This photo really doesn’t give an accurate picture of my day’s eats because it looks the same as all my other days of pre-packed meals.
I had a rough morning (no workout, only 1/2 a cup of coffee) made rougher by the fact that my patients were not doing well.
I had one person trying to code on me (HR 40s, SBP 180s, O2 70s) while another was trying to get to the bathroom to throw up (with his broken & non-weight-bearing L hip).
I basically had to ignore the puking patient and get my care partner to give him an emesis basin and then sit on him so he wouldn’t get up and break his other hip (I promise I’m just kidding about the “sit on him” part).
Meanwhile, the other patient was desaturating faster than I could compensate for with oxygen with while his heart rate kept dipping into the 40s. The fact that his neurological baseline was non-responsive (to pain or anything) made assessments hard, so I really only had the numbers to go on. And the worst part of all was that I couldn’t even call a code because the patient had a DNR/DNI order…gah…I felt so limited. I also had a student shadowing me for the day…man did he get an eye-full.
In the end I managed to suction out a big mucous plug and got respiratory therapy to adjust his opti-flow settings. My charge nurse was right there helping me the whole time by getting a bite bit to keep his teeth open and just reassure me that everything was fine. Man I love how supportive the staff is at my hospital.
As for the other patient, he told me he just over-ate. Silly.
Anyway. Due to the craziness of the morning, I didn’t get breakfast until almost 11:30.
I had a peanutty buckwheat and chia seed pudding, which I made with:
- 1/2 cup buckwheat
- 1/4 cup peanut flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- NuNaturals vanilla stevia
It was thick and pudding like by the time I ate it the next day.
When I went into the break room to eat, I saw something that made the day instantly better.
Remember the going-away party we threw for my co-worker (it’s the one that I brought vegan cheesecake and vegan cookies to)? She moved to Chicago in August and sent our unit 3 boxes of Sprinkles cupcakes yesterday – completely out of the blue.
I was happy for everyone else, but assumed that I was SOL since Sprinkles certainly doesn’t make vegan cupcakes. WRONG!
Not only do they makes vegan red velvet cupcakes, but she had remembered that I was vegan, some how figured out I was working that day, and ordered a special vegan cupcake to be set aside just for me!!! Does it even get cuter than this?? No, it doesn’t. Sweetest thing ever.
It definitely made my crappy morning 100% better.
I saved it to enjoy at home. [Also, I really wanted to take a photo of it and nobody at work knows about the blog]
Before I sing this cupcake’s praises, let me just recap the rest of the work day.
- chef AJ’s almond butter coconut dressing
- spinach
- red bell pepper
- cucumber
- carrot
I went overboard with the dressing which was kinda on purpose (it’s so addicting!). But when I went to eat lunch I realized I had forgotten to pack a fork. I used a spoon and it was actually easier, plus it allowed me to slurp up all the dressing leftover.
I got off work at a relatively decent time and sang along with Michael Buble for my commute home. It’s cool, nobody heard.
Before I even showered, I ripped open my Sprinkles bag and dug in.
Allow me to introduce you to Sprinkles’ vegan red velvet cupcake.
As per Sprinkles’ website, the traditional dairy products are substituted with vegan friendly ingredients, including all natural soymilk, tofu-based cream cheese and pure coconut oil. The result is a cake so moist and frosting so rich, it just might inspire your friends to go vegan too! Just look for the red V to know it’s Vegan Red Velvet!
Not only had I never had a Sprinkles cupcake before, but I’d never had red velvet anything before. Truthfully, I didn’t really know what it was. You guys! It’s just chocolate dyed red!! How did I not know this?
The cake was wonderfully soft and (dare I say it) moist. And the ratio of frosting to cake was divine. I’m not even a big cake person and I was LOVING it. The frosting was so rich, without being sickeningly sweet, and it had a delicious coconut flavor that was out of this world.
I could have buried my face in a tub of frosting and called it a night. But instead I finished half, went to take a shower, and then made myself a real dinner. How mature am I!?! I hardly recognized that kind of self-control.
I currently owe you guys a few recipes, but you’ll have to add red enchiladas onto my tab because this post is getting a bit lengthy.
It’s worth the wait.
What’s your favorite cupcake flavor? I think I may have just fallen in love with red velvet!
Gosh, I remember those crazy days in the NICU where everything seems to go downhill. Having a supportive staff makes all the difference!
That cupcake looks delicious. I have never been to a Vegan bakery 🙁
Hey babe,
Love the blog. Your one of my favs to read every day.
Just something to think about though… a couple of weeks ago I got in some serious trouble when I posted some work/school related things on the internet… similar to how you describe your day with the patients. Since then (after the consequences) I’ve realized personal life should never mix with professional life. Oh and a third party anonymously came forward and “tattled” on me. Just be careful ok?
Aren’t thoughtful co-workers just the best? I always sweat this time of year with all the office potlucks, but thankfully there are 4 or 5 people in my office who make sure to bring vegan dishes so that I can partake.
