No Panini Press? No Prob!

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Hi Ladies (and gentlemen?)!  Hope your weekend is starting out well! Mine’s been okay.  I finished the book I had to read, now paper writing can commence, but before all that I had a lovely morning.

I watched Ugly Betty (cried a bit… so sad this show is ending) while I had breakfast, cleaned the apartment, did some laundry and went to the gym (45min elliptical + 15 min treadmill + some weights).  Then I came home and before going to the library decided I should probably have lunch.  So this ensued…

Holey Moley!  Sooo good!

Now, I love toasted/pressed sandwiches.  However, I’m poor and unmarried (no registry… not for a long time, if ever) so instead I got a little creative.

I started with a flat out foldy thing (flat bread essentially but any bread would work), spread some delicious hummus on both sides, layered a little under 2 ounces of reduced fat cheese on both sides, then added spinach, sprouts and yellow peppers to create this:

Then I heated a pan and sprayed it with cooking spray and placed another pan on top and weighed it down with a jar of tahini, like such:

Then I had the most amazing meal ever!  Check out the melty cheese!

But seriously what made this extra delicious was this hummus:

Tribe Mediterranean hummus.  It tastes Moroccan!! Sooo good!  (Note: if you have a Harris Teeter look in their deli section for Moroccan Hummus!  Delish!)

I love this hummus with the yellow peppers as well.

Tip: If you don’t want to consume an entire pepper at one time, one way to keep it fresher longer (since they are expensive and you want them to last!) is to wrap the cored pepper in a paper towel then place it in a bag in the fridge.

It’ll keep fresh for up to a week!

Friends, I am a bottomless pit today!  Sadly I came home from the library with no desire to cook (gasp, rarely happens).  This is where I need a sexy man who waits eagerly for my arrival just so he can serve me a gourmet, healthy meal.

Wishful thinking.  Instead I had PB&J

some edamame and cottage cheese.

I’m hoping my hunger monster will go away soon, in the meantime, I’m chugging water and starting this paper!  Wish me luck!

Random Question: What’s your favorite sandwich ingredient?

Splurging at the Grocery Store

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It’s the weekend!!!! Woo!  Too bad I have a ton to do this weekend!  Oh well! It’ll all get done!

Today I was in desperate need of going to the grocery store.  Luckily, I was provided with lunch on campus today (delish veggie pizza and salad!) because I literally had no fresh produce, which is a deal breaker for me.

So I went to the grocery store and spent tons of $$.  I’ve realized I buy expensive things.  I go through about 1 large container of greek yogurt per week which costs about $7.99.  About 2 bags of spinach and 1 bag of romaine hearts and then I usually choose a few “exciting splurges.”  For me, exciting splurges are fruits of vegetables that aren’t cheap (usually over $3/lb).

Last week’s exciting splurge was a cantaloupe.  This week’s exciting splurge is a bag of colorful pepper and some mushrooms!

Do you splurge on expensive produce?  Do you consider it a splurge even since it’s healthy?

So delicious!  I had some dinner!

Broccoli and Yellow Pepper Stir Fry

Along with a can of soup since it was a cold day (we had a high of 45degrees! Yesterday the high was 80 degrees! What’s up with the weather??)

I also baked the most disappointing muffins ever tonight.

Bob’s Red Mill… you let me down.  I made these: Ruthie’s 8 Grain Muffins

Omm… why were they salty?  Not expected.  They would probably taste good with chili but I was expecting something sweet. I’m a little disappointed…

Hitting ‘Publish’ Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution just started! Are you watching?

Quinoa Granola

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Breakfast this morning was inspired by Heather.  A few days ago I saw her post on quinoa granola and after yesterday’s quinoa breakfast, I knew I had to try it ASAP!

I had mind with greek yogurt and a sliced banana.

Seriously. Best homemade breakfast I’ve ever had!  That’s saying a lot!

