Breaking the fast, x3

What is a girl to do, when her morning starts like this?:

an empty box of tea!!! Well, I don’t just have one, so I’ve got back-up. Normally, I choose a black tea in the morning, but I reached for something else instead, out of necessity & un-boredom (yes: un-boredom!)

 Green Tea Tropical, by Mighty Leaf… & a Mighty Leaf, it was! Then, my tummy said “FOOD? (yes) FOOOOODDD!!!” So, I made some oat bran, campfire-style, with cinnamon, walnuts, Agave, a banana & s’milk. Check it out, yo:

 Not hot cocoa here! I ate it with a long stirring-spoon, but also pretended it was hot cocoa…   Giant mug of goodness: good morning!

Other breakfast parts I’ve had lately?! I thought you’d never ask…

This guy is worried, but it’s all gonna be okay:  < a couple of eggs fryin‘ up

  < ww bagel, with avocado, greens, eggs & herbed cream cheese under the eggie, with tea! (I had some grapes & yogurt, too)

the sweet set-up: 

So, yes, I am very fortunate to work where I do & I have a passion for what we do & sell (health food store!) I get a great discount, have met so many great people & learn a lot when I’m there. Sometimes I get free stuff that is about to expire by the sell-by date (still good to consume, just unable to sell without refunds!), or products that are special-ordered, but only, like, 2 people end up buying it, so we discontinue selling something. ANYWAY, last night was a lucky night for me!

Look what I left with:   &  Jackpot?! Yeah! This stuff probably would have cost me almost $25, what do ya think? 

So, this morning I had some French Toast Sticks (not from France, though!) They look like this, out of the box:  & this on a plate, with some Smart Balance, apple butter & cinnamon (no maple syrup, wah!) 

AND this group of all-stars:  to make a lil’ “yogurt-mess” with an apple. Yes, I ate the Dannon full-fat Plain yogurt. It’s rich & creamy & deeeee–lish! Not as tart as some lower-fat brands/kinds.

Now, you’re ready to start your day 3 TIMES, with 3 BREAKFASTS!!! I know all you bloggies love breakfast.

WEEEEE, have a great weekend!!! Any plans?!

Hollerin’ Back ya’ll!

Hi, sugar-boogers! I have missed you. Since you’ve I’ve been gone (Kelly Clarkson?), I have been trying to comment on your blogs of interest- sorry if I’ve been so terribly unfriendly & distant. I want to feel the love again. I feel it for you; can we share it?! I also had my Spring Break & just laid-low. I went to the beach to get my tan on (& keep the blonde-ness up!), hung out with some friends, started running more, did some quality yoga (7 more classes on my magical pass!) & only worked for 2 of the days. I didn’t blog. So, I must have done something!

On this perhaps lucky day of St. Pat’s, I found a dollar– HOLLER!

 

I also got a free sample in the mail- anyone can request one & you can send them to other people’s addresses, too, to “Feel the Good!” Guess which one I tried first?!

 

It was an Emergen-C!!!

*ATTENTION: will the REAL ORANGE POP please stand up?!

 

^ There’s my substitute for the “pop-ness” that made me Orange in the 1st place! Deliciously carbonated & chemical-free!

Other meals? Here’s a sweet potato gnocchi with Vodka cream sauce, green beans & a Boca Italian sausage (I bought everything & cooked/heated it myself. This is not homemade, as much as I wish I were just that good!):

 

snack: totally digging those Annie’s Bunny Grahams! Here they are with vanilla ice cream & strawberries:

meal: whole wheat pita with avocado, hummus, cheese & veggies (tomato, sprouts, lettuce); along with a Sunshine  Garden Herb burger & roasted veggies  (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, onions & tomatoes):

   

Wallaby yogurt (Banana-Vanilla) with cinnamon & sunflower seeds (I love this brand- great flavor, texture & fun flava’s!):

I had an Indian packaged meal, too, from Tasty Bite: Kashmir Spinach. My awesomely-active-&-delicious-food-eating friend from Gliding Calm has eaten & reviewed this meal twice  here and here! …so I’ll let her reviews take the stage, because I agree that the “bulking with veggies” is necessary. I added green peppers, onions & eggplant & ate it with pita bread:

   Tasty Bites! (but not pretty-lookin’)

Another International meal I’ve made came from this cookbook:

 My nutritionist is Israeli & she lent it to me, noting some of her favorite (vegetarian) recipes… I made a Chickpea-Eggplant-Tomato stew & I added wheat berries & ate it with a pita with buttah’:  < There it is!

