Meals from My Last Day in the Trenches

Yesterday I broke into the new (to me) Athenos spicy 3-pepper hummus I picked up from the store last week. It sure took me long enough, huh? I used it in quite an impressive sandwich, if I do say so myself:


One hard-boiled egg, one slice of reduced fat colby-jack, lettuce leaves and the hummus on a home-baked whole wheat & flax roll. Verdict: the hummus has less flavor and body than my usual, consisting mostly of a slow burn, but it actually made the sandwich taste better than usual! I could distinctly taste the cheese and egg--it wasn't swallowed up by a tangy spread. I was very sad to discover last night that that was the last of the rolls, and it was too late to make a new batch to repeat today. I was sad, that is, until I spotted a neglected bag of low-carb tortillas!

To take advantage of the unique nature of wraps, I packed half a grated carrot instead of the cheese and took the opportunity to use up the last edible bits of a head of romaine.



Somehow I was able to wrap the tower of veggies and keep it together long enough to stuff in my mouth.


Yumyumyummy! I followed this up with some mixed tropical fruit and a cup of Lady Grey tea that I stole from the librarian, who's on vacation. I had never had Lady Grey tea before, and it was unexpected citrusy. But oh-so-delicious...I may actually buy some myself when the Earl Grey runs out. Actually, I'll have to if I want to drink it again, because I won't have access to other people's drinks anymore. Three hours after this sammie I turned in my keys, took my severance gift card and waved goodbye to the institute. Maybe it's because it hasn't quite hit me yet, or maybe it's because this was a long time coming, but it didn't feel as momentous or "final" as I thought it would.

Anyway, here are some other eats of late:


Last night I made Szechuan fish stew for dinner again, and made good on my threat to add mushrooms. I used shiitake, and it made a world of difference! (To me, at least. Sweetie didn't seem to notice)

And this morning I polished off the last of my almond butter in a satisfying bowl of banana-nutmeg oats:


I had no worries about the empty jar in my sink, because I thought I could make a new batch tonight. Imagine my sorrow when I discovered I had no almonds left! I swear I had a couple of cups in the cupboard, but I must have just dumped the whole bag last time and forgot to put it on the grocery list :( So no nut butter for me until I get to the store. It's a good thing I have a secret stash of almond-butter-and-jelly rolls in the freezer that I made when I whipped up a batch of sausage rolls for Sweetie on Sunday, or I would have to suffer a nut-butter-less breakfast tomorrow.

Bunch o' Stuff in a Pan--Tandoori Edition

On Monday, Lele wrote about grilling up a Tandoori Tofu recipe which she found in Eating Well. Well. You should all know by now that I'm an incorrigible copy-cat.


I took it easy in the kitchen last night by making A Bunch of Stuff in a Pan and using the seasoning ideas from her Tandoori Tofu. I made a "rub" of olive oil, curry powder, paprika and black pepper, which I drizzled over a bowl of cubed firm tofu, half a carrot, and a small potato. After ten minutes in a 375° oven, I tossed the tofu and root vegetables and added broccoli and mushrooms and put the pan back for another ten minutes. Yumyumyum. I'm not a salad person, but roasted veggies are irresistible.

This morning was a rest day. Wednesday is usually my rest day, but I took it easy on Tuesday with a two-mile stroll and had plenty of energy yesterday. Not so much today. For one thing, I have an inexplicably irritated throat. I'm not sick otherwise, so I'm not sure what that's about. For another, the nasty neighbors have come back. I thought their music-blasting ended with the last strongly worded letter left by management, but they seem to have settled back into guitar-and-loud-"singing" equilibrium.

So this morning, I simply woke up and made my first bowl of cooked oats since last week before taking a long bath and heading to work.


After eating overnight pumpkin oats for a while, I had forgotten that cooking them in a whole cup of liquid results in so much volume! My batch of almond butter is almost gone. This would make me sad, except it means I can experiment with new recipes. I'm actually quite proud that it lasted this long. I made it about 9 days ago and have been eating it more or less daily. Two cups of almonds should have, by my Sparkpeople calculations, made about 10 two-tablespoon servings of nut butter. So my eyeball estimates of a good portion are pretty much spot on :D

By the way: did you know what else almond butter tastes really, really good on, besides oatmeal and life-changing parsnip fries?


