Out of Season

Good morning, friends! How was your work/ school week? Any big weekend plans? I’m about to head off to work; usually I work on Friday nights, but I’ve got a fun dinner tonight so I’m working the day shift instead! It’s nice to mix it up sometimes… kind of breaks up the days.

Yesterday morning I got up extra early to get some math homework done. Somewhere around my third cup of coffee, the sun was up and breakfast seemed like a civilized idea. It was a little chilly in the kitchen, so hot oatmeal was on the menu!

In the pot:

• 1/4 cup steel-cut oats
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• pumpkin purée
• chia seeds
• almond extract

Mix-ins:

• 1/2 banana
• goji berries
• maple cream
• chunky peanut butter
• cinnamon

I had a lot of errands to run in between classes, and ended up taking four subways and two buses! Luckily I had enough time to get everything done and didn’t feel rushed or frazzled. On some train platform or other, I snacked on a Gala apple…

I stopped at home to check the mail, and was pleased to see that the purse I ordered online finally arrived!

It’s smaller than most of my bags, and will hopefully encourage me to carry less stuff around with me all the time.

It also has a longer strap so it can be worn over the shoulder.

While I was digging around, I shopped my own closet and found the above BSJ (Before Skinny Jeans) jeans from early college which I am so psyched about! I’ve been wanting a pair of light wash, taper-free pants to wear to school and when I’m not working (don’t ask me why, but for some reason flared jeans seem more “collegiate” than dark wash stovepipes). They still fit, and I don’t have to spend a dime!

I also found some Christmas candy. Thanks for the truffle, Dad!

Lunch was a relaxing and colorful affair.

Bright green salad!

• baby spinach
• leftover baked tofu
• leftover roasted Brussels sprouts
• grape tomatoes
• dijon mustard/ lemon juice/ pear vinegar/ olive oil dressing

After lunch, my friend Rebecca and I met for coffee. Rebecca kindly picked out a couple of delicious biscotti for us to share…

… perfect for dipping into my hot cappuccino! Sugar + caffeine did the trick, and I didn’t nod off once during class.

Tired from my early morning, I immediately changed into sweats and got into bed with my book when I got home from school. When it was time to start thinking about dinner, I opted for the quick and easy Spicy Black Bean Soup , the second of Mark Bittman’s customizable soups we’ve tried. (Ari made Mushroom Soup about a month ago.)

When the soup was just about finished cooking, I realized I’d completely forgotten to add the onion to the pot! So I quickly chopped and sautéed a sweet white onion with a little garlic…

… and stirred it right in. No harm no foul, right?

The soup was okay, but not the thick black bean soup I usually love. You know, the kind that seems more like chili? Still, I’m looking forward to the leftovers in the fridge… I think a warm runny egg will be lovely over a bowl. For dinner, though, I crumbled some aged raw cheddar and and added a dollop of Greek yogurt. On the side, steamed kale + broccoli, and a big handful of rice crackers.

For dessert, SWEET PUMPKIN PUDDING!

What, you thought you’d seen the last of pumpkin until October? Think again! This is super easy. Here’s what you do. Combine the following:

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or 1/4 cup silken tofu
• 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon nut butter of choice (I used PB & Co.’s Dark Chocolate Dreams)
• sweetener to taste

Mix well, and microwave for one minute. Enjoy!

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With dinner, I enjoyed a glass of red wine while I watched Never Let Me Go.

I took advantage of my night alone to watch this (not really Ari’s cup of tea) and boy, was it a treat! I’d read the book about six years ago in college and loved it; I’m often a little hesitant to see movie versions of books I feel strongly about, but director Mark Romanek really did it justice, as did actors Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightly. It’s a very heavy film, but I highly recommend it. (But read the book first!)

Do you like to read the book before you see the movie? Do you like to read the backs of books and read movie reviews? Lately, I like to be completely surprised. If I’ve heard good things or I have a “good feeling” about a book, movie, or play, I take the risk! I’d rather not read a spoiler.