IF YOU’RE STILL READING, thank you!!! I’m sorry for ginormous posts- this is what I get for being away for so long. I find it daunting when I don’t post for a while because then I have to make up for all that lost time! I tried to keep the comments short, though. Message me if you have questions or sum’thin!

…a few more:

 

^ wrap on a locally-made pita (don’t think it’s whole-wheat, but I do know it’s soft & short ingredient list!) stuffed with veggies & hummus (there may or may not have been more- I don’t remember, but it was tastttyyy!)

In order for me to get excited again about blogging (which I am! But, you know, it’s the whole “here’s-what-I’ve-been-up-to-lately” thing…), I made a different kind of oat breakfast. I’ve read about people putting an egg or egg whites in their oats, but I’ve never done it. I always sort of think it’ll scramble. Today I added one egg white at the end of cooking my oats (half oat- bran & half –meal), plus pumpkin, walnuts, s’milk & golden raisins: 

 < see the little white-flecks? Any advice to make it more “custard-y” without actually baking it?! It was good, but I really didn’t taste much of a difference… oh well, maybe I missed something & will have to re-visit this technique!

ONE MORE THING: If anyone can tell me what this is, you get 10 points!

*HINT: I got it fresh from my local produce market, but you can also get it pre-packaged. It’s more of a “European” thing, I’d say. (It’s not just a plastic bag– what’s on top of that-there bag?!) Have fun!

Oh, & if anyone’s missing a folder, I know where it might be:

I’m working on some interview questions for a select few- thanks for those of you who volunteered! I’ll get-chya thinking soon enough!

Morning Love (& a chocolate-y giveaway!)

GOOD MORNING, from the 3 of us: Orange Pop, Jasper & Tucker on the bottom!

They’re givin’ me some lovin‘! aww… Jasper wanted more face-time, so he stuck around, & I feel obligated to show you my morning-face because he’s worth it:

 (courtest of PhotoBooth!) 

I had some “3-grain” cereal this morning: oat bran, oatmeal & wheat berries, with an apple, cinnamon, walnuts & smilk. It had great texture:

Kath puts wheatberries in her morning cereal, & since I still have a plethora of these chewy babies, I thought I’d use ’em. I have yet to incorporate a “blended-puddin’-style” of my grains, a-la Katie , but SPEAKING OF this chocolate-covered gal, she is having a CHOCOLATE GIVEAWAY!!! Go to her new Wordpress blog-site & check it out to get a WHOLE FREAKIN’ CASE of Larabar’s Jocalat bars! The Larabar company is teaming up with her to help fund this giveaway- how awesome is that?

Something else I’ve consumed lately?

a new-to-me (empty) flavor of Kombucha, Multi-Green & some Peanut-Ginger chews! If you like peanuts (*ahem, PB-lova’s!*) & you love ginger, you miiight just like these! More peanutty than other ginger chews I’ve tried, but still, yummm!

THANK YOU to everyone in their feedback with the header/blog! I haven’t contacted anyone because I’m sort of wondering if I should change the style of the blog. And since I have become “Orange Pop” I need to stick with that. I think I’ll add more features, such as “Story-time” about my job, “Tea-time” with something snazzy about that, maybe something with dogs & of course, FOOD-stuff!

 < My sample  from Yogi teas

This weekend, I’m not sure what I’m up to, other than the usual work tomorrow night. Today, it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL outside, so I’m thinking I’ll go to the library to get some books for my school paper, then head to the beach?! Oh yes, I’m soo lucky! Have a wonderful weekend. What are you all up to?

