I was too lazy to make coffee this morning, so I headed to Starbucks to get my java fix…plus I’m way more productive without Bravo in the background.
Although I’m not a big fan of Valentine’s Day, I am enjoying the heart cups.
I busted out an apple after my soy misto.
Around noon I headed home for lunch.
Mostly I wanted avocado, so I made sure my meal revolved around that. BBQ sauce/nooch covered one half of the WF sandwich thin, with avocado lathered on the opposite half.
I had a bowl of sweet potato zuppa on the side, which was goodish, but was definitely upstaged by the sando.
Later on, my sweet tooth kicked in, so I tried to make my own Larabar…
1. Chop dates
2. Add dates, soy nuts, raisins, cinnamon
3. Close bag and start mashing.
4. Keep mashing.
5. Start molding the shape into a bar by rolling it in the bag.
6. Ignore the shape and focus on the flavor.
Although this tasted pretty similar to the PB&J Larabar, the dang thing didn’t stay together at all and I basically ended up eating half of it with a spoon out of the bag. I don’t know how Larabar does it…there must be some sort of magic in that factory because with such a simple recipe, the fact that they can create such a delicious bar is pretty amazing. From now on I’ll leave it to the experts.
Miraculously, I made my way to the gym in the early evening. It was nearly 5 pm, but better late then never right? It was super crowded, which I used as an excuse to limit my cardio time to 30 minutes. I hate when people are waiting for machines and others are clearly well over the 30 minute limit. I know it’s annoying to stop your workout early, but c’mon, there’s a reason those signs are posted everywhere…
On my way home I grabbed a BBQ seitan dish (by Karen & Sisters) because it was already late and I was feeling pretty lazy.
I just threw some of it over a bed of spinach, and dinner was served. Nothing earth shattering about this meal.
I have been all about the BBQ lately. The prepared seitan had edamame, onion, and TONS of BBQ sauce.
Multiply the below photo by 3.
Who’s excited for the Olympics!?!?
After seeing the heart Starbucks cup, I now have to go there over my lunch break. 🙂
I’m so excited for the Olympics. One of my childhood friends is an aerial skier and I can’t wait to see her compete!
That avo toast looks a lot like my current post? We are soul sistas.
By the way, that (?) was supposed to be a (!)
i’ve never had nooch, but i think i would like it based on the sole fact that it’s name is ridiculously fun to say.
ps i know it should be “its” not it’s. grammarazzi.
hahaha, love it.
i know, i saw that and nearly commented yesterday…holler for the avo lovin’ meals 🙂
The heart cups are soooo cute!! I just got one yesterday and I love them 🙂
wow, thats so cool!! also, im so glad you found my blog, i have been reading through your posts too and im loving them! that sucks about the in-laws…chicken in puddles of oil? yeahhhh, no thanks. ps your dog is a total cutie!
I LOL’d when you said you’d be much more productive without Bravo in the background because I’m sitting here watching the Project Runway mini-marathon instead of cleaning. 🙂
I’m so excited for the Olympics! I get goosebumps when Team USA wins gold and they play the national anthem.
I haven’t seen the Starbucks heart cups yet! So cute! The faux Lara looks delicious, even all mashed up…I’d totally eat it out of the bag, too!
Definitely née a hardcore blender or food processor to make Larabars. I’m sure it was good anyway, though!
can you bring me a bag of your larabar attempt whenever we next dine together? i dont care if its unshapely. i would eat it out of the bag. SIN spoon.
Me me! I lurve the Olympics and I’m super excited since they are in Canada this year! 🙂
I’m kinda bummed though because I will be busy for the opening ceremonies and I really want to see them. Here’s hoping they stream them online after the fact.
Loving the heart cups too!
-K
Do you have a blender/ food processor? I’m sure it’d stick together better if it was more finely processed with either of those items.
I’ve made “raw balls” (like CCV’s fudge babies – chocolatecoveredkatie.com) and the food processor really helped 🙂
That sandwich looks good though 😀 mmm
What kind of dates did you use for your lara bar? I’ve found that Medjool dates are really good for that sort of thing, they are really sticky and somehow sorta melt and conform like you’d expect… I was using Deglet Noor dates and they just didn’t produce the same soft sticky texture you hope for.
If you can find Medjool dates, give them a try, you’ll be glad you did. 🙂
wonder what might result from throwing pb j lara mixture into the bullet for a couple pulses and then forming them into bars, balls, what have you. havent tried it, but theres potential, no?
MA
lilpauladean.wordpress.com
im excited for the olympics! kind of bummed gymnastics isnt on tho 🙁 thats my fav!
your bar sounds great!!