I tweeked her version a bit. Here’s my recipe for a single serving:

Coconut Quinoa Granola

inspired by Quinoa Granola

1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 tbsp flax
1 tbsp unsweetened coconut
1 tbsp agave
cinnamon

Rinse the quinoa.  Combine all the ingredients and spread on a baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 mins, stirring occasionally.

This was all sorts of delicious!  The whole meal also had about 20g of protein!  Kept me full for a pretty long time (5 hours?).

Definitely recommend it.

Ugh too much to read tonight!  Have a good one!

Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Icing and Other Delicious Eats

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I baked last night! I used Pioneer Woman‘s Recipe for Yellow Cupcakes with Sticky Chocolate Icing.

Oh

My

Goodness

These may be the best things I’ve ever made, solely based on the icing.  I messed it up a little and used too much sweetened condensed milk and not enough chocolate so it ended up a bit saucy.   Which meant it was perfect for drizzling on popcorn…

My roommate enjoyed!

Along with splitting one with me.  Need to make sure they’re safe to eat after all.

This morning after a rockin’ workout, I dug through the fridge looking for breakfast.  I wasn’t in the mood for oatmeal (gasp) since it was 71 degrees this morning!  Instead, I found some quinoa that needed to be consumed and decided to experiment:

Greek Yogurt + Banana + Quinoa + Ground Flax + Cinnamon = Delicious!

It was particularly amazing with sips of coffee, which leads me to believe it would be delicious to try this but cooking the quinoa in coffee to give it that flavor.  I’ll give that a try at some point and let you know how it goes.

Then I went to class and got my study on.  Remember my to do list from yesterday?  Here’s my progress:

  • Finish Reading Good Governance in the Tropics (self imposed deadline: today… hmm might not happen, 90 50 pgs left)
  • Reading for Urban Transformations in the Global South (need to be done tonight, 3 of 5 readings done so far… Africa makes me sad…)
  • Reading response for above mentioned readings (by tonight at midnight)
  • Readings for Urban Spatial Theory (err… might not get to these)
  • Term Paper on Good Governance book mentioned above (due Tuesday Thursday, no idea what to write about… good governance?)
  • Econ problem set due Thursday (luckily almost done)
  • Methods problem set (basically kicking my butt, spent 4 hours on it Sunday only to do 1.5 questions out of 5… meeting with study group tonight, due Monday)

4 out of 7 things done!  Woo!  Also my paper has been extended and is now due Thursday! Super excited!  I’m actually surprised at how much lower my stress level is now as compared to a month ago.  I guess the changes I’ve made in life have been really helpful!   How are you all holding up with stress?

Back to food…

I came home after class and was pretty much starving.  While this morning I had planned to make a peanut stew (a la stew in a jar), all I really wanted was a HUGE salad.  So I started with a layer of spinach and romaine mixed together, added some sliced cucumber, one piece of artichoke heart and some wheatberries and topped it with some dressing.

Then, the exciting part…

I added a poached egg, because let’s be realistic, everything tastes better with a good runny yolk.

My meal ended with another amazing combo: toast + cottage cheese + jam + flax

Aaaamazing!

Now I’m ready to read more, catch up on blogland (don’t think I’ve looked at the internet today!) and watch the episode of Lost that I missed last night!  Hope you all have a fab night!

P.S.  I was sent this NY Times Article about people who take pictures of food by at least 3 people today… I thought it was cute that some friends thought of me when they saw food photography.  Anyone else see this article and smile?

Twitter and Everything Else in My World Today

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I don’t understand Twitter.  I just plain don’t get it.

I mean, I think shitmydadsays is hilarious and I understand the entertainment value in it.  Heck, I even understand why President Obama would have twitter. But what would I have to say that I can’t say on this blog? Why would anyone want to read a 20 word blurb about how sleep won the battle of sleep vs. exercise this morning or how awesome I think Excel is?

I’m not saying others shouldn’t tweet, but I’m just not sure why anyone would want to read mine.  Are you on twitter?  What do you tweet about? Is it fun? Am I missing out?

