Daily Eats ~ July 31st

Luckily I was able to sleep later than yesterday! When I got up I made one of my favorites-- Nutella french toast! It really tastes like something you'd get for brunch at a fancy restaurant. I also want to remind everyone that I'll be posting whatever FAQ's I get tomorrow. So if you have any questions for me, now's the time to ask! Send them to: marinajc@rcn.com or post your FAQ in the comments section. :)

Breakfast:

I took 2 slices of Trader Joe's french toast, spread a thin layer of Nutella on one of the slices, made a sandwich out of it, then I cut it in half and topped with a drizzle of maple syrup and berries. I also had an apple juice box with it (not pictured).

Peanut's morning nap...

Lunch:

I've been seeing these on lots of other blogs recently, so I decided to make them again... english muffin pizzas! But mine have a twist... I made english muffin VODKA pizzas!! I took a Rudi's Organic whole wheat english muffin and topped it with Muir Glen's new vodka pasta sauce and some Organic Valley part skim shredded mozzarella. These came out pretty good in the toaster oven, although next time I'll toast the english muffins first to make them crispier! I had some orange slices alongside.

I also had a Trader Joe's 100 calorie milk chocolate bar after lunch...

Snack:

I had a Clif Mojo Dipped PB & J Bar (personally I think this one is FAR superior to the new PB & J Larabar... but to each their own!).

Dinner:

I had 2 of Trader Joe's Vegetable Egg Rolls with some of Trader Joe's Vegetable Fried Rice (this has been a very Trader Joe's themed day... lol). I just added in some of my own soy sauce to complete the meal.

Dessert:

I had my other Trader Joe's Chocolate Lava Cake (they come in a package of 2, and I had so many other Trader Joe's products today, I thought, why not?!). I tried to show feature the "lava" part in the picture. :) I also had some berries and whipped cream alongside like usual.

I have my FAQ list almost complete... so if you have any other questions for me about my blog, ED questions, Peanut questions, or anything else, feel free to ask away!

I'll leave you tonight with a picture of Peanut "on the prowl." (Notice the flattened ears... lol)

Daily Eats ~ July 30th

I woke up bright and early this morning (at 5:15!) because I slept so much last night. Luckily I feel better now and Peanut was thrilled that I was up so early! He frisked around so much that he tired me back out again. lol Thanks for the well wishes on my blog yesterday... anyone who's ever had a migraine knows how terrible they are! I even threw up last night for the first time in 3 years. (I thank God that throwing up does not come easily to me however, or I'm sure I would have become bulimic at some point... I was definitely heading that way.) So I woke up super hungry too-- undoubtedly I'll be eating more today for sure!

Breakfast:
I had 2 Van's Belgian Waffles topped with maple syrup, dollops of whipped cream, and berries alongside. And I had lots of orange juice with it!


Being that I got up so early, I decided to make the most of it. I went to Union Square to make the rounds... Petco, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's. I'm so stocked up on food now, I won't have to shop for weeks! Which is a good thing, considering you practically need a mask and an oxygen tank to go outside! lol

Mid-morning snack:

I got the new peanut butter & jelly Larabar at the Whole Foods Market today (yes, I practically live there! lol). I'm usually not a fan of Larabars, but I thought this one was pretty good.

Lunch:

I had some organic stuffed mushrooms from The Organic Grill (that I got delivered yesterday from a NY grocery company called Organic Direct) on a bed of Green Giant's rice pilaf. This was really tasty and the two went well together (there were mushrooms in the pilaf too). I also had a Trader Joe's 100 calorie milk chocolate bar after lunch (not pictured).

Peanut's nap was short lived today, but he looked like an angel while it lasted! :)

Snack:

I had half of a Whole Foods granola bar (it was so huge I couldn't even finish the half of it!) with a Wallaby Organic berries & cream "down under" yogurt (these are terrific btw... if only the yogurt was thicker, like greek yogurt, then they would be perfect!).

Believe it or not, but Peanut really seemed to like the granola bar! I only let him have a tiny bit though.

Dinner:

I had Trader Joe's Garden Vegetable Lasgne with some cut up oranges. (I LOVE their lasagna!)