Nut butter and jam ice cream! I only had this for dessert once last week, because I keep sitting around after dinner and craving Green Monsters instead. It's a real shame that my taste buds are so clueless as to request fruit and spinach all the time, because this ice cream combo is divine!

Be Prepared

My genetic makeup prevented me from joining the Boy Scouts when I was young. The parents put me in Daisies instead, which was totally lame. Cubs got to go camping and play tug o' war. We had poodle skirt day and decorated Christmas ornaments with glitter glue. After months of turning the stupid little pin every time I put my dishes in the sink, I crossed the plastic bridge to become a Brownie, took their cookies and never spoke to those people again.

At least the gender-segregated organizations saved me the embarassment of altering the motto for girls from "Be Prepared" to "Be Nice and Pretty," despite the fact that they were more interested in teaching the latter than the former. "Be Prepared" prevailed, which is fortunate because it's a very good motto to have. They really should put more effort into teaching young girls to "be prepared" for hardship. They should start out small, encouraging them to "be prepared" to open their birthday presents and find that Grandma bought Jade instead of Cloe. As they grow they can work up to being prepared for that day in middle school when your friends come at you with makeup in the locker room and laugh at you for having unshaved legs. Eventually they can move on to supposed best friends asking your crush out, opening the college rejection letter, stepping off a bus in a strange town where you know absolutely no one, totalling the car, upending years of work for a new life plan, graduating with zero job prospects....

Yet today, even after all that training to Be Prepared for the unexpected blips and bumps in life, I almost abandoned the Girl Sout motto by counting on my superiors to feed me. Today is Open House at the Institute. Open House usually means food: fruit and veggie trays, crackers with cheese, and maybe a little sugar in the form of home-baked brownies are the standard fare. I considered skipping my usual packed lunch and relying on the free sustenance, but Sweetie and my ultra-cautious nature counseled me otherwise. And it's a good thing they did, because there's no food here! For some reason, the librarian and my supervisor decided to display books instead of party platters.

While I pat myself on the back for brown-bagging it, though, I was not prepared to come up with new blog material. Those platters were supposed to be your eye candy for the day. Since I failed to supply your photo fix, I suggest you head to Fancy That, Fancy This for the most impressive-looking tea-spread I've ever seen.

Have you encountered unexpected setbacks lately? Were you Prepared?

Hack Chili

I've been completely unmotivated lately. The dishes are piling up, I haven't posted since the weekend, and this morning I barely eeked out 2 sixteen-minute miles. But since I subjected you all to the pity party on Sunday, there's no reason to reiterate my woes. Let's just say a few callous coworkers and the dreary, dreadful cold have done nothing to lift my mood.

Though I can't do anything about the coworkers, I could hack at the cold. As in, Hack Chili. Last night I wanted something to warm us up, and had promised Sweetie I'd try to recreate (and improve on) his father's chili sometime. However, chili takes a long time to stew. I was hungry. So we cut some corners.

-half a sweet onion, sliced
-half a pound of extra lean ground beef
-1 can red kidney beans, drained
-half a can chopped tomatos (would be a full, but Sweetie hates anything squishy and acidic)
-chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper
-fat free chicken broth

I sauted the onion, then browned the beef in the same pan. Poured in the beans and tomatos and went to town with the spices, and doused the whole thing in chicken broth to simmer down.


Chili in the Midwest is served over spaghetti. I think that's weird. Sweetie thinks I'm weird for eating it plain. Last night I obliged him.


I've had a habit of putting things over noodles lately; have you noticed?

Free from the shackles of his Hoosier expectations, I ate the leftovers straight-up for lunch today. Half of a sweet potato, microwaved for 5 minutes in a sandwich baggie, supplied my complex carbs.


I think it was much better without the noodles. For one thing, it was easier to eat. For another, I have a bad habit of wolfing spaghetti down. I usually make a conscious effort to eat slowly so I don't irritate my digestive organs, but if it has pasta in it, I say heart-burn shmart-burn. I ate it at a decent enough pace to taste it this time. Plus, it's prettier.


