The past few days have been filled with hearty breakfasts, like this bowl of pumpkin-banana oatmeal. I usually plop the pumpkin on top of the already cooked oatmeal, but this time I mixed it right into the oats before I nuked it. The result? A creamier, fluffier consistency. This was a particularly decadent bowl, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup pumpkin
- 1/2 banana
- 1 scoop PB
- 1 T granola
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
The cereal bug came a-bitin’, and I filled my bowl with Smart Start, Life, Kashi GoLean, granola & a banana. Good morning, carbohydrates!
I’ve had great salads, like the “Bacon” Salad at Jivamuktea made with crispy tempeh bacon, spring mix, cucumber cherry, tomatoes, kalamata olives, and homemade hummus…
…a Hugh Jass kitchen sink salad…
In the mix:
- spinach
- romaine
- 1/3 block tofu baked with olive oil and Emeril’s Original Essence
- 1/2 papaya
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 tomato
- 2.5 carrots
- pumpkin-miso vinaigrette with cilantro & cayenne
The second after I put down my fork, I had to lie myself down as well. Talk about belly bursting! This was a little too big for me. The funniest part about it is the papaya…
I recently told Holly how much I dislike this fruit, but the day later I spotted it in the grocery store and had the strangest craving! I’ve never liked papaya, and even while I was chopping it up for my salad, Christine and I talked about how much it smelled like feet. I’m a strange girl.
Over the past few days I’ve snacked a lot…
… and read a lot (is anyone familiar with Chi Running?)…
… and snacked and read…
… a lot.
I’ve kept good company…
… gone to an art opening…
… found organic dairy on sale for $2.99/ half gallon…
… improvised lunch en route to MSP from JFK (let me know if you want a review of this Pro Bar)…
…got my hair cut almost immediately after touching down and hugging my grandparents (this is my tired face, in case you’ve wondered)…
… eaten my first clementine(s) of the season…
… gone out for a nice meal at Eatery, where I had a glass of Bertrand Viognier, a white from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France…
… sampled fresh-made, salty baguette…
… had my first cup of hot borscht soup…
… came nowhere near finishing my plate of seared scallops atop Moroccan couscous (almost 1 lb came back home with me!)…
…was treated by Chef Paul to a medley of desserts…
… crême brulée, pumpkin-cherry cheesecake, pecan dandy, poached pear and almond tart…
… and thought about what it would be like to live hear again. I do miss this light.
It’s about time my weary bones were put to rest. Have a wonderful weekend.
hey lovely! ’tis my first comment! your haircut looks beautiful (was definitely worth the trip)- and SO glad you’re enjoying chi running! let me know what you think (ditto “the pt”)! why am i exclaiming so much?! it must be my first blog comment that’s got me so riled up. well la-di-da! anyway, can’t wait to see you when you get back! xx
You have such a fresh pretty “tired face”. I have not heard of Chi Running. Are you going to post a review when you finish it?
I love your Hugh Jass. And your haircut. And your glasses. Damn, you are cool.
Did you know papaya is really a unique fruit, in that it doesn’t dissolve (or somethin weird) by the time it reaches your tummy… so it has these enzymes that help you digest it and other food?
I love papaya. Miss it since leavin Doha.
Haha that’s funny, papaya is the only fruit I utterly detest as well.
Have an amazing time with your grandparents and I love the new haircut, by the way:)
YOUR HAIR IS SO PURTY!!
bring a ton of hats and mittens and a crazy warm jacket to Russia!
Love your glasses!
ohhh!!! i love your glasses!! wish mine were that cute!
and love the pumpkin banana oats…delish!
Glad you made it! Your hair cut looks GORGY!! Woohoo for the clementines being back in your life! Isn’t it weird when we get cravings out of no where for foods? It’s always like, “Where did THAT come from?!”
Enjoy the rest of your time there!!
Glad you are having a good time! LOVE the haircut
I get random cravings for foods I don’t like too…so weird. And now I want papaya!
Tempeh bacon is an awesome salad topper! I highly recommend it in combination with spinach and orange sections.
Cute haircut! As much as I’ve grown to appreciate my curls, there are definitley days that I just wish my hair stayed flat!
I just love this post! And I love your haircut, love. You always look so cute
Have fun this weekend with your grandparents!!!
Oh, and I LOVE seared scallops…yum!
yummy meal, cute haircut, and yay for family time. enjoy it!
will your family consider adopting me?
i’m nice, reasonably quiet, and i don’t smell!
i love your g-parents’ view!
“Minnesota is bitter cold and the entire state is blanketed in snow. ”
Yeah, my entire life living there. You are correct. Halloween was spent blizzard’ed out, many a year.
The Wayzata eatery…OMG the staff looks like me, my relatives, and good Nordic Stock. LOL My dad grew up (farmed) the land in Wayzata and his family sold it to that little mall called Ridgedale. For pennies.
Cute haircut!
I miss my homeland when I see your pics. Actually I could cry b/c although I hate the weather and cannot nor ever will live there, it will always be home. I hope you take a nice breath of the clean crisp air for me as I wont be going there any time soon….too cold!
Glad you’re having fun at home! Its so nice to get back to your roots sometimes. Your hair looks great and you look adorable in glasses. I could use a bowl of that couscous right now- looks SO good
pumpkin and banana are such a good combo!
I don’t have a cereal BUG, I have a cereal DRAGON!!
Your hair looks great! Hope you enjoy the rest of your visit
<3 <3
ahhhhh MN! i think about it all the time too – even though i am much closer in WI, WI is not nearly as cool
i am loving loving loving the new hair cut! adorable. and tis’ is a BEAUTIFUL weekend in the midwest. seriously stunning.
one question: is that pickle suspended in midair?
I know this post has so much going on, and it looks like you’ve been having such a nice, delicious time….however, SO EXCITED THAT CLEMS ARE BACK!! I totally forgot until just now, and do believe that you and I are both clem fanatics! Ohh the holiday season! Thanks for the reminder
ps-you’re gorgeous. wish I could rock that haircut and glasses like youuu!
stumbled on your blog, I have a teammate who instructs ChiRunning.
http://www.sisuproject.com/chiworkshop.html