Oh, that’s not how the saying goes? Well, that’s definitely how it went this weekend.

If you’ve not heard, the skies that hover above NYC—the same ones that just a day before had begun to resemble the likes of springtime—decided to open up wide and bestow a violent deluge upon its city.

Blackouts (not the recreational sort), floods and fallen trees, oh my.

Fear not, mis foodies. I’m safe. Such would be the prone outcome of spending the entire weekend en mi casa.

As soon as I realized that the outside mundo meant monsoons and the possibility of death by fallen willow trees (bet you didn’t know we had those in Brooklyn…), I made the executive decision to have a homebody fin de semana.

I did not make the executive decision to go on a baking spree. That just, uh, happened. (Likely, this was my subconscious attempt to lure social interaction into the comforts of mi casa. It worked, in case you were wondering. Slash I wanted to confirm that I did not eat all of the following comida on my own .)

It started off innocently enough with some non-baking.

As soon as I saw this recipe on Jessica’s site, I knew I needed to make it.

Chocolate banana bites? Bueno. It was the peanut butter topping that wooed me.

And rather quickly so.

I read her post at 6 p.m. on Friday. By 6:28 p.m., I’d decided to embrace my inner PB floozy and concoct those little bites of perfection. (I don’t have a freaky photographic memory [though I was infinitely envious of Cam Jansen during my childhood]. I know the exact time because I tweeted Jessica for some PB advice.)

Dark chocolate, peanut butter, banana bliss.

I’d highly recommend my peanut butter topping of choice: White Chocolate Wonderful. If you’ve ever tasted White Chocolate Wonderful, you know it tastes exactly like the inside of a Reese’s. Therein, you understand exactly why it took this little frozen bite to magically delicious heights.

For the full recipe—not to mention far more photogenic documentation of the chocolate banana bites—check out Jessica’s post. (Warning: If you don’t want to go on a baking spree like me, don’t peruse her recipe page.)

Post-banana biteage, I decided to take on baking (or, uh, sweets) project numero dos.

This came in the form of blondies. Because my propensity for chocolate is a very recent development in mi vida, I’ve always turned to blondies as my brownies substitute.

These days, I’m an equal opportunity employer. But I still have to play a little favoritism with mis blondies. After all, they saved me from being that kid who didn’t like dessert.

Dried Cherry Blondies

Adapted from How to Cook Everything

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. fine ground sea salt
• 1 cup dried bing cherries

Directions:

• Spray a 9×13 pan with baking spray, and pre-heat oven to 325°F.
• Melt butter and mix with brown sugar until smooth.
• Whisk in eggs and vanilla.
• Mix in flour and salt. Fold in dried cherries (or any other nut, dried fruit or chocolate additions).
• Pour into pan, and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Or, if you like a gooey center, doesn’t come out clean ).
• Let cool before cutting.

The nuttiness of the whole wheat flour and the sweet caramel flavor of the brown sugar combined with the tart chewiness of the bing cherries made it imposible to stop at one.

And because bing cherries are so plump and sticky, there were a few fortunate blondie squares that played host to cherry clumps. And a few fortunate foodies who got to bite into those wondrous clumps .

White Chocolate Wonderful may have made an encore appearance as frosting for a few of these—which, needless to say, worked brilliantly.

You’d think banana biteage and bing-filled blondies would’ve effectively sent me into a sugar coma. But you’d be wrong.

El baking continued.

Proyecto numero tres hailed, again, from the mind/sweet tooth of Jessica.

Seriously, I strongly advise against browsing her recipes unless you have a desire to (a) drool on your keyboard and then practice a masochistic amount of self-restraint in your decision to not commence baking or (b) drool on your keyboard and surrender to a baking bender.

Either way, mind your keyboard.

After mucho recipe perusal/droolage, I adapted her recipe for cream cheese chocolate chip cookies.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 2.5 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried bing cherries, chopped

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Mix butter, sugar, eggs and cream cheese together. Add vanilla and mix. Stir in flour and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and dried cherries.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes until edges are golden brown.

I basically kept the recipe the same, but tweaked the flour, cream cheese and sugar amounts to see if I could get a sweeter, more cream-cheesy cookie. (Many reviews I’d read of this recipe—including Jessica’s—said the cookie wasn’t quite sweet enough. And I, personally, adore all things cream queso so I knew I wanted to amp up its prominence.)

First things first—the batter was heavenly. It tasted like icing—which made it difficult to not eat spoonful after spoonful.

The cookies—despite the long list of naughty ingredients that went into them—were actually very light tasting. And their consistency was cake-like. (This, I think, was a result of my flour/sugar/cream cheese tweaking.)

They benefited greatly from a little icing action. I may have enlisted the leftover batter for icing purposes.

Oh, you’re not supposed to eat raw eggs? Oops.

And, again, White Chocolate Wonderful icing worked brilliantly.

You’d think my productivity in the kitchen—which, by the way, is the phrasing I’m using to describe this baking binge—would have extended into the realm of creating, um, more diabetic-friendly eats (read: real food). But, again, you’d be wrong.

While I had an uncanny motivation to wear my Pillsbury dough boy hat en la cocina all weekend long, I had no desire or energy to concoct any real food.

I blame the monsoon. You see, I knew that many New Yorkers were experiencing power outages—thus being forced to order in all of their meals. So, being the empathic chica that I am, despite having full power, I wanted to share the powerless sorrows of my fellow New Yorkers.

Yes, that must have been it.

I commiserated with a Mediterranean feast from First Oasis, where you’ve seen me eat before.

The feast commenced with the vegetarian combination platter.

Hummus

Babaganouj

With a pile of fluffy pita for dippage

Stuffed grape leaves and falafel

Ensalada

Also on the appetizer front…

Spinach Pie: Fresh spinach, onion, garlic, feta cheese, herbs, walnuts, spices, and olive oil baked in filo dough

Entrees included:

Chicken and lamb kebabs (none of this guy for me, though)

With rice and steamed veggies

And my personal favorite…

Mussakka: Fried eggplant, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, potatoes baked in tomato sauce w/ mozzarella cheese served w/ house rice.

AMAZING.

Sometimes you just need a night off from kitchen duties.

Sometimes you need two.

Ethnic feast numero dos, brought to you by Chopstix, included chicken dumplings, chicken and Chinese eggplant in garlic sauce and chow fun.

Takeout overload.

