Pesky Ankle and Getting to Know Caroline

So, basically, I have been in a foul mood lately because I haven’t been able to run. I somehow hurt my ankle a few days ago, so I haven’t been able to run…it’s driving me crazy! Instead, I have been using the elliptical machine at the gym, since it is a low-impact form of cardio that doesn’t hurt my foot. My ankle is a little swollen, but I think it’s improving…I stocked up on Aleve and Icy Hot today, just in case.

On a more pleasant note, Jennifer from Veg*n Cooking kindly tagged me to share 5 things about myself. Here a re a few items that might help you understand the girl behind the food…

1) I was born on December 24th, Christmas Eve. When I tell people that, they always say, “Oh, sucks for you!” I love my birthday, thank you very much. I feel blessed to have been born in such a season of joy and hope:) It is for this reason that I start a countdown to Christmas in September every year…

2) I have flat feet. Everyone laughs when I get out of the pool, because my footprints look like perfect isosceles triangles.

3) I have an intense fear of belly-buttons. Ever since a childhood friend showed me how she could change hers from an “innie” to an “outie” and back again, I get queasy when I see or even think about the human navel. You won’t catch me getting a belly-button ring!

4) I am the youngest of three girls. I love having sisters, and I love being the youngest. Even though they mildly abused me in childhood (“Caroline, let’s see what happens when we turn the treadmill all the way up to 10, really fast!”), my sisters have been a constant source of advice and support.

5) My dog Fred turned 14 yesterday. We got him when I was in kindergarten, and he is still going strong. One glance at his physique, and you’ll know why we sometimes call him the “fat little sausage.”

OK, now that we have gotten better acquainted, we can move onto the grub.

Wednesday

For evening snackage on Wednesday, I gave the kefir another try. This time I topped it with some Nature’s Path granola. I liked this combination better than the one from a few days ago; I think the increased sweetness of the granola balanced the tang of the kefir. Still, I would have preferred some Greek yogurt or cottage cheese instead.

Thursday
Breakfast yesterday was far more satisfying than my waffle breakfast. Thursday’s morning meal consisted of oats cooked with half of a banana, then topped with a generous dose of wheat germ and the other half of the banana. Yummers! For lunch, I tried tempeh for the first time! I went with the spicy veggie variety, and I put it on some whole wheat bread with salsa. I heated the whole thing in the microwave for a piping hot sandwich creation. It’s definitely a new texture for me, quite different from tofu or seitan. I look forward to experimenting with it…Got any tempeh recipes? I also had a big salad with some melon (not pictured).

For my afternoon snack yesterday, I put my Magic Bullet to work with a quick peach smoothie: kefir, frozen peaches, and cinnamon, simple as that. This was especially refreshing yesterday–it was a toasty 84* here! We don’t have AC in my dormitory, so I was in need of a cool treat:)
Dinner yesterday was what I like to call the Super Crunch Salad. One of the campus eateries makes a salad called the Crunchy Broccoli Salad that has romaine, tomato, broccoli, walnuts, and these crunchy noodle things (I’m not really sure what they are, but they’re mighty tasty!). For protein, I add some soy nuts and Bragg’s. The end result is a satisfying and tasty meal component that takes me quite awhile to eat! Along with it I tried something new: I melted some cheese on Ak-Maks. I will be doing this in the future: the slight sweetness of the crackers contrasted nicely with the salty cheese.

Friday
Lunch today was a quick one. I had about 40 minutes between my class and an appointment at the writing studio (I tutor students in a freshman composition class). I went with an old standby, and a favorite of Kristin from Kristin’s Nibbles: hummus and veggies in a pita. I also had a big salad, fresh strawberries, and some raw almonds. So nutritious and filling!

Well, this post is beginning to rival Gone with the Wind in length, so I will end here. Plus, I am in need of a snack!

Filed under: Meals

No Responses to “Pesky Ankle and Getting to Know Caroline”

1. VeggieGirl, on April 11th, 2008 at 10:21 pm Said:

   Oh dear, I do hope that your ankle heals soon :0( Hang in there!!

   So fun to learn more about you! I too have flat feet!! :0D Do you wear orthodics in your shoes??

   Mmm, your breakfast looks especially enticing. As for tempeh recipes, there’s a lot of meal ideas for it, in ‘Student’s Go Vegan Cookbook,’ ED&BV, Veganomicon, etc.

   Haha, your ‘Gone With The Wind’ comment made me laugh out loud – I too write very long posts, so no worries!! :0)

2. Jennifer, on April 12th, 2008 at 2:34 am Said:

   I hope your ankle starts getting better soon.

   Hahahaha! That’s too funny about belly buttons! If it helps, I have an irrational fear of butterflies.

   Happy birthday to Fred! What a cutie!

   I’m digging on that crunchy salad.

   Hummus and veggies in pitas is one of my favorite go-to summer meals.

3. Alice (in Veganland), on April 12th, 2008 at 9:53 am Said:

   The girl popped her belly-button in and out! I would freak out too…
   Sorry about your ankle.
   I always bake my tempeh with tamari sauce, but my mother stir-fries it with curry spices and onions and it tastes amazing.

4. loveofoats, on April 12th, 2008 at 3:19 pm Said:

   Awww your dog is so cute… little sausage ha, too funny!

