Enemy.
(Grrrr…why won’t you open sesame pistachio!!!) I have busted many a nail trying to crack open these tight lipped mothahs! Not cool man. Not cool. The shells make them hard to inhale as fast as my tummy wants them. Maybe it’s good thing? Nah.
Friends. :) Super happy yummy eats.
In case you didn’t notice (and really, why would you…), I’ve been (kinda) avoiding the pretzel wagon as of late. It was sorta on purpose after my ridiculously uncontrollable behavior with the last few bags. It actually has more to do with the $$ than with the chow sessions. Eating a family sized bag in one sitting just doesn’t work with my budget, and there was no in between. As such, I made it a point to avoid that particular aisle in WFs and after what has felt like an eternity (aka a month or so), it finally made it’s way back into my shopping cart. Let’s see how long it lasts :-?
Are there any foods that you cannot buy due to lack of self control? I certainly hope it’s not just me…
Anyways, today was day 3 of 3 in my long stretch. TGIF felt like the understatement of the year (t’was not an easy breezy day).
Roughage. Roughage. And moooooore roughage. I heart fiber!
My salad tupp had spin, brocc, delicata squash, chickpeas, and dried cranz. It was a perfectly edited salad. Tim Gunn would be proud.
My foggy baggy contained pretz, pepitas, pistachios, cashews, gojis, raisins, and I can’t remember what else.
Also on the menu, 18 Rabbits Funky Figs and Cherries Granola Bar. I first heard about this company through a friend (who still resides in my home away from home – San Francisco). Unfortunately, they are hard to come by in NYC, so Zack was nice enough to send me a few to try out.
Sweetness! For the NYers out there, they can be found at some Dean & Deluca locations.
I decided to try the Funky Figs and Cherries flavor first because I liked the name and the flashy purple wrapper. Hey advertising peeps, these things do work!
Wheat free, dairy free, very low sodium, no refined sugars, non-gmo, no trans fat, etc. The ingredients are the best of the best. Veritas granola, oats, coconut, maple syrup, safflower oil, org. flaxseed, walnuts, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, cacao nibs, tapioca syrup, chia seeds, and rice bran.
Me likey.
It tasted like a cross between healthier version of an Odwalla super protein bar and a sweeter oatmeal raisins Gnu bar. It was like an oatmeal cookie with a very subtle nuttiness (as in I could actually detect them, but they didn’t scare me off). Plus it was bigger than both the aforementioned bars and had the perfect breakability for at-work-consumption. Basically, they are amazing, and I now have yet another reason to move back to CA.
Work kinda sucked the big one today. I really had to have mega patience with my patients, but I made it out alive (and so did they), so it’s a win all around. Altered mental status is one of my least favorite phrases when getting report…multiply it by 3 and you have quite a handful. What got me through it all was when was one of my patient’s family members told me I had the patience of an angel and I was truly a gift from God. Well shucks. You can’t really be anything but heavenly after a compliment like that. I should try to remind myself of that more often when people are ripping out their IVs and chest tubes…maybe it will help me not pull all my hair out. Maybe.
I rewarded myself for surviving with this huge veggie beast. Way way wayyyyy under there was spinach…along with edamame, corn, dried cranz, red bell pepps, and a whole sweet potato (steamed a few days before). I hosed it all down in Bragg’s liquid aminos (what else?).
Roughage never gets old.
Dessert was pure laziness.
Times 4.
I don’t even want to think of how many servings it actually was because, well, that’s just not my style, but also…I think it would be disturbing.
All the milk was sloshing in my tum, but somehow I managed to get to sleep. It may have something to do with the fact that working 36 out of 72 hours is seriously exhausting. Srrrrrrrriously. And on that note, happy weekend 🙂
You’re not the only one who has to avoid aisles, girl!! I feel like there’s more that I won’t buy than I will buy due to my lack of restraint.
Once introduced to Peanut Butter and Co., I sped through jars at a rate of 2/ week! Boxed cereals, veggie chips, pretzel chips, and any type of candy doesn’t last more than a week in my house. I’m a nibbler. Plus they’re expensive…
Okay I can never find delicata squash. What the heck? My Kroger seems bent on only supplying butternut, acorn, and spaghetti. I must find this elusive dude!
