Um, does this look familiar? I realized after I'd packed it that it was basically the same lunch Chip got less than a week before, with slightly different ingredients in the rollups. He didn't notice, so I didn't say anything either. Once again, the rollups were a great way to use a few things up before Chip's departure for Italy.
Organic Fuji apple, banana, organic dark chocolate chips, raw almonds, dried cranberries, homemade vegan carrot spice muffins, and whole wheat rollups with organic avocado, local alfalfa sprouts, Campari tomato, organic red onion, and organic spinach.
We're back in action here, now that Chip has returned from the Netherlands after two weeks. While he was gone, I decided that since I don't know anything about canning, I would make some food that I could freeze instead. Since this was our first year with our garden, I spent a lot of time on just keeping things alive. I think that by next summer I'll be able to keep things alive and also produce enough veggies to be able to can. So I made some chili, some soup, and a few other things that we've been defrosting when we don't feel like cooking. This chili is one of those things. It's our usual recipe, and I was able to use a few things that had been lingering from our garden and the last CSA haul.
The watermelon is from our garden. Yes, I am still getting watermelons in October. I don't know how normal that is, but I don't care, because this watermelon is delicious! It's also fun to eat watermelon with real seeds in it! I can't remember the last time I bought a seeded watermelon at the grocery store...it's like they no longer exist!
And the pumpkin muffin is from some friends of ours. We watched their dog while they were out of town last weekend for a wedding, and we were paid in pumpkin muffins! Cal and Moly had pretty much the most fun ever, and kept each other occupied and out of my hair, which was delightful since Chip was away and I was a single pet parent for the moment.
And lunch:
Homemade vegan chili with bell pepper from our garden and from our CSA, Ellyn's pumpkin muffin, pretzel M&Ms, Cheddar/jack cheese stick, watermelon from our garden, and a CSA Northern Spy apple.
This lunch contains a special request from Chip: apples with peanut butter. It's not super different or special, but apparently Chip really loves them. Another Chip favorite: pizza. This is from Whole Foods; every Tuesday their fresh pizzas are buy one get one free. We got two gigantic pizzas for $10! And we're trying something new today too: red pepper. Chip says he doesn't love it, but he's OK with it. I blanched it, which usually makes veggies more palatable to him. I sprinkled the veggies with sea salt and black pepper, and I think he'll enjoy dipping them into the hummus.
After I took this picture, I threw in some dark chocolate that I didn't realize we had. He loves something sweet at the end of his lunch. I guess that could be the muffin, but a little chocolate never hurt anyone!
Leftover Whole Foods pizza (made with local cheese), organic Cameo apple with peanut butter, hummus, homemade vegan carrot spice muffin, and blanched vegetables (red pepper, asparagus, broccoli).
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.
Another day, another clean vegan lunch. I'm so glad I remembered that we had quinoa in the pantry. Our pantry is in the stairway down to the basement, so since it's not right in front of me all the time, I sometimes forget what's in there! We got a huge bag of organic quinoa at Costco for a wonderful price the first time we ever went, and we've been working on it ever since. Quinoa is something that's nice and easy to make in a small batch, just for lunch.
Organic quinoa (with vegetable broth and cumin, as always), homemade vegan carrot spice muffin, organic Thompson raisins, fair trade dark chocolate, organic raw almonds, organic steamed broccoli, and a whole organic Cameo apple.
I think I've still got it! Today was rainy and chilly and generally gross, so I made some of Tasha's delicious white bean and kale (I used spinach, not kale) soup. This soup is just so satisfying, and I love that it's vegan, low fat, and full of protein. I threw in a few other vegan items and...another tasty and vegan lunch!
White bean and spinach soup, banana, fair trade organic dark chocolate, homemade vegan carrot spice muffin, and a Gala apple with organic cinnamon.
I think I'm back on my lunch-making game. This one is very colorful, full of fruits and veggies, vegan, clean, and really healthy. And Chip's going to love it. He walked in while I was taking the photo and he approved it.
