A sweets cycle

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Breakfast #1 – awkwardly photographed home-made trail mix of raw almonds, raisins, carob chips, cheerios, and Three Sisters cinnamon sweets.

Eaten while Kyle drove me to work at 6:20.

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Breakfast #2 – quinoa, shredded coconut, chopped apple, goji berries and dried cranberries.

Eaten between grand rounds at 10ish.

I have discovered a new way to eat quinoa that makes for an amazing breakfast…allow me to share with you.

First, I add soy milk to it.  I fill it to the top like I’m adding milk to a cold cereal.  Then, I microwave it for a minute.  And stir, and voila!  A delicious warm hearty breakfast.

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Lunch.

Eaten with Kyle in the hospital cafeteria.

I started with a bread and hummus appetizer.

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The bread was Alvarado Street sprouted whole wheat.  The hummus was home-made using two ingredients.

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One. Two.

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Not too complicated.  Just keep adding one or the other until the consistency and flavor is just right.  For the record, I could drink Garlic Gold’s EVOO straight up.  It’s ridiculously good.  I don’t know how good my palate is at detecting subtle flavors in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but Garlic Gold makes EXCELLENT stuff.  And that’s something my taste buds are very tuned into.

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The second part of my lunch was a salad featuring spinach, butternut squash, and raisins.

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You see, our squash supply just keeps multiplying.  So I’m quite literally roasting squash around the clock.

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My afternoon snack was this little ditty I picked up in Palm Springs.

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Who has heard of Corozonas oatmeal squares?  Anyone?  Well this flavor was like an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.  Exactly the pick-me-up I was looking for at 4 pm.

The rest of my lunch included pistachios, which I shared with Kyle (since he was so kind to join me at work for my lunch break), an apple, and the ever present candied ginger.

After work, Kyle picked me up and I brainstormed dinner the whole way home.

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My plate started with the basics: sweet potato and kale.

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Then I thinned out my hummus (same as the lunch batch) with more Garlic Gold EVOO and poured it on top of the plate.

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With raisins, too.

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As for the kale…I added bell peppers, Bragg’s liquid aminos, and more chickpea/EVOO dressing.

I could hardly wait to dig in, it was exactly what I was craving.

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As soon as my plate was clean, my body immediately knew it was time for dessert.  Geez.  Lately my body is so sugar dependent after meals.  I’m having a hard time telling if it’s merely the routine or if I actually crave sweets.  Hmmm…

Either way, I satisfied my taste buds.

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And then some.

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Vegan ‘smores featuring Suzanne’s ricemellow creme, 365 graham crackers, and Sunspire carob chips.

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Knocked my socks straight off.  Not only was it ridiculously good, but it’s similarity to the “real thing” (aka the non-vegan version) was so strong, memories of Girl Scout campfires came flooding back.  I’m convinced that taste buds contribute to memory recall.  Suzanne’s ricemellow is perfectly sweet with a real marshmallow fluff texture.  And as you guys probably well know by now, I prefer the taste of carob chips to chocolate anyway.  So clearly dessert was a vegan success story – you really can remake the classics without animal products.

This sweets cycle I’m in might not be healthy, but I’m not sure I’m ready to take action…yet.  If it starts getting out of hand, I may need an intervention though.  I started my day with carob chips AND ended it with the same chocolate-y goodness.  Is this normal?

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Comments (0)

  1. Pure2raw twins

    I crave something sweet too after meals. I just love sweets too much 🙂

  2. movesnmunchies

    i cannot fault any of your eats today!i love all your creative combos– hummus and raisins- who knew?!

  3. Marina

    I am so jealous at your squash stash!!
    Love the simple hummus, gonna make some tomorrow for New year’s eve food!

  4. fionalikeslife

    Hummus and Raisins? very creative, id say that goes fab with sweet potatoe and i love runny hummus! x

  5. Christine (The Raw Project)

    Interesting quinoa idea, I need to try that. And the smores look wonderful. I’m fighting my own sweet cycle after the holidays.

  6. megan @ the oatmeal diaries

    Those oatmeal squares look awesome!! I’ve never seen them before. And now I am craving s’mores… 🙂

  7. Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga)

    Who has heard of Corozonas oatmeal squares? Anyone?—
    No but they look great!

    The “Vegan ‘smores featuring Suzanne’s ricemellow creme, 365 graham crackers, and Sunspire carob chips. “—THAT is heaven to me. RIght there baby! 🙂

  8. tasha - the clean eating mama

    Man, I am going to have to come to your blog more often! LOVE all the ideas!

  9. BroccoliHut

    Raisins are pretty heavenly with sweet potato, no? I usually use cottage cheese in the mix, but I might have to try hummus next time…

  10. Erin

    Um, it’s totally normal. That product is genius.
    Do we love crystallized ginger, or do we love.

  11. actorsdiet

    the quinoa + milk = heated up breakfast is one i used to love but haven’t had in years?! thanks for the reminder!

  12. kissmybroccoli

    Your plate looks so colorful and delicious! I would’ve never thought to throw raisins in the mix!

    I’m coming off a huge sugar craving wave that I’ve been on for the last few weeks. I don’t normally crave dessert after meals, but I was to the point where I was trying to incorporate cookies into breakfast…wait, I actually DID that! I knew I was out of control! But your s’mores look fantastical! How could you not crave them??

  13. Katie

    That dinner looks fabulous…I want that kale salad in my life. Also, I’ve eaten two sweet things a day for as long as I can remember…it works for me. Not ridiculous, just yummy. 🙂

  14. Jessica @ Dairy Free Betty

    Hey!
    I’m super excited to find your blog! I’m a dairy free gal too and have IBS (yuck), I’m just trying to figure out how to eat with IBS, as I have had a pretty rough go of it for the past few years… Slowly but surely I am figuring it out, but am grateful for blogs like yours to come visit and gain inspiration!

    Happy New Years!

  15. janetha @ meals & moves

    um, nothing wrong with chocolate chips at all times. or carob, whatever. i laughed so hard about roasting squash around the clock. only because i pictured you standing by your oven all day and night with oven mitts on. i dont know why.

    happy new year!

  16. Sarah

    I’m eating and craving sweet stuff like there’s no tomorrow! Luckily, one of my resolutions is to get handle on the sugar addiction…

    Happy New Year! Hope you had a great one xxx

  17. Mary Beth

    Those Corozona’s bars are supposedly at Costco, but I have yet to find them. The hunt continues!
    Saw this too and thought of you:
    http://www.squeezezfood.com/about.php

  18. julie

    i think you should continue to embrace this cycle and also send me some of you s’mores. i wish i had some g crackers right now so i could embrace this sweet cycle of yours..

    happy new year girl!

  19. Pingback: If you build it… « hungry hungry hippie

  20. elise

    GAH!! amazing 🙂 i need to find these now. thanks so much!!

  21. elise

    hi jessica! im so glad you found me too!! hope my IBS friendly eats help you navigate your way to a happy and healthy lifestyle 🙂

  22. elise

    looooooove

  23. elise

    thanks tasha – you’re so sweet 🙂

  24. Alexis

    Hi!

    Did you put the uncooked quinoa in the bowl with the milk? Or was it already cooked when you micorwaved it??

  25. elise

    it was already cooked.