This was supposed to be part of the week's theme--but it kinda failed in that I didn't arrange the nectarine properly so the yogurt spilled over the edges and thus failing to be parfait.

• oats, flax, cinnamon
• lots of greek yogurt
• 1 nectarine

Nothing can explain my love for this stuff. So much that I had it again next morning for breakfast:

• oats, flax
• greek yogurt, cocoa, black sesame paste[?]
• banana

I may or may not have had this with peanut butter. But if I did have peanut butter around--it definitely went into the oatmeal!

Other meals:

Oct 1: dinner

lots of beans, mushroom marinara sauce, carrots, chickpeas, lentil & spinach soup, yogurt&cottage cheese, mandarin oranges, mystery cafeteria cereal

Oct 2: lunch

Same vegetables as yesterday + parmesan, and a PB&B english muffin! 

Dinner:

Vegetable soup, tortellini salad, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, edamame, and beans

Red peppers!! [the caf never has red peppers at the salad bar], chickpeas, kidney beans, cottage cheese, mystery caf cereal, applesauce, peanut butter

It was quite awesome :D

Some really exciting oatmeal pictures to come later!!

This is the only one that really turned out clear enough ... the others were all fuzzy!  Boo! :-(

As you can see, I was pumping my fists in celebration of crossing the finish line!

On to this morning's breakfast ...

I pulled out the Bob's Red Mill Muesli again.  Although it was wonderful, it just does not fill me up at all.  I made an extra batch for tomorrow's breakfast, but I will probably just eat it as a snack.  The package states that one serving size is 1/4 cup.  For who???  A kid??  Certainly not enough for me!

I thought about eating that extra batch after I was done with my small bowl, but decided against it.  I'm going to go for a run and then I will make a yummy protein shake.  That normally fills any hunger holes that I have until lunch.

I added a handful of Kashi cereal and a few extra raisins to my bowl -

Plus a sliced whole banana (thin and thick slices) was cooked in with the muesli.

Speaking of bananas, look at these adorable baby bananas I got for the girls' snack today -

They are going to LOVE them!

Alright, I'm off to run like Forest Gump ...

"Now you wouldn't believe me if I told you, but I could run like the wind blows."

Later people!

lunch: rice cooked with chicken and stuff

dinner: rice balls, leftover carrot salad, & sasakama (fish sausages)

dessert: warabi mochi & mame daihuku (rice cake stuffed with bean jam)
わらび餅と豆大福

Slow start. Slept in until noon (nice!) and got ready to go out. On my way to the train station, I saw a little kitten in a cage with the "Looking for a foster family" sign in front of a stationery store. Ripped my heart out.

Got a haircut and highlights. My hair stylist is also into photography. So we chatted more about different cameras and lenses than about my hair.

Here are some shots of Toro, the friendly miniature poodle.

One character will be making a decent number of appearences, about 2 are regulars, 4 others are support characters and the rest are small misc castings. Anyone expressing interest can email me with a sample of their work, or you can wait until the official process begins which will probably be hosted at VAC. It is prefered if you can get as little background noise and static as possible, though I can easily edit the audio if it is unavoidable. Please note it will be a fair amount of time before this will be undertaken so please be patient. Thanks in advance.

Oh, and I might as well mention the main characters and their voice actors now. After samples of each of the remaining characters' dialouge is released for casting purposes, those characters will only be revealed to the chosen actors in order to maintain some secrecy as to their plot significance. And for general euphoria and interest, I will release the prologue very soon, as soon as I edit it.

Characters' call sign (profession) - Voice actor

Shuffles (Retreival) - Venzael

Pockets (Demolition) - Shimrra_3

Birdie ((Technologist) - Jonno_Gradian

Muesli (Reconnaissance) - Eyes

Threads (Reconnaissance) - Threads

Flags (Sniper) - Myself

End post, enjoy the wait.

Sorry for the delay! Wednesday mornings = disruption in my schedule.

Yesterday morning I ate some overnight oats. On Monday night I mixed 1/2 cup oats w/ 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk and 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder. I added a little more milk in the morning plus cinnamon, vanilla, and a packet of stevia. And half a naner.

Pretty good!

Snack was a very vibrant package of edamame and a plum.

A couple hours later, I rocked the lunch.