Dessert:

I picked up one of my favorites at Trader Joe's today... their amazing chocolate lava cake! Just 45 seconds in the microwave and it's perfection! I garnished it with strawberries and whipped cream too.

Peanut was thrown off his schedule today because of me getting up at 5 a.m.! So he's sleeping now with Pellet (the beanie baby that bares a striking resemblance to him :).

I think I definitely made up for the lack of food yesterday! It didn't help that I woke up at the crack of dawn either (since you eat more the longer you are awake!). But the key is really eating when your hungry, and eating what you really want to-- and I do both now. I have to admit, a lot of those ED thoughts and feelings are still there, but I have to remember that I'm doing the right thing and that no one is a BAD person for eating! Which brings me to another point... I don't know why society is so hard on women when it comes to eating what they want. Why are women always supposed to be on a diet? Be hungry? Skip dessert? While men stuff their fat faces with steak and beer! (Not all men obviously, but you know... just take a look at a lot of commercials!) There is definitely a double standard, no?

Daily Eats ~ July 29th

I can hardly believe it's been 3 months since we got Peanut! The picture at the top of the page is from April 29th, the night we got him. He's grown SO much since then. Although he still looks pretty small at times. :)

Breakfast:

I had 2 slices of Trader Joe's french toast, topped with their own maple syrup, sliced almonds, dollops of whipped cream, and a few strawberries alongside. I also had an Apple & Eve apple juice box with it.

Lunch:

I had a can of Annie's All Stars Pasta in tomato & cheese sauce, and added in a sliced up Yves veggie dog for added protein.

Snack:

I decided to make a yogurt parfait with a vanilla Oikos greek yogurt. I added in some berries, TJ's granola with almonds, and instead of my usual drizzle of maple syrup, I used Madhava's agave nectar. I chose the dark amber one, because I heard that it's most like maple syrup. I figured that this would be a nice alternative to maple syrup in my yogurt parfaits, and it was. I'll definitely be using agave nectar more often in my yogurt parfaits and other foods!

Oikos review (part 2): Once again, I found this yogurt to be a little on the sour side. It tasted really good once it was sweetened with the agave nectar and granola though. I really do like the texture of Oikos yogurt, and I may buy the vanilla flavor again in the near future.

In other news, I haven't been feeling very well today. I swear this weather is making me sick! :( It is just terrible (VeggieGirl will back me up on this since she is also experiencing this lovely NY weather now too! lol). I've had a headache and stomachache all day. I was planning on going out, but the weather is literally so bad, I can't! It's just pouring rain, thunder & lightning... the works!

Peanut and I had a nice cuddle this afternoon on the chaise. :)

Dinner:

By dinner I had a full blown migraine, and the only thing I could choke down was some peanut butter ezekiel toast (with some peach preserves spread on top). I had a Naked Juice with it.

I feel too sick to eat anything else tonight, so that's it for today! I HATE it when I get migraines like this. That's probably the worst thing about getting my periods back and having hormones again! Because when I was anorexic, I didn't get periods and my hormone levels were so low, I didn't get many headaches at all! But this weather isn't helping. Even back when I was a kid, hot & humid summers like this always caused me problems-- lots of headaches! :( Is anyone else like me?

Daily Eats ~ July 28th

As promised, here are some pics of Peanut and I from last night on our chaise (you can see how little he is still in these pics-- and be warned: I'm not wearing any makeup! lol)...

Breakfast:

I had 2 De Wafelbakkers organic blueberry pancakes topped with fresh blueberries, maple syrup, and whipped cream. I had a glass of orange juice with it as well.

Lunch:

I had an Amy's Spinach Pizza in a Pocket Sandwich with a Mott's Peach Medley apple sauce.

Peanut was playing on my bed... notice the glazed look in his eyes! He was focusing on his foil ball that I was holding (I've got to get these cute pictures somehow! ;).

Snack:

I was still hungry after lunch, so I had my snack early today. I had a vegan chocolate chip cookie that I got from the Whole Foods Market with some skim milk.

Later I had a Clif Mojo Dipped Fruit & Nut Bar.

