What I Ate Wednesday (21): Snack Attack!

In January, I experimented with eating 3 square meals a day, with perhaps one small snack if necessary. For a while, this worked well . . . but sometimes, especially later in the month, I found myself consistently getting rather peckish in between meals. At first, I attempted to ignore these hunger pangs and just wait for my next meal; however, this caused me to a) eat much larger quantities of food in one sitting than my tummy can handle, thus resulting in bloating, and to b) shove the food into my mouth with such haste and gusto that it really didn’t satisfy me on that necessary psychological level. Or, I didn’t snack all day, which caused me to be super-hangry at night, which led to consuming most of my calories in the evening, which led to a rumbling tummy and poor digestion throughout the night, which led to . . . you get the picture.

So, I’ve decided to at least temporarily re-introduce snacking into my diet—100- to 200-calorie noshes that will appease my appetite between meals, especially during my long afternoons. Some days, my schedule requires me to eat an early lunch at 11, so in order to survive until dinner at 6 or 7, it’s an absolute MUST that I re-fuel, or else I’m one crabby lady, complete with headaches, stomach cramps, and an inability to concentrate on my studies.

So, today, on this beautiful Wednesday, I snacked, and it was glorious. A quick thanks to Jenn for being such a stellar WIAW hostess!

Breakfast & Morning Tea

Oatmeal with homemade almond milk, 1/2 apple, raisins, flaxseed, and PB on top.

I must admit, I’m looking forward to Spring and Summer—not only for the sunshine, warmth, butterflies, and blossoming flowers, but also for a larger variety of seasonal fruits to garnish my breakfasts with! I miss fresh strawberries, raspberries, plums, and especially peaches.

My ever-growing yearning for Spring inspired my choice of tea this morning, too: Spring Cherry Green Tea from The Republic of Tea.

 

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Mid-Morning Snack

A bright PINK smoothie--recipe to come on Friday!

About an hour & a half before lunch, my tummy felt quite empty, so I had a smoothie and . . . surprise! A couple homemade crackers, my newest culinary endeavor! Since I’ve started making my own almond milk, I have a lot of leftover pulp that I’m creatively re-using, for crackers, stirred into oatmeal, added to smoothies, you name it!

Lemon-Herb Almond Pulp Crackers

A couple quick notes about these crackers. First, don’t expect super crunchy crackers. These are crisp, but also a bit crumbly, too. I’m guessing it’s because I baked them in the oven rather than using a dehydrator—so if you have dehydrator, you’ll probably have better luck!

Makes as many crackers as you so desire!

Inspired by this recipe

Ingredients

2 Tbs. ground flaxseed + 6 Tbs. water

2 cups packed almond pulp*

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh basil

2-3 garlic cloves, finely mined

2 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. cracked black pepper

*I’m not a raw food purist—I do roast the almonds I use to make almond milk because I think the flavour is better. Therefore, my pulp isn’t raw as well, so I can’t attest as to how raw pulp crackers will taste.

Directions

1. Whisk flaxseed and water in a small bowl, and put it in the fridge for at least 15—this is your flax “egg”.
2. Preheat oven to 300° F. In a bowl, combine pulp, herbs, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and salt & pepper, mixing together well. Add flax “egg”, and stir until a dough forms.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and transfer the dough. Take a second piece of parchment paper, cover it, and using either a rolling pin or your hands, flatten the dough evenly on the sheet. Brush crackers with a little olive oil.
4. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, watching very carefully and rotating the baking sheet every once in a while. When the crackers start turning a golden brown, turn off the oven and just let them sit inside until cool.

Sort of like pita chips . . .

Lunch

I wanted something other than a salad today, so I threw together a stir-fry in less than 10 minutes.

Lots of colour, lots of flavour! Recipe coming soon!

Post lunch: half an orange, 1 dried fig, some 77% dark chocolate from Chocolove.

Afternoon Snack

As a normal student, I rely on quick and easily-portable snacks that I can throw into my backpack without worrying about a potential mess. As an unconventional student, I make everything from scratch. Simultaneous solution: homemade protein granola bars. Recipe to come on Friday!

Dinner

Since I didn't have a salad for lunch, I decided to have a side salad with dinner--mixed greens, celery, Bragg's Seasoning + extra dill, Liquid Aminos, lemon juice, mustard, and cashews.

