Miracle of miracles, my breakfast held me over until my lunch break at 1 pm. That NEVER happens! I have this cute bowl to thank. :)
Attune foods hooked it up at Expo West – not only did I get this on-the-go bowl (like a sippy cup for adults), but I also got to fill it with whatever cereals I wanted. As a huge cereal addict, this was one of the highlights of the Natural Foods show. I could hardly contain my excitement combining all the cereals to make one mega-master-mix. Uncle Sam – check! Erewhon – check!
In the no-spill bowl: Erewhon High Fiber Raisin Bran, Uncle Sam original, Chocolate Probiotic Granola Munch
Deeeeelish! I added fresh blueberries just as I headed out the door at 6:20 am, and then swiped some of the hospital’s cheapo brand of soy milk to complete the meal. The bowl is deceptively large. I just kept munching and crunching away, delighted at how long it took to eat the whole thing.
I should also mention I had a mini breakfast of fresh strawberries and cinnamon before leaving the casa along with two cups of coffee. That’s what happens when you’re up at 4 am to get your a$$ handed to you (thanks Jillian).
Switching gears…this is what I came up with for lunch. The layers are hardly visible, but it all started with blanched broccoli.
Choppin Blanchin’ broccoli! [Old school SNL reference anyone? I know my sister will appreciate it]
By the by, I’m an equal opportunity eater with regard to broccoli. Most people only use the heads, but I’m not really sure how that trend even started. Since when are the stems inedible? They are just as tasty! So if you’ve never thought twice about it, I encourage you to give both the heads and tails a shot. Wonder of wonder, it may just strike your fancy!
So back to the dish…spaghetti squash noodles, tomato, avocado, and broccoli.
Avocado can brings any smorgasbord of ingredients together.
Falafel and hummus and a brand new dessert treat from Mrs. May’s.
I don’t think these chocolate fruit rounds are on the market yet, but they are basically freeze dried fruit coated in chocolate. I LOVED the strawberry one, but couldn’t really figure out what the other one was (and wasn’t really into it). It was crunchy like a malt ball, but sweet and fruity. And the ratio of chocolate to fruit was perfect – each balanced and equally present. Yum!
Here’s the whole posse laid out…
It should be noted that I crave citrus once in a blue moon…and apparently that time has come for 2011.
Cuties!
The name alone makes me want to eat a dozen on the spot, and after my past weekend doing exactly that, I couldn’t get the ‘lil buggers out of my mind.
So there were a few in my lunch, along with the oh so constant apple.
Can you believe this was my very first KIND bar!? I know, I know, given the amount of time I’m in Starbucks it’s a shocker. Somehow I just never got around to trying one though. This was the Cranberry Almond + Antioxidants flavor.
The ingredients were pretty much pure and wholesome, although they have honey (thereby making them not vegan). I liked the puffed rice though (textural variety) and the fact that they were all non-GMO.
They reminded me a lot of Mrs. May’s Trio bars (Costco purchase what whaaaat). But they weren’t quite as dense. In fact, it was probably the most airy nut bar that I’ve ever seen. Maybe I’m just used to jam packed Larabars…
It was my own fault that they were a bit on the hard side since I accidentally stored it in the fridge with the rest of my lunch. Still, I enjoyed the crunch of the almonds a lot. The cranberry flavor was a bit too dominating if I’m being really picky, but it was overall a winner. I’d for sure buy again.
And last but not least, my bevvie. I rarely bring anything aside from my Klean Kanteen and coffee mug to work, but I had a Teas’ Tea leftover from Expo. I like Ito-En because they make unsweetened teas with unusual flavors. Normally lemongrass is not my thang, but this went perfect with the 55 lbs of candied ginger that I had with lunch. I still wouldn’t buy it on my own though because I can just as easily brew my own and not use plastic containers. At least the company is from North America so it’s not increasing my carbon footprint too much shipping the bottles overseas.
Speaking of carbon footprint…3 of my 4 patients were on various forms of contact precautions, which meant donning full isolation gear every time I entered the room, which meant repeatedly gowning, masking, and re-gowning and re-masking. I cannot get over how wasteful this is. Obviously the precautious are in place for a reason (I had rule-out TB and transplant patients) but it still breaks my hippie heart every time I take stupid trips in and out of the room. I think being green makes me a worse nurse because I try too hard to cluster my care in order to avoid wasteful use of the non-recyclable gear (read: stay out of the room as long as possible for non-essential tasks). Hmmm…
For dinner I had seitan, steamed carrots, and millet with nooch and Bragg’s liquid aminos.
