Tag: tea

The big cheese

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Wellllll … I did not so much work on the group presentation today. As usual, I took a quick break from homework to do one thing in the kitchen, and now it is three hours later. While preparing my yogurt for the week’s lunches, I helped myself to some of the overflow:

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The yogurt has fresh pumpkin, dates, prunes, banana, apple, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, whole cloves, almond extract, and golean crunch mixed in. And pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top, of course.

Quesadillas were in order for dinner. I made my tortillas the same way I made whole wheat wraps here, but I used half whole wheat flour and half blue cornmeal. (I love this blue cornmeal that I have because it is very coarsely ground and adds texture and crunch to everything. It’s especially amazing for coating chicken or fish before browning in a pan, mmmmmm.)

Anyway, once the tortillas were done, I layered on the filling:

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  • last 1/4 cup salmon
  • last 1/4 cup black beans
  • salvaged rotten roommate scallions and grape tomatoes, sauteed in canola
  • last 2 oz. fat free feta

The other tortilla went on as a lid, and everything went into the oven for a melting session.

Meanwhile, I decided it was time to disrobe my parmesan cheese!! I have a small dairy-making hobby with weekly yogurt (which you know already), occasional cottage cheese and ricotta, and even more occasional hard cheese. Yesterday, I finally finished the round of blue cheese cheddar that I made in the fall. I call it blue cheese because it tasted sort of like blue cheese and had a penchant for turning blue from mold. Nothing a damp paper towel can’t fix, though. Before and after:

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Making your own cheese will do wonders for your mold tolerance.

Anyway, the blue cheese/cheddar was a thing of the past, so it was time to move onto bigger and better things with my parmesan! This parmesan has been aging in my fridge for nine months. That’s right — it takes at least as long to make parmesan as it does a baby! When I made the cheese last summer, I remember thinking that it would never be ready, but the day has finally come! Here it is pre-wax removal and post wax-removal:

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Of course, I had to taste a hunk right away:

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Success!! It’s salty like the Dead Sea, probably from all the brining it had to survive, but quite tasty. And very hard and crumbly, mmmm, perfect for grating. So that’s exactly what I did! It went on top of my quesadilla, along with salsa left over from a work meeting last week, steamed asparagus, and freshly ground black pepper.

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(Btw, that’s 1/2 the quesadilla. The other half is planned for tomorrow, depending on what kind of food I come across throughout the day.)

Inside:

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Mid-demolition:

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Dessert was more homemade fro-yo — I’m hooked! This mix contained scrapings from the batch of pumpkin gingerbread crockpot oats I made today, plain yogurt, and a tsp of peanut butter. Mmmmmmm! Again, I topped it with light whipped cream, toasted pumpkin seeds, sprinkles for flair, and a baby raisin walnut toast:

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And then, because I needed some extra love to pump myself up for the week, a chocolate heart:

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I’m in bed now with a mug of sugar cookie sleigh ride tea and a book, and I am pretty sure that sugar plums will start dancing through the room any second …

What’s your hobby? And is it food-related?

You need a microwave for that?

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Happy March! In honor of the new month, I’ve been marching right through my to-do list all day :-D. Laundry’s done, one assignment is done, another assignment is part-done, and I’m thinking about starting work on my group presentation any second now …

For breakfast today, I finally experienced the delicacy that is the Fitnessista Breakfast Cookie. Look how huge it is!

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Following Gina’s instructions, I prepped the cookie last night, making several adjustments because I don’t have protein powder. My b-fast cookie included:

  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 large ripe banana, mashed
  • 1/4 cup fresh pumpkin puree
  • 2 chopped dates
  • 1 chopped Hershey’s Kiss
  • 1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp toasted spicy/salty/sweet pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened soymilk

I spread the whole thing on a plate in cookie shape and left it in the fridge overnight. It was still somewhat goopy this morning, so I put it in the freezer for about 20 minutes to firm up as I’ve seen other bloggers do. (I thought later that powdered milk would have been good to replace the protein powder. I might try that next time to see if it removes the need for freezing.)

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When I finally got to sink my teeth in … YUM!! I ate it with a spoon from the inside out since the inside was less firm and melting faster — and I always like the edges of “baked goods” the best anyway:

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I expected the cookie to take all of 30 seconds to eat, but it took much longer! It was firm and chewy (not to mention the frozen spots that tasted like ice cream), and I really loved the addition of pumpkin seeds because they kept my teeth so busy and added extra crunch. I was also worried that I would miss my hot oatmeal, but I kept the longing at bay with a cup of hot soymilky black tea:

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I had expected to get hungry for a snack before lunch since I usually bulk up my oatmeal with yogurt, but there was no need! The cookie held me over for a solid four hours.