Come Sunday morning, I was ready to part ways with all things baked and taken-out. Yep, that sugar (slash general food abundance) coma finally hit me, and all I wanted was a big, comforting bowl of oats.

Enter Chai Latte Oats. This is a recipe I’ve been dreaming up ever since I first became enthralled by the art of concOATions (you know, oat concoctions).

Chai lattes have a special place in my heart because they were my cafe drink of choice before I became a coffee person.

Yes, the coffee monster that stands before you today once detested anything that hailed from or mimicked the flavor of coffee beans. College quickly changed that. But prior to acquiring coffee-friendly taste buds—courtesy of many all-nighters of coffee chugging—I always ordered a vanilla chai latte when I found myself in a “I’m the only one not drinking coffee” social situation.

But enough of my coffee and chai saga, I present to you…

Chai Latte Oats

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup oat bran (I used Hodgson Mill, my current favorite)
• 1/2 cup egg whites, whisked
• 1 and 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt, divided
• 1 bag Tazo Organic Chai tea
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp. ground flaxseeds
• container cinnamon

Directions:

• Bring almond milk and 1/4 tsp. sea salt to a slow boil in a saucepan and add teabag. Let simmer for 5-8 minutes, stirring to make sure a milk “skin” doesn’t form.
• Add the oats, oat bran, vanilla and honey and cook on medium low heat for about 8 minutes—or until your desired consistency is almost reached.
• Turn heat very low and slowly add whisked egg whites. Whisk in and cook on low for at least 5 minutes. When your desired consistency is reached, stir in flaxseeds.
• Transfer to bowl. Douse in cinnamon. Sprinkle with remaining sea salt. And add a drizzle more of honey, agave or another sweetener, if you want a super sweet chai bowl.

I know that seems like a ton of work for a bowl of oatmeal, but I promise you, it’s worth it.

The result? The creamiest, most flavor-packed bowl of oats ever.

The creaminess that surrounded the oats had the perfect balance of sweet honey and vanilla and spicy chai—and the cinnamon, honey and sea salt topping was the proverbial cherry on top.

(A side note: you know you’ve spent too much time photographing your comida when it begins gathering feathers…)

All mixed together—it became even more apparent that the texture of this oat bowl rivaled that of a thick rice pudding.

Verdict: chai latte oatmeal > chai latte.

I’m not sure exactly what made this bowl of oats so fantastic—I’m thinking the texture was a result of slow-cooking and the whisked egg whites—but I know that I am going to experiment with jazzed up (hello, perfect backdrop for dried cherries and golden raisins galore) editions whenever a lazy Sunday permits.

I urge you to do the same.

On that aggressive note, I’m off to spend el día with everyone’s favorite explorer. Happy martes, amigas!

Amor,

Sarah

I almost opted out of posting today porque I have to finish up several writing projects and some tarea before the weekend commences.

However, Google Analytics (my procrastination method of choice) just changed my mind.

Yesterday, 13 people Googled the term “carbzilla” and landed on my blog. Thirteen people. Seriosamente.

This, in itself, was too hilarious not to share. But, upon perusing yesterday eats, I realized that I really am a carbzilla.

I’ve always realized that I have a very carb-centric diet. (I blame this on my stint with the South Beach Diet in tenth grade. I’m pretty sure my body consistently demands carbs to compensate for that period of deprivation. Lo siento about that, cuerpo.) But yesterday was a full-blown carbzilla día.

Allow me to illustrate.

For desayuno, I really wanted to try out one of the many mouth-watering cottage cheese concoctions you all recommended.

Unfortunately, in addition to being a carbzilla, I’m apparently also a cottage cheezilla. On my first day of cottage cheese consumption, I polished off almost an entire container. All that remained was—maybe—a half-cup serving.

Obviamente not enough for a breakfast base.

And so I turned to carb numero uno del día: Oat bran.

This was, hands down, the most delicious and ridiculously filling bowl of oat bran I’ve ever had.

En el bol: 1/2 cup Hodgson Mill’s oat bran cooked in 1.5 cups water with one egg white, 1/4 banana, 1/3 cup pumpkin and 1 tbsp. cocoa powder. Topped with 1/2 cup cottage cheese and cinnamon.

I just started using Hodgson Mill’s oat bran, and it is inexplicably way more filling and voluminous than Quaker’s oat bran. The grains are also bigger and chewier—buenisimo!

This fantastic creation held me over perfectly ‘til almuerzo.

At which point, all I really wanted was más carbage.

To quote the notorious Regina George, “I can’t go to Taco Bell! I’m on an all-carb diet!”

I had a feeling it was going to be a día of veggie scarcity so I started with an ensalada before catering to my carby cravings.

En la mezcla: fresh spinach, cauliflower, butternut squash and grilled cebolla con seasoned salt and Newman’s Asian Sesame dressing.

Veggies? Check. Now bring on los carbs.

I realize this below bol is rather aesthetically underwhelming, but I promise you it was one of the most delicious savory oat concoctions that’s ever graced mi boca.

And you know I’ve been around the block on the savory oats front.

Cheesy Butternut Oats

La receta: 1/2 cup oats cooked in 1 cup water. Laughing Cow wedge and 1/2 cup mashed butternut squash stirred in during the last minute of cooking.

Bonita? No.

Deliciosa? Sí.

In my carbzilla defense, I did consume some fruta in the form of an undocumented apple and orange. They were eaten whole, in an entirely unphotogenic manner—which, if you’re a food blogger, you know grants you a get out of photographing free card.

I know that apples and oranges, too, are carbs. But these, mis foodies, are not the sort of carbs that earn you a reputation as carbzilla.

These are.

Meet my carby cena: copious carby couscous and carby cinnamony starchy sweet potato.

I thought about veggifying the couscous—but all I really wanted was a big bowl of grainy goodness.

With a simple side of sweetness.

A few bites in, some of the starchy sweetness joined forces with the gloriously golden couscous.

And then some glorious golden additions made their way onto the sweetness.

I will not apologize for my copious carbage porque it’s simply what my cuerpo craved.

Oh, and I had plans to drink dance the night away at an amazing Mayer Hawthorne concert. So I needed the carby fuel .

Post-concert, carbage continued. I may or may not have decided to bake a cookie pie at 2 a.m.

(FYI: Cookie pie is the term I use to denote any cookie recipe baked in a brownie pan.)

I found this incriminating evidence this mañana.

Worry not, there were leftovers.

This cookie pie happened to be of the oatmeal raisin chocolate chip variety.

