Chip's lunch: June 11, 2012

We're back in action!  For now, I suppose.  Apparently I'm not very good at keeping up with this thing, so we'll see how long this lasts.

I start a new job tomorrow, and I'm extremely excited.  In my excitement, I did a meal plan for the week, which I haven't done since, oh, October.  This means I have lunches planned for the rest of the week.  Usually if I have a plan like this, I stick to it, so I might go on a week-long blogging binge.  I have no idea what my motivation will look like next week.

I made this week's meal plan by looking up the one I did for this week last year.  I modified it a little bit, and noticed that vegan coffee cake was in a few of the lunches I packed.  Since I didn't happen to make that this week, and since I wanted something a little healthier, I decided to finally try black bean brownies.  I used this recipe, minus the chocolate chips, plus probably a teaspoon of baking soda, and they turned out fantastically!  They're not super fudgy, but they have great texture and flavor, and Chip actually likes them.  I was seriously shocked.  Because really.  Beans + chocolate = delicious?  I wasn't so sure beforehand, but now I think I'll be making these again.



Fried rice with organic tofu and organic broccoli, homemade black bean brownies, organic raisins, raw almonds, macadamias, Honeycrisp apple, and a salad with organic lettuce, organic spinach, organic carrot, and plum tomato.

Chip's lunch: September 26, 2011

I hate apologizing for my crap camera, but here I go again. It takes really unfortunate pictures indoors, but I didn't have daylight to take this photo!

This stir fry was really good, and it got me to break out the quinoa, which I had sort of forgotten about. A little bit of blog browsing the other day brought me to this recipe: Pineapple Cashew Quinoa. I discovered over Christmas last year that not only am I no longer allergic to pineapple, but it is DELICIOUS! I am so in love with pineapple now! I love sweet and salty things too (thank you, Jeni's salty caramel ice cream), and this seemed like the perfect way to do it. We both liked it a lot, and it was a nice, summery, packed-with-protein meal.



Pineapple cashew quinoa with organic quinoa, organic edamame, organic local red bell pepper, and organic broccoli, banana, organic macadamia nuts, organic Sultana golden raisins, homemade vegan pumpkin bread, and an apple from our CSA.

Chip's lunch: January 10, 2011

While we were in Hawaii, we ate at restaurants every day. It was frequently hard for me to find protein in a meal, since most of the menus were focused on fish and meat. I mostly ate salads, and found that a lot of places had hard boiled eggs to top them with. For some reason, I've never really been into hard boiled eggs. I remember that at the salad bar in the dining hall when I was in college, I would get to the hard boiled eggs, and only yolks would be left. College girls watch their fat intake...I guess because they're drinking so much beer. At least I was! Anyway...I'd never made them at home, but after having them for a week, I decided to make a few. I put them on salads, though Chip will eat them alone (which I think is weird).

We get our eggs from the co-op up the street from us. They are local, and produced by Manchester Hill Farm. The hens are pastured and vegetarian-fed...this is all very important to us. They're more expensive than grocery store eggs, but they are healthier for us, and definitely healthier for the hens.

Oh, and the babka? Delicious! We get it at Whole Foods, but it's a really special treat. Chip's aunt and uncle sent us a gift card for Christmas, and as soon as I saw it, I knew what I was getting!



Salad with organic Boston lettuce, organic grape tomatoes, organic carrot, and pastured egg, organic Gala apple, nuts (organic cashews, macadamias, raw almonds, pecans, cinnamon babka, and homemade spinach and white bean soup.

Chip's lunch: January 5, 2011

Reason number 45839472897 that we love Hawaii: macadamia nuts. I know you can get them everywhere, but it was neat to buy them where they're grown. They're a lot less expensive in Hawaii, too! We brought home a big canister of them. Yum!



Organic honeycrisp apple, steamed organic broccoli, raw almonds, organic Sultana golden raisins, macadamia nuts, homemade banana bread, and whole wheat rollups with Boca black bean burger, organic salsa, Tillamook Cheddar cheese, and organic Boston lettuce.

Chip's lunch: December 17, 2010

We're back in action for a few days here. Chip finally returned from his trip to California and the Canary Islands. He left Fuerteventura, where temps were in the low 80s, and returned to the tundra that Ohio has become this month:



Chip's back to work, which means I'm back to the work of making lunches! I made potato gnocchi last night for dinner. I made sure to find a very simple, easy recipe that would be hard for me to screw up. It was fine...not awesome, but not bad. I was hoping it would be absolutely amazing, but it was just kind of regular. Maybe next time will be better!



Salad with organic greenleaf lettuce, organic cherry tomatoes, organic carrots, organic portobello mushrooms, local Parmesan cheese, and pecans, homemade banana bread, macadamia nuts, organic Sultana golden raisins, organic applesauce, and homemade potato gnocchi with pesto.

