WIAW: The Home Stretch

Well, this is (almost) it. Just two more finals, a day and a half and some packing before I don’t have to think about school for 5 weeks! I’ve been excited about Christmas break since at least Thanksgiving break and it’s finally here. This weekend was a little tease though–I went home on Friday and came back last night, mostly so I wouldn’t have to take back a crap ton of things when I drive home on Thursday night but also to be in a better study environment. Don’t get me wrong, I love my one bedroom apartment all to myself but things can get a little cray-cray around the complex on the weekends so I thought it would be better to try to study at home.

Today’s WIAW features my eats from Tuesday–side note, I wasn’t able to snap a picture of dinner, so I’m reusing a similar-looking pic from this summer.

Breakfast: peanut chocolate chia ‘pudding’ topped with homemade almond flour banana bread and unsweetened coconut shreds.

The pantry has been a little slack-a-lackin’ as of late (wow, did I really just say that?) so I’ve been whipping meals and snacks out of my butt. The microwave at home also just broke (how convenient) so instead of being able to make my usual protein microwave cake, I had to settle for a cold breakfast. Luckily I had some chia seeds on hand so I made a chia pudding overnight made with peanut flour, almond milk and raw chocolate protein powder. In the morning, I topped it with crumbles of an almond flour-based banana bread I made over the weekend (so good, BTW!) and unsweetened shredded coconut. This was actually really good, definite repeat breakfast. I can’t believe I used to hate coconut, it’s such a good topper!

Lunch: homemade sweet potato wedges with organic ketchup for dipping, raw cauliflower, homemade maple cinnamon cashews, peanut flour paste with Theo coconut dark chocolate square.

The snackplate lunch returns! This was a very random one, but I like random. The sweet potato wedges were made on Monday night and I’ve gotta say, homemade is way better than store bought when it comes to sweet potato fries–I’m baking them myself from now on! The cauliflower is my latest veggie obsession, I always eat it raw and plain, which is totally weird but whatever. It’s good. I made the cashews over the weekend and again, never going back to store bought flavored nuts (ok, I probably will when I’m feeling lazy). I just mixed a tablespoon of maple syrup with a shake of cinnamon and a teaspoon of coconut oil in a pan until it started to boil and then stirred in the cashews. This will totally work with all nuts, in case you hate cashews. I don’t love them, but they were all I had on hand and they were good with the maple and cinnamon.

Snack: dried pineapple eaten in the car.

I didn’t eat this entire bag, but I love it so much I could have! This stuff isn’t cheap (~$3.50 per bag) but it’s a pretty good deal for dried fruit with nothing added, and I always make it last almost a week. I only eat dried fruit that doesn’t have added sugars or oils or other crap, and let me tell you, it is beyond amazing! I’m calling it my crack in a bag, it is literally that good.

Dinner: Panera chopped Thai salad, without the chicken or wontons.

My mom and I grabbed Panera for dinner before she dropped me off. Panera is always a good, quick, healthy option and I pretty much always order the same thing: the Thai chopped salad minus the chicken and the wontons. I love it because A) it’s a huge bowl of fresh veggies and B) it has an addicting spicy-tangy peanut dressing and edamame. I almost went with the black bean soup because it was so cold on Tuesday, but I had to go with my favorite. Never disappoints.

Dessert (left to right clockwise): peanut flour/raw chocolate protein powder microwave cake topped with Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter; raw lemon pie macaroon; a few Vega cocoa-covered saviseeds.

I was feeling indecisive when snack time rolled around (but when am I not?) so I went with a mix of my favorite protein-packed snack of a protein microwave cake and healthy, delicious fats in the form of a raw macaroon and some dark chocolate-covered saviseeds. Those last two items were part of my most recent iHerb purchase, and they were both worth the price. The raw macaroons taste exactly like a lemon pie and are perfectly dense with just a hint of coconut. I love that they’re raw and basically made from coconut, almond flour, maple syrup and lemon juice. My kinda snack. The saviseeds have definitely grown on me–the first time I bit into one, I thought it had the oddest taste, but now they taste almost like what I remember peanut M&Ms tasting like. I’m glad I got the cocoa saviseeds because I have an obsession with all things dark chocolate. It’s a problem.

Have you ever tried a raw macaroon or saviseeds? What’s your favorite dried fruit? 

