fact: I love Newman’s Own

Last night I got the best surprise.  After 10+ hours of traveling I was so excited to find a HUGE package waiting for me (TWSS).

Holy So.Much.Stuff.

 

Newman’s Own hooked it UP!!  Can you even believe all these goodies fit in a box.  This is my heaven.

I hardly knew where to begin!  Even though it was well past midnight I had to try something (duh).  I think it’s pretty obv what I wanted, since K has been making my mouth water for days…HERMITS!

Stats for the original flavor: Organic Unbleached Wheat Flour, Organic Raisins, Organic Molasses, Organic Sugar, Organic Palm Fruit Oil, Oats, Organic Figs, Raisin Paste, Spices, Leavening (Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate), Salt, Rice Bran Extract

I love that these are SO tasty and at the same time, all the ingredients are organic and wholesome.  No HFCS, no weird chemicals that I don’t recognize…all organic, pure and natural.  They reminded me of my Mom’s homemade molasses cookies, which I haven’t had in AGES.  I could have eaten the entire box in one sitting.  Thank god it was so late, because being super tired was the only thing that prevented me from doing so!

Original: Serving Size: 1 cookie (22g), Calories per Serving: 80, Calories from fat: 15, Total Fat: 1.5g (saturated fat: 1gm), Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 65mg, Total Carbohydrates: 16g (dietary fiber less than 1g, sugars: 10g), Protein: 1g

THANKS a ton to Nell and Pa, along with Sally and Peggy for sending these treats my way.  I was a huge fan of this company before, for reasons even beyond their great food products (did you know that since 1982, Paul Newman and the Newman’s Own Foundation have donated more than $250 million dollars to  educational and charitable organizations worldwide). 

Anyways, it should be no surprise that I also wanted these cookies for breakfast.  So in addition to my AM java loading, I nibbled on some hermits (ok, I inhaled ‘em).  A true lady never discloses the real numbers, right?  Nah, I keep it real with all y’all, I had 4.

In my defense: Rain + Monday = Need cookies

To continue my morning trend of ridiculous food choices, I had some medjool dates stuffed with carob raisins with carob almonds on the side. 

I’m pretty sure this is what leads to what we nurses refer to as a diabetic coma. 

…so while waiting for my impending (and undoubtedly imminent) hyperglycemic attack, I decided to veg on the couch with the ladies of The View while shopping for Mother Day gifts (for my momz AND my future-momz-in-law). 

Some days I just want sweets.  Period.  No point in fighting it. 

In honor of Sarah, I opted out of exercising and didn’t shower or change out of my pajamas ALL DAY.  LovIN my tummy?  Prob not after today, but I’ll get back into my normal routine tomorrow.  You have my word…I can’t continue to shovel down kcals the way I like to sans gym time or I’ll end up with a Hugh Jass fo’ sheez.

I still craved sugar, so in an effort to get in some natural CHOs (chem nerds?) I made a massive fruit plate filled with apples, melon, kiwi, pineapple, grapes, and oranges. 

Meals be damned.  I may have crumbled a hermit into this vanilla greek yogurt snackeroo.

I definitely passed out for an hour or so after this.  As we all know, what goes up, must come down, and after my massive AM sugar high, I crashed hard!

Zzzzzz.

I woke up confused and groggy.  I wasn’t hungry at all, so I did some reading and (more) wedding crap.

OMJC! 

So rich they make the Donald jealous.  I savored each calorie in pure delight…I drooled a bit too, but that was from Joel, not the medjool/PB bombs.

 

Dinner was entirely unnecessary because I was in no way hungry, but I thought I should try to salvage what was left of the day by incorporating some greens and protein into my PM eats.

I scooped out half an avo into a bowl, added in some sprouts and shredded carrots, and mashed until it was all mixed up.

Then I piled it high on top of a toasted english muffin…

…with sliced up seitan cutlets on the side…HOLY YUM!!!

Fave meal alert!!  This was a filling dish.  The crunch of the carrots and sprouts combined with the creaminess of the avocado were freaking DE-lish!!

Still, dessert was a clear choice. 

Hermits!!

I’m already well over half-way through the box…eek!

Newman’s Own might be my downfall.  It’s so good, though.

Who would believe me if I said I didn’t finish the whole thing?  Nobody?  I thought so.  You know me well.

I was so full, Kyle had to roll me to bed.

I’ve got B.O. (beets and okra)

Don’t worry I’m a clean hippie.  Showers are me time.  But wait ‘til you see my lovely dinner…it’s packed with salad newbies. 

But first things first. 