Also, I’m wondering about OILS. Which have what benefits, which fats, what’s best to cook with, & not to cook with. Now I’ve been using canola to bake, olive to pan-fry, sautee & marinate, & flaxseed for dressings, dips & cold-toppers mixed in yogurt & such too. Any suggestions or ideas or websites with info about these things? I’m looking into walnut, avocado, almond & others… ☮

Temptation with Foodstuff

I’ve been busy in the kitchen! Check it out, yo:

 

^ Vegan Coconut-Pineapple-(Blueberry) ww Pancakes from Vegan with a Vengeance. This was so great! It’s been so long since I’ve had pancakes. I made them Friday morning, when I have no school or real reason to be up early, so it started a leisurely day off well! I did not make the “Pineapple Sauce” they suggested, but mixed up canned pineapple (with a bit of juice), blueberries, coconut, a bit of smilk & plain yogurt & agave. Just enough “moisture” for these beaut’s! I will make this again. I burnt one side of one, so I shared part of that with Jas-i-per & Tuck-i-fer! They didn’t complain!

 < I randomly went to Whole Foods (grr, competition for independent stores like mine! But I wanted to check it out & compare) & was greeted by this temptation. I passed by it, backed up, took a deep whiff, snapped a picture, & moved on again. Go Me! Is this 4 weeks, holding strong with no coffee? Even at dinner parties we serve coffee afterward & I have to make it. And free coffee at work. Well, free tea too, so I’m set! Yazoo! I feel real good with my decision & don’t feel deprived of it, though Sunday I was draggin’… I lovez me some teaz!

 < Why didn’t I use this orange bowl & spoon sooner?! It’s purr-fect, along with my Breast Cancer mug. In this bowl is oat bran, a banana, almond butter, cinnamon, walnuts & smilk!

So, I went grocery shopping (not at WF) & here are some things I got that are new to me. The other stuff, I hid already!

 

^ 3-bean salad, Artichoke-Lemon Pepper “Hommus”, Annie’s Tuscany Italian Dressing, og. Tamari Pumpkin Seeds, Dairy-Free Mac’n’Chreese (haha- anyone try this?) & also Garden of Eatin’ “Bible Bread”- traditional pita pockets with a great, short ingredient list: Organically grown whole wheat flour, water, organically grown sesame seeds, yeast and sea salt. I’ll take it! I love the hummus & dressing, too- new flavors for me!

 

^ Breakfast Parfait, in an effort to switch it up from oats. Then I deconstructed it because it became difficult to get more than one ingredient in a bite… with Mr. Bigelow tea. In it was: plain yogurt, blueberries, chopped apple, cinnamon & Sunflower-Pumpkin Seed granola

 I made a wheatberry salad, inspired by these hoots! I don’t know the real recipe, so I just added chopped celery, apple, walnuts, wheat berries (duh!), plain yogurt & the thing that brought out the ingredients= apple cider vinegar, with some salad seasoning herbs on top! YUM!

Another cooking-success?! From 101 Cookbooks. All her recipes & photos are amazing & this dish, the Orange Pan-glazed Tempeh was no exception. I served it with spinach & wheatberries (because I made a TON when I made them!) & a salad with dressing & sliced almonds:

   

Guess who liked it, too?

 

Welp, I hope that those of you with exams & other important things on your “to-do” lists are doing MORE THAN okay!!!

I’m still working on getting a new header & theme & such… I’m workin on it, but if you could send me some help & ideas, I’d love an e-mail at smbvb10@hotmail.com. If you know-someone-who-knows-someone, too, I’d so appreciate it. Should I make a contest? How do people catch on & how can I make that worthy?!

THANKS, Lovely Ones!

Ketch-up!

I mean, CATCH UP! Because there ain’t no KETCHUP here! …instead… 

Did I lure you in? …keep reading to see more!

I’m sorry I have been a naughty, absent blogger–mama, but I’ve been pretty good about commenting on everyone else’s lovely blog-iggities! Thanks for keeping my interest & taking up all my free time, GOSH! No, I love it!

…continuing from Valentine’s Day, like I said before, my dad & I got pedicures. This is a picture of the little Oriental ladies (who know us by name) rubbing our dogs. Please disregard the scary Casper-legs. I’m working on it. My dad is drooling. See us in all our luxury:

 HA! My color is called “Wild Child”– a bright green-ish… my dad picked it out. I guess I’ll be ready for St. Patty’s Day!