PS- One layer of my wedding cake was red velvet, it’s my fave!
Cupcakes and singing out loud are the best ways to make a bad day better! And anything with peanut butter will immediately get my vote on the cupcake front.
thanks victoria. i try and keep it 100% anonymous, but i guess theres always a risk of others seeing it differently.
i appreciate your insight and will be careful for sure.
cupcakes (or cookies candy etc) = the cure for any stressful day at work!
A bakery near me makes a vegan green tea cupcake with avocado frosting that is AMAZING!
green tea! avocado!! omg. where do you live!!
woah, you have one hectic job… again I totally take my hat off to you nurses.
I’m a chocolate-hazelnut fan when it comes to cupcakes… never got into the red velvet as I can’t eat red food colouring, my skin doesn’t appreciate it at all 🙂
What a sweet thought though, hurrah for vegan cupcakes!
Hey, as a teacher I completely understand the need to be anonymous and careful with what you post on the internet, BUT from what I’ve read on your posts, a. no one knows where you work based on your posts, b. no one’s name is being used therefor the stats you are posting can’t be linked to anyone c. no ones picture is being used. I think you are safe with what you are posting, and I’ve had a lot of warning from professors and principals on what’s okay, and what’s not.
oh! and we have a great cupcake store here called Jones Bros with WONDERFUL vegan cupcakes you should try! I’d even send them to you they are so great!
thanks brenda. i have made a huge effort to be especially vague and not reveal any of the info you mentioned for that very reason. ill still continue to be careful, but i do enjoy sharing nursing stories as a way of venting and whatnot. ill just make sure to continue to keep everything anonymous.
now about these jonas bros cupcakes…
I LOVE cupcakes and currently my 2 favorite flavors are from a bakery on Nantucket called Petticoat. Coconut is divine and then they have a chocolate cupcake with PB frosting and sprinkled with Reese’s PB cups..YEP!
those dang mucuos plugs always cause such big problems. thanks goodness for RTs. hope that pt ended up okay and your other pt who over-ate — that’s silly 🙂 i had a pt once who was on full spine precautions and was intoxicated. kept telling me he needed to use the bathroom. i explained why he couldn’t and offered him a bedpan and he said no. i was out of the room for about 10 min to look over orders and whatnot and the CNA comes by and says “your full spines pt is OOB and going to the bathroom in the trash can” — that was a WONDERFUL night! love being a nurse 🙂
Funny how a crappy a** day can be made instantly better by the thougtfulness of a caring person and red velvet cupcakes. That would certainly brighten my mood. Just looking at pictures of your’s made me smile. I can’t wait to see your recipe for the enchiladas. I’ve pretty much never been disappointed by any of your creations.
Have a great weekend!
Red velvet is by far my favorite cupcake/cake flavor in the entire world.
Is that coconut dressing in her cookbook? I can’t see it in the index and it looks amazing!!! I want!!
They’re from a place called New Moon in Burlington, Vt!
Here’s all their flavors: http://www.newmoonvt.com/our-cupcake-flavors.html
I’m sorry to hear that you had such a hectic morning but that cupcake sounds like it was the perfect pick-me-up!
I just found out a few days ago that Sprinkles offers vegan cupcakes. I was shocked! I can’t wait to try one.
I’ve never had Red Velvet cake either and didn’t know what it was until reading this post. It sounds divine. My favorite cupcake flavor is vanilla with buttercream icing. Boring? Maybe. But the simplicity of it is delicious. 🙂
That cupcake looks and sounds absolutely heavenly! I have always been a big fan of red velvet! 🙂
How sweet of your coworker to think of you and send you a special cupcake! I didnt know Sprinkles made vegan ones either. Growing up i was always a butter cream icing freak. I could care less about what you put it on. My moms home made butter cream icing is to die for. If only i could get her to veganize it!
So much to say!
It sounds like you handled the situation with your patient so well. Honestly, I don’t know how you work in CICU (is that what you call it), it makes me nervous. However, one day I would like to work in general intensive care once I’m more experienced. A supportive nursing team make such a difference don’t they.
The cupcake- amazing! Looks so good, and it’s so sweet of your co-worker to go to those lengths for you. And impressed with your restraint 🙂
xxx
Can you give more details about the buckwheat breakfast? Do you soak the buckwheat before combining with the almond milk, peanut flour and chia seeds? I have a huge bag of buckwheat groats and really don’t know what to do with them!! Ha. any help would be appreciated.
i didnt soak them, but since i made them the night before i ate them, they had ample time to absorb water. the water was boiling when i added it to the buckwheat, so it helped cook them and soften them up. i combine the peanut flour and almond milk separately and then added that to the buckwheat (it wasnt heated, just room temp), last i added the chia seeds and stirred them up together so the seeds could “gel” everything together.
hope that helps!
by nature, no cupcakes are boring. in my opinion… 🙂
i love it. so typical. sometimes patients are just ridiculous…but they make for great stories!!
mmmm
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