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What I Ate Wednesday

Posted on January 26, 2011 by kissmybroccoli

The lovely Jen over at Peas & Crayons has started up a new little game that I was super excited to join. It’s called “What I Ate Wednesday” and to play you just document all the food, snacks, and drinks consumed for one day. I decided to post all my eats for today so that I could be true to the title…instead of What I Ate…er, the other day! 😉

I knew it was going to be a cold morning this morning. They called for snow and for once the weatherman got it right! Boo! When is it going to be Spring already?!

I decided to take a break from the overnight variety and whip up a bowl of warm, creamy oats! Nothing like a hot comforting breakfast on a dark snowy morning. It’s been a while since I’ve made a bowl of oats since I’ve been out of bananas (I used them all up making Everything-But-Sugar Oatmeal Cookies) so this morning I wanted to make them a little special with CHOCOLATE!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oats: (serves 1)

1/3 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons oat bran
2 tablespoons ground flax
1/2 cup chocolate almond milk
3/4 cup water
1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder
splash of vanilla
1/2 banana, sliced thin

1. Combine all ingredients except for the banana and cook over medium heat until about half of the liquid is absorbed.
2. Add banana slices and whisk it ~~like a mad woman crazy for chocolate oats~~ until the banana is incorporated and only pieces remain.
3. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes to allow the natural sugars from the banana to mix in.
4. Remove from heat and top with the other 1/2 of banana, 1 tablespoon peanut butter (I used Valencia PB) and dark chocolate chips!

There’s just something about the combination of chocolate, peanut butter, and banana! It will never get old!

Breakfast: 5:30am
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oats with my cup of 1/2 caff coffee + cinnamon

I took pics of my work eats in the good ol’ lightbox before I left for work…I hate how the fluorescent lighting always makes my food look a nasty shade of green. Ick!

Mid Morning Snack: 9:30am
A ginormous minneloa (tangelo) & dry roasted nut mix

Tea Time: 11:00am
Anybody tried this flavor by Celestial Seasonings?
I swear it tastes like PEZ!!!

Lunch: 12:15pm
A HUGE Salad & a Sunshine Falafel burger with
hummus + balsamic vinegar for dressing

When I’m going to have a salad, I’m going to have a SALAD! Hey, go big or go home…right? 😉

In the Bowl:

1 big handful fresh spinach
mushrooms
shredded carrots
vine ripe tomatoes
mini sweet peppers
cooked, shelled edamame
feta cheese
garlic gold nuggets
fresh ground black pepper

I’ve wanted to try the Falafel Sunshine Burger since I tasted the BBQ one so last time I was at Whole Foods, I grabbed a box. They are not very falafel-ly, but they do remind me a lot of my grandmother’s cornbread dressing? Who cares…I loved it! And check out the nutritionals!

Afternoon/Pre-workout Snack: 4:00pm
1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean sprinkled with cinnamon,
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk & raisins

A sprinkle of cinnamon makes EVERYTHING taste better!

After a great cardio workout and a shower, I whipped up some leftovers that I never shared with you guys last week.

Dinner: 6:45pm
Barbecue salmon, steamed snap seas with Garlic Gold Nuggets,
and roasted potatoes sprinkled with dried rosemary & nooch

I’ve been doing really well holding myself to the goal of including more fish in my diet. I have had at least one serving every week this month! This was actually the very first time I ever put barbecue sauce (I used TJ’s All Natural BBQ Sauce) on salmon…I highly recommend it!

Over the course of the day, I drank two of my Camelbak bottles worth of water

I love this thing! Double insulated so it keeps your drink super COLD!

I am now rounding out the night with another travel mug full of ~~PEZ~~ blueberry tea. 😉

So there you have it folks, my day in food?…my food in a day?…my
What I Ate Wednesday!

Are you a tea drinker? What is your favorite flavor?
My favorite is CS Mandarin Orange Spice or the Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride, but sadly it is only seasonal! I really should write the company about that one!

Posted in Breakfast, Entree, Snacks, What I Ate Wednesday | Tagged bananas, chocolate, hummus, oats, salad, salmon, veggies | 29 Comments

A Kitchen Full of Throw Togethers

Posted on January 25, 2011 by kissmybroccoli

So I’m totally loving all of my fellow peanut butter lovers out there! Glad to hear so many of you were celebrating with me yesterday! I won’t leave you hanging on last night’s dinner any longer. I kind of threw this together on the spot, but lucky for you I kept up with my measurements! 🙂

Peanut Noodle Veggie Bowl: (serves 1)
Inspired by a recipe from All You Magazine

2 ounces dried spaghetti noodles
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded carrots
3 mini sweet peppers, cut into strips
1/2 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon Bragg’s liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
1/8 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup cooked edamame
1 scallion, green parts only

1. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain and rinse in cold water.
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add minced garlic and saute for about 2 minutes.
4. Add vegetables and continue to cook until veggies are tender, but not browned.
5. Mix peanut butter, aminos (or soy sauce), and vinegar.
6. Combine veggies, edamame, and noodles and toss in peanut butter sauce until thoroughly coated.
7. Garnish with sliced scallion, green parts only.