The Liebs(ter Award)

I’ve been seeing the Liebster Award popping up all over the place lately so I was thrilled when the lovely Lacey over at Life Hands You Limes nominated me for the award. Thanks, girl 😀

Rules:

1. Write 11 random facts about yourself
2. Answer the 11 questions given by the blogger who nominated you
3. Create 11 new questions
4. Nominate 11 bloggers and mention them in the post
5. Thank the blogger who nominated you and tell the bloggers you nominated

Random Facts About Me

1. I am a super klutz. Seriously. I haven’t had too many major injuries, other than a fractured ankle in 4th grade, but I’m constantly tripping, randomly injuring myself and spilling all over the place. Yeah, I have issues…
2. I have a tooth that grew in backwards. Right before I got braces in 9th grade, I had my last baby tooth pulled so I could get braces. The tooth didn’t grow in by itself so when I got my wisdom teeth pulled a year later, they also had to pull my adult tooth out from under the gums. Turns out, it was growing in facing the wrong way! My orthodontist wanted to try to turn it around to face the right way but that would have caused more dental issues so I just decided to leave it in backwards. It’s one of my molars so no one else can tell that it’s facing backwards.
   

   Brace face 😉

3. I am totally OCD about some things. Before I go to bed every night and before I leave my apartment, I make sure the stove and oven are off and I check and re-check the lock on my front door to make sure I actually locked it. Hey, you can’t be too careful!
4. I got my ears pierced when I was 11 but haven’t worn earrings since. About 6 months after I got them pierced, one of them got infected and I had to go to urgent care to get the earring taken out and my ear sterilized. Since then, both me and my sister have had no interest in having pierced ears, it was kind of a gross and traumatic experience!
5. I am a procrastinator, but also not. I would freak out if I had to pull an all-nighter to finish a 10 page paper or cram for finals, so I’m not that bad of a procrastinator but I definitely don’t usually start assignments right when they’re assigned, especially if I have a month or two to do it because then I figure I have plenty of time!
6. My voice doesn’t match up with how I look. People always think I’m still in high school because I’m small and sometimes wear kids clothes and my face is really young looking. But my voice is kinda low for a girl–I think it should be higher pitched but whatever!
7. I love the taste of onions, but I think I’m somewhat allergic to them. I used to only have breath issues after eating really onion-y salsas and stuff but now when I eat dishes with onions in it, they hurt my stomach. Bummer, because so many things have onions in them so I try to just pick around them. Garlic, on the other hand, I love!
8. I think I’m more sensitive to cold weather because I was born in Arizona…in the middle of summer. I think my mom said the day she had me, it was like 115 degrees or something crazy like that. I’ve been in Colorado since I was 2 though and I live for the winter days that are like 60 degrees. I’m pretty much always freezing inside my house and I love cranking up the heat when I’m in my car. I think snow is pretty but I like warm weather, thank you very much!
   

   Me as a baby in good old ‘Zona.

9. Caffeine doesn’t really have much of an effect on me, unless I have too much of it. I’ve figured out that I can order a tall at Starbucks and feel just fine (it doesn’t wake me up or energize me though) but anything bigger than that gives me a giant headache and makes me feel nauseous. Oh, and coffee makes my pee smell like coffee (TMI!)
10. I’ve preferred dark chocolate over milk chocolate since I was a little kid. One year for Christmas, my dad got the family a bunch of fair trade dark chocolate bars from all over the world and I loved even the super dark ones.
11. I have a problem when it comes to shopping. I get way too excited about new products and new clothes in stores and I just have to have them. I’m a little better with clothes and try to stick to buying the clearance stuff in my favorite stores because the full-priced stuff tends to be expensive (that way I can buy more stuff!) but with food, I usually don’t care how much it costs–if it sounds delicious, I’ll probably buy it. Case in point, I just ordered a few things from iHerb and couldn’t resist buying some raw lemon pie macaroons that were like $7 for a bag of 8. They’re really good though, so I don’t care!

These are delish and well worth the price.

Lacey’s Questions

1. What is your idea of the perfect December night?

Other than summer months, December is my favorite month, it’s just so festive and cozy. My idea of the perfect night would be bundling up and driving around town to look at Christmas lights, grabbing a skinny peppermint mocha from Starbucks, watching Christmas movies and playing board games with my family.