I kept my lunch main course light because I had big plans for lunch dessert! I mixed together a quick salmon and black bean salad with leftovers from making yesterday’s BSI Sweet ‘n’ Spicy Black Bean-Salmon Patties.

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The salad had:

  • salvaged ends of rotton roommate lettuce
  • 1/4 cup canned salmon
  • 1/4 cup black beans
  • 1/4 cup yogurt
  • 2 tbsp salsa
  • 4 shredded baby carrots
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • paprika
  • 1 oz fat free feta, 1 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds, and freshly ground black pepper all sprinkled on top

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This salad was actually so delicious that I kept refilling it with more lettuce because I didn’t want it to end!

img_4896For dessert, I had this little single-serving bag of Kettle Corn that I picked up from work. I hadn’t had kettle corn in ages, but I remember loving it!

Which brings us to the title of the post. This is microwave popcorn, and I forgot that I do not have a microwave! Whoops.

So, first I tried setting up the popcorn bag in my makeshift double boiler.

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Once the cover was on, I waited. And waited. And waited. When there was still nothing after 30 minutes, I threw caution to the wind, tore open the bag, and dumped its contents straight into the pot:

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Sweet sounds of popping began within mere minutes of the cover going on :-).

Meanwhile, there was melted kettle corn butter all over the empty bag that I definitely did not lick.

Fully popped:

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Mmmmm, it was better than I remembered!! Of course, I sprinkled cinnamon on top, too.

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In other news, it’s snowing again???? Give me a break!

Some things to do:

1. Submit your best recipes for inclusion in the Foods That Fit Blogger Cookbook ASAP.

2. Go win some yogurt and yogurt accessories from Yogurt and Berries!

How dependent are YOU on the microwave?

Chocolate-covered breakfast

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But before we get to my real breakfast, pre-breakfast was a small sliced apple with sprinkles of cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom:

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I bagged the apple and snacked on it during the subway ride to meet Kate for our five-mile-run that started at her apartment and then went over the Brooklyn Bridge and back. If you’ve never walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, you’re missing out because it’s a beautiful stroll. Running across the bridge, however, is like running up a mountain against hurricane-force gales. Despite the wind’s malicious plans for us, we made it through :-). Stats: 56 minutes, 448 calories, average heart rate 146, max 170.

My post-run breakfast was inspired by the chocolate-covered vegan/katie and the case of jocalat larabars she is giving away (and the chance to earn three extra entries for using one of her recipes ;-)). I combined three of Katie’s breakfast grain procedures in one scrumptious breakfast: banana bread in a bowl, brownie batter oatmeal, and the blended grains technique. I started with a smaller portion of banana oatmeal than Katie calls for in her recipe, so I also blended in 1/2 cup fresh pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup yogurt, a tsp-sized peanut butter ring-around-the-edge, and a sprinkle of unsweetened shredded coconut to sufficiently fill my bowl:
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img_4804I had my chocolate-covered brownie batter banana bread in a bowl blended oatmeal (what a mouthful!) alongside soymilky chocolate caramel enchantment chai (my last bag of it :-() and a glass of water.

The breakfast definitely deserves a big YUMMMMMMM! The CCV’s techniques added delicious flavor complexity and a perfectly creamy texture to the bowl. Thanks for the ideas, Katie!

In addition to the CCV giveaway mentioned above, you should also head over to Just Sweet Enough to get a look at the yummy snacks Nicole has up for grabs in honor of her 50th post! AND, Simply Fabulous is giving away Trek bars!

I’m off to maybe get something done today. Hopefully I can find the muscle strength I need to crack open one of my textbooks!

Do you prefer smooth food or chunky food?

Exhaling

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Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh, it’s the weekend :-D.

I was up before the crack of dawn this morning for my arms on the step + stairmaster workout — it was 44 degrees by 5:15 am, so I didn’t even need all my extra layers, yay! Stats: 1 hour and 11 minutes, 446 calories, average heart rate 130, max heart rate 165.

Today’s oatmeal blend was the same as yesterday’s: 3/4 cup banana bread crockpot oats, 1/2 cup yogurt, unsweetened shredded coconut, nutmeg, and a tsp of pb:

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Alongside the oats, I had half a broiled grapefruit. If you’ve never tried a broiled grapefruit, you should. I love grapefruits the way they are, but I know lots of people find them a little too sour — and broiling ups the sweetness factor by a million. My motivation for broiling this half grapefruit actually came from the fact that it has been sitting in the fridge where one of my roommates left it nearly a month ago, and I noticed today that it had started to sprout a little bit of fuzz. I knew she’d throw it out anyway, so I rinsed off the fuzz and stuck it in the oven to burn off anything that might kill me. It turned out deliciously:

