Hello Β loves!
Time for your weekly dose of food porn!
aka
Thanks Jenn for all the work you do each week to round up all our links for one super foodie celebration!
If you’re a blogger (any kind of blogger…no discrimination here!) and want to join in on the fun, just hop on over to Peas & Crayons for the rules of the game. Besides obviously drooling over some of the best looking eats, I love WIAW for the inspiration it gives me for new snacks and meals.
Check it out!
I have to say that today was a pretty delicious day…
It all started with my standard cup of coffee (Starbucks Christmas Blend FTW!) with a side of fuzzy robe sleeve…a must with the freezing temperatures we’ve had lately :-/
I didn’t really have time to make anything elaborate for breakfast this morning, but I was super excited to try a new cereal that I picked up at Target last night.
Anybody tried Kashi’s Golden Goodness?
It’s fantastic! Perfectly sweet, full of fiber, 7 grams of protein…AND a serving size is 1 1/4 cups which is perfect if you have a little fat kid inside you like me that HAS to have volume when it comes to breakfast! π
I added a sliced banana, cinnamon, and some unsweetened almond milk and it kept me full for about 3 1/2 hours…not bad for cereal!
My snack came in the form of some glorious (and almost forgotten) pumpkin pudding.
I haven’t made this little treat since back in March and had forgotten all about it until I finally got some peanut flour back into my possession last week.
Instead of following Gabriela’s original recipe (I was too lazy to look it up), I mixed 1/2 cup pumpkin, 1/4 cup peanut flour, 1/8 cup almond milk, a sprinkle of cinnamon and topped it with some pumpkin spice almonds.
‘Twas delicious!
Lunch made use of some of the turkey meat leftover from Thanksgiving. I was out of cranberry sauce to add to my sandwich (which is amazing!) so I chose some red pepper preserves as a substitute. There was also some of TJ’s sweet hot mustard, spinach, and a slice of provolone cheese.
And for “dessert” I had a SUPER ripe and SUPER sweet persimmon
My favorite!
After I got home from the gym and before I got started on dinner, I snacked on some broccoli and homemade Greek yogurt dip.
Greek yogurt + packet of dehydrated vegetable dip mix =
Y-U-M!
I had my friend Sherri over for dinner and since I know Olive Garden is one of her favorite places to eat, I decided to create a little Soup, Salad, and Breadstick action at home…only the multigrain loaf was on sale at the store and the breadsticks were not π
The soup was a recipe for White Bean and Mushroom Stew from the latest issue of Whole Living (my new favorite magazine…thank God I found out my mom just bought me a subscription for Christmas! ;)) and it turned out perfect! I was supposed to puree the tomatoes before adding them, but I prefer my soups more on the chunky side so I decided to leave them be.
The salad was FAR better than any OG salad I’ve ever eaten and it was chocked full of REAL greens…none of that silly iceberg nonsense!
Now as I sit here typing this up, I am enjoying some evidence of my roadtrip to Whole Foods this weekend…Liz’s favorite: Cookies & Cream Arctic Zero!
Oh and that’s not the lighting…it IS actually gray colored “ice cream”!
A little weird, but super tasty!
Water Count: ~ 72 ounces
Not my best day, but definitely better than last week!
Do you prefer your soups pureed or chunky?
What is your favorite way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers?
you can make me homemade olive garden. any. time.
spell my name right biiiiatch =) LOVE YOU!!!
Ahhh, wth?! I swear I spelled it with two “n’s”…those damn elves must’ve jumped out of my computer again while I wasn’t looking! Know where I can get some elf repellant? You think reindeer poop might work? π
That pumpkin pudding looks awesome – I’m all about anything that allows me to inhale more pumpkin and PB flour. π
Pumpkin pudding?? Uhhhhhmmmm….YUM! I need to make this ASAP! And, I love the Christmas blend too! I have been going to starbucks waaaaay too often to order it…I always add a few pumps of sugar-free vanilla and peppermint with a splash of soy milk. Seriously amazing.
Yum, definitely making that pudding. I’m on the scope for peanut flour recipes all the time π
that cereal sounds great! i LOVE kashi heart 2 heart cinnamon π
Everything looks yum! Persimmons are one of my favourite things in the world. Uh, ever. Had them frozen in a green smoothie this morning… BLISS. That ice cream looks like black sesame ice cream – which is freaking delicious.
Your homemade Olive Garden spread is brilliant! Much more nutritious and tasty than the real thing. (Not to mention, cheaper!) I’m definitely more of a chunky soup gal- the consistency gets monotonous to me when soups are pureed.
All of your eats look so yummy. π
Um, seriously…. YUM!!!
I love super ripe persimmons! They’re especially sweet and soft!! π
I like my soup chunky! I tried making pumpkin soup once and then adding chunks of sauteed pumpkins and pumpkin seeds in! YUM!
Okay. So maybe I know nothing about coffee (I don’t) but what tastes different about the Christmas blend? I have had it, but couldn’t tell the difference….
I’ll have to try that cereal when I’m back in the states- I’m a sucker for volume. My favourite thing is making huge fruit bowls with like 5 different kinds of cereals and blended tofu as the protein. Don’t knock it- its so good!