Anyway, enough about twitter.

This week is INSANE!! Here’s a little sample from my to do list…

Karla’s To Do List:

  • Finish Reading Good Governance in the Tropics (self imposed deadline: today… hmm might not happen, 90 pgs left)
  • Reading for Urban Transformations in the Global South (need to be done tonight, 3 of 5 readings done so far… Africa makes me sad…)
  • Reading response for above mentioned readings (by tonight at midnight)
  • Readings for Urban Spatial Theory (err… might not get to these)
  • Term Paper on Good Governance book mentioned above (due Tuesday, no idea what to write about… good governance?)
  • Econ problem set due Thursday (luckily almost done)
  • Methods problem set (basically kicking my butt, spent 4 hours on it Sunday only to do 1.5 questions out of 5… meeting with study group tonight, due Monday)

Basically I’m swamped!  Strangely enough I don’t feel as stressed as I usually am… weird, huh?

I’m also baking for class on Wednesday but have no idea what to make!  Any ideas?  I was thinking some sort of cupcake, muffin or cookie since those are easy to transport.

Now, I’m getting ready to go to class.  It’s going to be a busy but WONDERFUL day!

Have a good one!!

There’s Always Bread Pudding

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Do you ever wake up feeling as if something’s off?  There’s a little too much on your plate and you know that no matter what the day will just be a little bit disappointing.

Today I felt stupid for a few hours, then ridiculous for about just as long, and the worst of all like a bad friend and an overall failure in life. Too much stuff going on right now!

To take my mind off of it all for a little bit.  I turned a disappointing loaf of bread I got at the Farmer’s Market yesterday

into something slightly better.

Bread Pudding

1 loaf of bread (about 10 slices), torn into pieces (I used whole wheat)
3 cups of non fat milk
3 tbsp butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raisins
2 tbsp rum
4 eggs

In a saucepan heat milk, butter, sugar, vanilla, raisins, cinnamon and rum until butter has melted and sugar is dissolved.  Put torn bread pieces into a large bowl, pour warm milk mixture over bread and toss to coat.  Let sit for about 30 minutes.

Add 4 eggs (beaten), transfer to a greased baking dish (I used a big 9×13 pyrex) and bake at 350 for 40-50mins.

Serve with a maple yogurt glaze (fancy way of saying greek yogurt + maple syrup mixed together).

I can’t deny that food is comforting, and I’m not talking about just eating it necessarily but the cooking part.  Preparing this took my mind off everything for a while.  Honestly, I would probably be a little happier if I had someone to give this to at the moment.  I love the smiles that come from receiving a treat, it’s almost better than eating it myself.

Since I’m a lonely duck on this Easter Sunday, I have to find another thing that will make me feel better… being a consumer (not an eater).

I can get these…

or

They cost about the same… Honestly, I could go without either but just out of curiosity, which would you choose and why?

When you’re not feeling great, what makes you feel better?

Hope you’re having a great Easter!

Feels Like Spring!

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Ahh another beautiful day here in Ithaca!

Look at that sunshine!  I know it sounds really stupid that I’m so excited about sunshine, but seriously it’s a treat here!  Flowers are blooming!

I spent the morning at the Farmer’s Market for the first time this year, since today was opening day!

I walked around and people/food watched.  Sadly, there wasn’t a whole lot of produce yet.  Mostly potatoes and carrots and such, but plenty of baked good!

Enjoyed a spinach ricotta crepe for brunch

Followed by a cup of unsweetened jasmine iced tea.  Amazing.

Played with my new friend, Koda

Isn’t she adorable!?!?  I met her yesterday on campus and ran into her at the Farmer’s Market.  I want one!

Chatted with friends

Overall had an amazing day! I’m not sure if it’s just the sunshine and warmth but I’m feeling a lot better about life.  It’s crazy how little things can really add up.

Are you having amazing weather?

Hot Cross Buns

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I took a cue from Mama Pea last night and got ready for Good Friday. While I hummed the tune in my head, I baked some hot cross buns.