On the right: bell peppers and carrots. On the left: a piece of Rudi's whole wheat bread with laughing cow light, some grainy dijon, lemon-pepper turkey, and spinach. It was such a yummy, creamy little sando!

But it didn't really last long!

I left to pay a visit to the bread lady. While I was gone, I got a mosquito bite on top of my hand. :neutral: When I got back to work around 3:30 I was ravenous! I decided to try a combo I've seen on other people's blogs: Greek yogurt with something crumbled on top. Most people use a Z-Bar, but I don't like those so I brought one of my apple oat muffins instead.

It was a little too spongy to provide the textural experience I was looking for, but it worked!

Yesterday I stayed at work until an inappropriately late hour. I ate a dinner comprised of random fridge items while working:

Leftover coleslaw with baked tofu chunks mixed in and a juicy pear. It smelled up the office - in a good way!

When I got home, I had two tiny pieces of lightly toasted best.bread.eva with a drizzle of Agave. OH MERCY! So good.

It brought me true joy. One piece was the heel/butt, which I like. :)

After an hour or so of working at home ( :( ) my sweet tooth kinda hurt, so I opened the fridge and stared at its contents for awhile. I decided the best thing for me was some carrots, a T of PB, and a T of raisins.

The three grapes were added for symmetry purposes. :)

I'm woefully behind on the goings-on in Washington. I'm listening to NPR right now, which I love because I can pick a program from their list OR stream it live. I also listen to it in the car. Other than that, I read/watch CNN. How do you get your news?

I'm working on a grant proposal so I might be AWOL today. We'll see. I hope you guys have a happy Wednesday!

And I'm out.

lunch: japanese radish with sweet yuzu miso paste (i never get tired of it), tofu dressed with mekabu (seaweed root or something like that), dried bonito flakes and okra, & rice with natto. when you really think about it, this lunch has absolutely no oil or fat and is still as delicious. genius!

dinner: leftover curry with rice & carrot salad. i've been eating curry for several days in a row now. i either cook too much of something or don't eat it enough...i think it's the former.

 

I came across this site Mister Donut in Korea while browsing through internet news today. Apparently Mister Donut broke into the very competitive Korean market last year amongst such competitors as Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Dunkin Donuts, and they have been doing very well. I bet they are doing well because look what they have on the menu! They even have things not offered in Japan.

Over here Mister Donut has started promoting recently in their TV commercial that they've reduced the amount of trans-fatty acid they use in their donuts to 0.25g per donut. Well, it's about time, isn't it. We seem to have very little knowledge or care much about what trans-fatty acid does to your body and how (and how much of) it's been used even in some oil that has been certified by the government as "health food" that's "supposed to lower your cholesterol level."  People, including myself, just aren't informed well enough. It definitely has something to do with the fact that A: a lot of traditional Japanese food (like my lunch today) has never contained much fat/oil to begin with, let alone artificial oil, so there's not much awareness in us, though that's got to change as our diet has changed drastically to so much fast food crap, and B: the LDP and so many greedy bastards in the food industry have made sure to cover up what they don't want us to know.  Either way, I'm getting more and more skeptical about the food in general, especially after this rice scandal and the milk scandal.  Where are we going!?!

Today I had a Piece of Toast with about 2tsp of my St Dalfours Blueberry spread.

I had a really great workout. I did 40 minutes on the elliptical, push ups, crunches with the ab roller well as assisted chin ups and triceps dips. When I got home I made my self a proper breakfast. I decided to try a new yoghurt that i picked up at the shops yesterday:

I'm always looking for new products to try and this yoghurt looked pretty good. It's alot lower in sugar and other kilojoules than other similar products. When i opened it i realized it was REALLY runny. I had a little taste before mixing into my breakfast, and i know this might sound weired but it reminded me alot of strawberry cordial. I didn't really like it. I mixed in some Uncle Toby's swiss muesli, Walnuts and some fresh Strawberries and Blueberries.