I have no idea why, but I woke up WAY freakin’ early.  On a non-work day, WTF!?  Anyways, I had a frothy mug of joe to get things rolling…followed by a strawberry chobz with diced strawberries on top.

Mmmm…look at all that greek yogurt goodness.  I also had an apple while reading blogs and watching last night’s Gossip Girl and The Hills killing some brain cells.

 

After I felt significantly dumber, I had some dried pineapple rings and then hit the road to tackle my laundry list of errands. 

Whew.  I didn’t get home until pretty late in the day and I was starving and dripping with sweat.  New York has no in-between, it goes from 30 degrees to 90 degrees.

I managed to slice apples and bread before going to town on the hummus.  This held me over enough so I could make myself a real lunch. 

Spinach, hummus, and seitan on a toasted english muffin.

WOW.  Be jeal, it was as good as it looks   :)

Even though I had already walked miles and miles doing all my errands, I still decided to gym it up.  I was actually even more sore today than yesterday, so I did the elliptical for an hour, progressively increasing the resistance from 7 to 12, then stretched and peaced out (no mat work).

Post gym I had this little baby, which I got in my half marathon goody bag.  I like free things, especially when they are chocolate and soy.

 

I heart Silk – and I heart chocolate…pretty sure this is old news to you all though.

While making this (see above) for Kyle, I snacked on this (see below).

 

As promised, here’s some info about key nutrients and their vegetable sources (starting with the most per serving):

Minerals: elements that originate in the soil and can’t be created by living things (ie plants and animals). Plants absorb minerals from the soil and animals get their minerals from eating plants/other animals. Most minerals in the human diet come directly from plants. 

Calcium – artichoke, peas, squash, broccoli, kale, lima beans, spinach

Iron – lima beans, peas, avocado, kale, spinach, broccoli, squash, potatoes

Magnesium – avocado, artichoke, peas, squash, potatoes, corn, spinach, kale

Phosphorous – lima beans, peas, artichokes, avocado, corn, potatoes, asparagus

Potassium – avocado, lima beans, potatoes, peas, artichoke, squash, kale, sweet potatoes, broccoli, corn, carrots, spinach, asparagus, green peppers

Vitamins: organic food substances found only in living things (ie plants and animals). They are essential for our bodies to function properly and (with few exceptions) the human body can’t manufacture or synthesize vitamins, so they must be supplied in our diet or in man-made dietary supplements. Vitamins can’t be assimilated without also ingesting food, which is why it’s best to take supplements with a meal (caution with synthetic vitamin supplements because they can be of varying quality).

Vitamin A – sweet potatoes, kale, carrots, spinach, avocado, broccoli, peas

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) – peas, avocado

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) – avocado

Vitamin B3 (niacin) – avocado, peas, potatoes, mushrooms, squash, corn

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) – avocado, sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, lima beans, squash

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) – avocado, peas, potatoes, carrots

Vitamin B9 (folate/folic acid) – lima beans, asparagus, avocado, peas, artichoke, spinach, squash, broccoli, corn, sweet potatoes

Vitamin B12 – none

Vitamin C – sweet potatoes, green peppers, kale, artichoke, peas, onions, potatoes, asparagus, avocado, broccoli

Vitamin D – mushrooms

Vitamin E – none

Vitamin K – kale, spinach, broccoli, and most other dark green leafy vegetables

*This info and more here, including daily requirements and amounts per veggie serving.

Who knew avocados were such power houses!?  Looks like my half a day habit is pretty healthy.

The major red flag for vegans/vegetarians to note is Vitamin B12, which is only found in animal products (meat, eggs, dairy)…and even though many sources claim it can be found in fermented soy products (tempeh) it is often not.

All my research really got me in the mood for a mega salad with TONS of new veggies.  So, in honor of Miss GlidingCalm and Melissa, I tried 2 new ingredients (beets and okra), along with several other colorful veggies.

Look!  It’s okra!  How cute! (and tasty too I might add)

On a bed of spinach was sliced okra, cherry tomatoes, broccoli slaw, baby beets, shredded carrots, and smart deli “turkey.”

Sometimes I can’t reign in the creative forces…and instead of being selective, I go overboard and add every single thing I can get my hands on into my salads…

…case in point, the above confetti in a bowl.  This was way too big.  I had a food baby after.

So full.

