What I Ate Wednesday

Hello fine people! I hope you're doing swell. I have a fun, slightly different post for you this week, just because I like to change things up every now and then. In lieu of a normal "What I Love Wednesday" post, I thought I'd bring you into my kitchen a little more and share what I ate today instead, with a little help from Instagram.

Thus, "What I Ate Wednesday" is born. This isn't necessarily a new feature on the blog; I just thought I'd try something different. If you hate it, you can tell me. It's okay. I won't get mad.

For breakfast, I had:

• one "everything" bagel slathered with some vegan "cream cheese" (garlic and chive flavored)
• a small bowl of coconut milk, half a banana, and a handful of raspberries smashed together
• the other half of my banana, all by its lonesome
• a cup of coffee, of course (with coconut milk creamer)

For lunch, I enjoyed:

• a grilled PB&J (Have you tried this?! It's amazing!)
• some grapes
• a handful of carrots
• a little Thai Coconut Curry hummus

It was my day off, so naturally I had Starbucks. Teehee. It was a delicious soy vanilla latte.

And unfortunately, my phone decided not to save the picture I took of dinner, and by the time I realized the photo was gone, I had already scarfed down all of it. However, I will share this lovely photo from Heidi's blog, because it just so happens that this is what I had! Mmm, Baked Farro Pasta.

So there you have it! My eats for the day. It was kind of fun to document, honestly. Maybe I'll do it again sometime...

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Oatmeal

The past few days have been insane, full of family, emotions and good times. My little all-grown-up brother is a full-fledged soldier of the U.S. Army, and I got to see him graduate on Friday! I am such a proud sister, it's not even funny. The hubby and I drove down to Ft. Benning on Thursday and spent a couple of hours with him (he had to be back at the barracks by 6:30) and our parents, who drove all the way down from Kansas. Friday morning, I took about 300 photos during the graduation ceremony, and then we got to hang out the rest of the morning and all afternoon, since he needed a ride up to the Atlanta airport and hey, we were headed that way anyhow!

He's on leave in Kansas for the next two weeks, and then he'll be in Germany for 3 years. I'm bummed we only got to spend less than 2 days together, but at least I got to see him at all. We're planning a Christmas extravaganza, though, in which we will both (hopefully) be visiting home at the same time!

It's been such a weird process, seeing my brother go off to Basic, writing letters back and forth for 14 weeks, and watching him graduate; especially because I've done it all before. It's been 5 years since my husband graduated, and I still remember experiencing it all for the first time. I hadn't realized how much I've learned about the military, and specifically Army, life since then -- it's quite a lot! In fact, hearing all the stories my brother told, in letters and in person, has made me start thinking about joining the military myself, but I don't know if I'll actually end up doing it. Sometimes it's okay just to be on the sidelines.

On a not-so-completely unrelated note, I have a recipe I'd like to share with you this morning. Thinking about the military and wanting to push myself even further to really get my body into peak condition, I've been on the search for filling, fueling breakfast options to start my day off right. Sugary cereals, toast, and Pop Tarts are not healthy choices (in case you were unsure), but this oatmeal is! It literally takes about 5 minutes to make, and it will fill you up until lunch time rolls around. It's also one of those tricky dishes that tastes like dessert, but isn't! So sneaky.

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Oatmeal
{vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free}
makes 2 servings

• 1/2 C GF old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 C water
• 1 Tbs natural peanut butter
• 1 small or medium banana
• 1/4 C vegan chocolate or carob chips (optional)

1. In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, combine the oats, cocoa powder, and water. Mix carefully, so the cocoa doesn't fly out all over the place.

2. Dice the banana into small pieces, or if you don't mind getting a little messy, use your hands to tear off small chunks and toss them into the bowl. Add the peanut butter and chocolate chips, if using them, and stir to combine.

3. Microwave the oatmeal for 2 minutes, or until the water is gone and everything is warm and cooked. Separate into two bowls, or eat it all yourself! Just be careful not to burn your mouth.

Note: If it's not sweet enough for you, you can add a spoonful of agave nectar or maple syrup before sticking it in the microwave.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 195 calories; 7.1g fat; 0mg cholesterol; 3mg sodium; 32g carbs; 7.4g dietary fiber; 7g sugar; 8g protein; 2mg vitamin A; 4mg vitamin C; 21mg calcium; 2.7mg iron

Vegan Banana Bread

It's the new year! I can't believe 2011 is gone already, but boy am I happy about that. It just means one step closer to graduation for me. Woot! Of course, that also means I have so much work to do between now and then... namely, my senior recital. The hardest part about planning a composition recital is actually writing the music before I can even start rehearsals. Luckily, I'm working on the last piece for the concert and I already have a fantastic musician to premiere it! I am so excited it's not even funny. In fact, I couldn't fall asleep for the longest time last night, because I was just going through the recital in my head and "listening" to the pieces one by one.

I know. I'm a nerd.

But I'm just so stoked! Now to get everything done so I can enjoy the actual concert...

Anyway, enough of that anecdote. Back to 2012! I made a cake the other day, based on one I found on Bakers Royale, and it is absolutely sinful. However, because it's the new year and the gyms are swamped, I thought I should probably post something a little healthier first.

I've been trying out some vegan recipes and substitutions lately, mostly just out of curiosity, and I found a recipe for a Vegan Mango Banana Bread. Since I had a couple of bananas that were starting to get a little too ripe, I figured a banana bread would be the perfect way to use them up. I didn't have any mangoes on hand, hence the adaptation, but this loaf turned out so moist in the middle and crispy on top! I'll definitely be making it much more often. It's so easy too, which I know is a huge plus for a lot of people. Please make this.

Vegan Banana Bread
adapted from Joy the Baker
makes 1 9x5 loaf (serves about 12)

• 3 medium ripe bananas
• 1/4 C vegetable oil
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• granulated sugar, for topping

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas thoroughly. Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla; whisk briskly. Sift in the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Use a wooden spoon to mix until just combined.
3. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with a little sugar. Bake for 45-50 minutes. The top should be lightly browned and a knife inserted into the center should come out mostly clean (some crumbs are fine). Let the loaf cool in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve!

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 179 calories; 4.8g fat; 0mg cholesterol; 206mg sodium; 32g carbs; 1.4g dietary fiber; 13g sugar; 2g protein; 1mg vitamin A; 3mg vitamin C; 15mg calcium; 1.3mg iron