Saturday was a work day. F to the U.N.
Packed nom-noms are some of the usual suspects, as well as some new members. Carrots, salad, apples, bars, and a baggie of goodies. Tummy-wise, I felt a little bit better, but certainly not great.
In the non-transparent bag: almonds, carob chips, raisins, pistachios, cashews, and pretzels.
This Belle Bananas Foster flavored 18 Rabbits bar was another winner. I’m not usually a banana nut fan, but this may be the bar that changes that. It’s oaty, with good breakability, perfect level of sweetness, and reminds me of a cross between banana bread and oatmeal raisin cookies. Mmmm.
The salad was spinach, steamed delicata squash (with s&p only), steamed brocc, edamame, corn, pepitas, and dried cranz.
The unit was a mad house, and I felt like I was behind all day long. Also, one patient’s family members were driving me crazy. I completely understand why you would be anxious and worried when your family member is in the hospital after cardiac surgery, but you HAVE to let me do my job. GAH. I was trying to explain things to them as much as I could (because I don’t want family members to feel like they are in the dark), but at one point I just had to straight up ask them to leave the room. The patient was clearly unstable, and I was busy hanging several IVs, pushing various meds, and all the while she was puking and on the bedpan. Seriously, can’t you tell I need some time alone with the patient? Usually family members don’t want to be present when there is obviously critical stuff going on, but this family was way too nosy. Even after I had kicked them out and drew the curtain closed, they still kept poking their heads in every few minutes. Good lord. I felt like screaming at them: I am this person’s nurse. The patient’s safety is my #1 priority. I know you are scared, but it will be a hell of a lot worse if you prevent me from doing what I am trained to do, so please get the eff out of my face and let me take care of your family member properly.
Ok, venting session over.
I got home and barely had the energy to put together dinner, so here’s what I ended up with.
Pretty hideous plating. Boca’s vegan patties (times dos), and a bread/hummus/zucch (one sided) sammie. I had these zucchs already steamed and they desperately needed to be used. At first I was going to make a pizza, but inspired by a reader’s email, hummus replaced the marinara, and next thing I knew, I had this odd looking thing you now see. Whatever, it tasted good.
You know how I do it…apples on the side, yo!
New on the scene.
Himalania Goji Berry Trail Mix Raw Vitality with nuts, gojis, and raisins.
Post picture, I added carob chips to this, and picked out the walnuts to donate to Kyle’s dessert fund. Not a big fan of the gojis either. Fortunately, the carob chips masked their flavor, so I was able to refill this bowl and go with round 2 and 3. I was kinda ridic full when I headed to bed, but the silver lining was that at least my stomach wasn’t rejecting the eats.
Sunday I woke up and got right to work. Caffeinating myself, that is.
This French Roast is good, but nothing, and I mean, NOTHING, beats Starbucks’ Pike Place. After my first cup, I headed to get a second cup with my bestie…
We met up at Peacefood for some chit-chat, complaining about the weather, wedding planning, and how much we miss the west coast. I got a coffee with soymilk which hit the spot, and after an hour of gabbing, we took the break in the rain as a sign to skedaddle on home.
When I got back to the apartment I was more than ready for lunch. I needed something to tame the hangry beast in my tum before I keeled over, so first things first…
Bruised and battered, Rihanna this avo has serrrrriously seen better days.
Regardless, I halved it and scooped in a massive blob of roasted red pepper hummus and dug in.
After I was finished with the first part of my lunch, I put together course number two. Naturally, the other half of the avocado made it’s way atop a spinach salad with red bell peppers and carrots.
I love how something that starts so gorgeous can end up looking like a heinous mash…and still taste like heaven on Earth.
I sprinkled some fatty salt rocks on top.
Marx Foods sent me a sample of their Portuguese Sea Salt and it’s been making it’s way into almost all my food lately.
I love how massive the chunks of salt are…perfect for a sodium queen like myself.
Since I seemed to tolerate lunch fairly well, I went and did the unthinkable. Got in some gym time. If you are gasping in shock that makes two three of us (Kyle was equally amazed). I pumped through 30 minutes on the elliptical and headed home. Baby steps.
I may have stopped at the ‘bucks for my 3rd soymilk coffee of the day on the way home (I’m making up for lost time though, since I was operating caffeine-free the past few days).