   I actually never had tempeh either, I want to try it

5. loveofoats, on April 12th, 2008 at 3:19 pm Said:

   Awww your dog is so cute… little sausage ha, too funny!

   I actually never had tempeh either, I want to try it

6. ChickPea, on April 12th, 2008 at 4:17 pm Said:

   VeggieGirl: I think my ankle is getting better…Sunday is my rest day, so hopefully it will have healed my Monday morning.
   I don’t wear orthodics in my shoes, although maybe I should after this whole ankle episode…
   Jennifer: The crunchy salad is amazing…it’s the one thing I try to recreate at home when I am away from campus!
   Alice: I will have to pick up some tamari sometime…do you think soy sauce or Bragg’s would work just as well?
   Loveofoats: Fred would appreciate your compliment:) You should try tempeh; it has a very unique flavor and texture.

7. april, on April 12th, 2008 at 8:05 pm Said:

   I’m born on december 25th and i always get the “oh that sucks!” but like you said its great! I love the time of year and the feeling of christmas, so it just adds to it!

8. ChickPea, on April 13th, 2008 at 2:00 am Said:

   April: I totally agree! I think all Christmas babies understand that though:)

9. Kristin, on April 13th, 2008 at 12:31 pm Said:

   Gotta love those hummus wraps! And those strawberries look GORGEOUS! I can’t wait until June when I can go and pick my own locally =)

   Hope your ankle feels better!

10. Kristin, on April 13th, 2008 at 12:31 pm Said:

    Gotta love those hummus wraps! And those strawberries look GORGEOUS! I can’t wait until June when I can go and pick my own locally =)

    Hope your ankle feels better!

11. Kootz, on April 13th, 2008 at 1:45 pm Said:

    Oooh I’m sorry about your ankle

    Tempeh in marinara sauce is always a good decision.

12. Kootz, on April 13th, 2008 at 1:45 pm Said:

    Oooh I’m sorry about your ankle

    Tempeh in marinara sauce is always a good decision.

13. ChickPea, on April 13th, 2008 at 5:04 pm Said:

    Kristin: I know, nothing beats a fresh strawberry…Stawberry season is not so very far away!!
    Kootz: thanks for the recommendation…I might actually use it today because I happen to have some marinara hanging around.

14. ChickPea, on April 13th, 2008 at 5:04 pm Said:

    Kristin: I know, nothing beats a fresh strawberry…Stawberry season is not so very far away!!
    Kootz: thanks for the recommendation…I might actually use it today because I happen to have some marinara hanging around.

15. (Ve*ganChick), on April 13th, 2008 at 5:25 pm Said:

    Hi! Just discovered your blog, and I love it! I am a Christmas baby too-December 29th. I used to hate it as a child (“this is your Christmas present AND birthday present”) but now I enjoy it just as much as you seem to.

16. ChickPea, on April 13th, 2008 at 8:00 pm Said:

    Ve*ganchick: I just discovered your blog–love it! Mind if I add you to my blogroll?

17. ChocolateCoveredVegan, on April 13th, 2008 at 9:11 pm Said:

    Your “fat sausage” is so precious ). I have a fat little sausage too, named Henry. And the tofu sandwich looks yummy.

    I hope your ankle heals soon!

    Oh, and I’m SURE you could make the oatmeal pudding in the microwave. I’ve never done it, but I make regular oatmeal in the microwave all the time, so I bet this would work too ).

18. ChickPea, on April 13th, 2008 at 10:00 pm Said:

    CCV: Yes, I’ve seen Henry on your blog, and he is quite the cutie:)
    I will be experimenting with oatmeal pudding recipe this week–be on the lookout for pics…

19. Veg-a-Nut, on April 13th, 2008 at 10:20 pm Said:

    Sorry to hear about your ankle. I hope it heals quickly. I love our crunchy salad!

    I have never had tempeh. I don’t know why, but I am sure I will have to break down one of these days and get some. Everyone raves about tempeh bacon.

    My son in law does not like the whole belly button thing either. Brandie, my daughter, is pregnant and she can turn her innie to an outie, which freaks and grosses our her husband something fierce. So you are not alone.

20. ChickPea, on April 14th, 2008 at 8:56 pm Said:

    Veg-a-nut: Glad to hear I am not the only tempeh newbie, although now that you mention it, I have actually tried the tempeh bacon. It’s quite tasty for sandwiches, but the tempeh bacon and regular tempeh don’t really taste that much alike to me.

21. monkeybaker, on April 16th, 2008 at 2:05 pm Said:

    Your dog is adorable! I hope your ankle heals quickly!

22. ChickPea, on April 16th, 2008 at 9:48 pm Said:

    Monkeybaker: Thanks!! Both Fred and my ankle appreciate it!

23. Plan B « Broccoli Hut, on June 19th, 2009 at 8:00 pm Said:

    [...] Chester. I realized that I talk about all the other dogs in my life quite often (Greta, Fred, Gus, & Dixie), but Chester has remained unmentioned. Here are a few facts about the [...]

24. There’s No Place Like Home « Broccoli Hut, on October 1st, 2009 at 7:32 pm Said:

    [...] What are my wild and exciting plans for my time off? Sleeping in my own bed and reuniting with Fred are the first activities that come to [...]

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