Tag: lunch

Bagging it

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Today’s lunch will come as no surprise:

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I probably don’t even have to tell you/show you what’s inside, but I will for accuracy’s sake.

One big tupperware (actual size = 1 cup) contains Red Lentil-Peanut Soup:

overview

overview

from the side

from the side

The small tupperware (1/2 cup = actual size) contains sofrito rice with red cabbage:

overview

overview

from the side

from the side

The last tupperware contains pumpkin yogurt (1/2 cup yogurt, 2 Tbsp pumpkin, 1/6 mashed banana, 1/3 chopped apple, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg):

overview

overview

from the side

from the side

And it traveled to work with me like this:

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The End.

Snow run

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As planned, Kate came over this afternoon so we could go on our own run instead of heading into the city for running club tonight. I’m so glad we went when we did because it started snowing as soon as we stepped out the door. Most of the sidewalks were still lacking a good shovel, so the going was slow and our legs got a serious workout. I tried to pretend it was beachy sand again … but I must have used up all my imagination magic this morning. The snow got progressively heavier as the run went on — I could hardly see by the end. My next running investment will have to be a pair of ski goggles! Stats: 43 minutes, 4.23 miles, 410 calories (total for today is 888), average heart rate 165, highest heart rate 179.

For lunch, I started with red cabbage. So pretty before it’s cooked!

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After chopping and steaming the red cabbage, I mixed it with the rest of last week‘s sofrito rice from the freezer.

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And of course I heated a heaping cup of yesterday’s red lentil-peanut soup. I can’t say enough about this soup! It’s so thick and filling — a perfect winter meal. I garnished it with a little piece of basil from my basil plant to make it prettier:

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Lunch from the rice’s point of view:

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For dessert, I had more sugar cookie sleigh ride tea alongside some pumpkin yogurt:

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I used 1/2 yogurt, 1/4 cup pumpkin, 1/4 large banana (some mashed, some chopped), 1/2 apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger:

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I feel completely satisfied right now and nowhere in the vicinity of hunger … but I’m guessing the 888 calorie burn will catch up with me soon enough and I’ll be at it again!

Twelve cups of healthy

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In typical Sunday fashion, I spent allll day today preparing food for the week. Even though I have tomorrow off, I kept to my Sunday routine because I love it. There’s nothing more relaxing than a day of creating and tasting food!

First, I started on this week’s batch of crockpot oats. I decided to make carrot cake oats when I found two items of questionable freshness (belonging to the roommates of course since I have a mind like a steel-trap when it comes to my own food!) in the fridge while I was cleaning it yesterday. Slimy baby carrots:

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And fermented pineapple:

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Since I’d be cooking everything, I figured any unfriendly bacteria/fermentation would burn off. I grated the carrots, crushed the pineapple, shredded an apple, and zested an entire orange:

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I also added 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger and 1 cup fresh frozen cranberries. The mix-ins:

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Because I’m out of steel-cut oats, I substituted 1/2 cup rye berries and 1/2 cup kamut (other whole grains). Other than that, I followed my crockpot oats procedure exactly, using the 5-hour low-heat method. The recipe made a little over 6 cups. I ate the “over” topped with plain yogurt icing and cinnamon:

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Next project was Red Lentil-Peanut Soup. My roommate Tara made a similar soup last weekend following a Weight Watchers recipe, and it smelled so good that I’ve been craving lentils all week. The peanut butter addition was my idea, and I must say that it was a fabulous one!

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Also during the fridge cleanup yesterday, I found these grape tomatoes in desperate need of assistance:

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I’ve never been one to ignore tomatoes in distress, so I chopped them and added them to the soup, too. And half of the chicken broth I used was my very own homemade stock that I’ve had frozen since I made it from a chicken I bought at the farmers’ market in November.

Just like with the oatmeal, the soup made a little over six cups … and I ate the “over”:

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Soooooo good! I barely had 1/2 cup of this soup, and I was instantly satisfied. Or almost satisfied, since I followed the soup with my last two pieces of peppermint salt water taffy. Then I was satisfied.

Overdrawn

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Before I left for the movie, I threw together a very quick and very late lunch. I heated the rest of Thursday night’s steamed cabbage in the oven and topped it with the last of my sofrito sauce:

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And of course, because every meal must end with something sweet, a toasted Chocolate Fig VitaTop with a tsp of peanut butter, a half cup of chopped strawberries and cantaloupe, and a drizzle of yogurt:

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Because I can’t help taking 10,000 close-ups:

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After the movie (Bride Wars — a little bit cute and funny … a big bit sickeningly predictable and superficial), I accidentally went out to dinner with the girls (review to come) and put myself over-budget on entertainment spending before the week has even begun. Dear Sarah: You are not allowed to engage in any social events requiring money for at least one week. Sincerely, your bank account.

After dinner, I decided to hit up the Food Emporium right by the subway station. Holy expensiveness! I used to shop at Food Emporium all the time without realizing the ridiculousness of their prices … but that was pre-grad school when I had an actual income and before I figured out how to prepare fresh food. Everything cost 2-3 times what I usually pay in Brooklyn and I was soooo tempted to abort the mission, but I kept thinking about how much I did not want to have to drag myself to the store tomorrow in the snow. I spent $16 for this paltry showing:

bananas (3), oranges (3), red pepper, red cabbage, dried chickpeas, dried lentils, gallon skim, carrots

bananas (3), oranges (3), red pepper, red cabbage, dried chickpeas, dried lentils, gallon skim, carrots

Right now, I’m preparing my yogurt for its overnight incubation, clearing the fridge of roommate-forgotten rotten produce, and enjoying this little late-night snack:

sugar cookie tea and a freezer-saved conference room cookie from work!

sugar cookie tea and a freezer-saved conference room cookie from work!

Night night night!

Brown bag Q&A

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Today, as intended, I finished the last bits of lunch that I prepared on Sunday. Pork & beans, sofrito rice, yogurt/fruit, carrots, orange, and an apple and a mini-Luna (my backup-emergency-snack and my because-it’s-Friday-snack, both of which I definitely ate):

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Total food expenditure for the week: $30 groceries, $10 specialty teas (hello Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride tea!), and $19 restaurant (from tonight’s dinner … review to come). I am ready to start a fresh week with new food tomorrow!

Have I mentioned before that I sit next to a candy jar at work?? I try to limit myself to 3-5 mints per day solely for “breath freshening,” but some days, like today, I just go crazy and start walking to the jar every 30 seconds for fruity tootsie rolls, dumdum lollipops, mini candy canes, etc. So it’s pretty safe to make a daily assumption that I’ve had about 3-5 hard candies (or 8-10 on a day like today) in addition to what I picture!

Also, I received a question about what kind of bag I use for carrying my lunch tupperwares to work. First, in case you can’t tell, my tupperwares are single serving-sized, as opposed to average-sized tupperwares that probably fit 3-4 servings. The two larger tupperwares in the picture above hold one cup each, and the smaller one holds 1/2 cup. I can fit everything pictured, including my 28 oz. klean kanteen water bottle, into my BuiltNY lunch bag:

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My sister-in-law and brother gave the lunch bag to me (packed with airplane snacks to keep me going for the whole trip back!) when I visited them in San Francisco about a year ago, and I’ve probably used it every weekday since to pack and carry my lunches. It’s perfectly stretchy and durable — and it never fails to fit my lunch buffet!