My version of this lunch includes some local Feta cheese (very tangy, and very delicious) and strawberries. I've been eating strawberries every morning with breakfast for the past two months. I think I'm about ready to move on, but for a while now, strawberries are one of the only fruits I've felt like eating. We got some great ones while they were in season here in Ohio, but I suppose I should try something else for now.
Salad with organic redleaf lettuce, organic carrots, local Feta, CSA heirloom tomatoes, and marinated/grilled Quorn cutlet, organic strawberries, raw almonds, and 1/2 a PB&J on organic whole wheat bread with natural peanut butter and organic strawberry preserves
I managed to pack one lunch during the entire time we spent renovating the bathroom, and this was it. I don't remember having time to grill these Quorn cutlets, but apparently I did it! Those three weeks of insomnia were such a blur...
Salad with organic redleaf lettuce, organic carrots, Parmesan cheese, San Marzano tomato from our garden, and marinated/grilled Quorn cutlet, organic blackberry applesauce, raw almonds, organic Sultana golden raisins, and 1/2 a PB&J on organic whole wheat bread with natural peanut butter and organic grape jam.
During the colder months, I had time on my hands and a serious desire for soup. I made lots of different kinds, and while we both enjoyed them all, we also were unable to finish the huge batches I was making. So in the freezer the leftovers went, while I imagined some future weeknight being a little tastier because I had some soup left over. Except those weeknights never happened (or more like I always forgot to thaw the soup before it was dinner time), and before I knew it, our freezer was overflowing with stuff. So much stuff. I made it my mission two weeks ago to stop buying frozen things, and to work my way through the stuff we already had. The hot weather made it easy to thaw things on the deck, and Chip will really eat anything I put in his lunch (within reason...he'll eat anything he doesn't dislike, whereas I have to be "in the mood" for certain foods at certain times).
So Chip had hot soup on a hot day. He didn't mind a bit, and I'm thankful for that. The pea soup is super filling, so it was especially appreciated on a day he had to work late.
Salad with organic local salad mix, organic mushrooms, organic bell pepper, Campari tomato, and local pastured egg, half a PB&J on organic whole wheat bread, dried cranberries, raw almonds, banana, and homemade split pea soup.
Happy Valentine's Day! I forgot it was VD until I woke up in the morning. When Chip and I started dating, I was working in a restaurant, and Valentine's Day was one of three "all hands on deck" holidays (along with Fathers' Day and Mothers' Day). Being apart, coupled with my disdain for people who make a big deal of Valentine's Day (thus requiring me to work) meant that Valentine's Day just wasn't a big deal, and it never really has been. So, no hearts or flowers here, just a new recipe we tried out.
Tofu scramble with Twin Oaks organic tofu (our co-op just got it in stock!), organic tempeh, organic crimini mushrooms, organic onion, and organic red bell pepper, banana, dried cranberries, 1/2 of a PB&J on organic whole wheat bread with natural peanut butter, and an organic Cameo apple.
Chip actually likes this tomato saffron soup. He eats all the soups I make, but he doesn't usually ask for them if they're not around. This one was good enough to pack again!
Also, I am really proud of myself. When we were in Hawaii, we went to a restaurant called 22° North. I had a salad with lemon parmesan vinaigrette on it. It was SO good! I've been thinking about it ever since, and I decided last night that it was time to make it. I found this recipe, and it turned out really well. I left out the sugar, and added some garlic. Yum! I've never really made salad dressing before, and to my surprise, even Chip likes it! I packed some with his lunch today.
Salad with organic redleaf lettuce, organic carrot, Campari tomato, and organic chickpeas, 1/2 sandwich on organic whole wheat bread with natural peanut butter and jelly, organic Sultana golden raisins, dried cranberries, organic Honeycrisp apple, and homemade tomato saffron soup.
It was grocery day in our house, so I used up what was left of a few things while making lunch in a rush in the morning. Chip made the sandwich while I made everything else. Before I could stop him, he cut the sandwich "the wrong way." In order for things to fit in the lunchbox, they have to be just so. And he did it wrong. I overreacted for a second and then as I looked away, he cut the sandwich again and lined up the four little pieces in the lunchbox. It fit perfectly and I felt like an idiot for having been so concerned. Sometimes we (OK, I) kinda get set on how things should be in our heads, and it can be hard to consider that just maybe a different way could work!