Now, I think the chili might ahve worked over the spaghetti if it wasn't Hack Chili, but honest-to-goodness stew. Though the picture of the pan shows a lot of liquid in there, it either evaporated or was absorbed into the meat/beans by the time it made it to the bowls. Maybe next week, when I'm unemployed playing housewife, I'll give it another shot in the slow cooker.

Sweet Potato Pancakes, with a Dollop of Angst

I've had the itch to make sweet potato pancakes for breakfast since Friday, when I learned such things existed through a Vitamin G post on a frozen variety. Today, with ample time and a clean kitchen to enjoy, I busted out the mix and root veggies and had at it.

-1/3 cup Hodgson Mills multigrain & flax pancake mix
-1/3 cup soy milk
-1/2 a medium sweet potato
-water

First I set the mix and milk in a bowl to set up. Then I nuked the half-potato for 6 minutes, until mashable. I scooped the innards into the batter and mixedmixedmixed until only a few flecks were visible. The process considerably thickened the batter, so I added water back in until it reached a spreadable consistency. Formed two cakes on the pan, cooked 3-4 minutes on each side, topped with homemade almond butter and maple syrup et voila: a Sunday breakfast to gloat about.

Unfortunately, that's about the only thing I have to gloat about right now. Warning: I'm about to go Werther on y'all, so if you prefer your Sundays to be Angst-free, do not hesitate to navigate away after making a mental note to eat sweet potato pancakes later.

Cuing whine-fest:

I've been having a tough time eating-wise, body-image-wise, and general happiness-wise for the past couple of weeks. I've been snacking a lot, feeling guilty about it, and fretting over my waist measurement. I've had to constantly buttress the fortress against extremist patterns of gorge-starve-exercise-repeat. Last night, my body hatred reached its peak when I had a bad reaction to the Fage yogurt--this isn't "Ugh, I hate my thighs" hatred, but "Damn my damaged, captious, weak mess of a physique" hatred. I'm always sore just from walking a few miles each day. I'm always hungry, but if I eat more my weight shoots up and I'm already on the upper border of a normal BMI. I'm always sick despite two rounds of omneprazole and several doses of Maalox every day. I just want it to stop so I can be healthy and active and carefree like everyone else.

Part of this, of course, can be attributed to that fun time of the month. Another part can be attributed to Grass-Is-Greener Syndrome, because I'm sure even the "I run ten miles just for fun" types struggle up the stairs afterwards. But I think the core of it is stress. Well, the lactose intolerance doesn't have anything to do with stress, but the soreness, irritability, and self-flagellation certainly do.

I worry over my looks when something else is bugging me. I know this because when I see my reflection in the mirror, I think "Pretty!" Then, within seconds, I seek out reasons to put myself down. "Well, I'm probably not actually pretty. Other people wouldn't see me that way. My nose is too flat. My waist is very thick when you look at it from the side. My rib cage is larger than it should be for my height, I have these disproportionately small breasts and oh, these hips...Yes, definitely not as pretty as other girls my age." I'm obviously very determined to find support for my predetermined negative assessment. Why? Because it's a good time-and-energy-consuming activity to distract me from the elephant in the room.

That elephant: money. Moneymoneymoneymoney. Or more specifically, the lack of it. I've moaned about my poverty in the past, but it was mostly hot air because I live pretty well and had a job. After this upcoming work week, I will not. And I can't find a new one. I've been scouring the usual resources for the past month, sending out applications and resumes, and do not have a single solid prospect. I had that one interview on Thursday, but to be honest, if they offer me the position I would really, really like to say no. They impressed upon me the tedium and misery I would endure in that position--it would literally be 15 hours a week of copying and pasting from one record to another with no brain activity required. And it would only bring in $400 a month, which isn't even enough to cover the rent.

I do have generous parents who have been quick to send assistance when needed, but I also have pride. I'll be taking on $20k in debt for tuition pretty soon...$40k if my application for state residency is denied. I also have brothers who need to be supported too: one already in college and another graduating from high school in a month. $5000 is the most my parents can give per semester. That's already more than I'd like to take, and it just isn't enough. It would be if Sweetie could work, but he already gets five hours of sleep each night after poring over books and hacking away at programs. I'm often tempted to resent being the only source of income, but the idea is that after he graduates, he'll make more than I could ever dream of as a librarian. He's a long-term investment.