I did manage a little healthification by using whole wheat flour, agave, golden raisins and dark chocolate chips .

On that carb note, I have to get back to mi trabajo/the rest of the cookie pie!

Are you a carbzilla? Have you ever ventured into the land of carb-restrictive diets? I’ll wear my carbzilla badge with pride because not only does my body crave carbs, it functions best when it’s carb content. I was miserable when I attempted the South Beach/Atkins way of life—and I ended up gaining weight. So, para mi, carbs do the cuerpo good.

Amor,

Sarah

You see, when cereal and I meet en la mañana, we always do the same old dance. I dole out far too large a serving. I enjoy the soggy deliciousness but find myself still hungry. I refill with with more “heart healthy” servings. I continue to enjoy the soggy deliciousness ‘til el estómago tells me she’s full. I proceed to get hungry an hour later.

This story plays out the same way every single time. So, by now, I should know that, para mi, cereal is snack—not breakfast—material.

Yet, when I peer into my pantry and spy a mysterious addition of Honey Bunches of Oats’ new Vanilla bunches flavor, I immediately commence taste-testing.

It just so happened that, yesterday, I spied this newbie first thing in the A.M. And so cereal for breakfast it was.

I attempted to change my standard cereal saga by eating out of my enormous new mugbowl—in hopes that pouring a larger than life portion would preclude my usual refillage.

I also added some organic dried bing cherries for a little healthification. A valiant nutritional effort, no?

This tactic backfired porque, as I said, my breakfast cereal saga always plays out the same way. Refills were had. Only this time, they were larger than normal since I made the brilliant call to eat out of a bowlmug bigger than my head.

Ah well, I embraced the necessity of refillage as an opportunity to try out a creation that’s been on my mind since it graced my Google Reader month’s ago.

This would be Amy’s brilliant cereal cake.

I always eat my cereal soggy (to the extent that I stopped eating Kashi Go Lean Crunch because it simply won’t soggify)—so when Amy suggested essentially marinating cereal in milk until it reached a cake-like texture, I drooled on my keyboard knew I’d fall in love.

The method: Allow your cereal to absorb the milk for a few minutes. Drink the remainder of the milk out. Marinate the seductively soggy cereal in the fridge for 10 minutes.

The result: Cereal cake perfection.

Cottage cheese, and now cereal cake? I’m falling in love with so many new-to-me double Cs.

By now, I should also know that grande breakfasts consumed shortly before pilates class makes for an uncomfortable hour of planks and rollovers.

Luckily, la profesora was the most entertaining Russian in all of Brooklyn. Yesterday, I found her particularly astute.

Mid-class, she said, “Come on, you can hold it for a few more seconds. You know you’re about to go home and eat a box of cereal.”

Way ahead of you, lady.

Come almuerzo, I concocted a beautiful ensalada.

En el bol: fresh spinach, roasted butternut squash, cauliflower, grilled onion and sun-dried tomatoes. Dressed in Newman’s Own Asian Sesame dressing.

‘Twas fantastic. The only problemo was that I really wasn’t in the mood for a salad. I only made it because I’m currently eating my way through a very produce-packed fridge.

By now, I should know that eating something I’m not in the mood for only necessitates a part dos of something I am in the for.

In this case, I was in the mood for something of the carby and hummusy nature.

I sought this out in a veggie burger.

On a sandwich thin: mucho Sabra, black bean and rice burger (frozen from way back when), roasted red peppers and kalamata olives.

Since I know you want to see it topless…

Mucho mejor. By now, I should know to always what you crave.

I ran with this lesson when I got snacky and, shocker, was craving carbs and queso.

Not just any carbs and queso, Snyder’s sourdough nibblers and Wensleydale cheese with cranberries.

I’ve always disliked sourdough anything—but apparently my transforming taste buds are really into these guys. Addicting.

My food affair with that incredible white stilton cheese, on the other hand, has a history. If you ever see this cheese in stores (I rarely do), get it. I promise, you’ll fall in love (with me and the queso).

That little plato was snacktastic. However, it was a bit of a foodie fail because there’s something else I should’ve known by now.

When you have plans to feast with a fellow foodie, you shouldn’t do your own pre-gaming.

Mostly because if your dining companion is truly a foodie, he’ll expect some pre-game action, too.

Mildly full from the queso, I somehow managed to try the pre-feast goodies that my fellow foodie brought over.

The first being Trader Joe’s Pomegranate & Blueberry Flakes And Clusters Cereal:

He recently picked this up and, having a pretty good gauge of my foodie taste buds, realized I’d be obsessed with it. I am. Another cereal I’ll have to add to the breakfast snack roster.

We also noshed on leftovers from an incredible turkey chili he made this week.

I looove chili but rarely eat it because I’ve never ventured into chili cooking. Anyone have a to-die-life chili recipe (preferably vegetarian)?

Ok, enough snackage. Let’s get to real cena.

We weren’t sure what we were going to make—but we knew it would involve this.

Oh, just some pomegranate arils and TJ’s dried cherries that had been marinating in a balsamic, pepper and agave medley for 24 hours.

I decided to make this magical mix the star of a couple ensaladas enormes.

In the mix: baby spinach, mozzarella, roasted cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, onion, celery, cucumber and the dried cherry + pom concoction.

There wasn’t quite enough marinade left to dress both of our salads, so I mixed some extra balsamic vinegar and agave for good measure.

BEST. SALAD. EVER. The noises I was making during the devouring process were really embarrassing/mildly inappropriate.

Next up, pollo!

Chicken breasts, also marinated in balsamic, pepper and pomegranate, and then pan-fried.

BEST. POLLO. EVER.

On the side, we had couscous. If you couldn’t guess, I’m going to go ahead and deem this the best couscous ever.

In all seriousness, this is my tried-and-true method for preparing couscous.

A tip to keep couscous on the lighter side: Never add the recommended amount of butter or olive oil while cooking. Its flavor will mostly get lost during the cooking process. To moisten and deliciously flavor your couscous, you need far less butter. And you can simply add it to taste to each serving.

A tip to fall in love with your couscous: There is no such thing as too much grilled onion.

Despite singing cries of fullness after finishing this feast, we were somehow ready for dessert an hour later.

Not so bonita because it had been previously “tasted” by mi padre and mi fellow foodie—but this little box took delicious decadence to new heights.

The goodies hailed from Cafe Lalo in NYC.

First up was a plum and pear fruit torte.