Salad with organic redleaf lettuce, organic corn, organic carrot, Roma tomato from our garden, and green bell pepper from our garden, organic avocado for the salad, dried cherries, raw organic cashews, organic blackberry applesauce, and PB&J on organic whole wheat bread with natural peanut butter.
Gardein is back in our house in a big way. For a while, we had been buying the 7-Grain Crispy Tenders in a bag of 50 from Costco. It was only $12 or so...really cheap. When that was discontinued, we went into Gardein withdrawal, because at the grocery store, a pack of 10 is $5. When these went on sale half price at Kroger, I *may* have bought them out. We like them that much. They're super convenient, have tons of protein, taste really good, and are clean. So, they're pretty much perfect.
As always, Chip was extremely excited for the PB&J rolls. He expressed his excitement in the morning when he saw me making them, and even when he got home, he reminded me how much he'd enjoyed them. Seriously...it's the simple things that make this guy happy!
Gardein 7-Grain Crispy Tenders, local Ohio honey, steamed organic cauliflower with sea salt and black pepper, organic dried cherries, organic blackberry applesauce, and whole wheat rollups with natural peanut butter and jelly.
We had a really busy day yesterday, but I was able to pull off a decent dinner. We had pad thai, which is great because we always have leftovers. I spent 7 hours yesterday driving stinky greyhounds around, and then I brought home our latest foster: J Ditto's Darci. She's a teeny little thing, and pretty nervous, but is doing well overall. Once we get her some antibiotics for her UTI and skin infection, and then get her spayed and her teeth cleaned, she'll be all set.
I gave Chip a choice between 6 peanut butter and jelly rolls and a small container of applesauce, or 3 rolls and a whole apple. He told me (and this seriously surprised me) that the peanut butter and jelly rolls are his favorite thing to find in his lunchbox, so he wanted 6. His favorite thing of all...more than chocolate, cookies, cupcakes, and pizza. PB&J rolls. I learn more about this man every day.
Oh, and Chip will be in California all week, so we'll be taking a short break here.
Pad Thai with organic tofu and broccoli, organic banana, raw almonds, organic raw cashews, organic applesauce, and whole wheat rollups with natural peanut butter and jelly.
Chip enjoyed today's bruschetta and approved the inclusion of more tomato in this lunch. We got some beautiful carrots from our CSA this weekend and I threw some into a salad. I asked Chip how he prefers them: diced (we call it "carrot confetti"), julienned, or sliced (in little round slices). He likes the carrot confetti, "so I don't have to taste their awfulness." Such a grownup about eating his vegetables!
Salad with organic greenleaf lettuce, organic baby spinach, CSA carrot, Roma tomato from our garden, red onion, and organic pine nuts, organic local pepper jack cheese from the farmers' market, Ancient Grains crackers, Kashi granola bar, natural peanut butter and jelly on Ezekiel sprouted grain bread, and an organic Gala apple.
Happy birthday Chip! Chip will be 25 on the day he eats this lunch. I can't believe it! He's younger than I, and I've always felt like he was really young. Eh, someday (too soon) I'll be 30 and he'll still be 27. That will make him seem really young again to me.
Anyway, we have two more "cleaning out the fridge" lunches. Whatever fruits and veggies we weren't able to finish, we've packed up to take to my parents' house. They'll enjoy the squash, zucchini, and carrots from our CSA, and I will take advantage of the strawberries, blueberries, and chard for some breakfast smoothies.
We'll snack on this in the car, though Chip will probably need to not be driving when he eats, since he'll need utensils. I was planning on driving most of the way anyway, so he can take advantage of the movies and such on his new iPod Touch (Flight of the Conchords, Psych, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall will be entertaining us on this trip, it seems).