This thickened it up a bit and it made it taste alot better. Im working today from 1 - 5:30. Oh well extra money :)

This is a modification of a great recipe served at the sumptuous brunch on one of our yoga holidays in Portugal. It was meant for the few wheat-free guests, but quickly became a favourite with everybody. It will set you up for the day, and is a great alternative for a tea-time snack. I have modified it to lower the GI, and make it more sustaining by improving the protein content. The quinoa and oats are a great blend. Buy organic nuts - you really can taste the difference. The muscovado is important for the trace elements in the molasses. (You could use a tablespoon of molasses melted into the hot water instead. It makes the granola much darker.) The goji berries are a beautiful colour, and either prunes or apricots have a low GI. Simply snip them into small pieces with kitchen scissors. If you like a toasted flavour, put it under a grill for a few minutes, but don't leave it - you'll burn your nuts and have to start all over again!

I'm fairly convinced that the reason there isn't a photo of this delicious Muesli in Robin Asbell's cookbook is because well, truthfully, it just doesn't have a whole lot of eye appeal. But what it lacks in sufficient 'Come hither' properties- you know, the ones that drag you in, drooling in delight and wishing you could taste it immediately- it more than makes up for in flavor and ease, not to mention the ability to satiate morning hunger and sustain a body to lunchtime.

The premise is genius; take your oats, milk (or milk alternative), chopped toasted nuts, shredded apple, dried fruit and a few other tasty treats and mix them all up in a container before going to bed. In the morning, scoop some in a bowl and eat it chilled- like we did on those warm summer mornings of past- or zap it in the microwave for 90 seconds. The only thing that would make it a ton more appealing is to somehow make it portable, without a spoon.

We have the Swiss to thank for Muesli, says the current Saveur magazine- a salivatory issue devoted solely to Breakfast. And what am amazing and hunger inducing issue it is- of all the ways the world enjoys a morning meal!! Who knew?! According to the magazine, Muesli was developed by a Swiss doctor who watched residents of the Alps stir together any combination of oats with fresh and dried fruit and several types of nuts. Real Muesli, according to sources quoted, is true Swiss food. For an intense and delicious option, check out Saveur's recipe, or for something a little easier, try Robin's.

I first stirred together this recipe in July, once the sun had gone down an a rather hot and humid day. Since it was a hearty breakfast that could easily be eaten cold, I was intrigued to see what it was like, and the following morning I scooped some of the moist, tender oat mixture into a bowl and picked up a spoon. Delicious doesn't even begin to cover it. The oats (you use thick rolled oats- nice and firm) become soft from soaking overnight in milk, but still retain all their characteristic texture and cause a raucous but friendly morning greeting on your tongue. There is apple, and nuts and some dried fruit; one of the best things about this recipe is the endless versatility in terms of what you add. The second incarnation of it, on a chilly September morning, went into the microwave so it would warm both my hands and my tummy, and solidified itself a spot in our morning repertoire. What I'm eating amounts to little other than instant oatmeal, but with infinitely better nutritional qualities and flavor and I'm almost certain I could devise an option with brown sugar and raisins that my son would gobble down; he gives himself so little time for breakfast in the morning that I often don't feel he gets quite the boost from it that his teenage body needs.

Bottom line: The recipe is healthy and a piece of cake. This is perfect for chilly mornings ahead. What are you waiting for??

(jump for recipe and notes)

Overnight Apple-Date Muesli
By Robin Asbell, The New Whole Grains Cookbook

1/2 c. slivered almonds
2 medium apples
1 1/2 c. nut milk, or other milk
2 T. maple syrup
1 1/2 c. thick rolled oats
1/4 c. soy protein powder (optional)
1/2 c. pitted dates

Preheat oven to 325 and spread almonds on a baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Let cool.

Get out a large storage tub or bowl with a lid. Quarter the apples and core, then shred right into the bowl, skin and all. Add remaining ingredients, including almonds, and stir well to combine. Cover tightly and place in refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, stir thoroughly. Spoon desired amount into individual bowls and serve cold, or warm in the microwave for up to 2 minutes per bowl.

KATE'S NOTES:
I tried this the first time with the protein powder and decided I didn't care for it, but that's just me. I always, always, always add in about 2-3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed to this, regardless. I double it and we enjoy it for several days. It will get softer and a bit less flavorful the longer it sits, but if you're like us, it rarely lasts that long.