But the promise of wealth two years down the line doesn't negate the truth that when we come back from Japan at the end of May, I will be jobless. I do not have the security of knowing how we will pay for room and board over the summer, or even through fall. And how do I deal with this lack of security? I eat. And then I feel sick. And then I punish myself. And in the end, the problem has been left untouched.

The ultimate truth, unfortunately, is that it isn't a problem that can be touched right now. All of the jobs advertised are meant to begin in May, when we'll be out of the country. I can't reasonably expect employers to hire someone who won't show up until June. So the only thing I can do is make mental peace with it. That's much easier said than done when the bursar is sending notices that $6,000 is due by May 10th and the rent will increase in a few weeks...but I'll just have to tap those lessons from my weekend at the Zen Mountain Center in my teens. Ignore the Others. Ignore the Others.

Beef and Bok Choy Hot Pot

During this morning's errands I continued last week's effort to pick out Things I've Never Tried Before. Here are some risky introductions to my refrigerator shelves:


Clockwise from 45°: rhubarb, shiitake mushrooms, Athenos spicy three pepper hummus, and bok choy (Edit: this is actually Napa cabbage. Kroger labeled it wrong ;-;). The rhubarb I've been meaning to pick up since I stumbled upon a delectable recipe for compote on Tea & Cookies. The Athenos was on sale for less than my regular Fountain of Health brand, and I went out on a limb for the super-spicy version. The shiitake and bok choy Napa cabbage were pawns in a grand master plan...

Beef and Bok Choy Hot Pot


While perusing Cooking Light for some new recipes to add to the nightly rotation, I found this one that could not be ignored. Beef, carrots, greens, rice vinegar, soy sauce and noodles all in one bowl? Yes please!

-1/2 pound beef for stewing, cut in chunks (Bonus: the kind I found today was precut!)
-1 cup water
-1 cup beef broth (I cheated and used chicken because it was in the fridge)
-3 tablespoons rice vinegar
-3 tablespoons soy sauce
-1 tablespoon mirin (originally sugar, but mirin's yummier)
-garlic and ginger powder (or the fresh versions, if you're an overachiever)
-several leaves of green onion, chopped
-handful of shiitake mushrooms, sliced
-1 large carrot, sliced
-2 cups bok choy Napa cabbage, chopped (about 4 big leaves, with the hearts discarded)
-1 bundle udon noodles

I followed the directions on the Cooking Light site, browning the beef before adding the water-through-ginger and green onions and simmering for 1.5 hours. About 20 minutes before the time was up, I began preparing the udon. At minus 15:00, I added the mushrooms. Five minutes later I added the carrots, and five minutes after that the bok choy. I drained the udon and topped immediately with the stew, fitting as much of the liquid into our tiny bowls as possible.


I swear there are noodles hiding under there!


See? There they are.

In everyday conversation, I would never use the word "scrumdidlyumptious." But I say it here with pride. This soup was incredible. The vinegar was a lot more pronounced than I thought it would be, which turned out to be very rich and addicting. Sweetie actually requested that next time (and there will be a next time, because the other half pound of stewing beef is in the fridge) I use less, because it was too flavorful.

My taste buds were fully satisfied, but my stomach wasn't quite. I had spent the hour and a half waiting on the soup cleaning up the kitchen, laundering the sheets and making a batch of cranberry walnut granola, because it seems to be granola season around the foodie blogosphere. Everyone's chowing down on the Galaxy stuff, but I have a thing about buying cereals for more than $5 a bag (okay, I actually have difficulty paying more than $2). I used my usual recipe of 2 cups oats, 2 tablespoons flax, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons canola oil, 1/3 cup water, and tons of cinnamon/nutmeg/ginger, in the oven at 350° for 20 minutes. I also threw a half cup of walnut pieces onto the pan during baking and a half cup of Craisins in at the end. For dessert, I piled a handful on top of a container of Fage 0% greek-style yogurt which, incidentally, was also on sale this morning.


The silver lining: greek yogurt is a lot tastier, and a lot less sour, than I remember. My granola turned out perfectly crunchy and sweet, and I gobbled this beauty down like it was chocolate mousse.

