I usually don’t like Mexican food, but last Thursday (I think?) night it was late when we got into Tulsa (Oklahoma) and I didn’t feel like making an effort to find a good place. We decided to go to Monterey’s Little Mexico restaurant right near the hotel. (Funny how we went to another restaurant called Monterey the night before.)

We started off with free chips and salsa (score!):

I can’t find what I ordered on the online menu, but here it is:

It was a grilled chicken breast with a side of rice and beans, plus sauteed veggies. I don’t like beans so I asked for extra veggies instead. But I kept the rice – it was delicious (I usually hate rice). I actually finished this whole plate. Bobby got this gigantic margarita:

I think he almost finished it, with a little help from me. It was pretty yummy but not very alcoholic.

I really liked Monterey’s in Tulsa – I hope they come to New York soon!

Today I had a yummy *vegan* meal from Wegmans (a grocery store in NJ and NY that I worked at in high school). Back at Cornell, Bobby and I (and others) would make midnight runs to Wegmans and buy humongous bags of sour gummy worms. We were an odd group.

I got 2 packages of a butternut squash dish (butternut squash, spinach, cranberries, and onions with a whole lot of oil and a few spices) and a veggie medley dish (zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, red peppers, green beans, and some more oil). I love Wegmans’ prepared food. I think I like it more than Whole Foods’ hot bar. I have to figure out the recipe for the butternut squash one. I don’t think it’ll be too hard.

Do you buy prepared food? Why or why not?

P.S. …I have some good news. Friends, email me if you want to hear about it!

Like this post? Check out...

• September 21, 2009 -- Ch-ch-ch-chia: some oat bran ideas
• November 14, 2009 -- Once you pop the fun don’t stop
• April 8, 2008 -- Easy but impressive fruit salad
• March 31, 2009 -- Guest Post – Christina!
• October 27, 2010 -- (Almost) Wordless Wednesday: My Kids

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Brandi‘s Stuffed French Toast:

Sabrina‘s Egg White Veggie Frittata Muffins:

Frog Hollow Farm‘s dried fruits (and Warren pears! So amazing).

Frog Hollow Farm also had a variety of chutneys and conserves, which were incredible. This was my favorite booth of the afternoon.

Some kind of shrimp and scallop ceviche from Fuego (can’t find a link):

A cool table with non-traditional shortbread made by Botanical Bakery:

Handmade marshmallows (pumpkin was one of the flavors) by Gateau et Ganache:

Chocolate covered nuts. I brought some of these home for Bobby and he has been calling them "poo balls". They are delicious despite their odd nickname.

My favorite candy of the day, made by Nina. Her Single Malt Scotch Bar was awesome.

Annie the Baker‘s cookies. Amazingly buttery and delicious. They tasted just like cookie dough.

p.o.p. candy‘s toffee – I had so much of the chai one. It had nuts and dried fruit.

Yummy (and pretty) chocolates.

Fabulous spreads.

479 Popcorn. My favorite was the curry (odd because I don’t like Indian food).

My other favorite dish of the day – Vineyard Pantry‘s Autumn Savory Tartlets (little pastry filled with wild rice, butternut squash, blue cheese mustard, cheese, and more). I can’t wait to experiment with their products.

A crazy cool beet meringue goat cheese savory dessert thing. It was a work of art (and quite tasty).

Olives.

Shannon‘s savory bread pudding.

I still have pictures from dinner, but I’ll save them. I met so many amazing people, including Emily from Foodzie – what a cool woman. That is a company I would love to work for.

A big thanks to FOODBUZZ for an amazing weekend.

In other news… wish me luck – we’re moving this week. (We’re taking off Tuesday instead of Monday.) Road trip from Sunnyvale to Princeton with two cats. Will be interesting.

Happy Monday! (Or Sunday, if you’re up late.) What did you do this weekend?

Like this post? Check out...

• August 29, 2008 -- Goodeats for 8/28/2008
• July 1, 2010 -- Easy Peasy Crunchy Asian Coleslaw Recipe
• October 24, 2008 -- Finally Friday!
• August 3, 2008 -- Moscow Mule (drink recipe)
• February 8, 2008 -- Lazy breakfasts…

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This challenge might be hard for a few reasons – 1) Bobby and I are driving across the country next week; 2) the holidays and lots of decadent foods are coming up; 3) due to the move, I don’t know what my new routine will be (we’re moving to Manhattan btw). But I’m going to try. I’m synthesizing their goals and mine, and this is what I came up with. I’m going to try to do this for as long as I can. These aren’t arbitrary; these goals are what my ideal lifestyle would be so I want to keep up with them.