That is such a thanksgiving-licious sandwich! Since I don’t eat turkey, I usually just eat the leftrover veggies like it is my job. Because it kind of is π
I love chunky soups- none of the pureed action for me. nope. Unless I use it as a dip. But that’s another story.
I’m up in the air about Arctic Zero. I love it blended into a smoothie though- too bad it is so PRICY!!
It is a bit pricey, but if you think about it, it’s about the same price that you’d pay for a loaded up self-serve fro-yo bowl…or should I say trough! I swear I always get carried away in those shops! Haha!
To me, I can taste more of a spicy flavor in the Christmas blend…kinda like adding pumpkin spice/cinnamon to coffee grounds before brewing.
Happy Wednesday love!!
I love your thanksgiving sandwich leftover style!
Love your “love” mug!
Hope all is well : )
I saw the persimmon picture first and freaked out a little bit…as you may or may not know, those are my absolute FAVORITE. I have one last one that I have carried with me all the way from Chinatown in San Francisco and I think today might be the day!
Also, have you spotted the pumpkin spice Arctic Zero? Um. It’s amazing
Well, until it made me sick because apparently it’s not just lactose but potentially whey that doesn’t agree with me. More like Arctic Zero SLEEP for me. π
Omg, we’re TOTALLY twins! Haha! I’ve seriously been casing the supermarkets around here just waiting for them to finally get some persimmons in stock…I almost drove to Nashville just to see if Whole Foods had them, but lucked up and found them at Wal-Mart.
Pumpkin Spice AZ?! Ohhhhhhhmg! I will definitely be on the lookout for that! You need to get you some lactose tablets missy so you can enjoy it AND get some sleep!
I cannot wait to receive the peanut flour that I ordered recently, this pudding looks like a great way to use it!
The pumpkin pudding sounds delicious and easy. Could you use anything other than peanut flour? Don’t have any of that. Thanks!
Vanilla protein powder is pretty good too….just make sure it’s a good quality one that you like the taste of. And if you happen to have maple extract, that totally takes it over the top!
Everything looks awesome!! Pumpkin pudding? I need to try that π
So jealous of your leftover turkey sandwich! Those are always my favourite after Thanksgiving/Christmas. My dad always roasts an extra big bird for us just so that we can have leftover sandwiches for a week. π
Also that soup looks fantastic. I prefer mine chunky too. Pureed ones remind me too much of a drink, so I don’t find them filling enough. π
Have a great Wednesday!
Chelllllllllllllllllseeeeeeeeeeeea! I KNEW I really wanted your dad to adopt me! A whole extra bird JUST for sandwiches?! Almost every year, my mom tries to buy a ham for Thanksgiving instead. I have to BEG her for turkey!
i am a total cereal person and i really like Kashi Golden Goodness. only thing is though – it gets soggy pretty quickly. and…i guess i must have a little fat kid living inside me too because i am all about volume, volume, volume!
Yeah, the sogginess factor is the only downfall…I might try mixing it with my Kashi Go Lean next time. And yay!! Inner fat kids unite! *fist pump* π
i don’t discriminate when it comes to my soups! chunky or pureed both sound good to me.
i haven’t tried the kashi golden goodness, but i love kashi go lean crunch! i used to eat it every.single.day. i burned out on it for a while, but i still like it every now and then!
Not sure why, but I just can’t seem to get on the bandwagon with the Go Lean Crunch…I think it’s because it feels like I’m eating gravel! Lol
another lovely day of eats π you never fail to make me hungry!
Unfortunately we do thanksgiving at my uncle’s house, so never get any leftovers! Though this year I did have my mom smuggle a few slices of apple pie to take home π Gotta do what ya gotta do, right?!
That IS my favorite flavor!!!!! I’ve been trying not to let myself buy it like every single day, because I eat it way too often π it’s so good though!
And Starbucks Christmas Blend rocks my socks off. I’m totally going to have to stock up before it’s gone!
As always, yummy eats! π
I havent tried the new Kashi cereal but it sounds great!
i have never tried a persimmon and have always wanted to!
i see them in whole foods all the time and just, i don’t know. never bring myself to getting one! i think its about time.
i also want to try that “ice cream” i know its not real ice cream but it intrigues me!
Give them a try girlie! Just make sure that it’s SUPER ripe (aka a little smooshy) before you take a bite…unripe persimmons are not good eats!
And as long as you go into your first taste testing of Artic Zero KNOWING that it’s not ice cream, then I think you’ll like it. It’s like a really high quality tasting protein shake that’s been frozen!
Who knew that I would be so excited about food porn a couple of months ago? Hahaha. I want some of that pumpkin pudding. Unfortunately I think I have run out of my gigantic pumpkin stash. Uh oh. I guess that is just an excuse to go food shopping.
I know, I think the same thing sometimes! Who would have thought a year ago that I’d be wasting so much of my time prowling around foodgawker.com!
Are you like me? Go in to replenish your pumpkin stash and come out with about 15 other things? Haha!
Persimon is the best when it’s ripe. Hard to find the perfect one, but when you do it’s always worth it.