The big, billowing cloud: any notions I had of finally conquering my stomach issues were revealed as the delusions they were. I should be able to tolerate this, right? All the websites say people with lactose intolerance should be okay with yogurts, especially the strained ones. It has very little whey. It's nutrient-dense, it's wonderful, no true health blogger could live without it...so what the heck are my internal organs revolting for? You're fine with cheese, aren't you, so why deny me my Fage? I hate you, genetics. I hate you.

Licorice Winner! (And a yummy egg sandwich)

I lied. I didn't draw a winner at midnight like I said I would...because although I may inhabit the body of a healthy 22-year-old, I'm actually the spirit of an ailing retiree who plops into bed at 9:30. But that doesn't make a difference in anything but the time you'll be notified of the winner, because nobody entered after Thursday morning. Sad. I was hoping to capture some more souls this time around. But I am halfway to my goal; the official follower tally is now 5!

Each enteree had a 33% chance of winning, because my mother was disqualified by dint of requesting to be disqualified. So from the numbers 2 to 4, the random generator chose....


#2: Katie at Health for the Whole Self! She'll soon be able to honor her cravings for licorice samplers and strawberry wheels ;)

In other news, I started today off with the prettiest little egg sandwich I've ever assembled.



It's a simple egg over easy with a slice of slightly melted colby jack and green onion snippings on a whole-wheat-and-flax roll. It took about 2 minutes to make, but tasted almost as decadent as my half-hour oatmeal creations. Hopefully the protein and fats will hold me over through a morning of icky errands. The bank, the pharmacy, the recycling center and the grocery store are all on the list...plus I have designs to look for shorts at Goodwill.

Last night I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror in my underwear and said (yelped, actually) "Where did my cellulite go?" I was watching a segment on the Today Show yesterday about Four Shorts Looks That Will Fit AND Flatter Your Shape!, and the Glamour editor maddeningly insisted that petite girls should wear short shorts to lengthen their legs. That made me sad because I don't have the thighs to pull that off...or at least I thought I didn't. Apparently my walking/running routine has been doing its job! Yay! Now, I'm not going to repeat the skanky summer of '07 (why Sweetie was willing to commit to me when I was walking around like that, I don't understand), but some shorts a little higher than the knee-length cover-alls in my dresser may be in order.

By the way: if you want another chance to win some yummy yummies, Amanda over at Train Your Life is giving away Chobani greek-style yogurts!

Pumpkin Pie for Breakfast; Szechuan Fish Stew for Dinner

My first attempt at overnight oats was abysmal. But with a few tweaks, I may have found a new "cooking" method that saves me time and pan-scrubbing labor!

Yesterday I had to get up earlier than usual to get to an interview on campus before 8, because any later than that I wouldn't be able to find parking. Tensed fast-paced morning = perfect day for another shot at overnight oats. The night before, I put together:

-1/2 cup oats
-1/2 cup light soy milk
-1/3 cup pumpkin puree (yes, I deliberately kept a can around from Thanksgiving '09)
-cinnamon, nutmeg

7.5 hours later it had gelled into this beauty:


Cranberries and walnuts on top, because I had overdosed on almond butter the day before. I ate it cold; it was like pumpkin pie for breakfast! And it was fuss-free, which gave me plenty of time to gussy up.


I take my gussying very seriously. And yes, that is an oven mitt in the foreground.

The oatmeal was such a success that I decided to repeat it this morning, even though I didn't have to. This time I added a splash of maple syrup and warmed the bowl in the microwave before eating, because it's stormy outside:


I suffered almond butter withdrawal yesterday, so it reclaimed its rightful position. This bowl was even better--I'm not sure if it was the warmth or the syrup, but it worked!

Other than my beautiful breakfasts, I have to give a nod to the second best meal of the day: dinner. I would be a big-lunch small-dinner person, but as a desk-bound American I can't cook properly or eat leisurely midday. I have to save concoctions like this for evening.


This is a deceptively mild-looking Szechuan Fish Stew. The tilapia fillets I was forced to buy at the store were sub-par (Me: "I always buy the kind with the flag. Where's the bag with the flag?" Sweetie: "Just get the Kroger. It's fish; it shouldn't matter which bag its in." For the record, it apparently does). So I've been finding clever ways to mask its inferiority, like breading and frying. Last night I took a Blitzkrieg approach: douse it in spice spice spice.