I proceeded to distribute them to my schoolmates today.  Hope they were appreciated.

I enjoyed a few of these for breakfast (not the healthiest but that’s okay) with some coffee in this mug:

Quite fitting.  Makes me laugh.

I also had Hot Non-Denominational Buns (without the cross).

I thought they were pretty delicious! A nice treat for Good Friday.

Today was another gorgeous day!  We had a high of 83!  I wore a sundress and life was great!

Today was also Open House for my department so I spent a good portion of the day showing around prospective students, which was kind of fun.

Thank goodness for the weekend!  Even though I have a ton of work to get done, I also have so many shows to catch up on!  Lost, Ugly Betty, Grey’s Anatomy, Mad Men!  Where to start!?!

Hopefully I’ll get to catch up on blogs with weekend too!   I’m pooped!  Have a great night!

April Will be AAAAmazing!

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Happy April Everyone!

I hate April Fool’s Day!  Sorry to be a scrooge (what? wrong holiday?), but I won’t even pretend to be pregnant or dropping out of school or anything of that shocking sort.  Are you a fan of April Fool’s Day??

Today has starting out wonderfully!!

Reason #1: It’s SUNNY out and there is going to be a high of 78!!!!

Check out the sunshine radiating from my fire escape!!

See Lauren‘s post on Vitamin D

Reason #2: Amazing oats in my new bowl! Isn’t it cute?

My oats may not be as fancy as some, but my oat + banana +yogurt + almond butter combo is the best thing on Earth to me!  Case in point:

Reason #3:  Delicious lunch!

At Allie‘s suggestion I had a tempeh + pumpkin butter + spinach sandwich.  Yes there is tempeh and pumpkin butter amongst that mountain of spinach.

OMG delicious!  Try it!  Even better than yesterday’s sandwich!

Reason #4: Yesterday I got Mad Men season 3 arrived in the mail.  Thus I can continue my love/hate relationship with Don Draper.

Reason #5: Class was outside today!  I got to argue with someone, which is fun because usually it’s a huge group of people sitting around agreeing with each other.

Reason #6: Fantastic work out this morning!  It flew by!  I did 4 miles on the T-Mill while watching Tyra Banks’ E! True Hollywood Story.  I love trash TV!

So I’m posting this later than expected but today has been a great day so far!  To be honest, I’m not sure how much work I’m going to get done the rest of the day, but I’m a happy camper!

Hope your day has been as pleasant as mine!!

Tomorrow is Friday!!! WOO!

Let’s Go Streaking!

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Ok actually you can and should do this with your clothes on!

My brother-in-law started a fun facebook group called The Running Streak Group.

Basically the idea is to run (at least) 1 mile everyday, never missing a day.  You can see the United States Running Streak Association for more info!

Starting April 1st, I’m going to try to run at least 1 mile everyday!  Sounds kind of fun right?  Anyone want to join me?  Feel free to join the facebook group!  Good way to make sure you get moving at least a little bit everyday!

I wish I had more exciting eats to show you all, but unfortunately I’ve been running around like a chicken with its head cut off for the past few days!   I’m trying to get together school work, apply for internships and be the overall rockstar that I am!

This morning I made a green monster for breakfast and in my rush out the door, forgot it.  That was upsetting… luckily I wasn’t hungry this morning.

But I’m pretty excited for lunch. I’m trying something new!

Tempeh with jam and spinach! (Note my super bread slicing skills aka super uneven!) Ready to go…

Sounds like an interesting combo!  I’ve seen it around the blog world!  I’ll let you know how it is. Have you ever had the tempeh/preserve/sweet combo?  Did you like it?

EDIT: OMG THIS IS AMAZING!!!

In other news, my Stress-Less March idea is working really well.  While it sucks to have to take everything with me and lug it around campus all day, it’s really nice to get so much done and come home and sort of relax for a bit.

I’m in the library so I should probably get to work.  Hope you have a great day!!