I’m not big on fruity desserts, but this was muy impresionante.

Not more so than la segunda: BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE.

I have a loyal love-love-love relationship with cheesecake, and this ridiculous creamy wonder definitely made it into my top five ever tasted.

Clearly.

Do you have any food lessons that you feel you should know by now? I’m not sure I’ll ever fully grasp the “cereal does not keep me full” thing—but at least learning, and re-learning, that lesson is a delicious experience .

Amor,

Sarah

Then I disappeared for dos semanas. To address this, I can do no more than quote the timelessly eloquent Stephanie Tanner.

Source.

Rude, indeed, mis foodies. But I am here now, ready to unhinge that cliff.

So what’s this exciting news that involves comida and vida?

Drumroll, por favor…

I’m going back to escuela to study nutrition!

I don’t know how exciting that seems to all of you, but I am puppy-love-top-of-the-Eiffel-tower ecstatic about this “next step.” I know that, with the exception of my about me page, I’ve not discussed my employment status or career plans much on the blog. This is mostly because I’ve spent the past few months ping-ponging between various “life plans,” tirelessly contemplating which one would best silence the redundant and boisterous “what do you want to do with your life?” mental nagging.

So what do I want to do with my life? I can’t answer that with any semblance of certainty, but I am sure that I’m taking a step in the right direction.

I truly hope so, any way, because tengo hambre.

En ingles, I’m hungry.

Given my foodie nature, I realize that this is not much of a revelation. I’m always hungry. Always. But, for once, I am not referring to my ever-present appetite. I’m referring to a non-food-related hunger.

I am starving for a career, for a life, that allows me to do what I love. What do I love? You all know the answer to this one. But, in the spirit of Gena’s incredibly insightful and inspiring post, I’ll profess a love I’ve professed many times before.

My name is Sarah, and I love to eat.

Since the Travel Channel has yet to call to see if I want to be the next Samantha Brown, I’m not sure I can finagle getting paid to eat. This is okay (until they call, of course ) because this love affair doesn’t end when I put down my fork.

I love all things food. Cooking it, talking about it, writing about it, learning about the science behind the deliciousness—occasionally photographing and blogging about it .

I am hungry for a career that allows me to explore, expand and celebrate my love of food.

So scratch that part about my hunger not being food-related. It’s entirely so. For a while now, I’ve known that the elusive answer to the whole “what do you want to do with your life” conundrum would involve food, creativity and writing. These are my non-negotiables.

So how is studying nutrition going to be my gateway to a food, creativity and writing-laden career?

“Knowledge is power, and enthusiasm pulls the switch.”

—Steve Droke

(Don’t worry if you don’t know who that is. Neither do I. And, apparently, neither does Google.)

This quote isn’t particularly profound, but I’ve always found it very true. You see, knowledge itself is only potentially powerful. Enthusiasm and passion are what drive us to put our knowledge to use, to empower it.

For example, I received my B.A. in print journalism. I graduated well-trained in the ways of political, finance, hard news, features, you-name-it reporting. Knowledge? Check. What I lacked was enthusiasm. I had no desire to write about the economy, or political scandals, or the top ten ways to make your man’s toes curl. (I wish that last one was hypothetical, but an editor actually asked me to write that story during a summer internship. Journalism at its finest…)

All I wanted to write about were food and nutrition. These are the topics about which I’m enthusiastic, about which I’m passionate. In college, I found a way to do this by focusing all of my policy assignments on school lunch reform and nutrition labeling, all of my features on health trends, recipes and social issues involving food.

Post-college, food and health writing did not come as easy. While I have the enthusiasm, I lack the formal knowledge. I’m not a professional chef. I’m not a nutritionist. I’m just a chica that loooooves to eat.

This is where studying nutrition lends a hand. Knowledge? Soon-to-be check.

I’m not sure I could turn my love for food into a career without further expertise. I’m not sure I’d want to. Whether I end up writing about food, talking about it for a living or consulting those who need nutritional advice, I need to know more. I’m hungry to know more.

Onto the details: Two weeks ago, I began a six-month immersion program at The Institute of Integrative Nutrition in NYC. At the end of the program, I’ll be certified by the AADP and SUNY Purchase as a holistic health counselor.

This is not an R.D. program. IIN emphasizes bio-individuality—the concept that each person has unique nutritional needs. Essentially, one person’s food could be another person’s poison. That said, IIN teaches a myriad of dietary theories—combining the knowledge of traditional philosophies with modern concepts like the USDA food pyramid, the glycemic index, the Zone and raw foods.

I know I’ve not divulged much about my personal health story (a separate lengthy story for a separate lengthy post), and I’ve only briefly spoken about my fascination with nutrition, but I am so excited to fully embrace geek mode and absorb every bit of foodie/nutritional knowledge I can.

My first weekend of classes was fascinating, invigorating, exhaustingly informative and, most importantly, reassuring. I’m so emphatically positive that studying at IIN is where I’m supposed to be right now. Am I certain where it will take me? Not at all. But, as I said earlier, I know it’s a step in the right direction.

Phew! That was a picture-less mouthful. If you made it all the way through, I commend you.

And I think you deserve some standard Foodie Diaries FOOD PORN .

This batter here…

…turned into these beautiful Cayenne Dark Chocolate Brownies.

Recipe courtesy of Kristen, my fellow foodie and nutrition-loving amiga.

Cayenne + dark chocolate = brilliant. Make. These. Now.

More on the chocolate front:

These ingredients joined forces with a little cream queso and bread.

…which looked a little something like this.

Until it got marinated in vanilla cinnamon french toast batter…

…and ended up looking more like this.

Cream cheese, barney butter and dark chocolate stuffed french toast.

Oooooh my gah.

With a side of leftover french toast batter scramble.

I hate to repeat myself but make. this. now.

Since I just, uh, announced that I’m going back to school to study nutrition, I suppose I should show a little veggie food porn…

Loaded Eggplant Rounds

Veggie perfection. I usually make a variation of this recipe using eggplant “steaks”—but I liked this version because it was easier to mix up the toppings. Oh, and you got to eat more .

Thank you all again for reading (or skimming, whatever ) my novel of an announcement. I’d love to hear any of your thoughts regarding my ambiguous career path! What’s your career story? Do you do what you love? Also, if there’s anything you’d like me to share more about, regarding IIN, what I’m learning in my classes, my career path, nutrition, etc., please let me know!