I am not a fan of dates but I. Love. Figs. so I chop those up into it instead. The variations on this, like I said, are infinite. Use raisins, currants, dried cherries, craisins, dried apricots or any type of dried fruit you like in any combination; vary the apple flavor by going tart or sweet; add in a multitude of nuts, use other cereal flakes, like barley. Skip the maple syrup or use an alternative, like raw or maple sugar sprinkled over the top before you eat it. Give it your own fingerprint and I'm sure it will also become a favorite for you.

lunch: red rice, miso soup, & the last bit of kinpira gobo

dinner: hambergers with salad, leftover miso soup, & red rice
久々に作ったハンバーグ。素晴らしい形じゃあないですか。味はフツー。あと、赤飯は一回食べればもう十分…。

Why do I still have dreams of having to rush to school when in reality it's been forever since I graduated from school? In my dreams I'm always late for my classes and feeling really restless, going, "Oh, which classes do I have today? Where're my text books? Which classes have I already missed? Where is my seat? Who are my classmates? Why do I not know it?" Guilt that I'm feeling in these dreams is pretty unbelievable. There are also dreams in which I'm always running away from someone or something quite intangible in places totally unfamiliar to me. That's been going on for years now, and I hardly ever have totally happy or "dreamy" dreams. Does anyone have more happy dreams than bad ones!?

Ahhh, tomorrow's a national holiday, and of course I have to do a phoner with a guy from Kings Of Leon super-duper early in the morning. Oh well, at least I dig their music.

(I'm watching TV instead of getting ready for tomorrow's phoner. Stan Hansen is on!!! He's just a retired old dude now and nothing like his old lariat-throwing scary self!!! I know no one will probably understand what the heck I'm talking about, but it got me pretty excited.)
（スタン・ハンセンがテレビに出てた。なんだかすっかり普通のおっちゃんになってるでないの。）

On my to-do list:

• Menu planning for the week 
• My regular trip to the grocery store
• Some prep cooking for the week
• Monster box for GOTR (I will show you later!)
• Maybe a little shopping!  ;-)

I dug deep into the fridge today and out came a bag of Bob's Red Mill Muesli, loaded with rolled oats, wheat, rye, barley, flax, dates, raisins, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds and walnuts.

With all the goodies in the mix, I didn't need to add much more than sliced bananas (1/2 cooked in and 1/2 on top), 1 tbsp. wheat germ and a little almond extract - which rocked my world this morning!  I think I will use almond extract way more often.  The aroma alone was awesome!!  Oh, I forgot about the coconut, which I sprinkled on at the last minute.

Here's the final result ...

I really enjoyed this warm breakfast and made a mental note to remember that we have it.  It needs to come back more often! 

I never made an effort to do any weight training yesterday after my run, so I am going to make some time for that today.  I also want to get in a bike ride, but will wait for the sun to make it's appearance first. 

Off I go ... there's a lot more to do than I thought!

• oats, flax, walnuts, Kellogg's JustRight cereal
• 1 gala apple
• 0.25 cup apple juice, water
• 2 tsp black sesame paste powder

This would have made an awesome cookie or muffin flavor! I have no words to describe this combo~

Anyway, this is a pretty short entry, so just for fun, I present to you...

My chem notes! This was after I solved the problem...and then I checked the answers and realized that I am a genius.

Later!

As I've mentioned in the past, the behavior of domestic cats is idiosyncratic at best.

Here's a current example with one of mine the ones that lives in the same place as me:

A common breakfast here at Chez Pannaceaeae is yogurt (Stonyfield Farms Banilla) with granola or müsli (Alpen, et al.), occasionally with raisins, dried cranberries, or banana slices.

Ernestine, the grimalkin (actually, she's a "dilute shaded tortoiseshell") matriarch hereabouts, becomes very interested when I start assembling the meal. The bowl could be for that purpose, but it isn't until the gloop, gloop of the yogurt being stirred and poured that her little feline suspicions are confirmed. At this point she sits firm and erect on the floor, stares keenly at me, and initiates the meowing.

• Meow no. 1: (announcement) "Hey. I'm here."
• Meow no. 2: (firmly) "HEY!        I'm here."
• Meow no. 3: (stare) "    " (silent meow)
• Meow no. 4: (rather demurely) "Just reminding you that I like that stuff."
• Meow no. 5: (stare) "    " (silent meow, refrain of no. 3)

From experience, I know that she will not quit this until she gets some. She's well-behaved enough not to jump on the table, claw at my feet, or meow incessantly. Instead, she will just stay close (keeping that bowl in sight at all times); she'll wait until I'm done and put the bowl on the floor for her. She then springs into action, natural predator that she is, and licks that yogurt to death, leaving the cereal bits unscathed. This is fine, because cat number two is a grains freak and will consume the remnants. (He also likes my baked goods, the little brown-noser.)

