Progress pics & the week in food

May already!  The time flying by is even more noticeable now that I have a kiddo who gets bigger by the day second.  Most of his weight is going to his cheeks, which I love love love.

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Oh, hey, I can grab rings, no biggie.

This week was a busy one for us as we were out of town all last weekend.  Lots of things to still get straightened away in setting up our house.  Ugh!  Moving takes forever.  Also, Kyle left mid-week for a bachelor party (yes, the festivities began on Wednesday).  So we definitely packed a lot into Monday and Tuesday.

The good news is that I finally finally have a pantry!  [For all it’s brand spankin’ new gloriousness, our kitchen doesn’t have very much space in the way of food storage so we had to figure out a shelving situation because this hippie has a lot of grub to store.]

I’m thinking there will be actual recipes to share in the near future.  I hope.

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75% of my breakfasts look like this.

The other 25% are oatmeal mixes.  Or things like this…

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I am so stoked with how this turned out.  My intent was to imitate the vigilant eats cereal cups because I really liked them…so much so that I brought one to the hospital with me when I went into labor.  Priorities.

The vigilant eats cereal ingredient list includes GF oats and oat flour, goji berries, cacao nibs, hemp flour, coconut sugar, yacon powder, maple powder and cinnamon.

I used GF oats and oat flour, goji berries, cacao nibs, hemp protein powder, coconut sugar, chia seeds, and cinnamon.  I added hot water and stirred it up and then left it in the fridge to set over night.

I kinda winged it with proportions, but I’ll be sure to measure next time.  The chia seeds made it thick and pudding like – just like my chai chia oat pudding actually.

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I’m not usually a big goji berry person but I think the trick is letting them soak and plump up.  That way, they’re more sweet and chewy (like raisins) and not as hard and tart.  The cacao nibs add a nice crunch.  Super foods for the win!

Salad lunches are still going strong.

In case you are looking for some salad building ideas…

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Spinach, carrots, brown rice, asparagus, baked tofu, almonds, sesame seeds & Bragg’s aminos.

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Spinach, avocado, carrots, vegan cheddar cheese, brown rice, & Bragg’s aminos.

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Spring lettuce mix, carrots, strawberries, avocado, soft boiled eggs, & TJ’s balsamic glaze.

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The same as the above plus corn.

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Spring greens, carrots, salmon, almonds, & TJ’s balsamic glaze.

Plant strong 🙂

Since I’m usually running around doing various errands in the afternoon, I have barely any pics of my snacks.

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If my sweet tooth is calling, I go with a bar or dark chocolate (or both).  If I’m in the mood for savory, I choose nuts, Mary’s Gone crackers with hummus or vegan cheese, or chips.

The chocolate nuggets above are these INSANE gems I found in the bulk bins at the Co-op.  They are dark chocolate covered coconut and basically make me want to ditch real food for dessert for the rest of my life.  I’m not even joking.  They’re bananas good.

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Almost on par is this guy.  Oh my gosh.

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Full disclosure, 22 Days Nutrition sent me some of their bars to try out, and I’m SO glad they did because I’d never heard of them before and now I’m completely hooked.

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PB chocolate nirvana is it’s name, and the bar is exactly that.

The company has an awesome manifesto – read it!  They have organic, vegan, and gluten free bars and protein powder.  And most of them are FODMAPs friendly because they use hemp and rice protein, and coconut sugar and syrup.  I’m seriously seriously obsessed.  I haven’t found a flavor that doesn’t make me drool.  Ok, ok, I’ll stop, but if you can find them in your local WF or Vitamin Shoppe, buy them!

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Savory snacks just aren’t as exciting.

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I will say, the Way Better snacks sprouted tortilla chips (geez, long name much?) were a lot yummier than I thought they’d be.  Salty and crispy and crunchy with lots of visible seedy goodness.  They’re also gluten free and FODMAPs friendly, as are the Lundberg brown rice cakes and Mary’s Gone crackers.

Dinners are all over the place.  Hippie bowls.  Pasta.  Big salads.  Repeat.  We made pizzas one night.