2. What pets do you have?

None at the moment, sadly. My family used to have two hamsters, Peanut and Princess, and a couple hermit crabs a long time ago.

3. What 5 words describe you the best?

Sarcastic, sensitive, independent, fashionable and responsible.

4.What is the one thing you can’t live without?

My family, for sure. I have always been really close with them, especially my younger sister, and they’ve always been there supporting my dreams. Now that I’m in college and live 2 and a half hours away from them most of the year, I really treasure the times I get to spend with them (like right now!)

We’ve been best friends forever!

5. Why did you start your blog?

I started AlmostVegGirlie in May of 2011 because I was starting to consider veganism at the time and I really wanted to share my recipes and cool food finds with people. Now the name of my blog doesn’t quite fit anymore as I actually am vegan but I still love talking about food, fitness, fashion and life in general.

6. You just win a billion dollars, first dollar goes to???

First of all, this would be amazing! I think my first dollar would go towards paying off my college loans. Totally boring, I know, but I really would love to help my parents pay off the loans so they don’t have to go into debt and if I had a billion dollars I wouldn’t have to worry about getting a great job to pay it off.

7. Chocolate or vanilla?

This is actually a hard question, since I love both. But I’m going to cheat and say I prefer vanilla-flavored things over chocolate-flavored things, but I like actual chocolate in general.

8. What’s your favorite time of the year?

Either right now (Christmastime) because it’s so festive and exciting, or summer because there’s no school and it’s warm and my birthday’s in summer.

9. What is the one thing you wish you could do, but have never done (or tried)?

Snorkeling! I’m scared to death of scuba diving but I think snorkeling would be fun because it requires less equipment and you get to look at all the cool fish and sea life.

10. When was the last time you did something completely on a whim and what did you do?

I bought a pair of sparkly Converse-style shoes on Cyber Monday, just because they were on sale and cute. I normally don’t like tennis shoes, and I don’t buy stuff online a lot (other than stuff from iHerb) but I just couldn’t pass these up.

Aren’t these too cute?

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

A meteorologist (weather anchor) for a TV station in Arizona or California. It’s my dream job (that I’m going to school for) in my dream location!

My 11 Questions

1. What fruit or vegetable best describes your personality?

2. What is your earliest memory?

3. Would you rather live in the mountains, on the beach or in the desert?

4. What is your favorite non-major holiday (like Fourth of July, Mother’s Day, etc.)?

5. What is the most dangerous thing you’ve ever done?

6. Salty, sweet or spicy?

7. What are you most proud of and why?

8. If you could only wear one color for the rest of your life, what would it be?

9. What’s one food you just can’t stand that a lot of people seem to love?

10. What’s your weirdest quirk or habit?

11. If you could change your name to anything, what would you change it to and why?

I’m going to tag anyone who hasn’t already filled this out who wants to do it! Have fun 😀

Do you have any weird dental stories? What’s your favorite time of the year?

Friday Faves (November 2): Vegan MoFo Style

Hey guys! So I haven’t done a Friday Faves post in awhile, but I really wanted to recap some of the best things I ate last month in honor of Vegan MoFo. Seeing as I’m basically 99 percent vegan, all of my food is vegan, but I had a few exciting meals and recipes from October that I want to share with you guys again. So here goes!

 

Best Vegan Meal in a Restaurant: Raw Enchiladas with “Rawfried Beans”, Tasty Harmony

 

When my dad came up for Homecoming/Family Weekend at the beginning of the month, I had to drag him to Tasty Harmony, after practically drooling over their entire menu. Before you think I’m weird, this was the first time I’d ever gone to an entirely vegetarian (and mostly vegan) restaurant so I was excited. I ordered my first ever raw entree in a restaurant too, and I loved it. The “beans” were exactly like refried beans, only they were made with nuts and seeds. And the carrot cake my dad and I shared was to die for. I want to know how they made it, so I can make it at home. The best part was, my dad loved his meal too and wants to go back…hopefully when my family visits me next weekend!

Best New Snack: Apple Nachos

 

A lot of you have mentioned that you think these are super creative. I’m not sure where I got the idea from, but I love them too! They’re easily customizable and are packed with fiber, healthy fat (if you top with nut butter) and protein (if you top with protein frosting).