Chip's lunch: September 24, 2010

Chip and I got a Fudha for Basil, a new Thai restaurant in town. My parents took me in May when they were here visiting, and the experience was unfortunate. We decided to give it a second chance, and while the food was great, the service was still a mess. But...at least we've got delicious leftovers!



CSA Golden Delicious Apple, homemade vegan pumpkin bread, organic Sultana golden raisins, organic macadamias, banana, and leftover tofu and rice with vegetables in brown sauce.

Chip's lunch: September 13, 2010

Fall has definitely fallen here in Columbus; there's a chill in the air, as well as the scents of evening fires and wet leaves. I really love fall, and wish this weather could last forever. I'm very excited to be getting some delicious local fall foods. This weekend at the farmers' market we got September Wonder apples, which are tied for our favorite apples with Jonagold.

On our way back from the farmers' market, we ran into a guy selling navy bean pie. Chip had tried it the week before, but hadn't bought one. I took one little bite and was reaching for my wallet. This stuff is amazing. I mean, it's a lot like pumpkin pie or sweet potato pie, but it's made with beans. It's a little different, and really delicious. Watch for it in one of Chip's lunches this week.

I started googling pie recipes when I got home. I thought maybe I'd make my own navy bean pumpkin pie, including the crust. So pie crust is extremely difficult to make and seems to involve patience and other skills that I lack. So I nixed that idea and instead found a recipe for vegan pumpkin bread and made that instead. It turned out really great, and Chip even likes it! I love pretty much all things pumpkin and can't wait to start making more pumpkin-y things, like cookies, pie, roasted pumpkin seeds, etc. Yay for fall!



Local September Wonder apple from the farmers' market, homemade vegan pumpkin bread, organic raw cashews, raw almonds, organic macadamias, banana, and clean mac and cheese (from this recipe) with organic whole wheat tri-color cavatappi, local Colby cheese, and organic bread crumbs.

Chip's lunch: September 10, 2010

Mmmm...restaurant leftovers! We haven't had those in a really long time! My wonderful friend Lori took me out to lunch at Kogen's yesterday, and I had plenty of sesame tofu left over for Chip to have it in his lunch. And look! No banana! I'm sure they'll be back next week though. This is partly because, well, it's Chip, and bananas are what he eats, as well as the fact that there are no fewer than eleven bananas in our fruit bowl right now.



CSA watermelon, 1/2 sandwich on local organic 10-grain bread with guacamole, organic spinach, Roma tomatoes from our garden, and CSA red pepper, organic dark chocolate, organic Thompson raisins, organic macadamias, organic applesauce, and leftover sesame tofu with broccoli, water chestnuts, and fried rice.

Chip's lunch: March 29, 2010

I had to ruin the surprise of this lunch for Chip while I was preparing it. Usually he's off in Chip-land playing with his motorcycle, responding to work e-mails, working on the house, etc. while I am packing lunch. He loves surprises, so he often intentionally tries not to see what I'm packing. He walked in today while I was making it and I felt compelled to explain the ridiculous pile of lettuce in the top right corner. It was a messy attempt at a sort of lettuce wrap. I wrapped redleaf lettuce around a Boca black bean burger, a spoonful of organic salsa, and a tomato slice. There are three "wraps" in there, but it's pretty sloppy. I explained what I was going for, and how he could attempt to eat it. I'm sure it'll taste delicious, even if it is really sloppy.



Organic Cameo apple, lettuce rollups stuffed with black bean burger, organic salsa, and tomato, organic macadamias, organic almonds, organic Thompson raisins, organic roasted and salted sunflower seeds, homemade oatmeal cookie crumbles, and homemade white bean and spinach soup.

My lunch: March 27, 2010

Another weekend full of greyhound events = another lunch on the run for Katie. Once again, packing this lunch saved me from stopping and stuffing my face at a restaurant nearby the greyhound event (this time, my restaurant of choice would've been Red Robin...so glad I didn't actually go). I like to make my lunches with as many finger foods as possible. I usually have a dog leash in one hand, so I only have one hand left with which to grab food.

As always, it has a peanut butter sandwich. It's just so easy and tasty! This time there are grapes though. I absolutely love green grapes, but I don't buy them often. Chip refuses to touch them (they feel like "eyeballs" and they taste too "tangy"), so when I do buy them, I have to make sure I'm prepared to eat all of them. So they're a special treat that I buy once every few months or so.

Oh, and the cookie crumbles...that's us trying to make the best of a pretty huge baking failure on my part. I made a double batch of clean oatmeal cookies, and even though I sprayed the pans with Pam, every single cookie got stuck. So I have a big container of oatmeal cookie crumbs that we've been munching on, and since it's kinda like granola, Chip mixed it in with some nuts.

And the Fruit Roll-Up...I got a big box of them at Costco and they're really tasty! They're not quite as simple as Stretch Island fruit leathers, but they're much cheaper, and fairly clean. They're a nice sweet treat.