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I am SO excited that I now have an oven that’s big enough to fit my normal baking sheets.

At our previous place, the oven was from the 60’s (seriously) and it was so small I couldn’t use a lot of my baking/cooking ware.  So frustrating!  Part of the reason I was making granola around the clock was because I had to make such small batches!  Hooray for a big modern oven!

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I raved about these Vicolo crusts before, and I’m glad to be able to find them here in Davis.  It makes sense since they are a San Francisco based company.  We used Newman’s Own marinara, which is great for pizzas because it’s really thick.  The company is one worth supporting anyway.  For FODMAPs people, garlic is one of the last ingredients in the tomato sauce and it’s dried not fresh, so it should be tolerated in moderation.

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Kyle wanted cheddar (?) and parmesan on his, along with mushrooms and bell peppers.

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I went with the boring but classic (vegan) cheese pizza.

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Just Daiya mozzarella.

I really tried to practice moderation and only eat a portion of it, but I finished the entire pizza.  And I wasn’t full either.  I have one heck of an appetite I tell ya.

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I had lots of baby carrots on the side to fill my meal’s veggie quote.

Kyle finished his entire pie too, but he’s a growing boy, so what do you expect?

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And before I peace out, here are some progress shots of the casa.

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From top to bottom: the master bedroom, the nursery, the barely fitting washer & dryer (with cloth diapers [!!!] drying on top), and the kitchen’s appliance row.

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Comments (35)

  1. Abby

    Ooh! Those 22 Nutrition bars look good, but of course, I haven’t seen them around here at all. While I’m not big on protein bars, once in awhile I need a sweet treat.

    Also, good to know about the Newman’s Marinara for pizza sauce. They’re a great company and I’ve had a hard time choosing a pizza-like sauce as of late. Bonus!

  2. Katie @ Peace Love & Oats

    Ah he is too cute! And this gave me some great salad ideas for all the lunch packing I’m going to have to do this summer!

  3. Dee

    The chocolate & pineapple flavor of those bars is insanely delicious. What a strange combo that I would never think of, but…yummy.

  4. Lori

    Photo blissing out – P, pizza and the new pad – a plethora of P’s!

    Thought of you at dinner – massaman curry sauce over seasonal veg (mushies, broc, greens, tomatoes, etc) and a tiny bit of rice – so so good! Thai food = love.

    Howdy to rockin’ clever P, grabbin’ those rings – clever clogs 🙂

    Cheers
    Lori

  5. Angie

    My aunt brought me an almonds, dark chocolate chips, and raisin mix when I first had my baby. Perfect sweet and salty snack. Love the salad ideas!

  6. Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries

    Oh I just love P’s cheeks! Too cute. Looks like you guys are making some good progress in the moving in process. I need to text you about how the cloth diapering is going! We’re using disposables at the moment, but I plan to start the cloth diapering thing in a month or so.

  7. The Valley Vegan

    Congrats on the new place! And WOW is P getting big. Time flies… but I remember those rings well. 🙂

  8. Aimee

    Wow your kiddo is soooo adorable! I love the blue elephant in his room, very cute!

  9. Elise (Post author)

    I’m not quite the expert yet (just started last week) but it’s going well so far. Still learning about all the cloth diapers…

  10. Becky

    I will be looking for the 22 Days bars for sure. I’m excited to see ones without almonds, a food I will miss dearly.

  11. Beth

    Elise, are the veggies in your salad raw? Just curious if you can handle raw veggies. Your meals are such a helpful idea for me. Does the pea protein (a fodmap) in the daiya cheese bother you? Good deal that you can tolerate it! 🙂

  12. Nicole @ FruitnFitness

    All your salads look so tasty! I tried a sauce you had wrote about with nutritional yeast and other flavors and have been loving it since. I eat it with spinach and eggs and on spaghetti squash, so good!

  13. Beth

    Nicole, what sauce is that? Can you post the recipe please?

  14. Nicole @ FruitnFitness
  15. Beth

    thanks Nicole! Looks easy enough. I’ll have to get a Roma tomato today!