Best Weeknight Dinner: Socca Pizza

 

I’m so mad I only just discovered socca…because I could have been devouring it for years! It’s just so good, and deceptively easy to make. My favorite toppings for it are either traditional pizza toppings: nooch, red sauce, kale and kalamata olives; and I also like vegan creamy garlic dressing and kale for a take on spinach white pizza.

Best Money-Saving Grocery Trip

 

Yes, this was all bought at Whole Foods on one trip, and yes, it cost me under $30. How is that for being vegan on a budget? Especially for a picky, health-conscious vegan like me, it can be tricky to stay under budget (especially since I’m a sucker for impulse buys, especially seasonal items) but I’ve been learning a lot by doing my budgeting posts and I’m getting better at it. This just goes to show that you can buy “splurge” specialty items, organic products and produce without emptying your wallet.

Best Recipe: Pumpkin Macaroons

 

I didn’t get to post as many recipes as I would have liked to during Vegan MoFo, but I did get a few good ones in there. These macaroons were surprisingly easy to make and really good for a little snack. Unfortunately, I had to toss most of them because I made them around the same time as the fridge debacle (aka my fridge broke and I got a new one) so they didn’t end up staying fresh. But I want to experiment more with macaroons and recipes in general. I’ve been in a food rut lately and I need some new, delicious things to make!

Best Buy: So Delicious mint chocolate coconut milk

 

I can’t say enough good stuff about this product–even if you do dairy, please try this! It’s a lot better for you than the traditional holiday-type drinks and if you love the mint chocolate flavor combo, you will love this.

Did you celebrate Vegan MoFo, even for just one meal? What’s your go-to weeknight dinner?

Vegan MoFo: Pumpkin Macaroons

I first heard of Vegan MoFo last year, when I was new to veganism and still eating Greek yogurt on occasion. I thought it was a cool concept but I didn’t think much of it until this year. Now I would say I’m 99% vegan (that 1% accounts for occasional trips for gelato, or accidentally eating something at a restaurant that turns out to not be vegan) and eating a more well-rounded plant-based diet. A year ago I was eating a lot more vegan ‘convenience’ food like Morningstar veggie sausages every morning and I couldn’t live without my daily bowl of overnight oats. Now I skip all those faux meats (tempeh and tofu don’t count!) and I rarely have oats anymore. I’m eating cleaner than ever and experimenting all the time with my meals. Basically I’m having more fun with food and loving it!

One of the new foods I’ve been embracing is coconut. I used to be afraid of it, but now I know how healthy and tasty it is. I’ve mostly been using it in oil and flour form and both are amazing but I bought some coconut shreds a couple weeks ago and barely made a dent in the huge bag…until now.

I’ve been wanting to try Hail Merry’s raw macaroons ever since I first spotted them at Whole Foods. But at $7.99 a bag, they’re a definite splurge that have just not been in my budget lately. So why not try to make my own macaroons?

Mine are almost raw, and incorporate everyone’s favorite fall veggie, pumpkin. I mean, why not put it in everything and end up being orange by the end of fall? And I just had to include some chocolate in there because you can’t deny the amazingness of pumpkin + chocolate, but you can always skip that step.

Chocolate dipped.

Pumpkin Macaroons (vegan, gluten-free, grain free)

1/2 cup finely shredded coconut 

2 tbsp almond flour/meal

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup

pinch sea salt

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tbsp dark chocolate chips

In a food processor, blend the first 5 ingredients until they stick together. Roll into small balls (makes about 15) and place on a sheet of foil or a plate. Stick in the freezer for 10 minutes. In a microwave safe bowl or over low heat on the stove, heat the coconut oil and chocolate chips until melted. Dip macaroons into melted chocolate and stick back in the freezer. 

Plain.

What I love about these is that it doesn’t make a huge batch (you can always scale up the ingredients to make more though) and each little macaroon is around 30 calories…yes, even with the chocolate! So you can always have a few for a snack or just pop one after dinner for a mini dessert. They’re grain free and are packed with healthy fats, natural sugar and even a veggie…but they taste like a dessert!

 

This recipe was submitted for Healthy Vegan Friday #15. 

Have you ever had a macaroon? Do you like the pumpkin + chocolate combo?