Whole wheat rollups with natural peanut butter and grape jelly, milk chocolate from Europe, organic raw cashews, organic crispy almonds, organic Sultana golden raisins, Kashi apple cereal bar, organic Michigan applesauce, and organic whole wheat tri-color cavatappi with pesto and marinara sauces mixed together.
This lunch features leftovers from tonight's dinner. I got this month's Clean Eating Magazine last week, and finally cracked it open yesterday. There are several vegetarian recipes that look tasty, and a few more that can be vegetarianized. I decided to make the Ginger Tofu Stir-fry Rice Bowl, and it turned out way better than I expected! We both loved the delicate flavor and the spices with the tofu.
Some of the veggies we used came from Nature's Garden Delivered. This is a pretty neat service. They call themselves an online farmers' market. You sign up to have produce delivered weekly or bi-weekly, and a few days before the delivery, you get a list of what will be in your box. This week we got 5 potatoes, 2 bunches of lettuce, 3 limes, 4 huge apples, 5 carrots, 4 bananas, 1 cucumber, 1 tomato, and 2 Valencia oranges (everything is organic). They do their best to source local produce, and everything that's not local is organic. It was really convenient to do everything online, and this morning when we woke up, our box was on our front porch. We got a coupon to try this out once, and while we enjoyed it, we won't do it again since we already signed up for a CSA (and we get our first box of that on Saturday). But for those who don't have time to go to farmers' markets or shop around, I think this is a great service.
Here's the recipe for the stir-fry (Clean Eating Magazine, July/August 2010, page 69):
-1 1/2 cups brown rice
-4 tbsp whole wheat flour
-1 1/2 tsp onion powder
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
-2 tsp ginger powder, divided
-14 oz. extra firm tofu, cubed
-Olive oil cooking spray
-1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
-1 carrot, peeled and julienned
-1 stalk celery, chopped (I subbed in asparagus)
-1 yellow onion, diced (I cut it in 1" squares instead of dicing)
-6 ounces snow peas (I used regular frozen peas and corn)
-2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
-1 tbsp rice vinegar
1. Cook brown rice according to package directions.
2. In a shallow bowl, stir together second through fourth ingredients, plus 1 tsp of ginger powder. Dredge each tofu cube in this mixture and set aside.
3. Briefly heat large nonstick skillet (I used a wok) over high heat. Mist with cooking spray and heat for one minute. Reduce heat to medium high and saute tofu until lightly browned. Remove tofu and set aside.
4. Mist same pan with cooking spray, saute veggies until cooked.
5. In another bowl, whisk together 1 tsp ginger powder, soy sauce, and vinegar. Reduce heat of skillet with veggies to medium low and pour soy sauce mixture on top of vegetables. Add tofu and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve 1 cup vegetable-tofu mixture over 1/2 cup rice in individual bowls.
Ginger tofu stir-fry (with organic tofu, organic red pepper, organic carrot, organic onion, local asparagus, organic corn, and organic peas), steamed organic brown rice, half of a PB&J on local whole wheat bread, Kashi peanut butter chewy granola bar, organic banana, and an organic Fuji apple.
Some tasty dinner leftovers and a very special treat in this lunch. I made my usual fried rice last night, but this time I made it with Gardein Beefless Tips instead of tofu. Chip really loved it; I thought it was pretty good. We love the "chicken" Gardein products and thought we'd try the "beef." The texture wasn't quite right (too soft), but it tasted pretty good (as good as any fake steak we've tried so far).
Homemade fried rice with organic broccoli and Gardein beefless tips, 1/2 of a PB&J with natural peanut butter on local whole wheat bread, organic Sultana golden raisins, Double Stuf Oreos, Navel orange, and an organic Gala apple.
This is what I packed for Chip to take on the plane. On Friday, Chip found out that he has so many frequent flier miles that he would be bumped to first class for both of his flights to San Jose. First class has so many awesome features, including amazing food on real plates with real silverware. He called a little while ago and told me he ate a salad and some ravioli on his first flight. So I guess he won't really need these snacks on the plane, but maybe he'll need them for a late dinner. He plans to grab some groceries while he's in California and pack his lunch most days. He's promised to send photos. We'll see if that actually happens. If it doesn't, this will probably be the last lunch here for a few weeks!