Into the magic bullet went:
- soymilk
- Vita Coco coconut water
- frozen strawberries
- frozen mango
- spinach
- kale
- xanthan gum
- NuNaturals liquid stevia
Grrrrrrrrrreen monster…in dainty glassware…
Because I’m a lady after all 🙂
I had this glass times 2, and when I held out a spoonful to feed to Kyle, he jerked his head back and scrunched his nose and asked “what does it taste like?” To which I replied “good” and shoved it in his mouth. He didn’t spit it out, but I have a feeling kale holds a special place in my heart, and my heart alone. It’s SOOOO good though. I think the combo of strawbeezies and kale is insanely delicious. My taste buds were delighted by this monster-mash-up. Ladies (and gent?) what do your sig others/fam think when you make these kinds of beastly concoctions?
Anyways, once I was showered and polished up like new, we did some WF shopping while the weather was permitting. I was craving something very specific for dinner.
It was a bit of an experiment.
I have seen savory oats several times throughout blogland, and heard unending praise about their genius, so it’s been on my to-make list for a while now. That said, it’s definitely a dish I have been hesitant about making because I have always associated oats with sweet flavors (dried fruit, nutbutter, cinnamon, agave, etc.). Well, after seeing Katie’s post this past week, I finally decided to seize the day and just DO the DAMN thang.
First I made oats (old school via stove top), then I added them to a bowl and tossed in frozen peas and corn. The warmth of the oats thawed the veggies, so I didn’t even need to do anything first to heat them up.
Next up I added nooch…and I mean LOTS of nooch.
Stir, scoop, and serve. Cheesy veggie-full oats.
So what’s my verdict on savory oats? Holy YUM, why didn’t I try this earlier!?!? Not only am I am a fan, but I may even be a convert from sweet oats all together. Seriously, this was 100% better than anything I was hoping for. I had 3 times the portion shown above, and I could have eaten it 63 times over.
Have you tried savory oats? What did you think? Sweet vs. savory?
Dessert was also blog inspired.
Ch-ch-ch-chia! I added 1 tbsp So Delicious coconut milk and 1 tbsp Vita Coco coconut water and let it chill for a bit in the fridge.
It’s so weird how these babies gel up…like they are alive!
Unfortunately, this bowl of chia pudding wasn’t my fave for a few reasons. Not only was the flavor mediocre, but the texture was just plain weird. Maybe it takes some getting used to? I don’t know. For those of you who are fans of chia pudding, suggestions are welcomed.
Wow. That was quite the post…happy(ish) Monday peeps.
Wow, sounds like a busy day at work! Nosy families must be frustrating :/ That salad best looks amaze…I love the avocado stuffed with hummus, then thrown on top! Genius, I have to try that! Have a great Monday 🙂
Avocado and gummus = amazing! My hubs doesn’t like green monsters – he’ll make his own magic bullet smoothies but will never add greens.
Even the heinous mash looks delicious. And I love adding cocoa powder to my chia pudding.
my husband doesn’t dig all of my food concoctions, but he is a fan of the green smoothie! he particularly enjoyed the one we had sunday morning…it was the first time i added a bunch of fresh mint so it was quite refreshing!
Kristin’s Raw has a recipe for Holiday Chia Pudding that I love.
How you left Peacefood w/o dessert is beyond me!
I’m such a fan of savory oats – adding nooch is a fantastic idea. Mine are usually covered in hot sauce….oh and now that I see you love it as much as I do, avocado is really good on them (it?) as well.
The avocado and hummus is the best thing I’ve ever seen. I might need to go get a sandwich like that for lunch now. I made a green monster and my bf almost puked lol.
Glad I am not the only salt-a-holic!
Have you seen the new Z bar in Apple Cinnamon?? FIND ONE NOW! So good 🙂
Ohhh how my roommate and my boyfriend cringe when they see me drinking my green sludge! Well, who needs them? More for me!
Gosh chia seeds look so crazy! I’ve never used them before, but whenever I see pictures of them like that they look fun.
