?

Like this post? Check out...

• August 25, 2010 -- A Wedding Post
• November 16, 2008 -- Family, Friends, Fun, & Fantastic Food = the perfect Saturday
• July 5, 2009 -- Review: Holey Donuts
• January 10, 2012 -- Veggie Sushi and Resolutions 2012
• January 4, 2009 -- Random mixed dessert (rice, yogurt, apple, honey)

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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 11, 2009 -- Oat bran WOW & popular yoga & books
• February 21, 2010 -- Perfect Sunday.
• March 29, 2009 -- Guest Post – Maeve!
• June 18, 2008 -- Scrambled Tofu Recipe
• January 4, 2008 -- Fresh Italian Salad Recipe | Italia – giorno uno | Day One in Italy

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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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• October 20, 2008 -- Just another Monday
• February 15, 2009 -- Menu Plan Monday (vegetarian/vegan/macrobiotic)
• April 23, 2008 -- Earth Day and veggies
• September 27, 2008 -- Goodeats for 9/26/2008
• February 18, 2009 -- Adventurous Wednesday

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Chicken, sun dried tomatoes, and mozzarella + parmesan.

Beef (free range, organic, grass fed), mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, and cheddar + parmesan.

Veggie – mushrooms, olives, cheddar + parmesan.

Unpictured veggie – mushrooms, red peppers, olives, mozzarella + parm. I’m sure you can guess which pizzas I had.

But we didn’t just have pizza. I made a nice veggie stir fry as well (Brussels sprouts, collard greens, red pepper, onions, burdock, and various sauces).

And our friends made this yummy bread topped with crab + mayo + curry dip. They baked it for a few minutes and it was delicious.

Dessert was ice cream for me, and another slice of pizza when we got home.

This morning I woke up to a nice bowl of oat bran. I loved that grilled cheese yesterday, but it was not filling at all. (For me. Bobby claims his was very filling.) A heart healthy serving of oat bran is my favorite breakfast. This one had some protein powder, flax seeds, and sesame seeds for crunch.

I also did a little raw experiment this morning. I made Averie’s Raw Donut Holes – so simple. Mine were kind of crumbly, because I am impatient and my food processor is getting old.

Ingredients – 1/2 cup flax seeds + 1 tablespoon maple syrup + 1 tablespoon flax seeds mixed in at the end.

Directions – grind the 1/2 cup of flax seeds. Add the maple syrup and blend some more. Add the last bit of flax seeds, mix some more, and shape into balls. Mine made about 20 balls (teaspoon size).

Haven’t figured out lunch yet. Tonight we are heading up to San Francisco to celebrate our friend’s birthday. We’re going to this Italian place and I’m trying to figure out what to get. What do you get when you eat Italian? What would you order from Amarena?

Oh yeah… we are moving. I’ve kept it a semi-secret for a while. We’ll be heading back east to New York city in a few weeks. I’m happy More deets to come.

Like this post? Check out...

• January 12, 2010 -- Review: intenSati (cardio class & warrior challenge) AND yoga AND pilates (Equinox gym)
• September 15, 2010 -- I’m not too old… {Birthday Post}
• July 18, 2009 -- Eating my words (or just more raw food)
• June 16, 2011 -- Manna Bread Review & Giveaway
• June 11, 2009 -- Another Green Start

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Tart frozen yogurt from Red Mango. Did you know that tart frozen yogurt is always sweetened? I did not. I wish that some place would make really really tart froyo, but this was pretty delicious anyway.

Bobby liked his breakfast too (Sarku Japan… I stole some. It’s actually really good fast food.):

Then we shopped! We got some espresso samples at Williams Sonoma…

And I got “cookie” tea from Lupicia. I also got a bunch of clothes. I was a happy girl.

“Black tea scented with an image of freshly baked caramel cookies. Best served with milk.” I had it plain, thank-you-very-much.

Last night I brought back something that’s been missing in my life.

Oat bran. This bowl had almond butter from Trader Joe’s and Jay Robb vanilla protein powder, courtesy of my sweet sweet friend Heather! I love it! She sent me some other birthday goodies that I’ve been enjoying and will share soon. I cook up my oat bran with lots of water, then wait for it to get creamy. I pour it in a bowl and put it in the freezer so it cools and gets super-thick.

I have another confession. I spent my birthday night organizing because I love it. I made a jewelry box out of a cardboard box and some pretty tissue paper, then I arranged all of my jewelry in it. I cleaned my closet and made a huge bag to give to Goodwill. I went through the bathroom cabinets and thew out the old stuff. It was possibly the best birthday ever. (I’m actually being serious.)

I forgot to say yesterday, but this cool chick shares my birthday We both watched Biggest Loser last night (pretty good, I think). Overall, a great birthday!

(Word post – why is English so popular?)

Like this post? Check out...

• February 25, 2009 -- The Best Coconutty Butternutty Rice Ever
• October 25, 2009 -- 30 Rock my socks
• February 28, 2009 -- Using Leftovers – Random Wontons
• March 16, 2009 -- Salad & soy yogurt love + an old oaty favorite
• February 6, 2012 -- February Goals + Meal of the Day #1

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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...

• July 1, 2009 -- The Last Hurrah
• December 4, 2008 -- I’m having a love affair with my dessert.
• June 2, 2009 -- What a bag of crap!
• December 12, 2009 -- Review: Menchanko Tei (Ramen)
• July 24, 2009 -- Quick starchy update

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Many new meals…

A lot of this (celery + peanut butter + various dried fruit):

And almost too much of this (fresh fruit):

This was dinner the other night – organic, grass-fed beef from Trader Joe’s (85/15, not so lean); tomatoes; cabbage; asparagus; garlic stems (Asian grocery store, frozen); a ton of spices; sauces (teriyaki, soy)… I think that was it? If you want a recipe I’d be happy to try to come up with something. It tasted like chili.

I had it with parmesan! Bobby had his over rice with some cheddar.

P.S. Justine gave me this lovely award – the Honest Award

I’m supposed to list 10 things about myself and pass it on – the 10 things might happen in the next post, and I’m passing it on to all of my bloggies If you haven’t been tagged yet, you’re it!

Like this post? Check out...

• February 27, 2009 -- Friday eats, and an award :)
• February 7, 2012 -- Meal of the Day #2
• July 7, 2011 -- A Girly Breakfast – Yogurt and Fruit
• July 4, 2011 -- Strawberries and Cream – All That’s Missing Is the Blue!
• September 22, 2010 -- Say Yes to Butternut Oat Bran Breakfast

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