I’ve been taking lots of yummy food-photos (the photos aren’t yummy, but what’s in them has been!) Here are some oatbran breakfasts, as of late:

   < with banana, soy, pb & granola; again with banana, nuts, soy & banana… with my mom’s cute little cocktail napkins (she thinks she’s funny & this is so her…); & with soy, strawberries & nut butter. I really forget what is in each, but they had cinnamon (of course!) & were all good & truly solidify my love for oatbran.

P.S. That’s TEA, not COFFEE!!! Weeee!!!

 < my Multi-vitamin of choice & Calcium-Magnesium-D(3) supplement, in strawberry-flavored liquid form (milky, but I like flava’-flave!)

   < Tempeh Quesadillas, based off of this recipe, from Vegetarian Times (online), but I didn’t broil it with cheese on top. I added peppers, onions, spinach, mozzarella, tempeh, tomatoes, salsa in a whole-wheat tortilla; cooked it in the skillet; served it alongside homemade guacamole (just avocado, salsa, onion & red pepper flakes!) & blue corn tortilla chips. A nice lunch, with Jasper in the background, contemplating the meaning of life… or something like that.

Friday the 13th was my grandpa’s birthday, so on that Sunday the 15th, we had the family over to celebrate that & Lover’s-Day on the 14th. (that was out of order, sorry) I made a cake from Vegan With a Vengeance: 

Raspberry Blackout Cake with Ganache-y Frosting– here it is, in the process/layers:

    

TA-DAAAA!!!

My mom is way creative (hello, teacher!) so we had a “circus-theme”, bringing out the inner child of my grandpa. Our table cloth was (*homemade*) zebra-print, & we had circus animals & clowns/ring-leaders on the table, too. Here’s the arrangement I made. I’m so 6-years-old:

 RAWR!!!

 < He likes the gorilla

 < tootin’ his own horn= ring leader?

 

… this cake turned out so moist & delicious! If you have the cookbook & have a reason to make it (& even if you don’t!), DO IT– you will not be disappointed!!! It was a major hit, if I do say so myself (& I do)! The party was great, too! Having family around is always a fabulous, beautiful thing, don’t ya agree? Even if you don’t always get along with them all, the love is still there! For sure!

Okay, this post is way-long, but I have some other great kitchen-makings that I feel really great about showing you! SOONER THAN LAST TIME, I will show you!

Until then, enjoy your weekends. What are you doing?! I hope it’s warming up in some wretched parts of the country! I’m sending warm wishes to you all- in your hearts & on your bodacious bods!

 

 

He loves you, yeah-yeah-yeah!

Me & The Beatles say, “HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY, LOVES!”

I hope your day is filled with love, in all areas of your life: for yourself (#1!), friends, family, the things you do & everything in your world! What are you doing to celebrate this commercial love-filled holiday?!

I have to work tonight, but until then, I’m going to watch some romantic-comedies & get a pedicure with my dad. He loves them & he’s not afraid to say so! Last night, I saw He’s Just Not That Into You with one of my girlfriends. We’re both single, so it was our date! It make me just want to shout “STOP TALKING!” sometimes because sometimes the characters were so awkward, but it was cute & fun. Afterward, we chatted on the outside benches. Lovely!

When I woke up this morning, I saw, on my computer, a card:

 

from Daddy!!! (thanks, Daddy-o!) plus a sweet little note with it!

 

& a box of chocolate (& cash) from Mommy! (thanks, Mom-sie!)

I’m so lucky to have such a supportive, loving family! Truly, sometimes I feel overwhelmed with inheriting a great fortune, in the form of love, care & happiness! I hope you feel this way, in some part of your life, too!

Thanks to everyone on their feedback, though I was looking for even MORE than a few people. But, none-the-less, it was great to hear from a few special people & I’ve come to realize that, yes, it is MY blog, so I can write whatever, but will you read?

I think I even had a dream about my blog, leading me to some ideas… kind of cool, huh?! Would it be too much of a nuisance to change my name or blog?! Any experience with this?