Sorry about the pushy family…that sounds miserable. I can relate it to parents in the classroom trying to talk to me about their child while I am trying to teach 24 kids. It is annoying – but at least my situation isn’t life and death. 🙂
SO glad you tried and LOVED the savory oats…yum and yum. I’m going to try your version soon. And you pretty much nailed my thoughts on chia pudding – what weird texture. And the taste…just mediocre in my book.
hummus filled avocado? you are one smart hippie.
Okay so i lied about not reading your blog ever again;) I just have to focus on the things i can FIND and AFFORD… haha. You nailed the nail in the head (I know i am wrong about that expression) about the Chia Seed pudding. I have never tried it, but it looks pretty unappetizing. Don’t get me wrong, i like chia seeds in my shakes, just not a fan of any gelatinous foodish substance, including J-E-L-L-O. 😉 Hummus filled avo sounds like a match made in Feaven (Foodie Heaven). I love your placement of your savory oats in that pic by the way… Did you mean to put them by that article or is it just a sign that i need to try this now? Thanks for the gent shout out by the way… If that was for me 🙂 I can’t be the only guy that reads your blog, maybe just the funniest? Okay probably not that either…
Hideous plating? It looks like a ginormous smiley face!
I am super skeptical of all of these savory oats, but maybe I need to let my guard down and just do it.
I haven’t tried chia pudding yet either, one step at a time.
Oh, my hubs loves the green monsters, some more than others. I usually make mine with spinach, not kale.
Hummus stuffed avocado = reason #39485756 why you are awesome.
I didn’t love chia seeds 🙁 I made a blended cereal/chia pudding yesterday which was really good, but haven’t found another way to make them edible.
I’ve been kind of obsessing about hummus with guac lately, so that hummus filled avo, sounds AMAZING.
PS Love the snack mix too!
so maybe it isn’t just me.
->chia in anything just looks unappetizing. bleh.
yummy coffee w/soymilk! I’m craving one right now but will never get to sleep if I do. bah
I am glad you are feeling a little better 🙂
I love chia seeds for their nutritional profile, and I use them in various ways, but I don’t dig the “pudding” either–not sure why people seem to love it so much. It isn’t even “meh” for me…it is just weird and not very good, lol. I am glad I am not the only one!
You know the reason the oatmeal was so good? The nutritional yeast! I swear–it makes EVERYTHING better, lol!
Courtney
Okay, you’ve convinced me to do the damn thang and just try the savory oats out!!!!! I plan on incorporating plenty of hum-daddy and nutri yeast though!!!!! Your version looks pretty yum 🙂
well at least hes part way there…
hmmm…that sounds like a good idea, ill try that – thanks!!
how interesting. i dont like mint, but good idea to add it in for him to try.
i know right? that just goes to show you how abnormal my GI tract has been lately. i didnt get anything to eat there, and i still ran the last few blocks to get to the bano stat. im a mess right now. but i think im on the mend.
good call!! both hot sauce and avo sound like brilliant additions.
i just saw that yesterday!!!! im on a bar buying restriction right now though bc i keep adding to my stash and its kinda obscene right now.
totally. i love my swampy smoothies, so ill keep it all for myself.
yeah…i can see a lot of similarities between our jobs. that one story about the crazy mom completely reminded me of patients’ families that i have dealt with…land patients, too for that matter…i think 90% of the human population has undiagnosed psych issues. i see them all the time and im sure you do too. one of my best friends is a teacher here in nyc and the stories she tells!!!! man oh man.
You know what’s awesome? Trail mix. You know what’s not at all awesome? Joking about intimate partner violence.
its one of my fave snacks EVAH. serrrrrrriously try it now.
of COURSE you are the male reader i was referring to. haha. i dont know if i have other guys reading out there…but youre my faithful (witty) male commenter 🙂
the article placement was a coincidence, but its a great one. one of my coworkers always cuts out the vegan/veggie restaurants/recipes from the sunday NY times for me…
oh and btw, i am relly sorry for introducing you to all these products that you cant get…i feel like such a tease, haha. but in all honesty, i have JUST as hard a time finding things too. im scared to try new products because i fear ill love em and then poof! theyll be gone.
i thought so too!! glad its not just me 🙂
ok i was too and i kid you not, it rocked. i dont think i could do it for b-fast or anything, but lunch/dinner – yeah, im all about it!!