Amor,

Sarah

In part, porque I don’t believe in diets. In part, porque the Nilla supply ran out.

In all seriousness, yesterday someone Googled “nilla wafer diet” and landed on my blog.

Hmm, a nilla wafer diet? I feel compelled to address this.

Dearest anonymous Nilla wafer enthusiast,

While I clearly love the Nilla as much as the next chica, I do not advise constructing your diet around its sweet, wafery glory. If, however, you are set on doing so, see this post for some Nilla foodspiration.

Sincerely,

An advocate of Nillas-in-moderation

I realize my last post boasted a whole lot of Nilla, but I (sort of regrettably) assure you, Nilla wafers and I do not see each other on a daily basis. We’re more a one night stand that recurs every few years. And this, I believe, is for the best.

Need evidencia? I present to you a full day of no-Nilla, normal foodie eats.

Nilla-free breakfast: Black and White Cookie Yoatgurt

El negro: 1/2 cup oats cooked in 1 cup water, scoop of almond butter, 1 tbsp. cocoa powder and Truvia. La blanca: 1 container plain Fage 2% con cinnamon.

You’ll have to take my word that there were no Nillas layering the bottom of the bowl.

This early Chinese New Year-inspired, yin and yang creation was the most delicious way I’ve started my día in quite some time.

The only problemo: It was almost too filling. Have any other yoatgurt lovers found this? Perhaps I’ll have to 86 the nut butter or use 1/3 cup oats instead of 1/2.

This is not to say I didn’t fully clean this mess up.

And enjoy every last creamy, chewy bite.

This was my first bowl of yoatgurt since Miss Janetha introduced it to blogland, but I’ve actually unknowingly been enjoying this so-called yoatgurt for years. For as long as I can remember, whenever I stay at hotels with continental breakfasts, I’ve combined a pack of instant oatmeal with a container of whatever yogurt they have on hand. I’m happy it now has a formal name because I’ve certainly gotten my fair share of “what are you eating?”s over the years. Now, I can smugly respond, “uh, yoatgurt” and witness non-food blogger confusion reach new heights. Bueno.

Despite feeling as though I’d never be hungry again, that was, shockingly, not so.

The star of lunch was my favorite veggie tuna mix, which, like pollo, I’d not had in over a month. No idea why. But I missed it.

In the mix: 4 oz. tuna, 2 dollops of Fage, 2 tbsp. honey mustard, lemon pepper seasoning, krazy salt, red peppers, onions and celery.

…which was clearly too much for my dos pieces of  honey whole wheat toast.

So an open-faced sandwich it became. Mi boca didn’t mind this, as I believe it thought it was getting dos sandwiches. My shirt was pretty feliz, too, as it didn’t leave the table decorated in tuna.

Served con a whole lot of asparagus. A few green cheetahs. No Nillas.

Just in the nick of snack time, I stumbled upon this mouth-watering recipe and made the executive decision to step away from the trail mix and bake up a double-punch, fruit-and-veggie treat.

Roasted Butternut Squash Con Manzana

Butternut stump, de-seeded and filled with one chopped honey crisp. Topped with 1 tbsp. water, 1 tbsp. maple syrup and cinnamon. Covered in tin foil and baked for one hour at 400°.

Por favor, make this now.

This is quite possibly the most delicious way I’ve ever eaten a butternut squash, and I’m mildly depressed that I discovered this just as winter squashes are going out of season. Triste.

My squash baby kept me full well into the dinner hour. But, come 10 p.m., I got hungry (and felt sort of gypped on the cena front). So I whipped up dinner in less than 5 minutos.

Despite looking moderately sophisticated, this was actually one of my go-to college meals.

1 bag Uncle Ben’s 90-second Brown & Wild Whole Grain Medley, topped with leftover roasted eggplant and a generous pour of Soy Vay!

This rice is the most flavorful, quickie brown rice I’ve found. And its ingredient list is pretty innocent, too. Bueno!

And the Soy Vay! You all know how I feel about Soy Vay. It has an uncanny ability to make anything taste better. Anything. But especially veggies.

And since an entire bag of brown rice clearly didn’t meet my carbzilla requirements, I had half of a freshly baked, super fluffly whole wheat pita with melty Jarlsberg. On my finest china.

Dessert was, oddly, not popcorn. Nor Nillas.

Rather, it was my new favorite super salty store brand mini pretzel rods and big scoop of creamy Barney Butter.

Oh, sweet and salty flavor combinations, you never cease to woo me. Be mine?

Before I go, in an attempt to avoid another unannounced hiatus, I wanted to give you a heads up that I’m not sure what my posting schedule will be like next week. I haven’t mentioned this, but post-kitchen renovation, we decided to continue on and renovate the living room. So, for a good part of next week, I am being forced to evacuate the premises to allow los chicos to do the nitty, gritty construction stuff. In other words, I’ll be couch surfing and may not have my computadora and/or internet. However, when I return, I have some very exciting news to share. It involves comida. And vida. And those were the most pitifully vague hints ever, so you’ll just have to wait it out .

Feliz fin de semana! Feliz Dia de los Enamorados! Feliz Chinese New Year! Any exciting plans? Anyone attempting to combine Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year festivities?

Amor,

Sarah

While I do my best to embrace creativity en la cocina, I’m undeniably a creature of habit. When I find something I love to eat, I eat it. Often.

That said, I present to you: A Foodie Groundhog’s Day.

Por ejemplo, I am still consuming the world’s biggest bowls of Honey Sunshine for breakfast.

If I were una foodie inteligente, I’d have learned by now  that cereal is not an ideal breakfast para mi because it takes me two to three refills of that grande bowl to achieve my desired level of fullness.

Alas, I still cannot resist the allure of knowing exactly what I want upon waking. So, when it’s cereal, I eat cereal. And add as many peanut butter chips and raisins as I can fit into my grubby little manos.

I’m still quite partial to manzanas as mid-morning snacks.

Despite the fact that an apple is an apple, any way you slice it, I still attempt to prettify my food.

I still maintain that I hate pizza. Still, I regularly crave and consume pita pizzas.

On this baked beauty: hummus, Laughing Cow, roasted eggplant and roasted red peppers.

I still have not acquired the will power, nor the desire, to use hummus as an ingredient and not dip into it for some on-the-side snackage.

I’m still a freak of nature and thoroughly enjoy dipping grahams in hummus.

I’m still defying the laws of portion control and consuming nuts by the bowl. Opposed to blogland’s ever-so-popular nuts by the handful.

