At the risk of sounding insensitive, is anyone else really sick of all this Michael Jackson coverage? I loved the king of pop just as much as the next person, but excessive coverage has come and gone…at this point, it is borderline hideous. What ever happened to just having a moment of silence to show your respect?
Rather than undergo 20 minutes of channel flipping to avoid the aforementioned topic, my tivo (aka Kathy Griffin) came to the rescue.
As did Starbucks’ gazebo blend 🙂
Can I help it if I crave sweets for breakfast? I wonder where peanut brittle fits in the food combining spectrum? Me thinks this is one of those special exception items (hey, I’m willing to overlook if you are)…it’s rare that I crave things with obvious traces of nuts (aside from straight up PB, so when the mood strikes, I go with it).
After AM fueling, I got to work corrected a friend’s 5 page history paper, which took me well into the afternoon. My tums was crying “feed me, feed me” and that’s when I realized it was nearly 2 pm. Oops!
Don’t worry, I made it up to myself…
Guava may have replaced trilogy in my #1 spot. It was ridic good.
For lunch I had good ol fashioned pizza scratch that, this is a vegan hippie blog remember?
Alvarado street bread toasted with melty Vegan Rella mozzarella “cheese” and tomato slices. YUM! It was simple and precisely what I was craving.
Naturally, lunch comes with dessert (at least in my book) – and what all American dessert goes best with pizza? Why ice cream of course?
Last week I froze a far too ripe banana (rejected due to its vampire like hickey) in anticipation of this very treat.
Pre (left) and post (right) some mashing and melting…de-lish! And far better than any ice cream!
A bit later I ran some errands and then headed to the gym. It was one of those days that I was bouncing off the walls with excitement to exercise. Since I don’t work out on days I work, I haven’t been to the gym in a while, so I was pumped. My energy seems to get bottled up when I don’t do anything cardiovascular-wise to release it…hence the enthusiasm.
I put in a solid 60 minutes, even though MJ stuff still dominated every screen in the gym…good thing I’ve got Jillian Michaels :) She’s my gym crack motivator.
Once back from my sweat sesh, I got myself clean and puuurty and did some blog reading. Oh, and some dried fruit nibbling.
Big a$$ holes.
How proud would my alma mater be of the color coordination going on in this snack. Both my blue blueberries and gold apple were from the Jerz. Local and organic? Can’t beat that! Anyone wanna do an 8 clap?
Eventually, it was time for dinner. Anyone want to guess what I was craving? Hummus, for one. And a ginorm salad, for two. Let’s put those babies togethah!
Oh. Did I mention half an avocado too?
This turned into a Mediterranean/Mexican salad, if such a thing were to exist.
There were chickpeas and hummus – reppin’ for the Mediterranean cuisine. But there was also black beans, salsa, red bell peppers, raw corn, tomato, and avocado – pullin’ out the big guns from our southern vecinos (that’s spanish for neighbz).
Ya dig?
It was beyond words. The only thing missing was more cowbell.
My momz chipped in with late night sleep suggestions and told me my fruity desserts were probably too much sugar so close to bedtime, so I had some nuts (with even more sugar). Sorry, but there are certain sacrifices I don’t wanna make, and giving into my cravings is one of them.
I did wait a couple of hours before attempting to sleep, though, and wouldn’t ya know it, I successfully zonked out! So I think we can call that progress.
Hey Elise,
I found your blog through the blog world of course and I enjoy reading it! You crack me up. I need to try that Kombucha STAT, I’m jealous of your fridge full of it!
Finally the avocado! I had pretty much the same salad for dinner last night, minus tomato and add sprouts and shrooms. Delish.
Question on the banana concoction (that’s what she said)…did you mash it up yourself once they thawed or did you use a food processor? I see everyone making that stuff with their food processor, but just like TJs and WFs, I have none in my vicinity.
And props on the MJ coverage overload. Is his kid’s name really Blanket? Good lord…
Do you have a food processor or blender? If you put the frozen banana in there and blend it up, it tastes *exactly* like delicious ice cream (okay, maybe not “exactly,” but it has been years and years since I have had real ice cream, so it does the trick for me…). You can even add any other fruit (fresh or frozen) you have on hand and the creamy frozen banana base will make it SO flippen good!
I couldn’t agree more about the MJ coverage…hopefully it will finally die down now that the service is over? One can only hope.
Those dried pineapple are bringing back memories…I swear I used to be addicted to them. Seriously addicted. They look soooooooooo good!
Courtney
I agree about Michael Jackson. Not that I was a particular fan of hers either, but it does seem a bit disturbing that Farrah Fawcett died on the same day and nobody seems to care very much! Anyway.
I have a tendency to freeze fruit and then forget about them… so even though I’ve been MEANING to make that banana ice cream concoction, I’ve never actually gotten around to it. Oops.
<3 <3
So the banana works without a blender? Or do I need killer biceps to mash it? Looks good, whatever you did. As does your salad, natch. I think you should start selling salads on the side of your nursing job- at least for the month of October as a trial, though marketing results might be biased since I’d be all over them 😛
who knew nuts are better than zanax for sleep?!
I love melted bananas! 🙂
The news coverage was OUT OF CONTROL! Ferreals. I love me some Kathy but I passed out Monday night before the new episode came on!! Trash TV FAIL!
I love those big a$$ holes!! Speaking of Jerz (in reference to the blueberries, not big assholes) there’s even MORE RHNJ footage – they are milkin’ it over at Bravo!
I’m with you on the MJ stuff from yesterday–yes, I totally felt insensitive, but then again, there’s only so much news coverage of the SAME thing I can take. Every channel? Really?!