-half a sweet onion, sliced
-two tilapia fillets, cut in chunks
-chicken broth
-Szechuan sauce
-soy sauce
-garlic powder

I sauteed the onion in a pan sprayed with canola oil, then lightly browned the fish. I doused the pan in about a half cup of chicken broth, a splash each of Szechuan and soy sauces, and just a touch of garlic powder, brought it to a boil, and simmered until the fish was flaky (about 5 minutes). Poured over rice, it was the tastiest fish stew I've ever had. Which was easy to accomplish because it's the only fish stew I've ever had, but we won't dwell on that point. I think it would have been even better with mushrooms, but we were out.

Before you navigate away from this site, don't forget to enter my first-ever licorice giveaway! I have 4 comments so far...which is 4 more than usual...but only 3 count because one was from my mom. You have until midnight tonight to earn some Haribo strawberry wheels and Licorice International sampler!

Licorice International: My First Winnings and My First Giveaway!

Yesterday Sweetie missed the bus to school because he was working on a presentation that was due that day. Unfortunately, that bus was supposed to deliver him to the class that presentation was for. So I took off work for a half hour to fetch and deposit him at the appropriate academic building. Usually, I would be annoyed. But Sweetie cleverly staved off any strife by whipping out this:


My winnings from the Licorice International giveaway on Foodie Blogroll! I was tempted to rip open the box right away, but I hadn't had lunch yet. As much as I love candy, I learned at the age of 9 after one Saturday soccer game that it is a very bad idea to eat it on an empty stomach. I dutifully ate some real food first:


Chunky chicken and corn chowder and a sweet potato (microwaved for 6 minutes in a sandwich baggie with a little water--I think I actually liked it better this way than roasted! The travesty!)

Then the ripping ensued. The box was packaged with some flyers....


Hey, a coupon! It says "$1 off your purchase of $10 or more." There's also an online promotion for 10% off any order if you use the code MJ10 by July 31st, an advertisement for a weekly contest on the Licorice International Facebook fan page for $15 gift cards, and an offer for the Licorice-of-the-Month Club. For $220, "Club members receive two regular-sized packages and an extra sample package each month of the year." Which is basically the package I received!

Speaking of the package I received, let's get into the actual goodies. Some black Haribo licorice wheels from Germany:


And their strawberry counterparts:


The "extra sample package" came with a hand-written note:


I didn't know they were known as the Licorice Ladies. I want to be a Licorice Lady....


You have 5 seconds to guess which package I dived into first.



Note 1: I was going for a happy face, but I always turn out scary on film.
Note 2: I have way too much hair. It actually got caught in the fan of my blowdryer the other day. Scary stuff. Must make salon appointment.

Okay. Now the part you've been waiting for. I have generously decided to share my bounty with you wonderful readers in my first giveaway. I offer you:

1) Half the bag of strawberry licorice wheels! I'm a snob for the pure numb-your-mouth kind, with no time to spare for the fruity knock-offs. The other half has been pledged to relatives, but a quarter pound of candy is nothing to scoff at.

2) The sampler package. I'm not a sampler person--mostly because I want to try them all at once and shouldn't just sit there gobbling down a bag of candy. It looks like there are some licorice Jelly Bellies, some Good 'n Plenty lookalikes, some gum drops, and some licorice-flavored hard candy discs.

3) If the winner so chooses, I'll also send that $1 off coupon, because it's meant for use in-store and I live nowhere near Lincoln, Nebraska. If the winner doesn't live there either, I'll just fold the paper into something pretty so it doesn't go to waste :p

How to win the delectible package? Most people are boring and just let you type some words into the box below this post to win free stuff. I, on the other hand, will take advantage of you to fulfill one of my Bucket List goals: amass 10 followers! If you use Google blogger, become a follower of The Amateur Nutritionist and leave a comment to get your name in the pool. If you already follow me, leave a comment to that effect (and the beauty of this system is, I'll know if you're lying :p) If you use Wordpress or don't keep a blog at all, just leave a comment...um...complimenting my beauty. Or my eloquence. Or any other brand of groveling. I flatter easily.

