Love affairs

I think I’m going to be engaging in a love affair with our new blender. I know, it’s just a blender, but for someone who’s never really had one, this is exciting stuff! Everything is relative, right?

PBJ Smoothie

• 1 frozen banana
• 1/2 c. frozen blueberries
• 1/2 c. milk
• 2 Tbsp. peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder

Topped with Erin Baker’s Double Chocolate Chunk Granola, this smoothie was incredibly delicious. I sucked it down (or slurped it up, since I ate it with a spoon?)

I bought this stuff yesterday because it was on sale and I liked the ingredients list…

Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Honey, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Chocolate Chunks (sugar, chocolate liquor, anhydrous dextrose, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), Organic Maple Syrup, Organic Oat Bran, Flax Seed Meal, Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder, Sea Salt, Pure Vanilla Extract.

It’s pretty much got the perfect amount of chocolately taste and sweetness without being sickening or overwhelming. I totally munched on a lot more out of the bag while I was getting ready! This also made it’s way into my dessert last night with milk, peanut butter and Ezekiel cereal.

For lunch I packed a total mess of leftovers: spinach (I forgot was in the fridge), ground turkey/asparagus mixture, feta, grape tomatoes, and black beans. There is something exciting and satisfying about throwing together random veggies and leftovers for lunch.

Also had some Thin Crisps with hummus.

I like Triscuits but the Thin Crisps are awesome – same 3 ingredients, different form. (Isn’t is also true that certain pasta shapes taste better than others and apples are better sliced than whole?)

For my afternoon snack I had a small bag of these. I like it when I can feel good about eating chips. These are made from corn, brown rice, quinoa, flax, sesame and sunflower seeds, etc.

I had so many different cravings for dinner tonight I had trouble managing them all. I ended up with 4 different components that somehow went together and formed a very fall-ish theme

Component 1: Eggplant and pepper stir fried in onion, garlic & olive oil

(Dehydrated the eggplant with salt for about half an hour)

(I may be having a second love affair with the new large frying pan!)

(After the eggplant browned, I added in some veggie broth and let it simmer)

Component 2: Butternut squash (mashed with buttery spread, maple syrup, cinnamon & nutmeg)

Components 3 & 4: Baked sweet potato & Spicy roasted chickpeas

All together in a red bowl. I love this time of year and all the foods that go along with it. (Perhaps my third declared love affair of the day?)

Catching up with the DVR now…goodnight!