Organic Gala apple with natural peanut butter, banana, organic fair trade milk chocolate, organic Thompson raisins, organic raw almonds, local pepper jack cheese, natural peanut butter and jelly on local whole wheat bread, and Ancient Grains crackers.
This lunch makes me a little sad. I think it's mostly that Chip leaves on Saturday for almost three weeks and I'll miss him. This is the second to last lunch I'll be making for quite a while. I plan to pack him some snacks for the plane trip; vegetarian food on planes sucks, and it's hard to find good healthy stuff in airports.
I was really excited to have bought Chip a Clif Mojo bar (peanut butter pretzel flavor) for this lunch. I bought a pack earlier this week and sent all but one to my cousin who is deployed in Afghanistan. The one that I saved, I ate, and fell in love with. I thought Chip would love it too, so I had him try it tonight. He was not a fan. So I ate the rest of it, and sulked a little that instead of some variety, this lunch would have pretty much the same stuff he eats every day. If Chip would eat them, I'd put all kinds of fun things in that side section: Fruit Roll-Ups, Lara Bars, carrot sticks, etc. Alas, we're stuck with raisins and chocolate until I can find something else that he'll eat.
Ancient Grains crackers, local pepper jack cheese, organic Michigan applesauce, organic Thompson raisins, organic fair trade dark chocolate with almonds, banana, and whole wheat rollups with natural peanut butter and jelly.
Happy Friday! Dinner leftovers and a few Chip faves in this one. Healthy, vegan, and clean.
Homemade fried rice with broccoli and organic tofu, banana, organic flame raisins, PB&J on local whole wheat bread, and a whole organic Cameo apple.
Today my friend Lori and I drove 3 pups from Columbus to Mansfield, OH. This was one leg of a long transport from somewhere in Tennessee to Ontario to a cattle dog rescue. All three dogs were adorable, but one of them (Whiskey) really stole my heart. She was a little bit shy at first, but all she wanted was attention and love. She snuggled with me in the car and was such a little love. And she has pointy ears like my Cal. I hope she gets the best home in the world, because she totally deserves it.
Here she is in the back of the car:
And when I tried to pose for a picture with her, she did this instead:
I packed some snacks for the drive, since I'm always hungry. In the interest of full disclosure, we didn't eat all of this on the drive. We were delayed an hour, and while we waited, we went into a restaurant and ate grilled cheese. I know. So not clean or healthy. But it was so delicious. Chip finished off the rest of the snacks when I got home.
Whole wheat rollups with organic avocado, local cheddar jack cheese, salsa, and organic redleaf lettuce, organic Braeburn apple, natural Fruit Roll-Ups, organic baby carrots, and whole wheat rollups with natural peanut butter and jelly.
I threw together today's lunch in a few minutes this morning. Nothing terribly interesting about it, but it's got plenty of fruit, veggies, and protein. Happy Friday!
Organic quinoa with organic peas, PB&J on local whole wheat bread, organic raw cashews, fair trade organic dark chocolate with almonds, organic banana, and an organic Cameo apple.
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.
First, I have to apologize for the terrible picture. I packed lunch, went to get the camera, fell asleep, woke up, took the photo, and stumbled upstairs. I promise this looks and tastes much better than this photo makes it seem!
Two weeks ago I went to Whole Foods with a friend for lunch. I grabbed some Szechuan green beans from the hot bar and I had to restrain myself from shoveling them all in my mouth at once. They were so delicious! I hadn't had them since college, where there was this nasty Chinese buffet up the road from campus, and we'd all go and stuff our faces and hate life for 24 hours. So I looked up a recipe and figured I should try and make them myself. I didn't know until I searched online that the green beans are usually deep fried in canola oil. No wonder they were so painful in college! I steamed mine and then tossed them in the sauce. I think they turned out OK. Chip loved them, but I thought they were just OK. Definitely not as satisfying as the ones from Whole Foods, but definitely cleaner.
Szechuan green beans with organic tofu and organic brown rice, no sugar added applesauce with nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, and allspice, and half of a PB&J on Ezekiel bread.
