What I Ate Wednesday

August 31, 2016

What. A. Wednesday. Ahh you guys I’m freaking out because I just bought my first ever Vitamix aka the best blender ever created aka smoothie maker of the gods aka my new bff starting meow. Ok, ok I’m getting ahead of myself, lettuce chat on this lovely What I Ate Wednesday.

Split a banana before the gym, a habit I don’t think we’ll ever get over.

Breakfast was a pretty decent smoothie. Frozen mango, peaches, and banana, plus Vega Tropical protein, kale, spirulina, and turmeric. The flavors were good but it was particularly chunky and gritty. I’m anticipating a much better smoothie this morning when I use my VITAMIX. EEK!

My day at work flew by due to meetings spaced out in weird intervals. This fact caused me to forget to take any picture whilst at the office… Fail. But you better believe this creature of habit had an apple as a mid-morning snack.

I had a lunch meeting with catered food, which is always a gamble for me. They didn’t have any veggie options but I knew better than to count on food and had packed a simple salad. Yayyy for being prepared.

Sad new, my salad kept me full for approximately 20 minutes… Womp. I munched on some snacks I dug out of the stash in my desk, an old limited edition Larabar and some Skinny Pop. Snacking like a champ…

For dinner, I roasted some eggplant and steamed some Japanese sweet potatoes, drizzled my plate with some tahini and plopped a dollop of hummus on top of the whole shebang. Boy oh boy, is that one ugly plate. Good news is it tasted delicious.

After scarfing my meal down at record speed in order to get out the door to pick up my new baby blender, we were on our way. We had to run a few errands including the international grocery store and Whole Foods. I sipped on a kombucha and ate a few fresh figs while I unpacked the new appliance, cleaned and tested it (on a vegan cheese recipe!), and tidied up the kitchen for tomorrow’s smoothie fun.

A Vitamix is a huge investment that I have been saving for over the last few months. I can honestly say, just from the one use that is the best blender I have ever had. The pieces are flawlessly designed for a user-friendly experience, there are no complicated parts, and the results are unquestionably the best I have EVER seen. I currently have three blenders (I know, I know…) and have gone through others within the last three years and I’ve never seen such smooth, creamy results. I can’t wait to see what else is possible with this beast! Stay tuned and stay smooth my friends!

Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup

August 29, 2016

Cucumbers are so abundant this time of year, people are practically giving them away. In fact, there is a mystery produce fairy at work who fills a bucket by the backdoor with homegrown leftovers. I bought a basket from a farmer at the market for a dollar and pureed them into a refreshing Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup.

I’m a soup fanatic. [Evidence here, here, and here.] Soup is SO easy, so versatile, and always comforting. Small problem though, it’s hot out. August’s oppressive humidity certainly doesn’t invite a big bowl of warm, steamy stew. But cold soup…? Sounds bizarre.

I’ll tell you what, there’s nothing odd about this soup. In fact, it is so right in every way. It’s refreshing, creamy, tangy, smooth, decadent, and light.

As mentioned, soup is a cinch to make. And you know how I made this soup even easier? You don’t even have to turn on the stove. No sautéing, steaming, or simmering makes this soup simply… Simple.

Soup’s on!

Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes

Yield: 4-5 servings

Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup is the solution for those who love soup but don't want to sweat to death in the summer heat! Simple, crisp, and light, it's packed with cool summer flavor!

Ingredients

3 large cucumbers, peeled
3 avocados
½ cup yogurt (I used plain Silk)
1 cup water or vegetable stock
½ lime, zest and juice
¼ tsp. each garlic, onion powder
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. white pepper
Optional garnishes: more yogurt, cilantro, chopped cucumbers, corn

Instructions

Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Roughly chop into pieces and add to blender.
Remove pit from avocado and scoop flesh into blender. Add remaining ingredients and puree for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth. Chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, top with optional garnishes, and enjoy!

http://areyoukitchenme.com/chilled-cucumber-avocado-soup/

What I Ate Wednesday

August 24, 2016

Helllloooo honeys! I can’t tell you how happy I am to hit humpday. It’s been a heck of a week and I’ve got some yummy eats to show you on this What I Ate Wednesday.

Now that I’ve mostly beaten the foul cold that took me down last week, we’re back in the gym routine and it feels sooooo good. Of course, had to fuel up with a banana.

For some reason, I sort of fell out of love with smoothies for a hot second…. Don’t worry, it lasted like 28 seconds and I’m right back at it. Today’s blend had banana, mango, beet greens (I can’t throw anything away), Vega protein, and lotsa almond milk. It was so yum!

Sipped on some decaf coffee with a splash of coconut creamer.

I had a lunch meeting and we hit up the Walrus, because it’s super close to the office. I had the sweet potato tacos. Because Taco Tuesday. And tacos always.

A little after lunch, my day at work took a serious backslide. To avoid a meltdown, I packed my computer and papers up, headed home, and plopped myself down on the front porch. I wasn’t all that hungry but I wanted something to munch on so I grabbed some seaweed snacks. Weird emotional eating snack? Probably…

After John got home and I vented and yelled and cried and got all my Negative Natalie energy out, he decided to take me to dinner. We went to our go-to, the Crest. I still didn’t have much of an appetite so I ordered their house salad with some fried tofu on top. So simple but SO delish.

After a nice walk, we finished Stranger Things (OMG you guys) on Netflix and I snacked on some fresh figs and peanut butter. And then straight to bed for this sleepy puppy. Next time you have a long, crummy day, treat yourself to some raw emotions, delicious eats, and anything else that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Like peanut butter.

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