Preppy prep-star

This weekend went by way too quickly.  I played catch up the whole time, and it’s already over! :(  All I do is make massive bulk meals for the week.  Prep prep prep.  In any event, the recap need not be dragged out.  Here are the bare essentials…including how I plan ahead for a week’s worth of work eats. 

Brunch

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Coffee sprinkled with cocoa

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Sando with hummus and vegan “cheese” on Ezekiel heel pieces.

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Snack

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Assorted platter of veggies, fruit, and “cheese”

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Workout

30 minutes of running on the beach

15 minutes of leisurely bike riding

Relaxation

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Vitamin D time on la playa

Drank

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Dinner

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Take-away salad by North End Caffe

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North End Caffe is located in Manhattan Beach and was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives (any Food Network fans?).  Lucky for me, my friend happens to be the general manager of the place, which is why I got a custom made vegan salad with the works for dinner. 

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Bias aside, this salad was a beautiful beast.  It had so many delicious things going on, from the candied pecans, pistachios, dried cherries, cranberries, and fresher-than-fresh greens to the fresh orange wedges on top and the tangy, citrusy vinaigrette.  YUM!  It was so nice of my friend to surprise us with take-out meals, but even more thoughtful that he brought us all individualized items.  Kyle got a warm BLT with avocado.  I’m not even sure if my salad is on the actual menu, but it was fantastic.  I ate every last bite, and even scraped the dressing container clean with the grilled sourdough slice.  The greens were truly straight from the farmer’s market and I could definitely taste the difference.  All in all, it was salad that I could eat day in and day out without boring my taste buds. 

Dessert #1

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Dates, cashews, and carob chips

Dessert #2

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Sugar coated ginger

And then the cycle repeats…

Breakfast

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A bowl of fruity sweetness covered in cinnamon.

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Heart Thrive apple suncake

It was like oatmeal in cookie form (aka hearty and delicious). 

Lunch

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Open faced sando x2

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Oh how I’ve missed you, Alvarado Street bread

For those who are newer readers (or anyone else who doesn’t have Rain Man memory), I used to be obsessed with Alvarado Street bread.  As a huge fan of sprouted breads, I found Alvarado Street managed to merge flavor and texture with healthy and wholesome ingredients like no other product is able to.  Ezekiel can make a mighty fine english muffin, but when it comes to breads, they are more on the cardboard end of the spectrum.  Alvarado Street, on the other hand, makes sprouted breads that still offer a fluffy delicious quality critical in sandwich making.  So for the longest time, I rarely used anything else to make my sandwiches (for proof check out my archives from wayyyyy back in my earliest blogging days).  And then, suddenly it vanished from my local health food store in NYC and I ended up making the switch back to Ezekiel.  I wasn’t happy about it, so imagine my delight when I moved back to CA and saw an Alvarado Street delivery truck pass me on the freeway (!!!!).  So exciting.  I immediately went online and found out that they are a Northern CA based company, and so the hunt began…

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If you’ve given up on sprouted bread because you thought they were stiff and tasteless, it is worth reconsidering. 

If you want to feed your body delicious food that is also completely wholesome and will make you feel energetic for hours, you should give these breads a try. 

Basically, if you’ve never tried Alvarado Street breads, you are missing out.*  Can you tell how big of a fan I am, yet??

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For one half of my lunch sammie, I piled on my favorite WF prepared salad, the Gardein curry chik’n salad with currants, almonds, and curried veganaise.

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To be completely honest picky, I would prefer less veganaise, but the extra fat is so dang delicious. 

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The other half of the sammie had Cedar’s original hummus

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Snack

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Fitness

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25 minute run on the beach with an interval on the Santa Monica stairs

Dinner

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Course 1 was a bowl of last week’s never-ending three bean salad.

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Course 2 was also a smorgasbord of last week’s leftovers, including the remainder of the roasted veggies and some falafel

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The falafel (for those who have been asking) is from Costco and is made by a brand called Republic.  I’ve been thawing them a few at a time and they reheat perfectly – still crispy on the outside and not dried out. 

Dessert

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And now, the food prepping portion of the weekend.  Are you ready for this?

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Bulk veggie roasting.

From this…

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To this…

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Tupperwared up for later.

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Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about the seeds.

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Gotta get my iron and zinc 🙂

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Bulk quinoa cooking.

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Rice cookers make this a mindless background activity…it’s so cute how the curly Qs end up on the lid of the cooker. 

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Bulk butternut squash baking.

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Plus some bean soaking, salad veggie chopping, and grocery shopping

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Oh and macaroon making.  But this recipe deserves a full post…so you’ll just have to wait :P 

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And that’s how I get ready for the work week! Any questions?

*Disclaimer: I was given a coupon for a free loaf of bread, but in no way does this affect my feelings for Alvarado Street’s products.  I have been a loyal costumer in the past and continue to buy their products with my own money.

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Comments (0)

  1. Amanda

    Yes, yes macaroons! I’m so excited!

  2. HoneyBNutrition

    That looks like a fantastic weekend! Thanks for this post, the Sunday bulk cooking was inspiring – I need to be doing more of that.

    I like the disclaimer at the bottom – too funny. I have trouble digesting grains. Do you eat sprouted grain bread for a specific reason i.e. it’s easier to digest? Or purely because you feel it’s healthier? Just wondering if it’s worth a try…

  3. HoneyBNutrition

    Oh my – I just realised your blog template is JUST like mine! Great minds, I guess… !! Subscribing RIGHT NOW! 😉

  4. Caroline

    Good idea to make things in bulk, we always did this when I was in highschool! I need to start doing this again so I can stock up in my dorm.
    And I’ve never tried that bread! I love love love ezekiel so if this bread is really all that I better try it!

