On watch.

Just when I start to think I can handle Kansas weather, we have another tornado watch. Which completely ruined my evening, THANKYOUVERYMUCH. We were even planning to go out to dinner in the middle of running errands, but I get too anxious to drive during any kind of potential weather situation, so we had to nix that. Probably for the best, really, as it’s about 110 degrees outside. Also for the best because we took a trip to the campus dairy bar at work today. So, for my afternoon snack, instead of eating a Clif Kid Z-Bar, I indulged in a big cup of homemade mint fudge swirl ice cream. Mmmmm. Worth the heat index of 106 walk over, for sure. AND it was eating local. So. Extra points for that.

So for dinner, I threw together a bean salad so that I wouldn’t have to cook anything. Spinach, corn, black beans, tomato, cumin, lime, garlic, cayenne pepper. Oh, and some goat cheese. Which doesn’t necessarily go with any of that. Except that it goes with everything.

I don’t remember it being this bright and shiny. But whatever.

Okay, it’s time for me to pretend to read but actually sit anxiously until the watch is over. At midnight.

I am very healthy.

I started today assuming that it was going to be horrible, which, if you’re wondering, is not the best strategy for getting through. For once, though, I was completely wrong and my day was very affirming. This happens sometimes.

I did cardio this morning and was pretty hungry for most of the day, and then I went to yoga after work (my crane pose is up to .000006 seconds off the floor!) and that killed my appetite but I knew I needed something in me, so I thought “What can I force myself to eat?” And then, “How can I work in some cheese?” I was planning a bean salad so I mixed that up and then hit upon my best idea of the day: nachos. So I layered my bean salad (chickpeas, pinto, black, and kidney beans, corn, a diced tomato, cumin, lime juice, S + P, and cilantro) with some cheese and those blue corn flaxseed Target chips I love, and microwaved it. Here they are with some avocado and sour cream for garnish.

I used to eat loaded nachos every single week during grad school. And when I say loaded, I mean, literally cups of cheese. With a side of jumbo margarita. And I still lost weight during that period of time. HOW DID I DO THAT?

Last night, I was really efficient, and I had much lunch packed, the coffee pot timer set, and my gym bag ready before I went to bed. This is likely directly related to my day going well.

Tonight, I’ll probably eat some ice cream and look at the dishes and say stuff to myself like, “We should really make room in the refrigerator for the cake” and then fall asleep on my book before I do anything about any of it.

Wait, I’m trying to be positive.

I will eat ice cream! The end.

Cook-in

Yesterday, we registered at Target and I got to live my lifelong dream of walking around with a scanner gun thing and selecting everything I might possibly want. Seven cutting boards? Check. Sheartoku? DONE. Then we had a tornado watch last night, along with some nasty storms and a really creepy looking sky. The watch went into effect right after I got home from the gym, so I made a quick dinner to fortify us in case of emergencies.

Bulgurritos

With bulgur, chicken, black, beans, and tomatoes. And a salad on the side with mixed greens, corn, black beans, tomatoes, and a cumin-lime vinaigrette. I also had a fruit bar, because it was really hot.

The tornado never came, and I spent the night reading In Defense of Food. Which was interesting, but didn’t blow my mind. I’d imagine that most people who would be inclined to pick this book up feel similarly and aren’t all “Go-gurt isn’t just yogurt??? WHAT???” Still, it’s interesting to think about all the crap that’s in the food most people eat. I thought about it again when the kids bagging my groceries today were all “that’s a lot of vegetables.”

Yes. That’s a lot of vegetables. That’s why I’m going to live forever. Like in Fame.

I had a really long list of things I wanted to get done today, but then Matt talked me into acting like I was actually on vacation. I resisted until I realized that there was a Law and Order marathon on, and then I decided he was right. I’ll probably regret it in about five minutes when I walk into the kitchen and see all of the dirty dishes from dinner. And also, later this week when I have to wear pajamas to work and pretend they are real clothing as all of my regular clothes are dirty or embarrassingly wrinkled.

