As Kyle and I attempt to empty our fridge and freezer before moving, I have discovered both the pros & cons of pre-packaged meals.
Pro: Mindless, easy prep (box –> plate? even a caveman Kyle can do that)
Con: Stipation (where the greens at, yo?)
Ok, we aren’t eating ONLY thawed sh!t…
I still had some odds and ends that I pulled together for a salad, which included the raw One Lucky Duck Rosemary quackers I bought last week.
I sampled a few with hummus and they were pretty tasty. My only issue was that they are a bit dense and tend to get stuck in your teeth. I hate to say this (given my O.L.D love affair), but the Livin’ Spoonful raw crackers are way better. The quackers are better suited as appetizers for dips and the like, whereas the Livin’ Spoonful ones are more versatile (ie salad crumble-able).
The few that I managed to crumble in the salad were great, but I ate the rest on the side.
Here’s another winner of a meal.
Talk about ghetto.
I mixed the LightLife BBQ SmartWings with edamame and corn, letting the excess sauce coat it all. And as embarrassing as it is to admit, it was kinda good.
This meal looks rather hideous, but at least it featured some greens (praise the lord). I used the stir fry veggies with teriyaki seasoned tofu and scrambled eggs. Yup, eggs. Being broke and desperate sometimes trumps being vegan. At least when you have 2 more days until moving across the country…
And in case you didn’t already think I was the most pathetically cheap creative person on the planet, here’s dessert.
Toast + carob chips + raw cashews = a make-shift nutty sammie
No joke, all I did was toast the bread then melt the carob chips to hold the nuts in place.
Now, on to a serious matter.
We are peacing out of NYC and heading to CA this weekend, but we are only going to be there for a few days and then we are off to Cabo San Lucas for vacay. So, the serious part.
Question: How do I bring a pound of white powder into Mexico without ending up on Locked Up Abroad?
The thought of going without my NuNaturals Stevia for the next few months is frightening…but then, I really don’t want to go to jail over some non-sugar (as amazing as it is).
Please. All suggestions are welcomed.
And now, back to packing, the most miserable task ever.
I once got held up on the border for a suspicious bag of green herbal..tea. Three hours. I suggested they try smoking it to see what happened. Red clover is good stuff, but it isn’t known for its mind-altering abilities 🙂
Heh heh. “Holds the nuts in place.”
I almost dictionary.com-ed “stipation…”
Ohhh Cabo the memories, sounds like trouble to me. Last time I was there I ended up leaving early when my friends started to take tequila shots at 8 am! It was lots of fun though, I’m interested to see how eating vegan in Mexico will go. I know how you feel about eating rando stuff when leaving your house. I just moved out of mine, and in the end I packed up all of my groceries w/ me too despite my attempts to eat them all.
It’s always fun, the meals one eats before moving. And by fun, I mean scary-yet-tasty. You’ve done a great job.
Happy travels, lovebug!
The cashew toast is like grind it yourself cashew butter–in your mouth! That sounds delicious and the cheapness is an added bonus.
I’d say bring it. It’s in the original container, the worst thing they’re going to do is take it from you, and as long as you don’t make a fuss if they do, I’d say they’ll let you off the hook. You’ll never know until you try!
I had some pretty ghetto meals myself when cleaning out my pantry…cereal three times a day? Check.
Have a safe trip to Cali girl!!
I concealed glutamine across the border. I just put it in my suitcase. I didn’t carry it on the plane with me. I think if it’s in the container it should be okay?
Have a nice trip!
True story–I was in Boston visiting my sister and bought some soy cheese that I can’t get here to bring back with me last weekend. I packed it in a little insulated lunchbox cooler and put it in my carry on bag. They flagged it going through the x-ray machine at security in Boston and bomb checked it! They ran it through the x-ray machine like 4 times, then pulled me aside and bomb checked it! First the lunchbox case, then they opened it and ran the bomb paper stuff over EACH and EVERY individual block of UN-opened soy cheese. As if I had infused them with bomb powder and then sealed them back up, just for fun. WTF?!? THEN they ran it through the x-ray machine. Again. You know…just in case…
It was totally worth it, though…I love that stuff 🙂
Anyway, to avoid a situation like that, I think you are going to have to go without your beloved stevia for a few days (weeks? How long are you vacaying for?!). It will make it that much sweeter to come home to, lol!
Your stir-fry veggies and tofu (minus the eggs) looks REALLY good to me right now for some reason. Forget that it is 7 am and that I am drinking coffee at my desk at work…I want that meal. Now! Dinner plans are forming… 🙂
Good luck with the packing! I am so sorry…you are almost there–hang in there!
Courtney
I’d say, if it’s really *that* important…bring it in a sealed, unopened, new container, so there’s no confusion over whether or not you’re trying to sneak something in.
I just love the name One Lucky Duck Rosemary Quackers! Sorry, I work in food marketing and I think that’s clever as all heck. Packaging is adorable too.
As for the stevia? I’d say put it in your carry on if you can. Then you can just be up front, they can open it if they really need to, and that way you aren’t left busting open the suitcase to let everyone and their neighbor take a peek at your wardrobe.
put that business in your suitcase? if doggies sniff it, they will probably just eat it because it’s yummy.
cabo!!! lucky girl. i need me some tan.. so badly.
“Con: Stipation (where the greens at, yo?)” <—- Totally just shot water out of my mouth laughing at that!
Ha on the "white powder" stevia issue. I would just keep it in the original container in your checked bag. They only search at random so you most likely won't be put into a Mexican jail cell…plus they might just confiscate it for their own benefit and send you on your way.
OH!! And don’t order the lobster burritos if you eat at Cabo Wabo (if you ever do eat lobster, I forget) but pass the word on. They gave me and my whole family food poisoning.
Con: Stipation? Love it. :p
<3 <3
hahah love how you melt the chocoalte to hold the nuts in place 😉 just throw iti n your suitcase, no??
have a safe trip!!!!
YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN. I AM WRITING IN CAPS TO EXPRESS MY EXCITEMENT FOR YOU AND JEALOUSY.
Love the ghetto eats. That is my lunch every week when we run out of groceries…
Love me some Cabo. Hopefully the fun that is vacation will make the packing/process food nightmare a far distant memory.
Pack it in your suitcase – no problem!
I’m in the same boat–I’ve been making “creative” meals out of freezer goods for the past few days…
It’s totally not a big deal to bring powder INTO mexico or anywhere else. Nor is it a big deal to really bring it back home. However, bring only what you think you’ll need as to not potentially set off red flags coming back in. I do it all the time when traveling to/from aruba for a month. I go with an assload and come home with nothing or very little. Trust me, if they want you, they’ll get or ask you. The dogs, the guards, etc. 99.9% they wont even bat an eye 🙂
<3 nunaturals stevia extract <3
Hi,
I’m an American Abroad in Germany. I take food back and forth from the US to here at least twice a year. I take stuff that is in the original sealed packages and have never been questioned about it. Just in your head don’t think what could go wrong just think I can’t live without it. Anyone asks they’ll pick up on the must have and not OMG what if they think it’s drugs.
Have fun,
Emily
good point. if they saw the way i freaked out over the idea of no more nunaturals they would know its not me nervous about getting in touble. either way, i packed it up and will just suck it up for the next few months…
ah-greeeeeed
hmmmm…im still nervous bc it’s already opened…i ended up packing it bc i’m a wuss. i miss it already 🙁
ill have some extra beer, chips and guac for ya
dude. thanks for the deets. i dont eat lobster, but that info is good to know…ill pass it on to my fam
hehe 😉
oh cereal how i love thee…3 times a day…hell, 8 times a day!