Haha, it’s so good to hear that I’m not the only one that has to blackball myself from particular aisles… for example, after a self imposed hiatus on buying dates for the past few weeks, yesterday I bought a 1.5 pound bag of coconut date rolls…. and proceeded to eat THE WHOLE BAG for my afternoon snack! In my defense, I was so full that even after my night spinning class I didn’t want to eat anything the rest of the night, but still….
Also, you should feel so proud of yourself for that comment from your patient’s family. As an inner city school social worker, I have hard as hell days but RARELY get any kind of thanks from anyone. I assume both of us went into our professions for similar reasons – to help people and to make a difference – and quite honestly I’m jealous that you sometimes get those moments that let you know you are doing a great job. So, relish in that flattery, girl!
I do all of the grocery shopping for my family, so there arent really limits on what I can buy at the store, but I often try to buy the healthiest things for my family. For example we go through about 3 – 4 gallons of milk a week, so I have to buy skim milk or else we would be consuming ALOT of calories. But I have to limit myself from buying ice cream because it is a food that I will eat a whole container of in a little less than a week!!
I have zero control when it comes to sweets and pb! Chocolately things last microseconds in my household because of me haha
I am just so in love with your salad beasts. They are always so pretty Elise. Also, 4 mentally altered patients.. I do not know how you do it! I would be so worn out. I do not trust myself with PB although I thankfully can call it quits after a couple servings in a day. But I do not buy trail mix or chocolate chips because I could devour the whole container/bag in literally 2 days.
I’m going to blame the fact that i am stupid-tired that i laughed uncontrollably at your first pic and the caption. I will also blame the fact that i just tried to write out the word “hysterically” for about 3 minutes and finally spell checked it, yet still replaced it on my tiredness. I should not comment at 1:27. Those 18 Rabbits bars look freakin’ delicious and i am sure i will have trouble finding them, once again! Thanks for all this trouble you put me through hunting down food 🙂
I have no self control around jars of nuts. None whatsoever. It’s bad, because those little buggers are dense! I want some 18 Rabbits bars, but I guess I’ll have to trek to Dean and Deluca for them! Have a great weekend 🙂
My weakness is Stacy’s pita chips! Can. Not. Buy. I will eat them for hours!
I was going to post about Stacy’s pita chips too! Looks like Tracy and I have the same weakness…. 🙂
Medjool dates, seriously, I hate 3 lb of them the other day
🙁 That is $$ and no lie about 5000 kcal!
well, you are completely right in why i got into the job and (unfortunately) how thankless it can be 99.9% of the time. thats why this particular comment struck me so! i NEVER get such direct feedback (and straight to my face no less)
…i mean, usually i can sense the thanks from various patients’ families every once in a while and so i often try to focus on that and remember how it feels when i’m in hell with my patient load, feeling more stressed out than ever before. so yeah. i am relishing in this super sweet comment.
p.s. YOU are AMAZING for what you do and i want to make sure you know how much I recognize that…so keep that in mind to help you get through some of the bad days.
lucky you!!! it must be fun to shop for a family 🙂 sometimes at the checkout counter the checker asks if im buying for my kids…im like no, i make my own lunches and this is all for ME thank-you-very-much…
ps i hope midterms went well!
yeah, peanut butter is definitely another one of my weaknesses :-/ since kyle has similar PB love, we pound through tubs at an alarming pace!!
no joke, it was a crazy day. i had a patient take out his own IV twice, and that was just before 9 am…
anyways, PB = mayj weaknesssssssss. i havent been able to find carob chips in far too long…but maybe thats a good thing. i dont really like vegan choc chips as much
you crack me up. if (when) i move back to CA, i can be the enabler that keeps you hooked up 😉
omg. stacys is on my shit list for the next few months after my december costco family pack bag that i demolished in a week BY MYSELF. so unacceptable, hahaha.
you me and tracy all have similar issues (see above response)!!
oh man. i adore medjools. i used to buy 5 pounds out of the bulk bins and go to town, just calling it dinner. it was delish, but made me a bit on the gassy side – haha.
pb & co is SOOOOO expensive. i just cant indulge in that habit.
delicata are hard to come by lately, thats why the last time i found them i bought 3…whole foods is the only place i have seen them though. maybe a farmers market??
Loved all your eats!
It must be really exhausting to work so hard over the weekend..
You´re tough, girl!
🙂
Have an amazing Saturday.
Brazilian XOXO´s,
Gabriela
Aww…we always knew you were a gift from God 😀 Heehee. The Hummus Gods- sent to spread the message.