Now, I try to circumvent these circumstances because I don't particularly care to be stared at while I eat. I have tried, all to no avail:

• putting a little of the yogurt in a kitty-portion-sized ramekin.
• sprinkling a little of the müsli onto yogurt in said ramekin and mixing.
• spreading some of aforementioned concoction into a bowl of the same size and shape as the one I eat from.
• pretending to eat from each of the above, using an actual spoon to create the occasional clinking sound.

Ernestine will have none of it. Only after I have actually eaten my share, she staring at me all the while, will she bother to eat some, despite her intense interest.

Why is this cat so contrary?
Is there something magical in my saliva?

[wow--it's been a while since I updated!]

Contents:

• oats, flax, walnuts
• water, milk
• 1 peach
• 2 tsp black sesame paste powder
• 2 tsp almond pudding powder

The powder combo! Two very flavorful flavors combined together = exciting! Their aromas are also very prominent, so it's like you get even more flavor via retronasal tasting or whatever that's called!

It's like sesame-almond ice cream....ohmgawd!

Post-gym snack:

That's PB&B&CC! Guess what CC stands for :mrgreen: [answer at end of entry!]

Thursday:

Haven't had pears in a while--so I used some! I really really need to go back to cooking my oats so I can mash the pears like I did before! As convenient as muesli is, you start to miss cooked oats after a bit~

Contents:

• oats, flax, walnuts
• water & milk
• 1 pear, 2 tbsp goji berries
• 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa

Dinner:

Peach yogurt & cottage cheese & apple & shreddies & PB! Very exciting mix of flavors, aka my new addiction--have been eating this everyday!

And if you haven't guessed...CC = cottage cheese! :D

Aah I've been headaching all morning D: I'm inclined to blame it on the fact that I had tea instead of coffee this morning...but I normally have like...half a cup of coffee??? So would missing that really have this much of an effect...?

Whenever I visit my friends in Switzerland, I beg them to make me müesli, and I'm always up for trying different restaurant's versions of it, since no two places make it the same.  It's one of the healthiest, high energy foods that I've ever encountered.  And it's guaranteed to power your through your workday.

The word müesli probably brings to mind a granola like food.  In part, that's true.  Whole grains are an important part of the dish.  When you go to the grocery store and bakery in Switzerland, muesli mixes abound (Trader Joes makes an awesome blueberry müesli mix that I love to use). But these are raw grains, uncooked and needing a little preparation before consumption.  You don't just stick these in a bowl, dump milk on them, and eat them, like a cereal.

Müesli is a mix of yogurt, whole grains, fruit, and nuts.  That pretty much covers the food groups, doesn't it?  It's no wonder that the Swiss will eat it for any meal.

Chari has shown me the proper method, again and again, and I always default to a quick and easy method with whatever I have on hand.  But, it still tastes great.  Here's how I generally make the dish.

Ingredients:
1 cup plain European style yogurt (the higher the fat, the better!)
½ cup whole grains (oats, barley, wheat germ, and/or rye.
1/8 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or almonds are my favorites)
1 banana, mashed
1/2 cup berries (sliced strawberries, blueberries, and/or blackberries, can be frozen)
1 apple, grated (you can also substitute a finely chopped nectarine or peach)

Directions:
I add the mashed banana to the yogurt and mix well.  Then, I stir the grains in that mix until they are coated.  Next, I mix in the nuts.  I finally stir in the remainder of the fruit.  Depending on the size and quality of the fruit, you can add some lemon juice for a more tart taste or honey for a sweeter taste.  Soak the mix overnight in the fridge to soften the grains and blend the flavors.

Chari claims that a sour cream like dairy product called "Quark" also adds a nice flavor and texture to the dish, but it's really hard to find in the states.

Many of the purist recipes will call for soaking of the grains separately overnight. They'll tell you to cover the grains with milk, and mix it with everything else the next day. I'm a bit too lazy for the extra step.  I prefer to do all the prep work the night before, and I think the grains get soft enough with all the moisture from the fruit and the yogurt.  But, I'm also not using really tough grains. If you had some rock hard grains, maybe you'd want to soak them separately.