The millet was actually a batch I made last week in the rice cooker, but it came out dense and dry and completely inedible. To salvage it, I simple added the solid chunks of millet to boiling water…and voila! Wonder of wonders, a little hydration was all the grains needed. Because of all the cooking/re-cooking, they were a bit more mushy than millet usually is, so the dish ended up being almost risotto like in texture. I added a TON of nooch in at the very end so it was rich a cheesy and not overly watered down.
Not too shabby.
Kyle arrived home from a post-finals celebration while I was eating dessert (Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Larabar) and his pizza was intoxicating. I almost wanted a second dinner even though it was time for me to head to bed. Melted cheese has a pretty potent aroma.
What’s your favorite food-related smell? Least favorite?
I couldn’t choose just one, I love coffee (grounds and fresh brewed…mmmmm), campfires/BBQs, and any freshly baked pies/breads/pastries/etc. I also think anything with coconut butter/oil is downright amazing.
My least favorite smells are Abercrombie cologne (I know it’s not food related but I detest it) and dill. I hate dill/fennel/black licorice. Come to think of it tequila and grappa are pretty disgusting too.
i love your work meals…they are amazing and so NUTRITIOUS!!! you rock…you inspire me to pack such epic meals…
i am the same way with citrus, well oranges…i crave them…and after a while my love affair with them ends…but it lasts a pretty long time…i’ve been on an orange kick for the last month…and it’s still going strong…i can eat about 3 to 4 a day…
i love the smell of onions and garlic cooking away…homemade tomato sauce…coffee brewing/coffee beans…pumpkin pie spices…bbq…hate the smell of fish cooking…sardines…cinnamon gum and candles (i know, weird)…
have a great day…
I know everyone is going to say this, but to me to just can’t beat the smell of garlic and onions sautéing in olive oil…its heavenly. Ooh and it just gets better if you throw some mushrooms in there too.
Even though I love broccoli and eat it all the time, I hate the smell of it after its been cooked if I wasn’t the one cooking/eating it.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a breakfast hold me over for more than 3 hours…I need to find (make) some of this wonder-cereal-cocktail that does the trick.
Also, yay for citrus cravings! Sure you’re not preggo? That’s all I want these days… 😉
i used to LOVE Kind bars! my favorite was walnut and date bar. I love the smell of campfires as well!! Bc campfires usually mean smores 😉
I think my favorite food smell is chocolate. Shocker. Once I smell it, I’m salivating…
As far as non-food smells, I really love the smell of car gas. I’m going to get cancer, I know.
Aaaah! Food smells can be the BEST or WORST things in the world. I love similar scents, including the scents of baking bread and pastries, maple syrup, coconut oil, saffron like in paella, roasted garlic, baked beans, baked apples…I could go on. I also love fresh herb smells though (especially dill!). There are many food smells that I could do without, but the smell of smoked sausage is by far the worst thing that I have ever encountered. This past summer, I went to Poland with my family and one of the places that we stayed at smelled like smoked sausage everywhere. It was awful, funny, but awful. I was newly (6 months) vegetarian/veganish and staying in an old hunting lodge that reeked of meat and had taxidermied animals everywhere (needless to say that my fam did not know about the oddities of this hotel before booking it!). Glad I can laugh about it now.
Choppin’ broccoli is the best SNL skit ever. You just made my morning 🙂
LOVE the smell of coffee brewing, even though I don’t drink it much. It’s my favorite. And, oddly, the smell right after you light a match.
Your lunch looks so delicous! I’m a little jealous b/c mine is semi-lame today.
I agree about broccoli stalks. I love them! In fact, I try to buy the broc with stalks insteam of just the crown pieces because I like to make SLAW out of it. Ironically, I love raw broc slaw and broc in my juice, but I actually prefer the floret steamed or very finely chopped. Childhood aversion to raw broc perhaps?! P.S. I got to backflush an IV, YAY!