Thanks so much for the medical advice you left on my last blog post!! 🙂
I sometimes like chia pudding and sometimes don’t…. I think it really need a lot of other “stuff” (cocoa powder, agave, etc) to taste good, but I bet it’s awesome with coconut milk!
maybe ill try that. but do you let it gel up before blending it? or do you blend it right away. cereal or oats?
decaf yo!
DUH! nooch makes me so happy. haha. thats either sad or awesome. anyways, what do you use your chia for then if not pudding? oats? they have better nutritional stats than flax so i want to like them, but yeah…cant get into them except for the oat bars i made with them.
you know…i totally agree. i actually deleted that comment at first because i thought it probably crossed the line, but then put it back up because i thought enough time had passed. turns out, it was still taste-less. domestic violence isnt a joke so i apologize for the comment.
my mom is a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at a hospital and the stories she tells me are insane! patients and families alike! i give you mad props for what you do 😉
glad you’re slowly feeling better!!! carob makes everything taste/feel better haha
story. of. my. life. I think companies know WE like their products and discontinue them just to piss us off…
I’ve def gotten used to chia pudding, but I can see it being an acquired taste!
Your savory oats look terrific — I love eating “breakfast” grains at night!
so i’m taking this health care media class thingy and you and this class both remind me that nurses are the saving grace of the health care system. you’re a saint girl 🙂
the weather’s gonna get goooooooooooooooooorgeous!!! be ready for it man 🙂
by the way you’re just making me regreat i didn’t have a green monst for breakfast. dammit where were you 10 minutes ago
YAY savory oats!! I love mine with a little veg burg and hot sauce action.
Those chunks of salt are calling my name – who knows, if I keep that habit up I could end up in your cardiac unit one day. If Jay Robb’s protein powder business ever ends up going badly he could be your personal bouncer for lingering families.
you and me both!!! haha, we can be roommates after we stroke out from our high blood pressure.
haha…so have a dinner green monster! ps i just realized i never responded to your question about next week’s schedule. i am going to CA this weekend, and i think when i get back im working Tues, Wed, Sat, Sun
well then, I’ll just keep trying! i have a feeling it’s a consistency and flavor that will grow on me, and I’m willing to put in the “work” – haha
Thanks so much Andrea…even sweet compliments like yours makes it worth it
the recipe was for puffy cereal like Kashi puffs, but I used bran flakes- posted the recipe but I used 1 cup bran flakes, 1/2 cup soy milk, 1 tbsp chia seeds and cinnamon. Left in the fridge for 30 mins or so then blended and topped with raisins 😀
yeah…i noticed that you went with the bran flakes…im sure its tasty bc i love my cereal mushy, but the pics looked a bit on the vommy side…haha…im gonna give it a go soon though.
I use them the same way I would flax–I grind them and use them to sprinkle on things (i.e. apples with flax/chia and cinnamon are DE-lish!), use them as egg subs, mix them into things, etc. They *do* have a better nutritional profile that flax (although flax is still good and I still include it too), which is why I first got them and wanted to try them (gotta keep those omega 3’s and 6’s in check!). Then I started seeing and hearing about all this pudding hype and was SO un-impressed, lol. They are also good mixed into your ice cream creations (or sprinkled on top, whateves floats your boat)!
Um, no not sad at all that nutritional yeast makes you happy–it makes ME happy too, so I say we are both awesome…
Courtney
You are a dork and that’s why I love you! I shake my head at your avocado comment…haha! And speaking of avocado, since your post contains foods you’re trying that you’re not normally a fan of, why not try avocado with some sugar as a dessert. I mean it is a fruit of course. Us Filipinos have avocado ice cream or you can be o.g. like my grandma and just mush it altogether with sugar for desssert. MMmmm…
oooo…that actually sounds good! i just may try it soon. thx for the idea!!!
*thinking this was aimed at me 😛 * yeah, not exactly pretty- blame the bran flakes. The recipe called for Kashi puffs but I think any cereal would work 🙂
Hey!!!
I’m a new reader and want to say hi and I lurrve your site! 🙂
Can’t wait to try out those cheesy oats! YUM!
-Lauren
Hey Lauren! Thanks for stopping by and for the sweet comment 🙂
hahahah did you just call that avocado rihanna!? haa!!
Pingback: Curry cravings « hungry hungry hippie