I had it for breakfast today, and I'm still going strong this evening!

Anyhoo, in my many years of travelling on PT, I've seen some pretty good stuff - and usually the people doing the craziest things are those who are the best dressed. Today I watched a woman in her 30s pull out a Tupperware container and a spoon and start digging in to her muesli. She had prepared it earlier even going to the point of pouring milk into the container. She spooned those milk laden oats into her gob as calmly as if she were seated at her kitchen table and didn't spill a drop.

The other day I watched an Asian girl who must have weighed about 45kgs scoffing two dim sims the size of her fist in the time it took the train to travel between two stops. I couldn't tear my eyes away as she pretty much inhaled those dimmies. I was pretty pissed off though - she stunk out the whole carriage and at 7.45am that's too much to bear.

Shaving, eyebrow plucking, make-up applying, swearing, farting, sleeping, hair brushing, beer drinking, eating, snoring and nose picking. Ahh the nose picking. My favorite is the pick with the little finger. Its surreptitious and sneaky and it seems to be ok if you just have a quick poke with your pinkie. [SN]

lunch: hijiki rice & sausages with spicy ketchup. i was so hungry for meat.

(click on the pictures to view larger versions.)

dinner: @korean restaurant. these are appetizers. the balls are minced squids.

samgyetang

bo ssam (you wrap boiled pork, kimchi, sesame leaves, etc. with leaves.)  had i known i'd be eating pork, i wouldn't have had sausages for lunch...

they had a cool interior accessory.  pretty expensive place, too.

My Avril interview never happened. They made us wait and wait and wait and finally cancelled it at the very last minute. The photo shoot, which we were initially granted 10 minutes, was reduced to a couple of minutes. Although it's they who were late, there was no apology or not even a hello from her manager, who was organizing (or not organizing, obviously!) everything. Avril herself was polite enough, though, and wasn't like a certain rock star named Jon who was very rude when he was also late for the interview once because he was eating his ramen.

Hello! it's me right after coming back home past midnight.  Dead tired, so I made a little effort to look cheerful with a peace sign.
（そこの貴女、お誕生日おめでとう！）

Sunday & Monday's breakfast:

• canned pineapples--courtesy of the cafeteria! :mrgreen:
• 1 tsp shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 0.25 cup apple juice, 0.5 cup water
• oats, flax, walnuts

I love how I don't even bother cooking oatmeal anymore--muesli for the win! You wake up and a nice bowl of oatmeal is all ready to be devoured--more instant than instant oatmeal!

I guess in a way, this could also be called "Summer Is Over--SUCKAZ" Oatmeal :-P

Oh, and on Monday, I finally got my butt out of my room/classes long enough to go restock my oatmeal supply!

2 more bags of organic oats! Quaker oats for the loose now that I've had organic oats--the chewiness factor is quite difference! Although I will say that Quaker oats are better for soaking up flavors of fruit juices~ [I can't believe I know this...]

Monday's post-gym snack:

Something you'll probably think is gross.

• 0.5 cup leftover mocha from breakfast
• 1 packet instant cereal
• a lot of water
• splash of milk

Oh, I guess it's not really that gross--it sounded a lot grosser in my head :-P

Dinner:

PB&B ENGLISH MUFFIN!!!!!

I get so excited every time I get PB&B 'cause it is the BEST. I need to seriously go and buy some PB so I can add this awesome to my oatmeal and make it AWESOMENESS TO THE POWER OF THREE. OMG.

Oh, and to end on an even more awesome note: next Saturday's chem quiz got cancelled! I don't know why and I don't care but I am elated

DID. NOT. WORK.

Goodness--I hope this isn't indicative of how chem labs would go for me this year...

I was closer to the desired effect, but not close enough! I don't understand--I heated the water just like the instructions said...

Anyway, here's what the "mystery ingredient" is:

And the white stuff in the picture is what my attempts are supposed to look like--pudding, not slush!

I don't understand :(

Maybe 'cause I added heated water but it wasn't boiling?!

But whatevz, at least it tastes good--very almond-y, a little too sweet though--should add more water or oats next time.

Basically:

• 0.25 cup oats
• 0.5 cup water
• walnuts, flax, Kellogg's Just Right cereal
• 1 banana
• 2 tsp almond pudding powder

If you're curious, the almond pudding stuff's in a lot of asian grocery stores--best dessert/snack ever!