Lo siento, but a handful of nuts has never been enough for me. (Insert far-too-obvious TWSS.) I know those who suffer from snackface syndrome agree.

I do still try to abide by my principles of balance. And so, I countered my abundant snackage with some abundant saladage.

Sí, I am still all about the ensalada enorme for dinner.

In the mix: bag of baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, shrooms, onion, cucumber, celery, avocado, strawberries, balls and shredded ched. Still into dressing my veggies with honey and balsamic.

I continued on my quest to get some more greens with something you know you’ve seen before.

Still a full-fledged addiction.

I’m also still really into ensuring that carbs are included in every meal.

Never. Gets. Old.

What’s your eating estilo? Are you a creature of habit? Or do you an anti-meal repeater? I’m definitely a creature of habit. But I love experimenting with and tweaking my favorites—in part so I don’t bore you all, and in part so I keep my beloved tastebuds feliz.

Enjoy what’s left of your Groundhog’s Día!

Amor,

Sarah

Marry me, por favor.

But let’s address this whole Indecision 2009 thing. No, I’m not spewing out another political rant. I’m simply deeming yesterday the most indecisive food day of 2009. My cravings were either conflicting, ambiguous or non-existent—which made for a day full of the “I don’t know what to eat” bah humbugs. (In case you were wondering, that is official medical terminology.)

Indecisive quandary #1: Eggs or oats?

Decision: Both.

In le bowl: 1/2 cup oats cooked in 1 cup water; espinacas; 3 egg whites; melty queso mexicana y salsa.

Indecision worked in my favor here because I got to experience the best of both breakfast worlds.

Incredible. If ever you find yourself in an eggs-or-oats-dilemma, I strongly suggest you allow the opposing forces to collaborate.

Indecisive quandary #2: Apples or oranges?

Decision: Neither.

Pretty persimmon to the rescue.

Mostly because neither apples nor oranges are photogenic. And oranges are quite possibly the most annoying fruit to peel.

Indecisive quandary #3: Cream cheese + hot sauce or hummus + hot sauce?

Decision: Again, both.

One of the reasons I adore sandwich thins, English muffins or, uh, your standard duo of dos pieces of bread: they are muy indecision-friendly.

So, who wore it better? (It being the sriracha, of course…)

The Sabra-sriracha combination never disappoints…

…but Philadelphia took this round.

So much so that lunch parte dos also featured cream queso.

Indecisive quandary #4: Cream cheese or American?

Decision: Fine—this wasn’t a quandary. I knew I wanted both.

I realize this was a fruit and veggie-less, carbarific lunch. But on such an indecisive food day—when I knew exactly what I wanted, I ran with it.

Fear not, I got my fruits and veggies in later.

Afternoon snackage brought on a repeat of indecisive quandary #2. This time, the decision was both.

Consumption and documentation of both affirmed my previous statements. Apples and oranges are not nearly as photogenic as persimmons. And oranges are a female perro to peel.

Indecisive quandary #5: Sopa o ensalada?

Decision: Eating a lot of Panera’s You Pick Two made this one easy. Both.

Simple ensalada.

In the mix: baby spinach, avocado, cucumbers, shrooms, onions, celery, strawberries and salsa. Con celery salt and honey balsamic.

The sopa hailed from a can.

I’ve never tried this type before—and I usually find Progresso soups sort of watered-down—but this was really good!

It had mucho in the way of barley, corn y patatas—and I will definitely get it again.

And because I’m a devout carb chica, adding a third component to dinner was another easy decision.

Especially since I had a hefty stash of fresh whole wheat pita, along with a tub of Sabra just asking to be polished off.

Dessert is one part of my day that almost never involves indecision. The answer is almost always…

I realize most of my decisions involved finding a way to cater to both of my conflicting cravings. I figure if there’s a way to keep everyone my stomach feliz—why not? How do you respond to food indecisiveness? (Otherwise known as the I don’t know what to eat” bah humbugs…)

Happy jueves, mis foodies!

Amor,

Sarah

I try not to talk politics on here, but this issue must be addressed. There is currently an entire nation of foodies being inhumanely deprived of a concise, incomparably descriptive, fun-to-say word for those who love food. Think of the liberation and pride that would sweep España if food-loving Spaniards could stand up and proclaim: Yo soy un foodie. Think of how many sentences could be shortened if there existed a single word for una persona que le encanta comida (one who loves food).

That said, I hereby request that the Spanish Ministry of Diccionarios instate an español version of the word “foodie.”

End scene. Let’s get to Monday’s eats.

I received the following right-to-the-point e-mail from my lovely cousin Christina last week:

You should try chocolate chips, and marshmallows in your oats, and put gram crackers on top.

Not one to disregard delicious-sounding breakfast suggestions, I heeded Christina’s advice. Except, in an attempt to infuse this decadent bowl of oats with a little protein, I subbed her chocolate chips with chocolate nut butter.

Specifically, Nature’s Promise chocolate soynut butter.

I dipped into this last week and really did not enjoy it—but I figured I’d give it another shot.

Realizing that my chocolate substitute had the power make or break my breakfast, I had a spoonful straight-up to test its oat worthiness.

It failed. No me gusta. This nut butter wasn’t bad in the “this really isn’t what I was expecting” way, as was the case with cashew butter. It was bad in the “I need to spit this out right now” way. It tasted like a chalky, oily, unsweetened Nutella knock-off.

Definitely not oat-worthy.

And so I turned to the tried-and-true chocolate Better N’ PB.

S’mores Oats (a.k.a. S’moats)

In the oat bowl: 1/2 cup oats cooked in 1 cup water and 1/2 thinly sliced banana. Topped with crushed graham crackers, marshmallows and spoonful of chocolate BNPB.

This was fantastic. It was difficult to delegate marshmallow distribution throughout the bowl—but this just made for some incredible marshmallow madness bites.

While this was certainly a decadent way to start the day, it definitely wasn’t as filling as my standard oat bowls. I think I usually bulk up my oats with more nut butter and fruit.

When I realized I needed s’more comida, I turned to an old favorite for breakfast part dos.

Greek yourt + raspberry preserves.

So sweet and simple and satisfying.

Lunch delivered something else I’ve desperately needed s’more of.

Vegetables! Ever since Thanksgiving (and discovering my taste for chocolate), I have been lagging with my fruit and veggie consumption. So, I got in my greens with some split pea sopa.