Finally, in other news, Kendrick met a couple this weekend who fell in love with him. Their home visit went well today, and he'll be going to stay with them this Friday. He'll be an only dog, and we're not sure how well he'll do with that, but we're hopeful that this is a successful and forever placement. They are wonderful people, and they really like him. He's been returned to the rescue once for separation anxiety, and we're hoping this doesn't become a trend for him. Cross your fingers!

Here he is "roaching." He seems to be too big to hold this pose too long, but it's adorable when he does!



And of course, here's lunch:



Natural peanut butter on sprouted grain bread, organic macadamias, organic raw almonds, homemade oatmeal cookie crumbles, Fruit Roll-Up simply fruit, organic baby carrots, and green seedless grapes.

Chip's lunch: March 26, 2010

It's finally Friday! And apparently the weather has gone insane. Today it was 60 degrees, and now it is 33 degrees, and later this evening it will be snowing. Where am I? This is my first spring in Ohio and this is just bizarre! I'm reminded of the Lewis Black bit: "There was thunder, lightning, and snow, together! And I hadn't done drugs. 'Cause when you're lying in bed, and you hear thunder outside and you get up to look, you have an expectation. And it's not snow with lightning behind it. That kind of weather isn't even written about in the Bible."

So anyway, with this crazy snow and cold coming through, I figured some comfort food was in order. I successfully made an omelet, which was new...I've never made one before, ever. Chip's in for quite the shock.



Pastured egg omelet with cheddar, asparagus, and Parmesan, organic local applesauce (with organic cinnamon, organic vanilla, organic nutmeg, and organic allspice), organic banana, organic roasted and salted sunflower seeds, organic macadamias, organic Thompson raisins, organic raw almonds, and a homemade vegan carrot spice muffin.

Chip's lunch: March 18, 2010

Gosh, I'm just stuck in a creativity rut lately. The lentil and rice bit of this lunch was pretty inventive, but the rest just feels blah. I spent far too long agonizing over this lunch and trying to decide the perfect thing to fill each container. Rice was first, then apple, then banana. Chip requested pretzels, and then I debated what to put in the last container for probably 20 minutes. What is with me?

So despite how much thought I put into this, I think it's a bit protein-heavy. Lentils, brown rice, peanut butter, and nuts. Nuts are great for you, and have good fat and protein, but I think they were unnecessary. Oh well. Chip will love it.



Brown rice with lentils, organic peas, carrots, and spices, banana with natural peanut butter, pretzels, organic roasted and salted sunflower seeds, organic raw almonds, organic macadamias, and a whole Gala apple.

Chip's lunch: March 17, 2010

OK so lunch number 100 is nothing terribly special. Maybe it is, because it includes Goldfish. Haven't had those in a long time, and they are in Chip's top 5 favorite foods (along with grilled cheese, Snickers, pizza, and possibly ice cream).



Natural PB&J on locally made organic honey wheat bread, banana, organic fair trade dark chocolate, organic almonds, organic macadamias, organic roasted and salted sunflower seeds, whole grain Goldfish, and a salad with organic redleaf lettuce, organic baby spinach, Campari tomato, organic corn, white mushrooms, organic carrot, and avocado.

My lunch: March 13, 2010

OK, I realize this is a bit boring, since it's not terribly inventive, and since it's pretty much what I pack myself any time I have weekend plans out of the house. Oh well. I think its colorful and fun and healthy, and makes 99 lunches on this blog. Wednesday's lunch will be number 100. What will I do to commemorate it?

Oh, and in other news...I am completely in love with Cameo apples. They can be found at the co-op down the street; the organic ones are only $1.49 a pound! I'm not sure what apples cost elsewhere in the country, but traditional apples at the grocery store here run about $1.50 or more per pound. So these are organic and a great price! They look and taste a lot like Gala, but perhaps just a touch mealier. We've been going through 3 or more a day in our house.



Organic Cameo apple, organic baby carrots, cranberry/raspberry fruit strip, more apple, organic almonds, organic macadamias, and a sandwich with natural peanut butter on sprouted grain bread.

Chip's lunch: March 11, 2010

This is post number 100! There aren't quite 100 lunches here yet though; some of the posts were a bit off-topic. Maybe for lunch 100 I'll do something fancy. More likely is that I'll forget (just like until I started posting right now I forgot that this was post number 100) and whine about forgetting.

So...here's lunch. Chip Skyped me from work today at about 3:00 and told me he was a bit hungry. "Lunch suggestion: if there's a slightly empty container, fill it with chocolate. And nuts." So I attempted to do that here, and I hope he can stay satisfied til he gets home for dinner. I told him to save the nuts/chocolate/dried fruit for a mid-afternoon snack...we'll see if that actually happens.



"Chicken" a la king, steamed organic brown rice, organic Thompson raisins, banana, homemade clean oatmeal cookies, organic macadamia nuts, organic cashews, organic raw almonds, and organic dark chocolate.