1. Go to bed early (by 11:30pm) and get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
2. Cut out artificial sweeteners. I’ve been on a diet coke kick recently and it’s time to stop.
3. More veggies, less fruit.
4. More cooked foods, fewer raw.
5. Lots of water and tea.
6. Cook and plan more (or at least eat out at cheap-yet-healthy places).
7. Sit down for every meal.
8. Do something relaxing for 30 minutes every day (yoga, a bath, these exercises).
9. 30+ minutes of cardio each day (walking, running, yoga).
10. Give myself credit. Even if I don’t do all of these things perfectly, I’m going to give myself credit for the attempts and partial successes.

Because we’re moving, I’m trying to use up the groceries we have and I don’t plan on buying more. This week I’ll be eating out a lot but I’m not too worried about that; I love eating out and I can always find something healthy on the menu. The only thing that worries me about eating out is the money issue. I wish I was less frugal

The other issue I might have is that this weekend is the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival. I plan on eating well, but I doubt that I’m going to get much sleep because two of my favorite bloggers are coming to stay with me and we’re all going together. I am so excited to meet them.

Some of the yummy dishes I plan on making and eating during this November challenge are…

a healthy Thanksgiving meal, like last year’s

fresh delicious salads

lots of squash fries…

this fun Indian mushroom recipe

… and lots more. You should check out my recipes page for more inspiration. This bread recipe was one of the first things I ever posted (December 2007).

Anyway, back to the “back on track” plan. Today has been a good day so far. I did a yoga class this morning at my studio and I went to bed early last night (crashed on the couch at 9:30pm). I wanted to go to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner, but Bobby has band practice… so maybe not.

And now this post is getting epic. Happy November! Are you challenging yourself this month?

Like this post? Check out...

• July 18, 2011 -- Weekend Link Love – 07.17.2011
• August 30, 2011 -- Vegan Tomato Peanut Stew [Recipe]
• May 2, 2008 -- Food adventures and Papaya salads
• March 9, 2010 -- Women’s Work and a Recipe: Quinoa Flake Cookies (Gluten Free)
• January 14, 2012 -- Weekend Link Love – 1.14.2012

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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...

• January 10, 2012 -- Veggie Sushi and Resolutions 2012
• August 26, 2008 -- Goodeats for 8/25/2008
• November 1, 2010 -- Healthy Monday Tip #3: Food Not Bombs
• June 3, 2009 -- Bag of Cheap Food
• August 25, 2010 -- A Wedding Post

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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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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...

• December 11, 2007 -- Delicious Fruit Dip – Vegan Fruit Dip for Apples
• September 15, 2008 -- More eats for 9/14/2008
• November 17, 2011 -- Surrendering in Yoga
• August 30, 2009 -- The juice IS worth the squeeze
• October 22, 2008 -- Jimmy Buffett Concert!

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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...

• November 30, 2008 -- Last night of the weekend… so sad.
• January 28, 2008 -- Mussels a la tomato
• April 3, 2011 -- My Quirks – 7 Random Things
• October 4, 2010 -- The Non-Hunger Diaries: How I Eat And Move {Part 1 of 2}
• March 22, 2008 -- What have I been eating?

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I finally figured out their recipe for the Spicy Burdock Root Salad. Their salad has lotus root, but I was all out. I subbed in water chestnuts instead. Theirs also has mizuna (a salad green), but I didn’t have that either so I just left it out. The ingredient list looks long, I know – but it’s really very simple. Texture is really important here, so make sure the onion and celery are both sliced very thinly. My mandoline helped me achieve the awesome textures, but a grater would work just as well; so would a lot of patience with a knife.

I kid you not – this will be the best salad you ever make.

FYI: Konnyaku is a Japanese yam… it’s the base of shirataki noodles. A block of konnyaku has 0 calories (just like true shirataki noodles – not the tofu kind). It’s great for digestion and overall health. I get mine at my local Asian markets. It’s next to the miso. I would also check near the tofu, or near the refrigerated noodles. If you can’t find it, I guess you could substitute a different veggie or maybe some seitan.

