Archive for April, 2012
Happy Earth Day!
0Beautiful rainbow brought to you by Greenville’s afternoon thunderstorm (if you look closely, you can see a double rainbow).
Color remixes brought to you by Photoshop. Happy Earth Day!
Tempeh Tenders
1When I was in college, I was lucky enough to partake in the experience that is Chicken Tender Tuesday. It was a very big deal. These chicken tenders were prime, juicy, and just waiting to be devoured by hoards of hungry college kids. We lived for Tuesdays back then.
One of the things I miss most is a beautifully crisp chicken tender. Not so much because of how it makes me feel, but because it’s a southern culture thing. These folk don’t mess around with their fried chicken. Chic-fil-a is everywhere, trying to lure me in. Can you believe it’s been almost two years since the spicy ridiculousness?
While I don’t feel the need to go out and stuff myself with KFC, I figured I could try my hand at the next best thing, tempeh tenders. Lucky for me (and you!) they came out quite tasty.
Tempeh Tenders
Need:
1 package tempeh
a lot of cups of canola oil
for the wash:
1 egg, beaten
1c rice milk
for the breading:
1/2c all-purpose flour
1/2c panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Penzey’s mural of flavor or other spices as you desire
Do:
- Heat the oil in a small saucepan to 350 degrees.
- Whisk together the egg and milk in a small bowl. Combine all the dry breading ingredients in another bowl.
- Cut the tempeh into strips. Dip each strip into the breading, then the egg wash, then back into the breading. Ensure each strip is fully coated with breading.
- Repeat until all strips are prepped.
- Fry the strips in hot oil until golden and crispy.
- Allow the strips to drain on paper towels. Let cool slightly before eating. Enjoy!
I had these babies tonight dipped in some classic ketchup. Their flavor isn’t overwhelming, which makes it perfect for pairing with sauces and dips. Can’t wait to try out a crispy buffalo tempeh wrap tomorrow!
Pinterest inspired nails.. round two
0
Actual:
Per usual, my nails are never perfect, but I’m having oodles of fun experimenting. Incase you haven’t figured out, I have a whole board full of nail inspiration over on that oh-so-addicting Pinterest. The color I used is from the elf line, and I’m happy to report it didn’t chip for a whole week! Almost unheard of over here.
This is what happens when Hobby Lobby has a paper sale
0I make pinterest-inspired coasters. They’re still a work in progress because my cup sticks to the surface after a bit. Maybe I need more acrylic sealer?
I was way overdue for new coasters as my old ones were literally years old and had seen much better days.
I also re-did the ridiculously easy “art” on my wall (original seen here). Such a breath of fresh air for such a small change. It feels more me, more grown up and more simple.
…but where do you get your protein?
0Arguably one of the most frequent questions I (and vegetarians in general) get is “where do you get your protein?” I have found, in my 1.5 years of experience, that with a little planning it’s not terribly difficult to get enough protein. There’s protein in pretty much everything! You just have to be willing to branch out a bit. Continuing to eat the typical american diet of sugary cereal, iceberg lettuce and french fries will get you nowhere fast.
So. To demonstrate, I documented a day of eats and now I’m about to list the protein content of everything*. Ready? Here’s what I ate yesterday..
breakfast:
popped amaranth (1c = 28g)
walnuts (1c = 4g)
rice milk (1c = 1g)
maple syrup (nada)
snacks:
greek yogurt (6oz = 15g)
protein bar (1 bar = 10g)
greek frozen yogurt (1c = 12g)
lunch:
rainbow rice salad:
wild rice (1c = 6.5g)
black beans (1 c = 14g)
corn (1c = 5g)
peas (1c = 8g)
peppers (1c = 1.5g)
carrots (1c = 1g)
dinner:
hummus (1c = 12g)
pimento cheese (1c = 25g)
whole wheat pita (1 pita = 6g)
cabbage (1c = 1g)
mixed greens (1c = 0.5g)
balsamic dressing (nada)
other favorite sources:
hard boiled eggs (1 egg = 6g)
quinoa (1c = 24g)
lentils (1c = 18g)
peanut butter (1c = 64g)
any other type of nut/seed butter (35-50g)
nutritional yeast (1c = 85g)
chickpeas (1c = 12g)
white beans (1c = 19g)
any other kind of bean (1c = 10-20g)
This by no means is a comprehensive list! As you can see, there are many excellent, healthy, tasty sources of protein. It’s all about finding a balance and what works for you. While peanut butter is an absolutely wonderful source of protein, it’s also unfortunately a more excellent source of fat. I wouldn’t recommend downing a cup of peanut butter daily but a few tablespoons here and there are not only delicious but an excellent way to sneak in protein!
What are some of your favorite sources of protein?
*note: serving sizes listed don’t reflect my actual servings. I normalized everything to around one cup for comparison purposes. Although I probably could down a cup of pimento cheese if I didn’t believe my arteries would immediately clog.
Lately I’ve…
0…donated to Goodwill..
…become (re)addicted to GoodReads…
…discovered overpriced discounted Vera Bradley plates…
…cultivated my addiction to Sally Hansen…
…photographed weird sunbeams in the sky…
…and drank ridiculously good local beer.
How about you?
Easter & Silk Dyed Eggs
0Happy Easter!
Instead of using the classic PAAS dye on my eggs this year, I decided to go a more fancy (and of course pinterest-inspired) route.
Silk ties! I picked up a few from Goodwill when I went to visit my sister a weekend or two back. I had no idea how these were going to turn out so I just followed the instructions and hoped for the best. They turned out pretty decent!
What do you think? Have you ever used any unconventional dying methods? I’ve seen a lot of “natural” dye going around these days!
Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Drizzle
0It’s been awhile since I’ve shared a recipe. Truthfully I’ve been living off pimento cheese and spinach. At least they balance each other out?
This pancake recipe came from a cookbook I picked up in Disney World. The original is based on a breakfast dish out of Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside, which is where we actually stayed for the marathon.
Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Drizzle
Need:
for pancakes (adapted from Chef Mickey)
1 c all purpose flour
1/2 c light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 flax eggs
3/4 c rice milk
3 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 can pumpkin puree
1 tbsp butter/Earth Balance
for the drizzle:
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp powdered sugar
rice milk
Do:
- Make the pancakes: mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl.
- Slowly mix in flax eggs, milk, oil, extract and butter. Add pumpkin puree and beat until smooth.
- On an electric griddle, nonstick pan or cast iron griddle, pour 1/4 cup of batter and cook until bubble appear on top surface and bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook until bottom is golden brown. Repeat until all batter is cooked.
- Make the drizzle by whisking cream cheese, syrup and sugar together. Add rice milk until the consistency is slightly runny.
- Top pancakes with drizzle and garnish with any toppings you’d like, including strawberries.
- Enjoy!
These pancakes freeze beautifully and make a perfect, quick morning treat.
I’m thinking I’m going to need to make another large batch of these babies tomorrow….
Mail, Magazines, Spibelt
0I love mail days like today.
I got a new Vera Bradley wallet.
A bunch of fun magazines.
And a replacement Spibelt.
I love my Spibelt, but my one and only has seen better days. It was completely unraveling on both ends and therefore had to be held together with safety pins.
It still worked, but it was only a matter of time before it disintegrated completely. While at the Publix Half expo, I asked the lady at the Spibelt tent if there was anything they could do. She told me to shoot her an e-mail and they would send out a replacement, no questions asked. I got a brand new one within a few days along with a stamped envelope to send back my old one. Now that’s quality customer service!
I hope this new one is ready for all the abuse training I’m about to drag it through!