Brown basmati + Indian Aloo-Gobi, with a secret twist . . . recipe coming soon!

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So, what did I think about snacking again? Well, to be honest, I’m torn. Part of me prefers not eating in between meals because it’s something of a chore and sometimes inconvenient; another part of me still believes that snacking has its place, but you can overdo it, too. I need opinions please!

Question: What do you think? Do you snack, or do you prefer 3 square meals a day?

What I Ate Wednesday (15)

Well, it’s that time of week again, though this WIAW is a little different for me because, from now on, I’ve decided to chronicle what I eat on Tuesday (so, one day prior) rather than on Wednesdays themselves—otherwise, I too often find myself rushed to put together a post in the late evening hours. This will help balance the time commitment a bit, I’m sure, so I don’t have to forego participating in Jenn’s weekly roundup due to lack of time or what have you, as was the case last week. That being said, let’s dive right in, shall we?

Breakfast

1/4 cup each barley & rye flakes cooked in soymilk, 1/2 puréed ripe banana, 1/2 cup frozen/thawed blueberries, chia seeds, & roasted walnuts

Morning Tea

In keeping with the lingering holiday spirit, I sipped at a piping cup of Sugar Plum Spice tea from Celestial Seasonings. Unfortunately, I let it steep too long, so the flavour was very, very strong—and don’t get me wrong, I like my tea black, but I almost couldn’t drink this. Next time, I’ll only steep the teabag for a couple of minutes maximum.

Lunch

Pesto pasta salad with peppers, green beans, & tofu; pimento-stuffed green olives; quinoa tabbouleh; roasted squash; hummus & carrots

Afternoon Snack & Tea

I was a bit peckish in the late afternoon, so I had some more pesto pasta salad + an extra hunk of unpictured proteinacious tofu whilst pleasure-reading!

Christmas!

‘Tis the season for drinking hot tea! This mug featured Yogi’s Chai Green flavour—very enjoyable, as per usual. Yogi never disappoints!

Dinner

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Right before dinner, my tummy was feeling a bit off, so I drank some Ginger Root Beer from Zevia—an all-natural, no-calorie soda alternative that uses stevia as its sweetener. It was quite tasty and mimicked its commercial counterpart perfectly.

Homemade whole-wheat crust pizza with pesto, olives, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes; a quasi-salad beast topped with tamari-roasted pumpkin seeds.

After dinner, I indulged in a serving of So Delicious Purely Decadent Chocolate coconut milk ice cream. Wow! I’d heard good things about the SoDelicious brand, and now, I can confirm them. What I particularly liked about it was a) it uses agave nectar as its sweetener; and b) 1 150-calorie serving boasts a whole 6 grams of fiber! Wow! Two thumbs up from this health-food freak!

Product Review: Three Treats to Try

Today, I’m here to share my thoughts about three new products I’ve sampled in the recent past.

First, a good friend of mine who works at a local co-op gifted me with some free Liz Lovely cookies. If you haven’t tried any of their products yet, RUN (don’t walk) to your nearest health food store and get your hands on some. These are the absolute best store-bought vegan cookies I have EVER eaten.

Of the four flavours I tried, Goats A’ Grazin’ oatmeal cookies were easily my favourite. Perfectly chewy and crumbly with gooey raisins, these tasted boatloads better than the non-vegan version from my childhood (as far as I can remember).

Next up, the Cowgirl Cookies are the epitome of decadence—and even more amazing is the fact that they taste EXACTLY like raw cookie dough. When I was a little girl, I preferred raw batter over baked cookies, so these were truly a treat.

In third place came the Chocolate Moose Dragons. If you love chocolate, this flavour is for you—a moist, melt-in-your-mouth delicacy that reminds me more of a truffle than a cookie in terms of texture.

Finally, I sampled the Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip cookies, which were also great. Not my favourite, but that’s only because the other flavours were more, well, interesting, I suppose. Nevertheless, these were by no means a disappointment.

As much as I was impressed by Liz Lovely, there are a couple downsides to their products. Firstly, for the majority of the cookies, sugar is the very first ingredient on the list—and in turn, these treats pack anywhere between 340-420 calories APIECE. So, you eat half a cookie . . . and honestly, all you really want is the rest, because seriously, who eats only half a cookie? Before you know it, you’ve consumed the caloric equivalent of a light lunch . . . then again, it’s all about moderation, so consume at your own discretion!