Lunch:

Snapped this picture at the caf 'cause I arrived early enough for it to not be awkward :-P

Check it--greek yogurt! I haven't had it in AGES and I love that the caf serves it [although not all the time--dammit!] I had 2 bowls of this 'cause it's AWESOME. To top off this awesomeness: fruit salad! Granted, the fruits are the canned, syrupy variety, but this is probably the closest I'll get to having pineapples, papayas, and mangoes during the school year!

Anyway~thanks for all the input on the rec rowing on my last post! In the end I decided not to do it--too poor and not enough time :( SADNESS. Oh well--I joined an anti-food-wasting group instead :D First meeting was this morning--was really nervous, but it actually went okay! Sweetness :D

What kind of stuff are you guys involved with this year?

NOTHING HAPPENED. Which isn't supposed to happen! I won't say exactly what is supposed to happen [because attempt #2 is coming!], but it definitely isn't that!

Tears...

I mean, it tasted great and everything, but...

Whatevs dude. I think attempt #2 will actually work! [And I had 2 packets of Almond crackers as consolation dessert after dinner--so I think I'll be fine :D ]

Contents of the stuff above:

• oats, flax, milk, water, walnuts
• 1 tbsp goji berries
• 1 tsp coconut
• 0.25 packet of TBA ingredient

Post-gym snack:

Second Clif bar flavor! I think I like this one better? The other one was really sweet.

Roar, right now I'm trying to decide whether to join the Recreational Rowing club at school...

Um yeah--I don't know what to do :(

Unbaked muesli swells.  I had no idea how much.  We’d been putting the muesli out the night before in bowls, moistened by heavenly unfiltered Huon Valley Gala apple juice we’d gotten the first couple of days in Tasmania.  Covered it with plastic wrap.  Left it to soak overnight. 

Can you see that the “we” I refer to is the “royal we”?  JJ, the ultimate foodie, had done the honors for days, and now it was my turn.  I’m usually on the “be patient with her, she’ll learn” foodie team and pitch in where I can be marginally useful. 

Now it was my turn.  With a mental squaring of shoulders, I filled the bowls with muesli, poured on the juice, gave it a stir, covered it and set it aside for breakfast.  How hard could this be?

When we opened the fridge in the morning, each bowl of muesli had made a mound of moistened cereal of enormous proportions.  It was amazing that it stayed in the bowl.  We could have invited several muesli-loving guests and their nearest relatives -- and still had enough to go around.  

“How much muesli did you use?”  JJ contained her face very well, but clearly she was amused.  

“Just a bowl-full each.”  I realized as I spoke that I’d seen the results each morning rather than scrutinizing the efficient beginnings the evenings before.

“A handful will do next time, girl.”  So I could see.  

My frugal ancestors rolled furiously in their graves when we threw out most of it.  We were on the road, after all.  But we’d dragged along yogurt in the cooler we’d kept from the Barilla Bay oysters purchased the first day in Tassie – that’s frugal, no?  JJ  used leftover raspberries from the day before and a sugar packet found in the complementary coffee/tea kit to make a coulis to spread over the yogurt on top of the moistened muesli.  

Energy for the day, good for the innards, excellent use of resources at hand, and…just the right amount.

***

Coulis

(a cooked fruit sauce with modest amount of sugar)

In a relationship of 6 to 1, mix fruit with sugar, (lots of fruit with just a little sugar to sweeten) and a squeeze of citrus to preserve the color and a touch of piquant, in a sauce pan, bring to a low boil and simmer for 10+ minutes, stirring regularly, until the juices run and thicken.  Pour over muesli, yogurt, or fresh sliced fruit.  Garnish with mint. Use warm or cool.  Can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

***

What will this:

Look like tomorrow morning? [and/or after I do something crazy like add milk and water?]

Tune in tomorrow [or the day after...] to find out!

And now back to our show:

Today's breakfast:

Oatmeal #106: No cows - Part II

Stolen caf food adventures! Snagged a kiwi yesterday, so this morning I get kiwi! :D

• oats, flax, walnuts, Kellogg's Just Right cereal [snagged from inn breakfast buffet :-P ], water
• 0.25 cup apple juice
• 1 kiwi

I thought the kiwi flavor would match that of apple juice 'cause they're both sweet and sour [in the fruity way, not the chicken McNugget dip way]--and the result was quite awesome! The kiwis definitely helped the fruit juice stand out more so that I could actually taste the combo of oatmeal + juice, as opposed to oatmeal + mildly sweetened water.