I'll choose a winner by random number generator tomorrow at midnight, because I think it's lame when people leave like 5 days between announcing a giveaway and actually picking someone. Then I have to remember to check. If there are only 2 comments by then, so be it. That means your chances of winning are higher, eh?

Oatmeal Cookie Energy Bars

Today, being Rest Day Wednesday, I slept in and put together a leisurely bowl of cranberry and nutmeg oatmeal topped with a big scoop of my homemade almond butter. I took photos on the windowsill to take advantage of the natural sunshine.


Unfortunately, there are hazards to taking photos in an area unofficially owned by another resident of the apartment.


The photo shoot did not last long...nor did the bowl of oats. Verdict on the almond butter: it didn't melt like peanut butter, which I attribute to the fiber, but it did have a distinct sophisticated flavor. I had to pay close attention, though, because the cranberries and soy milk and other things in my oatmeal were stronger. Peanut butter jumps around for attention; this just lazed around in the backround waiting for me to take notice. I think it's not bad for my first plain batch--if I get up the courage I could add flavors like maple or spices or seeds to pump it up next time.

On to the subject of the title:


Yesterday I left you with the above photo. If there's one thing I've learned from cheap television, it's that you should always end with an aggravating cliffhanger. Especially if it's the season opener or finale--if those viewers aren't agonizing for three months over an enormous life decision (will she choose Henry or Gio?) or dramatic new character reveal ("And you must be...the woman who's been screwing my husband"), how can you be certain they'll turn the television on again in September? How can I be certain people come back to this blog if I don't string you along shamelessly with pictures of mouthwatering baked goods?

Well, be strung no more, for I shall provide the recipe for these cinnamon-infused treats and let you finally move forward with your lives.

Oatmeal Cookie Energy Bars
-1/2 cup walnuts
-1/2 cup flax seed
-1/4 cup whole wheat flour
-1/2 cup dates
-1 cup oats
-cinnamon, nutmeg
-vanilla extract
-1 medium egg
-soy milk
-1/2 cup raisins

Pulse the first four ingredients, along with half a cup of the oats in your blender or food processor until crumbly. Empty the mixture into a bowl and add the rest of the oats, cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. Break in the egg, splash in the vanilla, and add the soymilk a tablespoon at a time until the dough clumps together. Stir in the raisins. Spread in a sprayed 8x8 pan.


Bake at 350° for 15 minutes, until the edges have browned and the center is set. Cut into 9 squares and cool.


Nutritional workup:


Ah. Good fats, fiber and protein...plus half your daily alotment of manganese. That, and it seems like you're eating a giant spicy-sweet cookie for only 11 grams of natural sugar. Woot.

Basic Roasted Almond Butter

I'm very snacky today. Despite reasonable, regular portions for breakfast and lunch, I was starving all afternoon at work and had to keep my hands out of the bosses' food stores by chain-chewing sugar-free gum. Even after coming home and chowing down on this:


I could not be saved from the grip of The Munchies. This delectable stir-fry was chased by a Green Monster, a square of 85% Lindt, frozen grapes, and this:



Candy. Crunchy candy. I would have infinitely preferred these clearance mini Luna bars if they were the chewy kind instead of the puffed soy nuts kind.

But even after all of that, I was still a bottomless pit. Then I had a bright idea. What better way to sneak in more snacky calories than to make something new that requires lots of taste testing? Example: my first batch of almond butter!

I used the last of my peanut butter this morning, and don't want to have to make a run to the grocery store just for my life blood another jar. Plus, making homemade nut butter is #64 on my Bucket List. I got to work by roasting about two cups of nuts that have been hanging around my pantry since my first rendition of the Ellie Krieger energy bar. I coated them lightly with canola oil and salt, and placed them in a 350° oven until they were fragrant (about 7 minutes).


Before VitaMix:


After Vitamix:


I added a little more canola oil at the end—about a half teaspoon?—because the butter wasn't quite smooth enough for my liking. I stored the batch in a small old Kroger PB jar.



Minus a few fingerfuls, of course. The fingerfuls were deeeelicious, but I'll let you know how it holds up when it really matters (in oatmeal) tomorrow.

While I had the oven on and dry Vitamix container out, I also made a few of these:


Oatmeal Cookie energy bars! Recipe forthcoming tomorrow, because if I gave up everything at once I wouldn't have enough material to write about every day.