For a slightly lighter sweet treat, try a couple squares of Taste the Dream’s Dark Chocolate Dream. It’s not as good as Chocolove, I will admit, but at least this bar is 100% vegan-certified—no possible traces of milk products to worry about!

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And finally, for a calorie-free treat, boil some water and enjoy a cup of The Republic of Tea’s Almond Coconut Macaroon Red Tea. I have a longtime tradition of buying a new tea every Christmas (even if my tea cabinet is already overflowing . . . ahem), and this was my purchase this year—and it was well worth it! Slightly sweet and rich in taste, it’s like dessert in cup without all the unwanted fat, sugar, calories, guilt, whatever. Cheers!

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On the Fourth Day of Detox, My True Love Said To Me . . .

Jan Brett is one of my favourite illustrators.

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Can you tell I have Christmas on the brain? And it’s not even Halloween yet. Although I’m equally excited for Halloween, too. I love holidays! Especially this time of year, when we have three major holidays in a row.

You know what else I love? Whole Foods. Since was home from university for the long weekend (due to Native American/Columbus Day), my mum and I went to Omaha on Friday, which naturally included a trip to everyone’s favourite (albeit unnecessarily expensive) market.

This beautiful sight greeted me at the door of Whole Foods . . . heirloom pumpkins!

I also visited Trader Joe’s for the first time and was pleasantly surprised to see than it’s sort of like a discount version of Whole Foods . . . for example, Tom’s of Maine toothpaste was a whole dollar cheaper there, and Larabars cost only $1.19 compared to $1.39. Granted, there’s not as large (read: overwhelming) of a selection, but when you’re a starving artist/university student, every penny counts.

But before shopping the afternoon away, we had lunch at McFoster’s Kind Café. I hadn’t been there for a while, and the dish I ordered was not only delightful, but also perfect for my first official detox day.

Mustard, turnip, and collard greens, sautéed with spinach, red cabbage, caramelized onions, fresh garlic and ginger, then glazed with a spicy Thai curry paste mellowed out with tahini butter. Served on organic whole grain basmati rice and topped with organic tempeh and sesame seeds. Served alongside charbroiled mixed veggies. There was also a whole grain roll, which I saved for later that afternoon.

My tummy was a mess pretty much all Friday, but I remembered to fuel myself properly and intuitively . . . so, of course, I just had to indulge in a Gingerade kombucha! I knew the ginger (as well as the kombucha’s natural carbonation and probiotics) would soothe my tummy.

I took one drink and was in heaven--haven't had a kombucha in a long, long, far too long time.

GT’s Kombucha drinks were on sale, so I also snagged a Cherry Chia flavour, something I’ve wanted to try for ages. The texture was so cool—sort of like drinking a watered-down tapioca pudding, and the flavour was great. Two three thumbs up!

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As well as a Whole Foods salad for dinner-to-go that night . . . I’ll admit, it was nice to have a day off from cooking.

Everything sort of got mixed together during the drive home, but this beautiful box contained steamed kale; roasted artichoke hearts, beets, butternut squash, carrots, and fennel; mock tuna salad; macrobiotic seaweed salad; detox salad; sesame broccoli salad; falafel; and some sort of whole grains mix (I can't remember exactly which grains). I really tried not to overfill the box or to feel obligated to eat everything--success times two!

I also purchased a box of kukicha tea, also known as Twig Tea, as per Alicia Silverstone’s recommendation in The Kind Diet. A macrobiotic staple that’s great for detoxing and restoring bodily balance. Thanks, Eden Foods, for being the best company on the planet and creating the highest quality products!

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So, after four days of detox, I’m feeling much better. My tummy is still bothering me a bit in the evening hours, but I’m on a quest to alleviate that—hopefully, I’ll find some relief soon. It’s relatively annoying and discouraging to feel like I have something akin to the flu almost every night. With time, I’m sure my innards will heal.

See you again in two days for WIAW!

What I Ate Wednesday (5): Sick Edition

Ever since I became interested in healthy, wholesome eating 3 years ago, I’ve noticed a tremendous boost in my immune system—meaning, I rarely get sick, even when I’m surrounded by sneezing university students. Yeah, I have tummy trouble upon occasion, but otherwise, I’m generally able to elude cold and flu season.