Haha i love that you tried to re-create a larabar in the same sort of fashion that i could see myself trying… That is definitely what it looks like the lara-people are probably doing at their little factory. So easy, yet so complicated… I am PSYCHED for the opening ceremonies tonight, but a little discourage as i was chosen to be a torch bearer about 30 miles north of Vanc. on Feb 5th and couldn’t afford a flight out there by the time i could book a ticket so i had to give it up. WHICH SUCKED. BIG TIME. oh well… I’m big into the ski/snowboard/speed skating events, are you going to be able to watch the opening ceremonies tonight or are you working?
I do that all the time by just lazily throwing stuff together, haha, and eat it with a spoon…. but if you throw it into a food processor it will grind it up so good that it will all stay together like a real larabar! 🙂
I’m suuupa excited for the olympics especially because I am from Vancouver and I’m going downtown for the Olympic ceremonies tonight 🙂 I love the starbucks cups to, very cute!
Hate to link drop but you want to make larabars, here:
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2009/08/nervous-nelly-makes-larabars.html
And here this is a better step by step. Look at the dough underneath the caption “grind again”, just stop before you add the cocoa powder, or add it if you want choco bars. Or add PB & Jelly. Or whatever. Here’s your base
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2009/11/5-minute-3-ingredient-dark-chocolate.html
That said i think yours look awesome girl!
xoxo
Oooh I love the idea of ‘cado + bbq.
You can totally make your own Lara bars! I make them for my mom all the time (and they hold up in the mail, too, apparently lol). Now that you have a magic bullet it will be simple–I will e-mail you a recipe 🙂 It is easy!
I just finished my 4th apple of the day…and the night is still young!
Courtney
Hi! I love your blog 🙂
I make my knock-off Lara Bars by putting everything in the food processor! Hope that helps!
I love adding stuff like cocoa powder and cinnamon (not together…though I’ve never tried it!) to add to the flava!
So excited for the Olympics!
And Larabar-making folks must be witches. How else could they make a little bar taste so delicious?!
Awesome attempt at a larabar! Props to you, and at least it tasted great, right?
And I so want that BBQ unchicken right now!
friday night action equals opening ceremony on the couch with popcorn.
done and done.
Tip for the Larabar – try blending all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender until it forms a dough ball. Then, smoosh to your preferred shape. 🙂 Hope that helps! Your ingredients were perfect, you just need the flavors to meld together better by use of something more powerful than a utensil or hand.
Watching the opening ceremonies right now, saw the Torch this AM on the roof of the hospital, and fireworks from my apt balcony. Stoked = officially! We are doing a Van meetup soon, you should join us when you are here!!
Sweet way to make your own Lara bar!!
I’m also loving the heart cups.
I love your lara bar method…way easier than busting out a blender/food processor. Same taste, less dishes. I like it.
I love the starbs heart cups – at least they make the over-prived java worth it.
I just went to Starbucks today and thought the heart cup was too cute! Not a huge fan of this holiday, but I thought it was cute. I’ve never had a Larabar before, I think I need to buy one.
(1) i love that you are an apple fiend.
(2) that larabar is priceless 🙂
Sometimes I get excited that I haven’t read your posts all weekend, so I have tons to look forward to and start my work week. Gracias Rubia!
A soy misto from Farbucks finally made it into my brown little hands this past Saturday as K and I took in a run from her place to the AT&T ballpark, a little over a mile, then made an appearance at the Safeway there and with our luck, there was a starbucks there! I give the misto an “A+”
yeah…i figured that would have been better, to be honest, i was just too lazy to bust out the bullet. i dont have a food processor 🙁
COOL!!!!!!!!!!! im so jealous that you have those kinds of views from your hospital. whens the meet up btw? im in lynden WA for the coming weekend, and we are heading in to vancouver on saturday. not too long, i know 🙁
exactly!! you get the method behind my madness 🙂
you are hilarious. so are you heading to nor cal that weekend then? can we do gowns in the city followed by soy mistos??
bravo and i have a love hate relationship. love the housewives, but they kill my ability to get anything done on my days off…dang it.
right? i mean, it tastes good, so who cares about the appearance?
i have a bullet, no food processor though…and yes, i knew that would prob be better but i was lazy.
i used medjools. they are the only kind of date i buy. i love them to death. sooooo sweet and mushy and yummy 🙂
i know…summer olympics have better events i think, but i love all the olympics regardless.
i cant even BELIEVE you had the option of being a torch bearer and couldnt do it. omg, i would have died. i was away for the opening ceremonies, but i tivoed them and have watched part of them so far…im going to vancouver this weekend, though 🙂 soooo excited!!!
thanks for the recipe court!!! i had a feeling my laziness with the baggie approach would be remedied by my readers 🙂
cocoa would be a great add in…good call. only prob is, i dont have a food processor – i know – its practically a CRIME! but i do have a magic bullet. i have to get un-lazy and give it a real shot.
i agree (about both comments)!!!