I think I may be in love with these two new veggies.  Okra has a wonderful crunch factor that really lends itself to salads.  The only thing that was a little weird was it seemed to sweat a kind of gooey sap when cut, but I can get over that because it’s texture and flavor were superb.  I can already tell okra and hummus are going to be a dynamic duo, and that’s really the only test a food needs to pass in my book.  As for the beets, they are so flavorful, I can see why Melissa loves them (and Dwight grows them, hehe).  I want to find out other ways to use them besides in a salad, because they are really tasty.  The only downside is their potential to stain my clothes if I’m not careful.

After dinner, Kyle was still at work, so I decided to go for a PM stroll and do a few more errands.  The weather was still perfect outside!  I ended up getting a manicure, which is very necessary since I am going home on Thursday for my friend’s wedding – and I can’t show off my bling bling with unpolished nails!!!

Obviously by the time I got back home I was ready for dessert.

Dates stuffed with carob raisins and an apple.  Game. Set. Match.

For the vegetarians or vegans out there, is there ever a time you crave meat, or miss any dairy or other animal products?  Just wondering.  When I was out and about today I smelled bacon, and it smelled delish.  The funny part is, I’ve NEVER had bacon before.  Ever.  My Mom is a vegetarian, so growing up, there were several foods I never tried.  Bacon is one of the foods, and although it smells divine, it still grosses me out. 

Jai Ho (Aaja Aaja Jind Shamiyane)

After dancing spastically bopping around the apartment (all evening), singing my own made-up lyrics to the slumdog millionaire song, Kyle insisted I was being retarded and there was NO way they were screaming “die ho.”  As usual, he was right…I did some googling, and that’s how the title of the post came about.  At least now he has nothing one fewer complaint with my energetic insanely obnoxious performance.

Anyways…focus Elise…oh that’s right, food!

In today’s coffee I frothed my soymilk with some sf vanilla syrup…I’m turning into a little barista!

PB puffins :)   I heated these up for a few seconds…thanks to some brilliant blogger advice…and my oh my, talk about a whole new discovery!  These just keep getting better and better!! 

I did spent the morning doing spanish exercises out of Kyle’s workbook (he takes weekly private lessons to keep his espanol up to par).  My skillz are in NO such shape.  Still (I’m not sure how) I came to be the translator on the unit, so, at the bare minimum, I should master the “at the hospital” chapter.  

Want some new vocab?  La enfermera le tomaba el pulso y la tension atrerial del paciente, y despues le dieron una inyeccion de un calmante por via intrevenosa.  I snacked on apple slices, to give my brain fuel.  Sometimes, I miss school (not the tests or studying part, just the learning part).

Later I had some fresh fruit.   And added some to a bowl of o’soy vanilla yogurt…

Zoom! 

This combo was fantastic!  I had been craving natural sweetness all morning…

Lunch dessert (dried fruit and a crossword) – papaya spears, carob covered raisins, and figs (as if I actually need to specify).

Insert: random errands + outside run in the park (sunshine, hooray!!)

While I was out and about I had this gem!  I’ve been really into coconut lately (ahem…coconut date rolls?) so I thought this would be a good on-the-go treat.  Now, I know this will be shocking to all you foodies (which is why I rarely mention it), but I hate nuts.  Still, I know how healthy they are, so I am constantly trying to mature my taste buds (let’s just say I had a traumatic experience when I was very young that I’m still trying to overcome).  It was actually really good.  I like the density of larabars, they are filling without feeling like a brick in your stomach, but odwalla bars will always be my fave (sorry if this upsets all the larabar lovers out there). 

Apple #2 for the day.

Thanks to my lovely tivo the devil, I somehow wound up watching the Barbara Walters’ special – it’s a miracle I could stomach an hour without the letter “r” but I did.  Most of it sucked, but something Anne Hathaway said did get me thinking…where do I see myself in 10 years, what’s on my must-do list for the future?  Not bucket list items (finish a marathon), not obvious hopes (married, living in California).  I just mean future Elise.  I know I want to travel everywhere, but now I’m inspired to think of some more specific aspirations…

Anyways, time to get dinner rolling.

 

BN squash, steamed brocc, and seitan strips (all on a bed of lettuce, with a dollop of greek yog on the side for dipping)

Then I had some leftover edamame.

I wanted something chocolaty after dinner, fortunately, I had another carton of chocolate soy milk.  I pounded this – seriously, it was not lady like.  I had half of it straight from the carton, and the only reason I stopped to pour the rest in a glass was because I had a brain freeze from drinking so fast!

Well done, me.

Dessert, you better believe it!!!

My last cuppa SCSR tea, but only for now…(light bulb moment).  I discovered you can buy the holiday flavors year round on their website!  Score!

When is Gossip Girl coming back :(

P.S. Check out what HangryPants is giving away!!!