Some of my favorite tea-makers sent me a sample (which I had inquired about a while back)  

with 3 flava’s: Green tea Pomegranate, Himalayan Apple Spice, & Berry Detox. I’ve tried the Green Tea Pomegranate & it’s tasty, so I’m looking forward to the others. Also, a lil’ coupon, YIPPEE!!! I love me some savings!

…speaking of TEA, I just got some new French Vanilla flavored tea, from Mr. Big(elow)!

 < it’s wonderful! I’ve been drinking it with soymilk & agave, which brings out the flavor & sweetness! mMmMm… even without coffee, I like to have a little fix of something, with some caffeine in the black tea in my mornings!

I saw the nutritionist this week again, too. While I followed the meal plan she gave me, toward the end, I felt even more hungry, even with less exercise I had been doing. So when I saw her, she weighed me (I was UP about 1.5 # in a week & a half, & I am happy with this!) & we worked on another, bigger meal plan. A “prescription,” if you will. It’s incorporating a lot of fat (mmm, hello nuts, seeds, avocado, nut-butters, etc…) & she said it’s her goal to get my *girly-thing* within 2 months!!! While I know this may be a pain (literally?), this excites me, because it’s been gone for farrrr too long! And that is just not right. 

Want to see some food? OKAY:

 < yesterday’s breakfast, with a ray of sunshine from above (mug): oat bran (thanks to Heather, I have noticed that yes, oat bran, as opposed to oatmeal satisfies my hunger a wee bit more! Check out her comparison on the nutritional info. on the 2 oats here). Anyway, oat bran with walnuts, banana, cinnamon, vanilla & s’milk, multi-grain toast with Smart Balance butter & 2 eggs with spinach + S&P & tea with agave & s’milk. WOW, filling, but delicious! 

 < a phone call, from the plain so’gurt to almond butter on the banana phone!

 in the blender it goes…

…+ ice & blueberries 

…to make:  YUM!!! Just what I needed on a warm winter day. Yes, it’s warm, sunny & BEAUTIFUL here in FL… *wish you were here!*

  

^ noodle bowl with: soba noodles, tempeh, veggies, sliced almonds, with red pepper flakes & flaxseed oil drizzled on top for some moisture & nutrient-absorbing fat! (Eaten with chopsticks, of course… Noodles are very difficult to eat with choppies so I had a fork around, too)

 < snack: Clif bar & tea (I LOVE this flavor tea!)

okay, I have a few more food photos, but instead, I’ll leave you with some great men in my life… they’re begging for you to “Be Theirs!” They’re lovers, I swear:

~*XOXO*~

p.s. I love you!

Veggi-licious, Definition, Makes OP go Crazy!

…anyone? Well, VeggieGirl might know what I mean, because the other day, I went home and on my bed, there was an object not there before:

 < fra-geel-ie… Must be Italian!

 hmmm…

 BUBBLE WRAP!

Nah, just kidding! Really:

 < og. Chocolate Macadamia & og. Chocolate Cherry Almond Hazelnut nut butters

 

 

 

 og. Orange Almond & og. Cherry Almond nut butters:

 

 

THANK YOU, VEGGIE GIRL!!!

I, of course, had to try them! I intended on trying just one last night… but once I tried one, I opened them all to try!

^ half CCAH (left) & some OA (left)

I tried them all, but this is a small taste. Very small in comparison to what I had, spread on graham crackers! I was surprised that I liked the cherry & chocolatey ones best, because I’m not a choco-holic… &, of course, I thought the orange would be my fave. It’s great, but they all are!

This mornin’ I put the orange almond butter into play & switched it up with some oat bran! I also added smilk, cinnamon, Agave & a lil’ box of raisins!

I liked the switch of the oat bran instead of rolled oats- kind of like Cream of Wheat or almost grit-like, or something… but good & warm! I have a bulk-bin bag (*say that 3 times fast!*) of it, so I’ll keep using it!

Oh, and this Booger was thirsty for some joe:

 

Any plans for the weekend?!

One of my friends is having a birthday party on Saturday & it’s Beatles-themed! I have to work tonight & tomorrow nights, but plan on going afterward!!! Whatever it is, appreciate your time doing it!

And, I hope all you chilly winter-ers are staying safe & warm!