Not this time, however. Yesterday, around lunchtime, I felt my nose running slightly. An hour later, my eyes began aching. And by afternoon’s end, I felt pretty tough and wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed—which is precisely what I did around 7:30 last night.

Now, I’m not really that surprised about my condition. I should have guessed I would find myself a bit under the weather when my boyfriend started sniffling a few days ago, following by a fever and coughing. No matter how healthy and preventative I may be, there’s no escaping germs in such a close proximity—only luck could have spared me in this situation.

All the same, just because I wasn’t able to avoid this cold, I can still effectively treat its symptoms and heal myself naturally. One of the greatest strategies: diet. It’s common knowledge that certain foods treat colds better than others. So, today, I ate to cure. I’m a busy girl who can’t really afford to miss class or cancel commitments—I need to feel better, fast!

Breakfast

Woke up feeling pretty okay. Started the day with my usual lemon juice and liquid chlorophyll shot—both have powerful detox and antioxidant properties, and the latter has a whole sling of other benefits.

Not the best tasting drink in the world, but sometimes, even we health freaks can't like everything, right?

I’m no expert in in-depth nutrition, so when I was consulting The World’s Healthiest Foods, an incredibly useful site, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my standard breakfast is naturally a powerful cold and flu fighter. Oats are rich in beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that boosts your immune system, and plums and prunes are good sources of vitamin C (as are most fruits and veggies).

Steel-cut oats, soymilk, ground flaxseed, pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 plum, raisins, a chopped prune, and pecans.

After breakfast, I crashed in bed for another hour or so before I felt energized enough to start my day. Fortunately, I don’t have class on Wednesday mornings. So, I went outside for a breath of fresh air, a splash of vitamin D-infused sunlight (Indian summer!), and a cup of Yogi tea. Today’s featured flavour: Green Tea Goji Berry.

I seriously need to get some prettier mugs. This one (which I use all the time) actually belongs to my boyfriend's best friend, our other housemate.

Seriously, I would totally agree to be Yogi’s spokeswoman; I ADORE their products! I always have several of their teas in my pantry (and I’ve yet to try I flavour I didn’t enjoy), but today’s choice was influenced by the well-known facts that both green tea and goji berries are exemplary sources of antioxidants. It warmed my body, mind, and soul.

Lunch

On Wednesdays, my boyfriend leaves around 11:00 and I don’t have class until 1:00, so I usually like to make a special little one-serving lunch for myself. Today’s mix-and-match meal was very, very yummy.

Hummus-stuffed sweet potato (recipe to follow), seaweed salad, and a bowl of cantaloupe and raspberries for dessert. And no, it wasn't one of those listeria-infected Colorado cantaloupes--I double-checked! No worries!

I had a sudden craving for seaweed this morning, so I quickly rehydrated some and made a side salad with a little shoyu, sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds. Sea vegetables are some of the healthiest foods of all . . . and some of the most delicious, too!

I also had my grown-up, vegan version of a baked potato. When I was a little girl, my mum would make me baked potatoes with cottage cheese whenever I wasn’t feeling very well, so this is major comfort food for me.

Hummus-Stuffed Sweet Potato with Orange-Balsamic Drizzle

Inspired by this recipe (which is fabulous, might I add!)

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, roasted for about 40 minutes until tender

2-4 Tbs. hummus

1 medium stalk celery, chopped

2 Tbs. chopped scallions

1 Tbs. dried cranberries

1 Tbs. chopped parsley

Salt & pepper, to taste

For the dressing:

1 Tbs. orange juice

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. olive oil

Afternoon Snack

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

I also had a piece of my Basic Banana Bread—and this loaf was completely free of added sugars! Instead of 1/3 cup liquid sweetener, I used 2 dropper-fulls of liquid stevia, and it worked like a charm! No strange aftertaste whatsoever.

Dinner

A delicious Italian recipe that I’ll share on Friday—pumpkin-spinach pasta.

Dessert

I made Leanne’s amazing Raw Carrot Cake “Cheese”cake again last weekend. Delish! And no, I didn’t eat all four remaining pieces, hahaha.