Peanut was going nuts over this bar! I just let him have a little lick, but he would have tried to eat the whole thing! And this bar is vegan!! (My veggie cat is at it again! lol)

I had the pleasure of spending time with VeggieGirl this afternoon! We met up at her hotel (which happens to be right by where I live!). It was nice to get to know her better... like I said yesterday, we met last month at the blog dinner at Candle 79, and we've been exchanging e-mails for a while now, but we never really got to sit down and talk one on one! We talked about losing our pets last year, blogging, how we think Michael Vick should be taken out and shot, and lots of other things! lol

Best of all, we're going to try to arrange a visit between Peanut and Liz before she leaves. I think Peanut would love her hotel. It's pet friendly and has an amazing menu for pets, including $18 steaks! (Sweet Jesus! lol)

Dinner:

When I got home I had a mushroom burger on a whole wheat bun, with 2 slices of american cheese and ketchup alongside. I also had a Birds Eye Steamfresh veggie medley of broccoli, cauliflower, & carrots in a light cheese sauce to go with it.

Peanut was "helping" Mom cut watermelon after dinner.

Dessert:

I had a coupon from Whole Foods to try the new Ben & Jerry's "Flipped Out!" ice cream. So I got the chocolate chip cookie dough one. I usually love anything with cookies in it, but to be honest, this was really sweet (almost sickeningly sweet), so I'd say it was just okay. The chocolate layer on top wasn't that good because it's almost meant to be melted chocolate, but if you stick this in the microwave it would just defeat the purpose of having ice cream!

Like I've said, on August 1st I plan on posting the FAQ's that I've received... I have around 6 now, so keep them coming! Also, I plan on changing the format of my blog a bit, by posting separate entries throughout the day instead of cramming everything into one post (this was VeggieGirl's idea, and hey, she's the blogging expert!). That's all for today, my lovelies! xo

Daily Eats ~ July 27th

Peanut let me sleep in today... I was rolling over a lot this morning, and before I knew it, it was after 10! Remember, August 1st I'm going to be posting FAQ's, so if you have any questions, please send them to: marinajc@rcn.com.

Breakfast:

I had a favorite... 2 Van's Belgian Waffles topped with real maple syrup, berries, and dollops of whipped cream. I had an Apple & Eve apple juice box alongside.

Lunch:

Another favorite... 2 Yves veggie dogs wrapped in 2 Pillsbury breadsticks with ketchup alongside, and an Annie's single serve mac & cheese with peas mixed in.

Snack:

I decided to make my Almond Parfait using a plain Oikos Greek Yogurt (thanks again to Kristina at Stonyfield Farm for sending me the coupons!!). (You can see the package she sent me the other day here.) To make this parfait I used one container of Oikos plain yogurt, a drop of vanilla extract, a drizzle of maple syrup, then I stirred that all together and topped it with a few handfuls of sliced raw almonds and chocolate chips.

So my review of Oikos Greek Yogurt is this...

Kristina is right, there isn't an aftertaste, which can be found in other brands. The plain is a little on the sour side, but I think it's meant to be used more in baking than it is to be eaten plain. But the tart flavor works really well for my almond parfait, because you're using maple syrup and chocolate chips to sweeten it. The texture isn't super thick, but it's really silky and lovely. I actually think I prefer this texture better! I also still have the vanilla flavor to try, and I definitely plan on getting more Oikos in the near future!!

Peanut sleeping like a baby (actually, he is a baby! lol) through the afternoon thunderstorms.

Dinner:

I had a strange dinner tonight... more like breakfast really, but it's what I felt like having! I had 2 slices of Food For Life Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel toast, topped with peanut butter, and more yogurt! This time I had some Chobani 2% pineapple yogurt.

Peanut relaxing on the chaise...

and sitting on my computer desk.

Snack/Dessert:

I had a Clif Chocolate Chip Bar (warmed up in the microwave) topped with Nutella, with a few strawberries & whipped cream alongside.

I also had a couple of oranges later (not pictured).