I also tried a new kind of tea this morning--chocolate spice tea--awesome, eh?! It did taste quite chocolatey and smooth! I'm not really a tea person, but I liked this! [Unfortunately, the tea bag was from a free sample thing :( ]

Pre-first-chem-lab snack:

I thought the lab was going to be three hours long--so I broke out the heavy stuff!

...but I was there for less than half an hour....

Oh well--I'm in no hurry to start lab-ing :-P

Anyway--yeah--Clif bar! I finally have a new flavor to try--Black Cherry Almond. It tastes like it's got rum in it--am I just crazy?

Dinner/post-first-bio-lab meal:

Since I'm on a 10 meals per week plan [the default meal plan for upper years], I eat breakfast, Sunday dinner [caf is closed], and 2 additional meals away from the cafeteria during the week so I don't have to cook so much on weekends!

But yeah--I made the pasta salad from above this morning, and added the parmesan in when I got back to my room.

Contains: chickpeas, frozen mixed veg, whole wheat pasta, EVOO, lemon juice, oregano, parmesan

I also bought this:

With flex $$ on my way back 'cause I knew the pasta wouldn't be enough. The blue cheese dressing is from another salad I had a while ago! I used it with the broccoli, but ate everything else plain 'cause I realized I don't really like blue cheese that much! It tastes funny~~

AND TOMORROW IS FRIDAY!!!

I guess in some way this is also Experiment #106 - No Cows - Part II, but whatevz!

Contents:

• oats, flax, walnuts, Muslix cereal
• cinnamon & vanilla extract
• 0.25 cup apple juice, water
• 1 granny smith apple

Like with the vitamin water--couldn't really taste it! Maybe I need to add more juice--maybe I'll do an experiment experiment on the ideal amount to add! :mrgreen:

Anyway, still have lots of apple juice left--so it's going to make several more appearances on the blog :D

Post-yoga snack:

Banana + PB!!!!!!!!!!! Nuff said :D

Post-lunch snack:

I had 2 of these--cafeteria lunch isn't very filling...

Dessert/snack [can't remember if I had this before or after dinner]

Peach yogurt from bag lunch, with Muslix and a very tiny bit of flax on top.

More dessert:

The Luna bar! I've been wanting to try it all day, since I read about it on blogs so often--so I did! The picture only shows half, but I actually ate all of it :D

Today's breakfast:

Felt kinda out of it this morning, and sat down to eat this:

...before I realized I forgot a lot of things!

There we go :D

Sorry for poor lighting and stuff!

Anyway, I was going to heat this up, but someone else was in the common room [where the microwave was] so I felt awkward going in and beeping their ears off at 5 a.m. :-P

• oats, flax, Muslix, walnuts
• 1 banana
• 0.25 cup chocolate milk!!! :D and 0.25 cup milk

I luv chocolate milk!

Off to dinner! Food blogs make me hungry.

lunch: rice & stir-fried veggies (peppers and bean sprouts) with diced deep-fried tofu all dressed together with a bit of starch

dessert: orange-flavored pocky

dinner: miso soup (potatoes, seaweed, and fried tofu), squash, & rice with natto (fermented soybeans)

do most men mention their mothers when asked what their ideal type of women is? one of my male colleagues drew an "ewww!" reaction from us girls when we asked "what kind of women do you like?" and he said unabashedly, "someone like my mom." i suppose it's only natural that they think that to a certain degree---sure, most everybody loves their mom. but they don't have to say it out loud, do they. someone tried to argue rather unconvincingly that all the italian men and a lot of other men from the western countries would proudly say that out loud, and it's only the japanese men who wouldn't normally admit it, and that our japanese colleague was awkward but merely honest. is that so??? i'd feel awkward knowing that my boyfriend wants "[his] mommy" in me because that would make him look like he's not all grown up properly or not quite together. or is it my insecurities that i am not aware of!?

oh, i found myself mulling over which new ipod nano color i'd choose while i was at work today even though i have no plans of getting one. geez, i must be tired.