And now, I’m off to indulge in a few bites of that delicious cantaloupe, followed by bubble bath before crawling into bed. I’m tired and looking forward for an early night and sweet dreams. Hopefully, all my efforts today will pay off tomorrow, and I’ll feel more energetic . . . energetic enough, at least, to roll out my yoga mat for a few asanas.

What I Ate Wednesday (3): Protein Power!

Well, it’s official—I’m hooked to WIAW’s. I’ve been eagerly anticipating today ever since last Wednesday. I don’t know why exactly . . . well, yes I do. IT’S FUN! Thanks, Jenn, for inspiring such a tasty trend!

This week, I thought I’d add a secondary slant to today’s post, namely concerning protein. As a vegan, one is always, always, always asked the dreaded question sooner or later:

“Where do you get your protein?”

Fortunately, I can only recall a handful of occasions upon which I had to explain that protein isn’t just in meat, dairy, and eggs. Of course, there’s also the issue of food combining in order to obtain all the necessary amino acids, but honestly, that’s really easy when you eat a diverse diet. Using this article at LIVESTRONG, I calculated that I should aim for at least 46 g of protein daily. So, today, in addition to participating in another WIAW, I’m also going to be documenting the protein counts of my food in order to calculate just how much protein I consume on a given day.

Note: Some foods, like fruit, contain minimal protein. Anything below 1 g of protein I just round down to 0.

Breakfast

My favourite meal of the day!

½ cup Bob’s Red Mill organic oat bran = 7.5 g

½ cup + 2 Tbs. Edensoy Unsweetened Soymilk = 7.5 g

2 Tbs. Bell Plantation PB2 = 5 g

1 Tbs. Bob’s Red Mill chia seeds = 3 g

½ apple

1 dried fig

1 Tbs. Nativas Naturals goji berries = 1 g

Breakfast subtotal = 24 g

Firstly . . . wow! That’s one proteinaceous breakfast! I’m already more than halfway to my goal!

Secondly, I’m obsessed with this breakfast combination at the moment. Something about the flavours blend so well, and the PB2 makes the oats so wonderfully creamy and peanut buttery. For those who don’t know, PB2 is essentially “powdered peanut butter,” made by defatting peanuts and making it into flour. A year ago or so, I noticed PB2 at my local grocery, and I was curious, so I bought it on a whim. By no means does it replace normal peanut butter, but stirred into oats, it’s quite good—and it adds 5 g of protein for only 45 calories!

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Mid-morning Snack

After not one, but TWO yoga video workouts this morning (see here and here), my appetite reared its head and demanded refueling.

A slice of my Basic Banana Bread = 2.6 g

1 Tbs. almond butter = 2.4 g

¼ cup alfalfa sprouts (sprouted here at home!)

Mid-morning subtotal = 5 g

I also enjoyed a cup of green tea—but not just any green tea. ‘Twas Eden Foods‘ Organic Genmaicha Green Tea with Brown Rice. Best. Green Tea. Ever. Seriously, my mum first introduced me to it, and the flavour of roasted brown rice alongside the sencha blew me away. It still does. Every. Single. Time.

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Lunch

Wednesdays require a very filling lunch because I don’t get home for dinner until 7:00. Today’s lunch featured a recipe I’ll post in the near future–Pistachio-Parsley Pilaf.

¼ cup dry lentils = 12.4 g

¼ dry millet = 5.5 g

10 pistachios = 1 g

2 dried apricots

1 scallion

Parsley

2 cups spinach = 1.7 g

5 cherry tomatoes (fresh from a neighbor’s garden!) = 1 g

1 stalk celery

1 nectarine = 1.4 g

2 squares of the best. chocolate. ever.

Lunch subtotal: 23 g

Well, I’ve already exceeded that original 46 g baseline! 52 g and counting!

Afternoon Snack

Today, it was soooooo chilly—autumn is here! And what better way to greet the crispness than with vegan comfort food . . . sweet potato biscuits! Recipe to come soon, maybe even tomorrow. I’d post it today, but this entry is already long enough as it is.

1 biscuit = 3 g

5 dried dates = 1 g

Afternoon total = 4 g

Dinner

Another detox dinner of kitchari—not really a fan of this, I must admit. I couldn’t finish my plate, honestly. It’s a bit on the bland side for me, despite being Indian food. I know it was the lack of onion and garlic, but those are no-no’s in Ayurvedic cleansing. I can’t complain in the slightest about the chutney, though. AMAZING!