This afternoon, we finally watched Breach, which was underwhelming. There’s something about Ryan Philippe that makes it really hard for me to take him seriously. Is it his hair? His resemblance to Justin Timberlake? His entire role in Cruel Intentions? I don’t know.

Then we had a cook-in for memorial day, because 1) we don’t have a means of cooking out and 2) it was storming. We had veggie burgers, spinach, and sweet potato chips:

See how I am always creating these incredibly imaginative meals that are like nothing I’ve eaten before. The last time I had this exact meal, it was a black bean burger. And it was on a bagel square. This time, a Mushroom Lovers’ burger. On an English Muffin! I like to keep you guessing.

Oh yay, another lightning storm!

Quinoa fiesta

Working until six is TOTALLY SCREWING WITH ME. Tonight, after work, we went to get groceries and to pick up the new Portishead album and by the time we got home, unloaded the groceries and got dinner started, it was almost 8. What nonsense is that? I barely had time to watch Miss Rap Supreme (don’t worry, I still managed to do it; good thing, too, because Ghostface Killah was on there, and he hilariously didn’t seem to understand where he has or why he was there). Anyway, I don’t know how long this new schedule will last. Definitely through this week, though, because I need my Friday afternoon free to take a nap and enjoy a matinee of Iron Man without guilt.

Anyway, since we had to get groceries and time was limited, I made a quick dinner. Quesadillas, quinoa, and a black bean and corn salad recipe that I got from the vegan cookbook Matt picked up for me last week.

God, that picture is kind of awful. Sorry. Blogging is hard.

I also ate an insane amount of granola for the third day in a row. And by insane, I mean, I’m sick right now. We went to Lawrence again on Sunday while our bathroom situation was being dealt with, and I wanted to get like, I don’t know, a cup or so of Wheatfields’ granola, which is so good that it has to be made with sugar and oil and other things that taste good but are not good for those of us with delicate constitutions. But they only sell it by the pound, and somehow, standing there in front of the register, I decided that I Could Handle It, so I came home with an entire pound of it (well, not all the way home). I’m not going to take a picture of it. The pain is too fresh.

I’m going to let Beth Gibbons lull me to sleep now.

I’m lazy

Yeah.

I’ve been saying that I’ll go grocery shopping “tomorrow” for, I don’t know, a week? Ten days? Something. I was all set to do that, BUT ultimately, I’m lazy. So, I didn’t. This might be less sad/more understandable if I didn’t live immediately behind a grocery store. I’ve clocked it on my pedometer, and it’s closer, door to door, than the closest restroom/water fountain/hot water pot to my office in the library. And I have no problem making that trek 68 times a day. Maybe admitting this to all (four) of you will shame me into grocery shopping.

Luckily, I always have vegetables/grains/things in cans for hard times like these, so I made some chicken barley chili. This is probably the best recipe I’ve ever gotten from the back of a box. My mom is really good at scoping those out, so maybe it’s genetic.

Wait. I think this is the only recipe I’ve ever gotten from the back of a box. Maybe it skips a generation and I’m just carrying the gene.

Right. Here’s my bowl:

You can tell it was still nice and warm, since the bowl is sweating.

This meal has many virtues, including very little chopping, mostly canned goods, a single pot to clean, five of the best foods in the world (black beans, chicken, corn, tomatoes, salsa) and two of the best spices (chili, cumin). Speaking of cumin, I have to thank my Aunt, who sent me a nice package with a ton of shirts and a ginormous container of cumin. I was starting to panic because I was almost out. Now I’m set.

They’re calling for weird weather here later this week - possible snow and things - so at least I know we’ll have this chili to tide us over until I can talk myself into walking the .05 miles to the store.

Actually, I just realized that I once made a really good cookie recipe from the side of a Bob’s Red Mill Muesli bag, so maybe I do have the gift.