Have a great week/.
mmm that is one FULL day of deliciousness! I like my soups chunky too. Sometimes (when i make soup – which is almost never… π ) i’ll puree half of it to give it a creamier texture that still has some chunks to it. ok, so i just re-read that sentence…and the word chunks just doesn’t sound all that appealing, at all. but i think you know what i mean! haha
Haha! I didn’t even think about it till you said something! That is a good idea though…kind of like the best of both worlds!
I think the Arctic Zero is a little weird tasting on it’s own but if you make it into a milkshake, it’s really good.
You meals look delicious. Loving the leftovers T-day Sandwich. And I need to try persimmons by themselves. I know the girls at work eat them like that. I’ve only had it in bread.
The skin takes a little getting used to…it kinda gets stuck in your teeth and stuff, but the flavor and juiciness is totally worth having to dig around for a toothpick or some floss! π
oooh good questions…. i think I prefer chunky. I love me some broth soups with added goods, but hearty soups HAVE to be chunky. And scooping up the chunks with bread is awesome.
mmm I just love soup – pureed or chunky, doesn’t matter. I used to run a little organic cafe where soup was our main thing… I made about 30 litres of soup every day for 2 1/2 years, (and ate soup every day) and I still LOVE soup.
Gotta have awesome bread with soup… it’s a must.
Hey, did you know if you take your multi vitamins with coffee it hinders the absorption of the vitamin+ minerals? Especially iron, as caffeine interacts with it. Most people do just knock em back with their morning coffee though as that’s what helps them remember!
Yummo, what a delicious day π
Hows the new car treating ya?
Oh wow, I’ve never heard of that before. Honestly, I don’t even know why I even take them…I think it’s a mental thing…I THINK I will have more energy AND karate chop my way through cold and flu season if I take my vitamins, I guess! π I’ve heard of a lot of people taking them before bed, but if I do, I almost always wake up in the middle of the night to pee…and I do not like having my sleep interrupted.
You used to run an organic cafe?! That is flippin’ awesome, Lou! I LOVE soup…I could totally eat it everyday…especially now that it’s FREEZING outside! Brrr!
Thanks for asking about the car! I swear I’m in heaven! It’s been rainy and gloomy here for over a week now, so I haven’t really had a chance to take her for a good cruise and open up the sun roof, but I’m hoping we can have at least one sunny day here soon where I can get the chance. As much as I hate the circumstances that led to getting me a new car, it’s great to finally have a vehicle that I’m in love with. This was the first car I ever picked out and signed for all on my own!
I love me a chunky soup! Slurp!
your pumpkin pudding looks so delicious. wanna dive in! i love chunky as well as pureed soups. chunky vegetable soups with barley or buckwheatt groats added or a super smooth moroccan spiced carrot soup are my favourites!
Not gonna lie, the way you just described that carrot soup made me drool a little! π Lol
Hahahhaha I was so disconcerted the first time I opened the AZ cookies and cream flavor… that drab gray is hardly appetizing… thank goodness it tastes so good! π
I’m a chunky soup gal. I like texture to my food and rarely want to drink it. Even as a kid, I would dunk grilled cheese sandwiches in my tomato soup…those were the days. Your eats look delicious!
I’ve only ever had persimmon cookies… which were probably the best cookies ever… never an actual persimmon!
I gotta try to find one…
Although it sorta looks like a tomato and that skeeves me out a little, not gonna lie.
I swear it’s NOTHING like a tomato…in texture or taste! Hahaha! Persimmon cookies sound amazing! I need to find a recipe for those!
Pumpkin pudding? Arctic freeze? And now I’m hungry.
I like my soups both ways! Love your spin on Olive Garden π
ounces??? who are you? i need cc conversions please and thank you.
Bahahaha!
I’ve never tried the Arctic Zero, but I MUST find some, STAT! Especially in Cookies and Cream, my fave!
I’ve found it at Whole Foods and other natural food type stores…it’s a bit pricey (around $5 for a pint) but I figure it’s about as much as I’d pay for self-serve fro-yo and it’s nice to have a little treat every once in a while, especialy a guiltless one! π
All of your eats look so amazing! Except the persimmon.. I dunno what it is, but I can’t stand them! I’ve only eaten one once, but I hated it. Maybe it just wasn’t ripe or something, lol.
Chunky soups please. I don’t want to drink my meal π
It seems the Thanksgiving leftovers are neverending. I finally had to toss out the last of the sweet potato casserole yesterday after finding some grey furry matter had taken over some of it’s innards… oh the sadness. I did manage to use up all of the cranberry relish after including it in almost all my meals. Cranberry relish yogurt, oatmeals, tofu sandwiches, fruit-infused cocktails, I’m talking everything.
What a cool idea for the Olive Garden home-cooked meal. Totally more fun and probably a heck of a lot healthier. Less risk of hypertension and heart attacks.
LOVE cranberry relish! Since we only made a small portion and weren’t left with much for leftovers, I’ve been thinking about making another batch just for myself…I’ll have to try it on a tofu sandwich! Sounds yummy!
RIP sweet p cass…RIP! π