¼ cup dry mung beans = 12.3 g

¼ cup brown basmati rice = 4 g

½ cup cooked carrots & zucchini = 1 g

Cilantro chutney

Dinner subtotal = 17.3 g

Evening Snack

My appetite has been surging today—probably the change in weather, as my mum would say. Or perhaps it’s because I’ve been awake an hour longer than usual. Either way, I felt I needed a substantial night-night snack to tide me through the night.

Another biscuit! = 3 g

1/3 cup of the most delicious vegan pâté ever (yet another recipe coming soon!) = 9 g

2 small carrots = 1 g

Evening subtotal = 13 g

Total protein for the day = 86.3 g

Take that, mythmakers!

Well, that was fun. Just a reminder—don’t forget to sign up for my giveaway! You have until Friday night, and 2 winners will be randomly selected this weekend!

Autumn Detox + A Giveaway!

Late last week, I received an email from Yoga Journal announcing a 7-day autumn detox plan, and I thought that sounded like a fabulous idea! I’ve discussed my thoughts about detoxing before, and based on my criteria, Yoga Journal’s plan is very, very well designed, based largely on the ancient healing art of Ayurveda. And it’s very, very much needed after a weekend of, well, a little too much bread, unfortunately. But no matter! I’m gung-ho for a good cleanse! I’m going to try to follow the plan as closely as possible, tweaking a bit here and there for my weird university-student schedule, and I’m really looking forward to analyzing how I feel next week.

Today was the first day of detox. In addition to Yoga Journal’s recommendations, I listed some personal goals for supplementing the cleansing process:

• Drink a glass of water with fresh lemon juice, liquid chlorophyll, and a pinch of cayenne before breakfast.
• Daily cup (or two, or three) of Yogi’s wonderful Detox tea.

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• Chew food really, really well to ease digestion.
• Consume plenty of water to help flush toxins.
• Daily dry brushing.
• Daily Yoga practice (enhanced by these helpful videos).
• Early to bed, early to rise = deep, restorative sleep.

To my delight, several recipes were also included with the plan, and I jumped at the opportunity to make a big batch of kitchari, accompanied by cilantro chutney. Yoga Journal’s dosha quiz revealed I have a vata-pitta constitution, so I added ingredients as recommended for my bidoshic needs.

Obviously, I love Indian food. And I must say that the chutney is INCREDIBLE! I will be making it on a very regular basis even after my cleanse.

Even though I’m detoxing, I still believe in dessert—raw dessert, that is! This weekend, I finally got around to making Leanne’s Raw Carrot Cake “Cheese”cake, and let me tell you, folks, this recipe is a keeper! Everyone who sampled a piece was blown away by the flavour, the texture, everything. My only alterations were a) stevia instead of coconut sugar, and b) bars instead of individual little cakes since I don’t have spring form pans. Everything worked fabulously!

Dense and rich and wonderful. <3

Speaking of fabulous, I’m hosting my first giveaway, and TWO lucky readers will receive a container of Amazing Grass Original Green SuperFood powder, which is great for green smoothies and juices!

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Just leave a comment, and using a random number generator, I will select two winners later this week. Good luck!

What I Ate Wednesday (2)

I had so much fun with my first WIAW last week that I’m planning to permanently join the Peas & Crayons bandwagon! So, here we go!

Breakfast

When I first discovered the joys of oats three years ago, this was the very first combination I tried. Yes! I remember thinking, “Grapes? On oatmeal?” Weirdly enough, it works–and obviously, I was hooked.

Hodge-Podge Oats

Also affectionately known as Bric-a-Brac Oats.

Nighttime Ingredients

½ cup rolled oats or oat bran

Pinch of salt (optional)

½ cup milk alternative

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Morning Toppings

Chia seeds or ground flaxseed

Chopped apple

Halved red grapes

Dried apricots, chopped

Pecans, coarsely chopped

Sweetener of choice, to taste (optional)

Splash of extra milk alternative as needed

Breakfast was accompanied by a mug of hot tea, featuring my newest favourite flavour from Yogi: Mayan Cocoa Spice. Seriously, it’s like drinking dessert!