I tried Dr. McDougall’s split pea soup for the first time last week, and I wasn’t crazy about it. However, I had another box, and, as was the case with the chocolate soynut butter, I was willing to give it another chance.

I’m going to have to stop doing that.

Like the nut butter, this was no better the second time around. Unlike the nut butter, it was edible.

Especially with the edition of these.

Love soggy croutons in soup!

I’m probably being a little harsh with the sopa trash-talking, but split pea is my favorite soup. And the thing I love most about it is its thick texture. Dr. McDougall’s version was sort of watery—with an occasion clump of pea/lentil thickness.

I did think the flavor was great, and I managed to clean the bowl. But, if you’re looking for canned split pea soup, Amy’s is so much better.

On the side, I had a toasted sandwich thin, garlic bread-ified with a smear of butter and minced garlic.

(The creepy yellow hue on the distant half comes from margarine. Gross, but I finished my butter stick on the first half, and was up against the dreadful nasty-butter-substitute-or-no-butter-at-all wall.)

Snack time featured un plato of mixed nuts, dark chocolate chips and a hermit. That lone hermit is a little misleading. Several más were had because I don’t think it’s humanly possible to just eat one. If you’ve done this, you deserve a prize.

Enjoyed atop mi laptop as I weekend recapped.

I got s’more veggies in during dinner.

Toaster green cheetahs.

Again, I cannot wait for the return of oven green cheetahs.

I found myself in a muy Mediterranean mood, so I ran with it.

Ensalada Mediterránea

In the mix: baby spinach, feta, olives, cucumbers, celery, cherry tomatoes, balls and hummus; dressed in celery salt and the usual honey-balsamic blend.

Meatless meatballs aren’t so Meditteranean, but they were amazing, as always. And I pretended they were falafel balls.

Needless to say, that dollop of Sabra only left me wanting más.

So más was had.

Con warmed whole wheat pita and queso americano.

This pita was so good! I get my pita from the local produce store because they bake it in-house, and when you get a fresh batch, you get a fresh batch. So soft and doughy.

Still, as with the meatless balls, I used my imagination and pretended it was the best pita bread ever.

I guess breakfast left me wanting s’more (I promise, I’m done after that one) because dessert was desayuno-inspired.

Baked S’mores!

You don’t see any chocolate—because there wasn’t any.

I eat my s’mores chocolate-less.

And, though I’ve realized my developing fondness for the dark stuff, there are certain chocolate-less creations I’ve no desire to change.

Amor,

Sarah

(I always want to call you my foodies, but I’m not sure the term exists en español. When I lived in España, I once tried to explain the concept of a foodie to my host-mom—but my lack of español eloquence/proper pronunciation got us nowhere. I’m pretty sure that confusing conversación left my señora thinking that I was both loca and obsessed with food (neither entirely untrue); it left me still-uninformed of the español translation of la palabra “foodie.” Any native español speakers who’d be kind enough to enlighten me?)

I have an abnormally manic Monday—so I’m going to attempt a short and sweet recap in weekend discovery-form. Let us begin on a healthy note before digressing into the wonderful world of weekend indulgence.

During this fin de semana, I discovered…

-Kev Thug really is a thug.

Source.

Well, I found myself in a minor conundrum. I found the sneakers I’ve wanted online for much less than the what my local running store charges. El problemo? I really love the neighborhood running store, and I prefer to give my dinero to local businesses when I can.

Kev Thug to the rescue. As soon as I told father dearest of my consumer’s conundrum, he called the running store and explained that he’d rather buy the shoe from them if they’d meet him halfway on the price difference.

They did better and matched the online price. Success!

I realize this makes Kev more a savvy barterer than a thug—seeing as his solution wasn’t to rob/vandalize/hold up the running store—but the word thug carries so much more street cred.

Onto actual food discoveries…

-Applesauce and Greek yogurt are quite palatable partners in crime.

-Persimmon hype validated. Pretty, photogenic and delicious? Formulaic foundation for food blogger obsession.

This was my first persimmon, and I loved it. Its texture was sort of like a firm tomato, and it had a wonderfully subdued sweetness. Did I mention it was muy bonita? I can’t wait to play around with pretty persimmon photography.

The next two discoveries came on Saturday, which—as I’m sure you’ve heard—welcomed NYC’s first snowfall of the season!

-It feels unnatural to eat fresh, very out-of-season fruit when it’s snowing outside.

Unnatural, pero delicioso.

-Less unnatural? Eating Chinese take-out in a winter wonderland.

Chinese eggplant y pollo in garlic sauce. Favorito.

Vegetable egg fu yung. This was another weekend first. Increíble—but a little too greasy to be more than a one-bite encounter.

And obligatory brown arroz.

I thought I’d be done with Chinese for a while after having mucho last week—but I suppose I discovered that this was not so.

Back to unnatural eats, the following concoction epitomizes the word.

Graham cracker dipped hummus? I sort of tried this expecting to be disgusted (which is, in itself, pretty unnatural), but much like that watermelon, this combo was unnatural, pero delicioso.

I want to advise you to try this—but I’m not sure if it’s one of those weird flavor combinations that only my freaky taste buds enjoy.

The following is a confirmation of a discovery I made long ago:

I detest 100-calorie packs.

Take a look.

10 “cookies” sized similarly to the cereal pieces in Cookie Crisp.

A.K.A. cookie comedy.

Amigas, if you find yourself in the mood for a cookie, eat a cookie. Ten baby cookie imposters do not bear the same satisfaction.

And now a monumentous (you know, monumental + momentous) discovery…

I LIKE CHOCOLATE.

(I think.)

After carrying my “I’m not a chocolate person”-card for all 22 years of mi vida, I am beginning to suspect that my taste buds have evolved and now enjoy chocolate.

Some evidencia.

Exhibit A: You love a certain brand of kettle corn popcorn so much you’ve declared that it’s best sans any addition. You feel uncharacteristically compelled to add cocoa powder to said kettle corn. You love this.

Exhibit B: You love your Fage simply sweetened with sugar and cinnamon. Again, you feel uncharacteristically compelled to add cocoa powder. Again, you love this.

Exhibit C: You love lemon pound cake—straight up. You feel compelled to add dark chocolate chips. At this point, chocolate additions are no longer uncharacteristic, and it need not be stated that you love this.

Exhibit D: Despite having a freezer full of bran VitaTops at your fingertips, you reach for the Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip variety. You deem this the best VitaTop flavor you’ve tried thus far.