Mmm I’m lovin’ seeing the frozen banana concoction everywhere lately!
Girl, I hear you on the MJ shiznit. I was just thinking the same thing while flipping thru the morning shows. ENOUGH ALREADY!! Man, I love big messy salads like that. It doesn’t really even fell like a salad. I found some avo-hummus the other day at the store and it was amazing!! I am contemplating making my own. Your avo and hummus craving made me think of it. Have a great day!!
~Justine
You make veganism look sooo good! The pizza and the peanut brittle make me wish I was in a sci-fi movie so I could jump into the screen and eat them…
Glad you got some zzz’age!
I love your version of pizza! I really want to make that sandwich now! Your salad looks amazing too! Anything with hummus and avocado does it! Glad you got some sleep finally! Oh and yes, that Kombucha!!! The bestttt!
girl I am TOTES with you on the news coverage. I doubt there would be this much coverage if it happened to anyone else. It’s insanely RIDIC. whatevs!
mmmm you always inspire me to want more fruit. you’re like my jillian michaels for fruit and hummus.
I’m FEELIN the addition of salsa to the salad woop woop!
I’m with ya, Elise….I leave my mom’s to head to my friend’s house with the MJ tribute on tv, get to her house…her mom’s watching it, flip on regis & kelly this morning…they’re talking about the tribute….watch the beginning of the view and their discussing MJ. It’s everywhereeeee.
ANYWAYS, I can’t believe you went to UCLA, smarty pants! That was my dream school when i was a little young thang, and my dad actually went there for med school! 🙂
Nom Worthy: Big avo-filled salad, vegan pizzaaaaa, dried pineapple rings and those cute, little bars!
Mmmm banana.
I’m with you on teh MJ thing. Also i think it’s ridiculous how people were so mean to him and now that he’s dead everyone is idolizing him. Hypocrites!! I feel bad for him.
That is one of the best looking salads you have ever made!!! Although a FULL avocado would make it even better 😉 I wish my avocados were ripe and I can hardly wait until they are!!
Lots of MJ talk for people that are so sick of it! 😉
PS I loooove Kathy Griffin. Goddess.
If they are going to show a bitchload of MJ, I really just want little kid MJ. I was flipping through a People magazine and it showed his face through the years and I had to stop after ’92 because his nose was starting to cave in.
YO HOHO I had an ENORMOUS salad tonight too. WITH half an avocado and HUMMUS as well. Get ready for tomorrow’s post. It is gorgeous and phata$$.
P.S. Why hasn’t mama Cynth ever informed me about the 8-clap?!?!?! Go Bruins go!
I got good news for all you banana ice cream lovers.
NO BLENDER. NO FOOD PROCESSOR.
Loooove it?
I simply took out the frozen slices, waited a few minutes for them to start to soften up (you can micro it for a few seconds if you have no patience), and then mashed with my Serena Williams arms…sike! You don’t need the gun show, all you need is a fork. The more you mash, the more whipped and “ice creamy” it will become.
Enjoy!
you make a good point, m’dear!
I sooooo know what you mean, that waiting period for avos to ripen is the worst! The ONLY reason I didn’t have the entire avo is that I knew I’d want the second half today, and I’m leaving for Ca tomorrow and didn’t want to buy more!
Yeah Bruins!
PS I have all the shows that you mentioned tivo-ed bc I worked today, but based on your description of the highlights, I have a feeling I’m going to delete them all now!
I was at the store yesterday trying to pick out salsa, and I was soooo wishing I had your digits. I was like, what would salsa connoisseur Julie get? Too many choices! I liked the one I chose, but I wanted more of a pico de gallo type salsa. The chunkier the BETTAH!!
it seems like some foods were MADE to be paired together, and hummus and avo are a perfect example! although, i’ve yet to find something hummus DIDN’T go with…
eff yeaahhhhhhhh! i’m cool with bravo milkin’ it…i love me some crazy housewives. at least until they move on to the the next city…i have a feeling it’ll be somewhere in the mitt. get yourself a man, asap! haha
i do that ALL THE TIME. seriously, when we moved apartments, i found frozen grapes that took the phrase “from the ice ages” to a whole new level!
it’s like injecting pure sugar into my veins. they are SOO amazing. i get a buzz just talking about them!
Thanks Lesi! Kombucha is like a drug! It’s way too $$ of a habit, but I’m hooked…I can’t decide if I should encourage you to try it, because it’s a slippery slope…one minute your buying it as a little treat once a month, and next thing you know, you have a shopping cart full of them because they are on “sale” for 1.99 each.
Go you with the arm power mixing! That is serious business.
And oh, gorg salad.
Whoa, there is a guava flavor?! I totally need to get my hands on that. At this point, I totally trust your taste buds!
Look at you, bustin’ out the Spanish on us. And that salad–que deliciosa!
I DO dig that multicultural salad! haha Sorry momz- but the late night dessert is staying put 😀
Hon, do you live in NJ?!
LOVE love LOVE That salad. OMG.
And peanut brittle?! Be a doll and mail me some, mkay?
No, I live in NYC, but buying produce from Manhattan would probably be riddled with cancerous taxi exhaust fumes, and buying local from the Jerz is better than getting my sh!t shipped from California, right? Are you from NJ? The brittle was actually a gift so I only saved a TEENSY portion for myself, haha, and it lasted all of 2 days 🙂
I’m with you on the MJ stuff. I’m good with a tribute to a great artist, but it’s gotten ridiculous. It annoys me that the coverage is on every station and they basically just repeat the same things over and over again.
Your lunch looks amazing. Sometimes something so simple can be so yummy!