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Lunch

Today’s meal was one of my classic bean-and-grain salads. Last weekend, I made a HUGE batch of pesto from my 4 overgrown basil plants, knowing that, soon, they’ll wilt and wither, and so, I was also inspired by the end of summer–soon, autumn will officially be here and I plan to take advantage of summertime flavours while they still last (which won’t be much longer!).

End-of-Summer Salad with Homemade Pesto

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup dry white beans, soaked overnight, cooked, drained, and cooled

1 cup dry barley, soaked overnight, cooked, drained, and cooled

2 large tomatoes or 20 rehydrated sundried tomatoes, chopped

1 large cucumber, chopped

4 scallions, chopped

¼ cup homemade pesto (recipe below)

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs. lemon juice

2-3 tsp. Italian seasoning

Salt & pepper to taste

For the pesto:

[This makes a big batch, so you’ll have plenty leftover.]

4 cups packed basil leaves

2/3 cup olive oil

1 cup roasted walnuts

6 garlic cloves

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. To make pesto, combine basil leaves, olive oil, walnut, garlic, and salt & pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth. Simple as that!
2. In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients as listed. Equally easy! Serve chilled.

End-of-Summer Salad with Homemade Pesto on a bed of spinach, accompanied by a side of red grapes.

Afternoon Snack

Last weekend, I remade my Gluten-Free Blueberry-Cornmeal Coffeecake, only this time in the form of muffins. When I first shared the recipe here, there was no pretty photo—just a picture of the remaining crumbs! Obviously worth repeating.

The sweetness of the blueberry, combined with the earthiness and crunch of the cornmeal, is ADDICTIVE!

So, today's snack consisted of a muffin, 2 dried figs, and 3 dried dates--my favourite sort of sweet treats!

Dinner

Even though I’m reveling in the end of summer, I’m also craving autumnal flavours, which prompted me to make chili. But not just any old chili–Aztec Chocolate Chili! I’ll share the recipe in an upcoming post.

A bowl of Aztec Chocolate Chili, accompanied by a slice of whole wheat-cornmeal bread I made last weekend. Best. Bread. Ever. I had a second slice after dinner . . . for dessert, hehehe.

Back from Bordeaux

Yesterday, I daytripped to Bordeaux with my wonderful Finnish friends. It’s an extended weekend here, and we had discussed wanting to do something fun together. Since Bordeaux is only 1.5 hours or so away from Pau, that seemed an excellent choice—and indeed it was! We toured the city, admired the classic architecture, peacefully picnicked alongside the river for lunch, visited an impressive history museum, and simply enjoyed each other’s company. And of course, we partook of some delicious food, too, and naturally, I’m here to share photos!

For afternoon tea, we visited a little vegan café called Viva Las Vegans, which I discovered thanks to HappyCow.

It was a relatively cool day, so I ordered some hot green tea.

We sampled one of each of the vegan desserts available--carrot cake and chocolate mousse. Both were tasty, but I favoured the carrot cake myself.

Later, for dinner, we went to a Lebanese restaurant. First, we were served fresh pita bread and garlic paste.

For my meal, of course I chose the vegetarian platter--fresh salad with falafel, tabbouleh, stuffed grape leaves, hummus, and baba ghanoush! I ate everything except the two chickpea spreads, which I decided to take home. DELICIOUS!

Today, I had the baba ghanoush with my lunch, and, oh! IT WAS INCREDIBLE! Tomorrow, I’ll eat the hummus with my lunch. In an attempt to re-create something of a Lebanese ambiance, I decided to make “mock” tabbouleh, replacing the bulghur with wheatberries and the cucumber with zucchini.

Wheatberry Tabbouleh

If you have fresh mint around, definitely feel free to add some to this classic Lebanese grain salad.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup dry wheatberries, soaked overnight and cooked

2 medium plum tomatoes, finely diced

1 small zucchini, finely diced

4 scallions, chopped

3/4 cup parsley leaves, very finely chopped

3/4 cup mint leaves, very finely chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. freshly squeeze lemon juice (about ½ lemon)

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Essentially, just combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing everything together well. Serve cold or at room temperature—and the longer this dish sits and marinates, the tastier it gets!

Served on a bed of romaine lettuce.

A simple, but satisfying Lebanese lunch.