We're trying new sandwich bread this week. We bought a loaf from the local Stan Evans Bakery here in Columbus. I hope it's as awesome as the price would suggest ($5.29 for one loaf...it's a big loaf, but still). Chip said that the bread from Crumbs Bakery was a bit crumbly and his sandwiches would fall apart.
Oh, and I made a batch of my favorite carrot spice muffins tonight. Chip finally tried them the last time I made them (in order to get over his carrot-phobia) and he loves them! They're a nice sweet treat that happens to be made with whole wheat flour, carrots, oatmeal, and flaxseed.
Natural peanut butter and banana sandwich on local whole wheat bread, Gala apple, organic fair trade dark chocolate, vegan carrot spice muffin (with local organic oats, organic carrot, organic local applesauce, and organic local whole wheat flour), and a salad with organic redleaf lettuce, organic carrot, Campari tomato, white mushroom, organic corn, and organic peas.
Chip loves a hot lunch, and he never minds leftovers. So...leftovers it is! I like that this meal is balanced, and that it also looks and tastes similar to meals we had growing up. It's fun to eat different stuff (like tofu, tempeh, etc) but it's also nice to eat familiar stuff like this.
Brown rice pilaf, vegan black pepper steak, steamed broccoli, homemade whole wheat blueberry muffin, and half of an organic Gala apple.
Does something look funny about this to you? Chip worked from home this afternoon, so I didn't pack him his usual lunch. I was happy to be able to cook something for his lunch, however, and that allowed me to make one of his faves that he never gets when he's at work: grilled cheese! He had no idea that I was making this for him, so when I brought the plate to him in our office, he was delighted.
1/2 of a grilled cheese on locally made organic whole wheat bread, homemade whole wheat blueberry muffin, hummus (with olive oil, black pepper, sage, and chili powder), broccoli, and navel orange slices.
There's a fruit or vegetable in every part of this lunch! Since the only way to get Chip to eat blueberries is to make them into muffins...that's what I did. I used this recipe and was not impressed with the results. But we will eat them, because we do not waste things!
We got about a foot of snow today, and I hope that the soup can keep Chip warm at lunch. It's Whole Foods tomato bisque. I could eat this stuff every day. I went to Whole Foods both days this weekend, which is unusual for me. I didn't buy much each time, but I definitely took advantage of their hot bar and salad bar. Yum!
Edit: Chip reports that he loves these muffins. Maybe it's just me?
Sandwich on locally made organic whole wheat bread with lettuce, spinach, organic salsa, hummus, and cheddar, tomato bisque, homemade whole wheat blueberry muffin, and a whole organic Gala apple.
This lunch features a guest star! Our friend, who loves all things pumpkin (bread, muffins, pie, beer, etc) brought us some delicious homemade pumpkin muffins. She gave us at least 15 of them and they were gone within a few days. I got in from my second ever 8 mile run and inhaled about 3 of them instantly.
Also, there's quinoa here! We always make it the same way:
1 c quinoa
2 c water
1 cube vegetable bouillon
2 tsp cumin
1 -2 cloves crushed garlic
black pepper and chili powder to taste
Farmers' market Jonagold apple, homemade pumpkin muffin, Quaker reduced sugar granola bar, reduced fat Pringles, and quinoa.
This is one of my prouder moments. I've been making these vegan carrot spice muffins for years, and for the first time, Chip tried one. This man picks even the tiniest bit of carrot out of everything he eats. I made these muffins once again, and finally his interest was piqued. They smell *so* tasty that he finally had to try one. He did, and he actually loved it! I was so excited for him. They're a health food that tastes like junk food.
Whole wheat rotini with vegan marinara sauce, homemade vegan carrot spice muffin, reduced fat cheddar cheese stick, Mott's no sugar added applesauce, barbecue sauce, and Morningstar Chik'n nuggets.