I love the smell of onions sauteing in oil on the stove, especially when the minced garlic hits the pan and both onion and garlic smells come wafting up. This is what I grew up smelling everyday after school! Comfort smell!
Ditto on baked goods in the oven! Fresh baked bread or muffins *drool*
I love the smell of coffee and definitely any type of pastry/baking smell, especially chocolate and vanilla. Walking into Starbucks is aroma heaven!
Least favorite? My mom used to melt romano cheese in the microwave and our entire kitchen would reek of stinky feet. I also can’t stand the smell of seafood.
I love the smell of coffee….probably one of my favorite smells ever!
I LOVE the smell of baked ripe bananas. And cookies. And sauteed garlic and onions.
The smell of bacon kinda makes me gag…
yay! i forgot i had millet!! now i must make some!
anything fried like french fries make me gaggg as well as take out pizza BLEH
but i LOVE coffee grinds like you and cinnamon!
yesterday i walked into a candy store and the smell of caramel was like WOAH
I love your overview of all the different foods you eat in a given day.
I can’t smell coffee anymore because I’ve worked at Starbucks for almost 4 years. I can only smell it when I grind it fresh in our ginormous grinder, but my friends can ALWAYS smell it on me, even when I’ve just had a shower, haha.
Favorite food smells…. steamed broccoli, chili, stir fry with onions and garlic.
The smell of pickles makes my gag reflex act up. It’s disgusting =p
My favorite smell is definitely sauteeing onions!
Thank you for the shout out on people NOT eating broc stems! This drives me crazy! Whenever I make broccoli the boy asks for only the florets… my leftovers ALWAYS end up being entirely made up of stems. I can’t deny a vegetable so I eat them with a smile! 🙂
LOL! The Choppin’ Broccoli reference had me cracking up. I love that skit (and broccoli, too)!
yeah!!! fellow broccoli stem lover 🙂
yessss…so glad you got it 🙂
oooooh caramel is a good one!! love it!
is it weird that i like the smell of bacon cooking? the funny part is ive actually never tried real bacon before!! (i had turkey bacon as a kid)
oh yes, i agree whole heartedly about starbucks. stinky cheese is SO gross, i shouldve added that to my list for sure. blech.
i dont really like raw broccoli either, i think its upset my stomach one too many times that now ive just associated it with GI discomfort. glad ive found a fellow stalker…wait, that’s not right…
lighting matches only makes me think of using them to neutralize bathroom odors. haha. sorry!
ive been singing it all day now. im so glad you appreciate the reference.
that has to be the worst situation ever. literally. horrible.
im surprised you didnt say you like the smell of sinking ships…
yes yes yes….mmmmelty marshmallows
haha. YES. very sure.
that WAS a popular one. surprising. i dont really like garlic or onions so i guess im a lone ranger on this one.
thanks dude!
enjoyed your post tonight. i used to work in a hospital and it got really old having to “gown up” for contact precaution patients. i do not miss doing that! there has to be a better, more time-efficient and eco-friendly way of doing that….
and i cannot even count how many times i have forgetfully left a meal bar in my lunch bag in the fridge at work, only to find it later and have to practically break a tooth to eat it 🙂 i am completely obsessed with citrus fruit. i eat a navel orange everyday practically. and i also love brocolli, stem and all 🙂
Favorite smell – coffee, cinnamon, and ginger…oh and lemon
This I hate to smell – fried food haha it just makes me sick to my stomach
I enjoyed some millet the other day and stirred in some almond butter, and thought of you 🙂
mmmmmm
Blanching Broccoli will never be the same for me again.
In fact no matter WHAT I do with my broccoli I’m gonna be
steaming BROC-O-LAY.
roasting BROC-O-LAY.
dipping BROC-O-LAY.
buying BROC-O-Lay.
It’s fine.
(0:
hahahahha
Haha! I love your “55 pounds of candied ginger”! Thanks to you, I have a new addiction to that stuff! Just polished off a bag yesterday!
My love the smell of a grill firing up! While on my run the other day, I started salivating halfway through because so many people were out on their decks grilling! I also love the smell of baking with cinnamon…mmm!
Least favorite smell: funnel cake *gag* If I’m ever in a place that is selling them, I have to take a pretty large detour around it to avoid the smell…it seriously makes me sick!