Maggie’s Spicy Burdock Salad

Ingredients (serves 4-5 normal people… or 1-2 crazy salad eaters)

• 2 cups of burdock, sliced up (I used a mandoline)
• 1 block of konnyaku, cut in small slices (or a different veggie or seitan)
• 1 small can of water chestnuts (6 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon oil (sesame)
• 1 inch of ginger, grated
• chili powder and/or chili flakes, to taste (optional)
• 1 medium onion, finely sliced (mandoline)
• 4 stalks of celery, finely sliced (mandoline)
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon stevia (or other sweetener, to taste)
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Boil the konnyaku slices in water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse.
2. Heat the oil in a pan (wok) over high heat. Add the ginger and saute for 1 minute. Add the burdock, drained konnyaku slices, water chestnuts, and chili powder/flakes. Saute for about 5 minutes. You can reduce the heat to medium-high if you’re nervous about burning. When the burdock is tender enough to chew, remove it from the heat and let it cool.
3. Mix together the water, vinegar, and stevia. Soak the sliced onion and celery in the mix for 5 minutes, then drain.
4. Combine the burdock mix, the onion/celery mix, the carrot, sesame seeds, Bragg’s, and salt and pepper. Top with more sesame seeds, if desired. More sesame seeds are always desired by me.

Om nom nom. Bobby and I devoured this. He actually said it was *better* than Delica’s salad. You MUST make this. If you are scared of any of the ingredients (burdock! konnyaku!) – don’t be. Burdock is amazing for you. Burdock health benefits: it’s good for the reproductive system, the skin, the digestive system, and it’s even anti-cancerous. Other burdock or konnyaku recipes:

• Carrot Burdock Kinpira
• Lemon Garlic Okra & Sweet and sour Konnyaku
• Hijiki salad
• Vegetable sukiyaki

I adore Asian/Eastern food. I love eating with chopsticks (way cooler than forks). If it were up to me, I would probably eat Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai food for every single meal. Oh wait… I pretty much do The only difference is that I eat oatmeal or oat bran instead of rice, and I eat squash every single day. (Sounds kind of like a cool vegan lady I know.)

What are your weird food quirks? What is your favorite food (cuisine or dish)?

Stay tuned for a silly picture and updates from this weekend’s apple picking adventures!

Like this post? Check out...

• July 18, 2011 -- Weekend Link Love – 07.17.2011
• November 1, 2008 -- Pear & Crab Salad – Blogger Secret Ingredient
• February 22, 2008 -- More stir-fry ideas
• June 9, 2010 -- Papaya Salad Rocks My Socks
• May 8, 2009 -- Review: Nature’s Path Oatmeal

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As usual, feel free to switch up the veggies. I think the cauliflower is pretty essential for all curries, but do what you like. This recipe is particularly simple because you can get curry paste at any local Asian market. This was my first time using it. Depending on what protein you use, this can be vegetarian or vegan.

I’m submitting this to the Blogger Secret Ingredient contest, hosted this week by Coco! She picked cauliflower.

Indian Curry

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup curry paste
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup cubed white potato
• 2 cups chopped cauliflower
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 8 ounces protein (tofu, chicken, etc… we used frozen chicken thighs from Trader Joe’s)
• 1/3 cup milk/coconut milk/kefir/yogurt (optional)
• parmesan, yogurt, sour cream, or other cheese for topping (optional)
• base – rice, squash, or other carby-carb.

Directions

1. Boil the water in a soup pan. Add the curry paste and mix well. Add the potato and protein. Cook for about 5 minutes
2. Add the rest of the veggies and cook for another 3-4 minutes until they’re tender. If they aren’t covered by the broth, don’t worry – they shrink down. You can also add the milk at this point. I added a little bit of kefir and it came out well.
3. Ladle the veggies, meat, and a whole lot of broth over rice or squash. Top with parmesan.

This meal was very satisfying on a chilly fall night. I had both halves of my delicata filled with curry. Bobby has been obsessed with the rice I’ve been making lately… want to know the secret? I add some salt and pepper while cooking, and then when it’s done I drop in a tablespoon of butter and mix it up while it melts.

If you missed my post yesterday, you should check it out now. I got a lot of really great responses. I talked about whether or not a raw food diet is actually “natural” or not, based on a primatologist’s research. The question was, Does cooking make us human?

I also wrote this post: Does language make us human?

I have a question for you, readers – what do you want to see more of? Daily meals? Cooking tips? Recipes? Crazy cool foods like kabocha? Scientific research like the cooking/human post? Beauty information? Product reviews? Book reviews? More workouts? Giveaways? Leave me a comment to let me know

Like this post? Check out...

• April 29, 2009 -- What is kabocha? (FAQ)
• November 12, 2010 -- Changing Education Paradigms – A New Direction for Learning?
• October 14, 2008 -- New Idea
• August 20, 2008 -- Goodeats for 8/19/2008
• November 29, 2008 -- One more day left!

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