Sweet and au naturel

My morning started with this newbie.

To me, “Au Naturel”…is the classy way of saying “hippie food”…so clearly this was right up my alley. 

Like the rest of Udi’s products, this granola is gluten free.  It also happens to be dairy free, soy free, nut free, and egg free (it’s is not vegan because it contains honey).

The only ingredients are certified gluten free oats, wildflower honey and canola oil.  That’s it!  THREE ingredients.  No wonder they call it Au Naturel…

I packed myself a tupperware full of granola to add to my (unpictured) plain greek yogurt for my work breakfast. 

The flavor was simple, but good.  It had that signature crunch that tasted toasted, and not the least bit stale.  I like my granola crunchy because then it has the ability to be used for many things.  If you want to soak it in milk, it can soften up like oats and be enjoyed like cereal, but if you want to eat it with greek yogurt or add it into a trail mix, it’s definitely better to have a more crunchy consistency.  What’s your favorite way to eat granola?

The rest of my pre-packed eats included an apple, carrots, and big salad…plus an unpictured tub of hummus and (aforementioned) greek yogurt. 

Love me a kale-face salad.  It had kale, avocado, bell peppers, carrots, and dried cranberries.

Que grande!

Work was work, nothing too thrilling about it, but I am so excited to officially be done with orientation.  Starting next week I will be nursing for real.  For real for real.  Having patients.  Finally!  Yesssss. 

I got home from work in the afternoon, so I made use of my Udi’s gluten free granola – this time jazzing it up with carob chips, raisins, and salty roasted nuts. 

Trail mix at it’s finest.  I refilled this tupperware more than once ;)  It was too tasty!  As a result, I was not remotely hungry once dinnertime rolled around.  Instead of making a meal, I decided to make a smoothie.  Not just an ordinary smoothie though.  A tofu & protein powder based treat that was so delicious, it could have passed as dessert, but was still nutrient dense enough to pass as dinner. 

I know there are many pumpkin recipes going around the blog world right now (with everything from baked goods, to lattes, to hearty entrees), so I’m sure my inspiration came from many of them.  But in terms of following a recipe, I just winged it based on what I had on-hand.  In the end it tasted JUST like pumpkin pie, so I will show you exactly what I put in.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used So Delicious coconut milk)
• 1/2 block (6 oz.) silken tofu (I used Mori-Nu light)
• 3/4 cup (~1/2 can) pumpkin puree (I used Libby’s)
• 1 tsp cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s)
• 1 serving vanilla protein powder of choice (I used Vega vanilla chai)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (I used a lot more)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla (I used ~4 drops of NuNaturals vanilla stevia)
• sweetener of choice* (I used ~2 tbsp agave nectar because I like things sweeeeeeeet)
• 1/2 cup ice cubes

*optional depending on how sweet you want your pie smoothie

Blend away.

It was eerie how similar to actual pumpkin pie this tasted.  Even Kyle was blown away, and he’s a pie fiend.  He also said it was perfect if you have a sweet tooth (guilty!). 

This smoothie recipe may cause me to buy stock in Libby’s.  I’m going to be having this every day from now until I can’t find anymore canned pumpkin. 

Mmmmmm.

Before I sign off to enjoy the gorgeous weather goin on right now, I want to be sure you all click this link to vote for my girl Kailey…she’s the diva of all divas and 100% deserves this job.  So go to the site and help her win the opportunity to do what she loves (while getting a paycheck).