I can’t keep sugar free candy around, or instant hot chocolate. The candy I inhale (too much fake sugar = PAIN) and the hot chocolate I drink like water then wonder why I feel sick after 10 cups. Lol. I am also trying not to buy tzatziki because it doesn’t last 24 hours around me and it’s expensive 🙁
Did you make it to Westerley Market yet? I am 99% sure they have the 18 Rabbits bars 😀
I cannot buy pita chips, things resembling oreos or really any type of cookie that isn’t single-serving.
Are there any foods that you cannot buy due to lack of self control?
Ummm…are you kidding me?! Where do I start?! Too many to name, sadly 🙁 But right on the top? Medjool dates, dried figs, and persimmons (fresh). I know–I am really weird, but man…it pisses me off because those are, of course, all things that I LOVE, but I just cannot control myself around them and eat myself sick. Literally. I have issues, I know…sigh.
Courtney
Hi! I’m delurking!
I live in Brooklyn and I wish you did too so you could shop at the Park Slope Food Coop…it is a veritable MECCA of delicata squash, cheap-o bulk, and general product amazingness. I’ve been making millet because of you…and I also do mad food prep on the weekends. The steamer basket gets a workout. I love your blog and find your eats inspiring. Thanks!
You know, it’s a lot easier if you use your TEETH to crack open pistachio shells. 😉
I’ve seen those 18 Rabbits bars in Organic Market… figures I would have no trouble finding them, right? :p
<3 <3
You are one workin chica 😉
sometimes we all just a need a lil cereal!
thanks for the 18 rabbit bar review!! i liked your description of a cross between an Odwalla and Gnu! v. helpful!!
hope you weekend is going well, and thanks for the link for the blog-> book binding!!! 😀
I have no self control with cereal…I mean zero. One box is a serving, right?
I’m sure that your patients SO appreciate you. (I may have told you this once in a comment) – but I had to go to the hospital once, and the sweet nurse saved my sanity. I would have never gotten out if I didn’t have the nurse’s positivity and patience. God bless you.
Also, I want all your salads for work, always, every time. Seeing them never gets old and always inspires my daily packed lunches.
I have no self control with tortilla chips. If I have a craving, I buy a bag, make nachos or whatever I want and have to detroy the remainder of the bag. I know I will keep opening it up and randomly munching on pieces.
Those bars lookin intriguing! But not as intriguing as you AWESOME salads!
From one IBS sufferer to another, I am so glad I found your blog! I have been following you for awhile now and have enjoyed learning about the foods that seem to settle well on your stomach! I have always been reluctant to try any kind of bar but you have inspired me to take the plunge! I just bought my first ZBar (Chocolate Brownie) and am excited to test it out! I’ll let you know how it goes!
i can’t buy pita chips. just cant! they’re like crack to me. also i love how when you have a rough day, all it takes is someone to recognzie your effort and it’s like everything is worth it. totally smileworthy.
Your pretzel reason is why I do my very best to refrain from even setting foot inside WF! Never a meal under $15! But it’s sooo good…sigh.
I have minimal self control with cereal and Stacy’s pita chips. These seem to be common culprits. Also, I’m a neuro nurse, so I get handed patients with altered mental status veeerrry regularly. Personally, I get nervous about the phrase “pleasantly confused,” as I’ve had that one backfire on me a few times. I just finished 3 12-hour shifts of trying to keep people with GCS scores in the 13-14 range safe from themselves and their disease processes, so forgive me if I’m rambling due to extreme tiredness, but I wanted to drop in and say how much I enjoy reading your blog, and thank you a million times over for inspiring me to try out Greek yogurt–it’s amazing– and to experiment with my salad ingredients. Enjoy your days off!
I just laughed out loud because I had a patient today who I was told in report was “pleasantly” confused…and she was, but still, it’s such a funny phrase, and yes, it can backfire in a major way, too.
Anyways, thanks for the comment…I love love love hearing from other nurses.
Your review of that bar has my name all over it – breakability, cross between Gnu and Odwalla, and a big guy. Love.
My food I can’t buy do to lack of impulse control? Three words: Stacy’s Pita Chips.
hey girl!
i just wanted to let you know i about peed my pants when i read your complaint about the open sesame pistachio… little buggers, ain’t they?
ps – love your blog! keep it up! and my weakness is really any snackfood where i there’s only a little more than a serving in the bag… it seems so wasteful to wrap up that last few bites! (even though i dont need them… blast.)
– rebekah