  16. Elise (Post author)

    i tolerate certain veggies raw, but not all. the fodmaps safe ones are all fine for me raw. broccoli and cauliflower make me gassy and uncomfortable so i dont eat them raw. kale is easier on me when its cooked and i can eat more of it that way, but the symptoms arent too bad when i eat it raw. i just make sure to massage it well w dressing to help it break down first.
    daiya is okay in moderation. i dont seem to be too bothered by pea protein but i dont eat very much to know. its always a negligible ingredient in something that im not eating very much of. i also eat peas and corn without any issues.

  17. Beth

    that’s great! Lucky you. Thank you. Are the carrots in your salad raw? My gi pain is so bad, but I would really just like to add some raw carrots to my salad without having to cook them! I miss peas, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, hummus, beans…. OY

  18. Beth

    what’s your favorite type of kale to use? Can you tolerate the carrots raw? Sorry so many questions.

  19. Courtney

    Did you make the tofu on your salad? It looks so well seasoned and delicious! I have been craving tofu lately…was it one you made or was it store bought?

    Thanks, Elise!

    Courtney

  20. Elise (Post author)

    I have no problem w carrots – raw or cooked. They’re fodmaps free. Give em a try. If fodmaps are your issue you should be fine w them.

  21. Hailey

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323798104578453174022015956.html

    I saw this today and the title alone immediately made me think of your blog. Plus yummm your salads look absolutely delectable.

  22. Elise (Post author)

    Oh and I go through phases w kale. Lately I’m all about lacinato.

  23. Elise (Post author)

    The difference is that it was pressed first for 2 days (I kept putting off baking w the hot weather here). I’m usually in a rush to make tofu so I never press it that long but it reallllly helps it get super dense. That’s just tamari and sesame oil as a marinade.

  24. Elise (Post author)

    I read that article (and tweeted it) yesterday!! 🙂

  25. Sara @ sarasmiles

    A nutrition friend of mine says the 22 bars are the only ones she recommends to clients because of their nutritional profile. All about the coconut sugar! Glad to hear you like them

  26. Ttrockwood

    Seriously your kiddo gets more adorable daily ! I always love seeing your salad concoctions, i can always use inspiration. I always need a crispy crunchy salad topper and i actually sprinkled on some granola yesterday! It was awesome.
    And i love that TJ’s basalmic glaze sooooo much i put it on everything. Seriously everything. I used to make my own but got lazy…..

  27. Emily

    Those cheeks! Oh my goodness. Precious.
    It looks like you guys are settling in perfectly up there- I knew you would! The nursery looks adorable already!
    And your salad bowls ALWAYS inspire me. I get stuck in such ruts. I’m definitely going to have to pick up a bottle of the balsamic glaze from TJ’s. Looks delicious!

  28. sarah

    I’ve always wanted to order some of those 22 days bars, but I’ve always been afraid to try because of the inulin. So you’ve experienced no ill GI effects?

  29. Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl

    Those pizzas look amazing! Gotta love Daiya :).

  30. Lacey

    I *LOVE* those vicolo crusts. I’m so glad my local health food store in Nashville carries it 🙂

  31. Elise (Post author)

    tell me about it! i was looking back on pics from early april and hes so small!!!!!!!

  32. Elise (Post author)

    ok so heres the weird thing i have noticed about me and inulin. i know it sounds strange but i tolerate it in solids (foods) but not really in liquids (nondairy ice cream, milks, yogurt, etc). i think it must have to do with the amounts consumed…which is hard to track…
    its not always so cut and dry but to answer your Q, no i have no issues w the inulin in these bars.

  33. Nikala

    The dark chocolate covered coconut nuggets are simply heaven. I wish I would have told you about them 8 months ago when I discovered them. Pretty much a weekly staple since then… still going strong and not tired of them one bit. In fact, our WF stopped offering them, and I immediately wrote a Customer Comment politely/demanding their return to the shelves! (signed Hungry in Hillcrest, of course). The following week, they were back. So relieved, so happy =) Viva la coconut nugget!

  34. Elise (Post author)

    thats SO something i would do! well done 🙂

  35. Pingback: Gluten free vegan pizza showdown

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