The perfect way to round out the celebration of National PB Day!
Creamy, nutty noodles and garlicky veggies with the crisp bite of fresh scallions.

Breakfast this morning was OOIAJ with another peanut butter jar (guess I didn’t get enough yesterday), but this time a little different combo.

Peanut Butter & Pumpkin OOIAJ:

Remaining 2 tablespoons or so of your favorite peanut butter jar
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup whipped cottage cheese (all out of yogurt)
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tablespoon chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Combine all ingredients and allow to set in the refrigerator overnight to thicken. Add more milk in the morning if needed to thin a little. Top with granola (I used 1/2 pack of 18 Rabbits Granola). These were even THICKER than my jar yesterday! I loved it!!

Haha! My cup of coffee looks HUGE next to the oats!

After work, I got in a great workout in support of Team HEAB, but I was starving like Marvin afterwards! I burned off my pre-workout snack fast and needed some refueling!

Pre-workout: Trader Joe’s dried mango slices topped with homemade dark chocolate almond butter!

So, what happens when you are absolutely famished and can’t make up your mind what you want to eat? A kitchen throw together of course!

First let me explain how I got here. The other day, I wanted to make a potato hash, but after I got a bit carried away with adding veggies, it kind of grew into a more of a hashbrown veggie bowl!

1 medium potato, grated
1/4 diced onion
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup black beans
Leftover stuffed bell pepper that had been hiding in the back of the fridge (oops!)
Cheddar cheese for topping
Mrs. Dash Southwestern Chipotle Seasoning

I started with the potatoes, sauteing them in 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter until brown and crispy. Then I added in all the other veggies, black beans, and chopped up stuffed pepper and cooked until heated through. Then I dumped half the mix in a bowl, cheesed and spiced it up and called it dinner!

I couldn’t decide if I wanted the left over hashbrown veggie bowl, an omelet, or a salad, so in true indecisive Heather fashion, I just went with all three! Please let me introduce you to my Breakfast Salad! Breakfast for dinner is fine by me any day!

What’s in a Breakfast Salad?

2 handfuls of fresh spinach
1 serving of hashbrown veggie bowl
1 pour, poke, and spread egg
a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and more Mrs. Dash Chipotle

Ohhhhhh, this definitely hit the spot! I forgot how much I love salads with warm toppings. The spinach kept some of the fresh crunch, but also wilted in some parts and mixed with the melting cheddar cheese! It was a party of textures and flavors in my mouth! See what indecision can do for you? Haha!

What’s the best salad you’ve ever eaten? Do you ever top yours with unusual ingredients?

Posted in Breakfast, Entree, Vegetarian | Tagged almond butter, cheese, coffee, eggs, oats, overnight oats, peanut butter, spinach, veggies | 24 Comments

National Peanut Butter Day?

Posted on January 24, 2011 by kissmybroccoli

So I just found out from Julie of Peanut Butter Fingers that today is National Peanut Butter day! Heck yeah! What’s funny is that I didn’t even have a clue when I had my breakfast this morning!

My very first OOIAJ (Overnight Oats In A Jar)!

I actually think I prefer the overnight version to the cooked version! So yummy and INCREDIBLY filling! Kept me satisfied for 5 hours! Wanna know what’s in the ~~bowl~~ jar? Of course you do!

Peanut Buttery OOIAJ: (serves 1)

About 2 tablespoons of peanut butter leftover in the jar
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in your waning PB jar and allow to set in the fridge overnight.

When I pulled the jar out of the fridge this morning, it was SUPER thick thanks to the chia seeds! I added a little extra almond milk and topped the oats with 1 medium-sized apple cooked on the stove with a little cinnamon and some 18 Rabbits Granola courtesy of Christin!

Mmmm!

I dined on some leftover Southwestern Chicken & Black Bean Soup for lunch this afternoon with 3 mini corn muffins (recipe from Bob’s Red Mill website). I think it tasted even better heated up than it did the first day! I love it when that happens!

I love making muffins in my mini-muffin tin! Aren’t they cute? 🙂

When I got home from work, I threw together a little workout snack! Heavy on the “threw together,” light on the workout…as in NOT one! Oh well, there’s always tomorrow!

I’ve been known to use a raw portobello mushroom cap as a vessel for delivery of just about anything. Today I wanted TJ’s tomato basil hummus, shredded zucchini and sliced tomatoes. May look weird, but, trust me, it WAS (keyword) delicious!