VeggieGirl is coming to town (my town... lol), and Liz and I will get to spend some time together tomorrow afternoon. We met briefly at the blog dinner a month ago, so it'll be nice to get to chat one on one. And tomorrow morning I'll be posting some pics that I took of Peanut and I tonight... so stay tuned for that! :)

Daily Eats ~ July 26th

This morning cramps woke me up early (9 a.m. on a Sunday is early IMO... lol). Peanut was happy though, so we were having fun playing. One thing I've been meaning to write for a while now, is that when it comes to food, I really try to listen to my body... this is easier said than done, and for at least a year I really struggled with this. But I think I'm getting better at it. I try to ask myself, what do I really want? Not, what do I think I should eat? Do you try to listen to your "food voice?"

Breakfast:

I had a Peach Mangosteen Bliss Naked Juice with a Clif Mojo Dipped PB & J Bar (which reminds me, I have to try to find the new PB & J Larabar!).

Incredibly, Peanut seemed to like the PB & J Clif Bar! He has such unique tastes for a cat, no?!

Lunch:

I made my weekly trip to Murray's, and got a whole wheat bagel. When I came home I topped it with the usual 2 slices of swiss cheese and a bit of mustard. I had a Mott's Peach Medley apple sauce with it.

Peanut trying to clean himself this afternoon... and I say trying, because Mummy was in his face with the camera again! lol Notice his cute little white belly! :)

Dinner:

I made a Blue Horizon Organic frozen dinner tonight... Penne Alla Vodka with shrimp. As you all know by now, I'm crazy about anything "alla vodka," so I had my hopes up for this one (and even overlooked that it had shrimp in it-- which is the only "meat" I'll tolerate at all). It was okay, but I doubt I'd buy it again. (I've had way better Penne Alla Vodka both here and here for instance.) I also had an orange after dinner (in lieu of having a "snack" today... not pictured).

Dessert:

I had a VitaBrownie topped with Nutella, with berries & whipped cream alongside. This is one of my favorite desserts, and so satisfying too!

(I also had a handful of Blue Diamond brown sugar cinnamon almonds later - not pictured.)

I know that many of my blog readers are struggling with recovery and are trying to get their periods back, but since getting mine back in May 2008, I've just wanted to get rid of them. Lately I've been having nearly a week of PMS symptoms, and then when I finally get my period, I have bad cramps and feel sick for at least a day (like today). Oh well. I keep telling myself that I'm much healthier now than I was, and that's always a good thing.

Peanut and I were watching the rain tonight... there are terrible storms passing through New York now. Well, that's summer for you! ;) Anyways, I hope everyone had a good weekend!

Daily Eats ~ July 25th

Today I'm posting later than usual, because this morning I just had a glass of orange juice and went out right away... I headed over to the East Village for brunch, and to pick up more of Peanut's kitten food... I noticed I didn't get many comments on my post yesterday, so I encourage you to read my extraordinary story about what happened at the Apple store yesterday! :) And before I went out the door this morning, I took this picture of Peanut:

Brunch:

I went to a vegan restaurant in the East Village called Caravan of Dreams. I've been there several times, but I haven't been in almost a year. I get the same thing every time... Angel's Toast. Which is basically cinnamon raisin toast topped with almond butter and fruit. It was a little different this time, compared to the other times I've gotten it (I didn't eat the bananas that they now put on top of the toast), but overall it was still tasty. (Oh and for you raw vegans, this is a great place to go, because they specialize in raw/live food! :)

After brunch I went over to Whiskers Holistic. This is the only store where I can get Peanut's Blue Buffalo Kitten food. I took a picture of the store's cat before I left. :)

Late Lunch:

I had a Van's Veggie, Egg & Cheese Pocket Sandwich.

Dinner:

I had 2 Yves veggie dogs rolled up in Pillsbury breadsticks with ketchup alongside. I made an Annie's single serve mac & cheese, and I mixed in a packet of Birds Eye single serve peas to go with it.

I caught Peanut mid-yawn... lol

Dessert:

I had a slice of black & white cake that I got at the Whole Foods Market the other day. Since I'm a fan of black & white cookies, I thought, why not? It was pretty good. I had some apple juice with it too (not pictured).

I hope everyone is having a good weekend! I really do appreciate your questions & comments, so please keep them coming!!