I believe exhibits A through D are sufficient proof of my blossoming chocolate love affair, so I’ll move on to a few final not-entirely-chocolate-related discoveries.

-When your VitaTop is missing a peanut butter chip, it is not only acceptable—but encouraged—to compensate with a spoonful of nut butter.

-Especially if it comes in the form of the highly-coveted Barney Butter.

Best. Almond Butter. Ever. I only wish my newest nut butter discovery came in a bigger jar—mostly because the little jar reflects my over-consumption so harshly.

Another chocolate-featured discovery:

Neopolitan ice cream sandwich.

Just do it.

And, before I bid you adieu, I’ll leave you with a conflicting piece of chocolate-loving evidence.

-While it is apparent that I have developed a newfound appreciation for chocolate…

…it seems I still favor my beloved non-chocolate options.

Good to know I’ve not lost myself entirely.

Amor,

Sarah

In the event that you need a little ayuda translating this post’s título:

“y el ganador es…” means “and the winner is…”

¡Sí! The time has come to reveal the winner of my sopa giveaway! Well, not quite yet. I’m obviously going to make you endure my recap of yesterday’s eats before getting to the good stuff.

(“Make you” is quite a relative expression considering you have full capability to scroll to the bottom of this post. If you do this, por favor, make your way back up here for some good eats .)

Tuesday morning began with a cup of sugar cookie sleigh ride tea and…

Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride Oat Bran!

I’ve been meaning to try cooking oats in flavored tea—and as soon as I tried this flavor, I knew it’d be the perfect tea constituent. It was!

To expose and enhance the sugar cookie flavor, I cooked 1/2 cup oat bran in 1 1/4 cup brewed tea. I stirred in a little vanilla extract, brown sugar, Truvia and cinnamon—and topped with a spoonful of raspberry preserves.

Come a bit closer.

Closer…

See the Truvia crystals? They made the bowl. This was actually my first experience with Truvia, or any stevia sweetener. I’ve been meaning to try stevia in my efforts to scale back on the Splenda front, so when Truvia offered to send me a sample—you know I obliged.

I’ve yet to try it in my coffee—but it worked its sweet magic in this bowl of oat bran. Because I was trying to capture the essence of  a sugar cookie, I thought both brown and “white” sugar were necessary. The preserves were just added because I thought the bowl was lacking aesthetic panache; but they, too, worked some serious sugary magic.

I will definitely be re-creating and further experimenting with sugar cookie oats; I’m thinking a raisin addition would work splendidly. Any suggestions?

Alongside my sugary oats, I has another sweet component.

HUGE Honeycrisp!

Since I haven’t been putting much effort into my manzana consumption, I opted for a photography-friendly change from my current chomp-to-the-core approach.

Massive manzana con PB. Delicioso, como siempre.

Lunch continued down the sweet route.

Honey-licious wrap.

In a whole wheat wrap: Garlic & Herb Laughing Cow, Honey Maple Turkey, 1/2 honeycrisp apple, spinach and honey mustard.

Boar’s Head honey maple turkey > any other brand. I think I’m experiencing a mild case of honey maple obsession—because it’s all I’ve been craving. Also, I’m sort of weird with meat, and I’ll only eat it within several days of its purchase. So, honey maple obsession + meat eating idiosyncrasy=expect a lot of turkey in the next few days. Lo siento, vegetarian and vegan amigas.

Con another bigger-than-the-wrap half-sour pickle.

This obsession is full-fledged, and always in effect. Me encantan pickles.

(Go on, say it…)

Soon after, Mr. Postman delivered this:

The sticky yoga mat I won from Erica! I’ve not been doing yoga, but perhaps this new goodie will motivate me. Any at-home recommendations?

I took it out and laid on it without any yoga intentions—simply because I’m a child and can’t not open a new toy. However, this faux yoga session reminded me that I had a Yogi tea to try out!

Mi amiga received this when she got a massage this weekend, and she thoughtfully offered it to moi because she knows I’m a tea fiend.

This was my first experience with Yogi tea, and I loved it!

I love flavored variations of green tea, and blub always works.

But the whole “suppresses appetite” thing?

Yea, I don’t know about that…

Food Should Taste Good lime tortilla chips, inconsiderately stuck right into the communal Sabra.

Love this FSTG flavor! Again, none of the flavors have been as good as the Multigrain or The Works, in my opinion; but I loved the hint of lime. (PS: I only have one more flavor to try ‘til I can give you a full FSTG review!)

The bag remained by my side during this blogging-from-bed Sabra session—so, needless to say, I did a bit more FSTG damage than what’s pictured here.

Dinner started with a simple ensalada.

3 cups baby spinach; shrooms, 1/2 honeycrisp, baby peppers, red onion, celery salt, honey balsamic dressing and habanero lime salsa.

Best flavor melding of the night goes to the sweet honeycrisp/spicy salsa combo.

I knew dinner’s main event was going to involve brown rice—because I had a ton left over from way too much Chinese take out this weekend.

In an attempt to not just re-heat the never-ending stash of sesame chicken, I made a Thai Peanut Rice Bowl.

1.5 cups brown rice; 2 cups broccoli; 1 cup pineapple. Douses in my homemade peanut sauce.

If you haven’t noticed, I really like the peanut + pineapple combo.

Since the sauce wasn’t really showing in the pictures, I added an extra spoonful.

For picture purposes only. I, of course, hated the peanut-y addition…

I dug into my Newman’s Own Champion Chip Cookies for dessert. I have to preface this opinion by reminding you that I’m not a big chocolate person; I wasn’t crazy about these. They were sort of hard, and very average.

So, I channeled one of my favorite cereals from my childhood to salvage them.

Cooooooookie Crisps! I simply dumped some Newman’s cookies in a bowl and doused them in almond milk; I let them marinate for a few minutes ‘til they were perfectly soggy. And devoured,

Problemo solved.

Ok, so who won my Campbell’s sopa giveaway? The random integer generator spewed out #64; that’d be…

Katie from A Joy in Class!

One of my favorite new bloggers! Felicidades, chica! E-mail me at thefoodiediaries@gmail.com with your address—and I’ll get your goodies on their way!

While we’re on the topic of giveaways and, more importantly, favorite bloggers, check out my taste bud gemela Katharina’s 101st post giveaway!

Hope your Wednesday night is absolutely GLEEFUL .

-Sarah