  5. Katie

    You live in such a gorgeous place… le sigh.

  6. Megan @ The Oatmeal Diaries

    SO much delicious food in this post! I cannot wait for the macaroon recipe! Loove hummus & cheese sandwiches… and your dessert plate with nuts/dates/choco looks so yummy 🙂

  7. Holly

    ugh. i hate you so much for that picture of the sunny, gorgeous and warm beach while i walked to work this morning in 30 degree weather. if i had to have had to shave the layer of frost of my car, this comment would be much more angrier than it already is.

    LOVE the honeymoon recap.

    LOVE Interim Cafe (we are going there when i come visit. end of story).

    LOVE your bulk veggie roasting and quinoa making.

    LOVE YOU.

    seriously, was it just last week we were in San Fran? way. too. fast.

  8. Katty

    Mh, your salad from North End Caffe looks extremely delicious and makes me longing for pecans…can’t even remember when I had them the last time!

    And about your veggie bulk roasting – how long do they keep in the fridge, without going bad? I’m always afraid that prepared foods go bad after 2 days…

  9. Carbzilla

    My trainer used to try to kill me on the Santa Monica stairs!

    PS. I heart bread heels!

    Can’t wait for the macaroon recipe.

  10. coffeeandthepaper

    I totally know what you mean about sprouted bread. I actually love Ezekiel bread, but only one specific type (all I know is that its the orange one). Every other loaf is just dry, crumbly, yucko! I haven’t tried Alvarado St. though. I don’t know if they sell it ’round these parts.

  11. cbrady3

    I really need to get on the bulk cooking bandwagon. I always want roasted veggies but never want to take the time during the week!

  12. Lauren @ BIOCHEMISTA

    I am SO JEALOUS you are able to run on a beach!! Where do you live again?

    How do you get your coffee so frothy? It looks heavenly. 🙂

  13. janetha @ meals & moves

    I love that we have so many of the same C+B items. That salad looks good! Once I was going through a drive thru for a burrito and Guy Fieri came to the window. Had no idea they were filming. I just wanted my burrito, damnit!

    I need to do some food prep. I had to eat out today twice and that’s not cool. Too expensive.

    XO

  14. edenseats

    Do you have a bike? I often bike ride from Marina Del Rey to Manhattan beach and stop in Manhattan beach for lunch! Its a good motivation to pedal! You should do it with me sometime. Oddly enough, I have like three bikes which I rarely use!
    I love that you mentioned “relaxation” in the workout bit. I for sure need some relaxation incorporated in my fitness routine!

  15. Courtney

    The apple heart thrives are my favorite flavor!

    Courtney

  16. Mary (A Merry Life)

    Love that salad!

    You are lucky to be able to run on the beach. I live on an island but I’m still far enough from the beach that I can’t go that often. It’s a bit sad, haha.

    I really enjoyed seeing how you prepare for the week. I love the idea of cooking in bulk, especially roasting veggies. That’s a great idea that I’m going to borrow for sure. 😉

  17. kbwood

    you live in MANHATTAN BEACH?? girlllllll i was just visiting my cousin over the summer (she is on 90210 and they film there!!!) and i LOVED it and santa montica! BEAUTIFUL! malibu was aweesome too 🙂

  18. elise

    Mine too. I figured they would be so I saved em for last 😉

  19. BroccoliHut

    Are you a heel-lover too when it comes to bread? That’s always my favorite part:)
    I could totally get into this bulk-roasting thing. I eat roasted veggies several times a week, so it would same mucho time!

  20. ytotheummy

    whooooaaa all this looks so GOOOD.

    and i roast and cook in bulk too! it drives my mom crazy to see all the food in the fridge. she doesn’t believe me when i say it’ll aaaalll be gone by the end of the week! 😀

  21. MarathonVal

    Just a random comment… how do you have the stamina/patience to write such a long post?!??!

    I’m very impressed, that’s all. I get so lazy with inserting pictures, typing, etc.

    Haha, sorry so random. Have a great night! 🙂

  22. elise

    Yes! Heels are the best 🙂

  23. elise

    haha…sometimes I have it in me, sometimes not at all.

  24. zoe

    mmmmmm alvarado st. bread is so delicious! in fact, i have some right now :)!

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  26. Courtney

    Good call 🙂 I should have known you would love the apple ones best too…we are practically the same person, after all, lol

    Courtney

  27. Pure2raw twins

    Man, I miss the beach. Walking, running, sleeping out in the sun with sand between my toes…ahhh…: )

    ~
    Michelle

  28. Aly

    I am sooo jealous of your food. Yummmmmmmmm. It looks sooo yummlicious. (It might not help that I’m starving right now at a college that has little to no vegan options… hahaha.) 😀
    I love running on the beach though! That’s always soo much fun!
    Aly

  29. lynn @ the actor's diet

    i just ate a heart thrive too!

    my mission is to go to more places featured on DDD – there are a number of them in LA!

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  31. Danica

    You eat sooo good for a vegan 😉 LOL…I was pretty much reading along nodding going that looks so good and that does too 🙂

    I used to eat that bread all the time and it is pretty tasty.

    Ok, I need to go catchup more and find that macaroon recipe – YUM!

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