Vegan MoFo Day 3: Supplemental Superfoods

I recently treated myself to an Amazon order of superfoods. (I just learned today that, in the UK, it is illegal to label foods as "superfoods" because it encourages artificially high prices at the market. But in the US, I guess we'll superfood all day long.) Some of these supplements, like the cacao nibs and maca powder, I try to keep on hand. Others, like the dried dragon fruit and mesquite powder, were first-time purchases.

I've ordered from Navitas Naturals before, but Terrasoul was new to me. I was impressed by their prices.

I stirred maca and mesquite into my breakfast oats, and topped them with cacao nibs and bee pollen (I know there's a debate over whether pollen is considered vegan, so I apologize in advance for this questionable ingredient. For what it's worth, I consider it more of an allergy medicine than a food.)  Terrasoul's cacao nibs are quite bitter and have an almost sulfuric aftertaste. I have only bought them from Navitas in the past and I believe they coat theirs in a sweetener, so that's what I was expecting. I guess the Terrasoul nibs have a more authentic cacao flavor, but wow, it will take some getting used to!

Super basic dinner tonight -- spaghetti with Costco marinara, giant green olives, and faux parmesan (ground almonds + nutritional yeast.)

Olivia is working on her letters. She recognizes about half of them at this point. 

Hope you are having a great week!

All Clean

Started off the day with oats, topped with Brazil nuts, peanut butter, and cacao nibs. I also stirred in a teaspoon of maca powder.

While Jackson was at school, Olivia helped me give the house a thorough cleaning. Drying the floors after I mop is her specialty.

Then we made a treat -- cocoa-coconut balls. I followed Laura's recipe, but substituted cocoa powder for half of the maca powder. I ate a couple for lunch along with pita chips, carrot sticks and hummus.

Dinner was Thai Peanut Bowl with Tofu and Asparagus, from Robin Robertson's One-Dish Vegan. So good. I love asparagus; it's one of my fave veggies and this is the season for it. Will definitely make this again.

Pretty straightforward day. Feel like I ate pretty healthy.

2013 Remnants

New Year's Eve was lazy and indulgent. We were in our pajamas early, and we watched Downton Abbey (almost caught up!) and The World's End (my favorite movie of 2013) and ate junk food until the ball dropped. Then I promptly went to bed!

I made arancini, risotto balls filled with gooey fontina cheese, rolled in panko and deep-fried. Dangerously good.

We dipped them in Costco-brand marinara sauce. Love that stuff.

I also sampled some Trader Joe's treats given to me by a friend. Dark chocolate caramel with black sea salt...this was one messy and decadent chocolate bar. Even better was the Sipping Chocolate. This chocolate drink is thick, almost syrupy, and not very sweet. Instead of sugar, you get true chocolate flavor. It's a great bedtime treat...I can practically feel all the tryptophan entering my system and making me sleepy.

We kicked off 2014 with lunch at Chuy's. 

Guacamole soft tacos, simple and perfect.

After the usual holiday excess, I'm trying to eat right in January. Oats for breakfast most mornings, topped with bee pollen, chia powder, maca powder, you name it.  Sometimes I'll also throw in hemp seeds or chopped Brazil nuts. Maca powder is a new experiment for me. It's an adaptogen, meaning your body uses it as needed to fight stress (not just emotional stress, but anything that's taking a toll on the cells.)  I feel like it definitely gives me added energy.

Goddess Noodles with Tofu and Broccoli, Isa Does It. The recipe actually calls for tempeh, but I subbed tofu for no reason. The more broccoli I get in me, the happier I am, so I give this dish a big thumbs-up.

Jackfruit BBQ, made with the Barbecue Saucy from Get It Ripe Around Here, topped with cole slaw and pickles, served on onion rolls. I whizzed the jackfruit in the food processor first, so there wouldn't be any big, tough chunks. Then I simmered it in the sauce for about 20 minutes and it was good to go! I love how light jackfruit is. It's great to chow down on a big, tasty BBQ sandwich and not feel totally stuffed afterwards.