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Plus soymilky black tea and water:

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I ate my yogurt right before my 2-hour supervision meeting at 10. The mix included 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup fruit salad left from Wednesday’s meeting, cinnamon, cardamom, and a sprinkle of golean crunch:

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img_4755I also had a very special treat waiting for me at the office today: habichuelas con dulce! On Wednesday, Vianni made mention of this phrase, and my ears perked up. “Sweet beans? Beans with sugar? What is habichuelas con dulce??” All the ladies in the office started conferring, and it was decided that Belkis would bring some in for me to sample (notice the two whole cups of sample to the right) since her mom is visiting from the Dominican Republic and cooking up a storm. Habichuelas con dulce is a Dominican dessert drink traditionally prepared for Ash Wednesday. Belkis gave me a brief rundown of the procedure: the drink basically consists of kidney beans blended with milk, sugar, cinnamon, and more. Belkis’ mom also added raisins and batata after the blend, so there was fun textural variety, too.

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I had one cup cold at 11:57 as my lunch appetizer and one cup warm as my lunch dessert at 2:36 :-D. It was a cup of heaven really — kind of like eggnog on steroids!

Sandwiched (time-wise, not literally!) between my habichuelas con dulce, I had more fun with coworker food. The last cup of Nitza’s soup (it got me through 3 meals!):

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And the perfect soup accompaniment: steamed veggies and grilled chicken! Apparently, Mildred and Myrna were thinking of me yesterday — when I wasn’t even AT work — and actually saved their lunch leftovers so I could have them today! The chicken had been so deliciously marinated, and the veggies were some of my favorite to eat steamed: broccoli, carrots, and chayote:

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Myrna and I ran our parents’ group from 1-2:30, and I snacked on a few of our group snacks throughout: some slices of apple and orange … and about 3/4 cup of apple jacks (errr, because I needed more sugar). When was the last time you had apple jacks? I was probably 6 and probably snuck them at some friend’s house when my mom wasn’t looking!

I raced out of the group at 2:30 to get ready for my 3pm visit … but the mom ended up rescheduling for next week! It took me a minute to adjust my plan mentally, and I instinctively ate two massive lollipops (plus two small unpictured hard candies) in the ensuing brain blip:

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I quickly recovered with a new plan (and my second cup of habichuelas dulces) and set to work. At 4, I broke for carrots and 1.5 tbsp hummus:

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At 5, yo salí de la oficina!

I’ve got a group presentation to work on this weekend and a whole slew of errands and tasks to complete … but right now I’m taking a break, thinking about eating dinner, and relaxing on the couch with some Seinfeld. It’s been too long, Jerry! There’ll be time enough for work tomorrow … or there probably won’t be, but I need a little breather! What’s on your weekend list?

Dinner in phases

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My meal schedule tends to evolve based on when and where I come into contact with food! While walking home from the subway station yesterday afternoon around 3:30, for example, I stopped into Union Market (purely for the samples, of course) and came upon dinner part 1, which I brought home and arranged prettily on a plate with decaf soymilky sweet coconut thai chai:

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Findings included the sampler cup of antipasti, cheddar chunks on baby toast squares (I actually had 3 of these), and 3 cookies:

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The cookies deserve a closer look:

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Sandwich cookies are my favorite!

I also had a package waiting for me when I got home. (Is there anything as satisfying as interesting mail?) It was the Country Bob’s sauce I won from Allison at Green Dog Wine:

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I have big plans for this sauce and a block of tofu. Just wait!

Dinner part 2 was 3/4 cup of the delicious soup that my coworker Nitza made for me along with my last 3 slices of kale-crust pizza (:-( so sad to see it go):

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Hearty chunks of health:

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Kale-crust pizza, I hope we meet again soon:

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Dinner part 3 happened a couple hours later and was inspired by Heather who was inspired by Sarah to make peanut butter frozen yogurt. I followed Sarah’s procedure with 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 tsp peanut butter, and a drop of vanilla. But I couldn’t stop, so I also mixed in 1/3 mashed banana, 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder, and sprinkle of cinnamon and cardamom. I froze it for 20 minutes, stirred, and froze it for 20 more. Voila!

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I considered sprinkling chocolate pieces over the top but decided against it in light of my cookie spree earlier in the afternoon. I had more fruit salad (also with cinnamon and cardamom) on the side instead:

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Perfect way to end the night!

Also, congrats to Lindsay at For the Love of Oats on her one-year blogiversary!! To celebrate, she has some pretty exciting (and lucrative!) contests lined up, so go check it out!

I’ll be back after work with today’s food … followed by a serious movement to catch up on sleep!

Do you prefer to eat all at once or in pieces?