Polenta and Empanada

Apple Cinnamon Empanada from Lito’s Empanadas in Chicago, IL

Light, flaky, fried perfection

Herb Polenta with Artichoke Marinara Special from Chicago Diner

"Herby" polenta topped with delicious marinara sauce + Daiya Cheddar

My tummy is quite content now, thank you very much.

RAWsome Weekend

I just had a great weekend, but now I’m back on campus and have a ton of stuff to do. Boo!

Before I do some work, I wanted to fill you in on what I did these past few days. I don’t have classes on Friday, so when I’m able to go home I like to leave on Thursday afternoon so I arrive in time to watch Supernatural with my lil sis, just like old times.

Eatin’ Out

On my way home on Thu, I stopped by Noodles & Company on the recommendation of my roomie, stating this was a great place to eat and that there were vegan options! I decided to try the Japanese Pan Noodles, which is described as “satisfying and hearty, carmelized Japanese udon noodles in a sweet and spicy soy sauce.” I decided to add tofu and extra veggies to my order, as well. I never had udon noodles before, but the description alone was able to convince me to give this dish a try, and I’m glad I did. The noodles were pan fried and had a nice sear on them that complemented the dish’s crunchy veggies and chewy tofu so well. Mmm.. this dish was good! Definitely give it a try if you’re able to. I was not able to snap a pic, but I found a web image for your guys’ viewing pleasure.

Then on Friday, I asked my mom if she wanted to accompany me to try a new vegan restaurant I found that was uber close to our house. Normally, all the veggie eateries are located in the city, but I stumbled upon a review for this cafe that is located in the suburb town of Downers Grove. My mom was happy to take me there (she’s not too thrilled when I ask her to take me to Karyn’s Cooked or The Chicago Diner) and so we headed out.

There was one tiny little secret about the restaurant that I did not let my mom know until AFTER she ate her meal (which she happily gobbled up like there was no tomorrow)… every single menu item was 100% raw. Yes, you read right – I had a completely raw and vegan meal NOT in Chicago, but in one of its suburbs, and let me tell you, it was good!

I was a bit skeptical about going to Borrowed Earth Cafe, since I did not know what to really expect from a completely raw meal. Though, recently, I have been interested in the raw food movement, I still had my doubts, even after reading such rave reviews of the place. Let me tell you, though, my doubts quickly disappeared as soon as I entered the quaint, homey cafe. I was actually surprised to find the place was actually packed with patrons happily enjoying their meals. For starters, my mom decided to order one of the drinks called “Holy Cacao!”

Smoothie made with raw cacao nibs, banana, and agave

Umm, yea, I LOVED this drink. There’s just something about cacao (raw/dark chocolate) that I just love. This was so good, guys, and my mom and I thoroughly enjoyed every delicious sip.

Next came our meals! What was so cool about this place (besides the awesome owners who actually prepare the meals) is that you can get to see your meal prepared as the “kitchen” is open and there are monitors showing your meal being made. I decided to order the daily special – the Chili-rito.

Spicy sunflower seed “beans” wrapped in a “corn tortilla” alongside three tasty side salads

This was RAW? Seriously, the sunflower seed “beans” tasted so eerily like their cooked counterparts, I was stunned! I don’t know how they did it, but it rocked my socks off! So good! And the side salads were phenomenal! I left that plate CLEAN and was shocked at how filling and tasty my raw meal was. Wow!

My mom decided to order a salad because she thought the name was funny – I Can’t Believe It’s Not Egg Salad.

Creamy eggless "egg" salad made with nuts, diced celery, scallions, served on a fresh bed of greens with flax crackers for dipping

Yea, my mom is not really a “salad person”, so I have no idea why she ordered this, but let me tell you – that dish was left clean. Oh, and yea, I was able to taste a bit of the “egg” salad and it was very tasty, I wish I could have tasted more, but my mom didn’t really want to share, haha.

Like I said, I did not let my mom know that the meal was raw until AFTER she ate it, and to my surprise, she did not react the way I thought she would. She was pleasantly surprised and said she would definitely come here again. Both of us were very content with our meals and we were STUFFED. Yea, stuffed.. whoever said raw food isn’t filling was seriously mistaken. I had been eyeing the dessert case all this time, but me and my mom decided it was best to take it to go. What did we get, you ask?

Apple Pie

One bite and I was in heaven! My mom and I attacked this baby and kept yelling out “yums” and “mmms” as we took each bite. WOW.. this was the best apple pie I’ve had, hands down! And I’ve had my fair share of apple pie in my day. That frosting on top seriously tasted like the icing on cinnamon rolls. Most amazing dessert ever, period. It’s safe to say that we will definitely be back for more meals.. especially since it’s so conveniently close to home.

On Sat, my sister decided to invite the fam over to Karyn’s Cooked. Yay! I decided to order the Stuffed Eggplant dish.

Thin grilled eggplant stuffed with a homemade faux ricotta cheese topped with marinara sauce

This was tasty, but I thought the filling could’ve been even better.

New Finds

Guava Kombucha

I had seen these drinks featured on Kristin’s and Jenna’s blogs and after their good reviews I decided to give it a try, too. It was definitely not love at first sip. I was surprised to find that this drink is quite fizzy (I’m not a huge soda fan..) and that it had a hint of alcohol-like undertones to it. Very different from what I was expecting, but as I kept drinking it, the taste grew on me. I tried the Strawberry one also and it also took some time for me to like it, too. The nutritional info on this is pretty cool, so I totally suggest trying it out (though they can be expensive! Right now, though, WF is having them on sale for $2.96).

New flavor Larabars (for me, at least)

Cocoa Mole

I LOVE mole.. it’s such a delicious dish and after seeing this bar get positive reviews on Amy’s and Brooke’s blogs, I just had to try it. It is muy delicioso!

Cinnabon .. I mean, Cinnamon Roll

The first time I tried this flavor I was not a fan. Umm.. was I crazy? I decided to give this bar a second chance and was blow away at how good it really is. It really does take like a cinnamon roll. Another awesome flavor!

COOKIE!

Of course, what post would be complete without my quintessential cookie dessert?

Coconut Chip Cookie

YUMMY in my TUMMY! I was a bit apprehensive in trying another Nana’s cookie variety (my first one was a total downer), but I’m so glad I’m a believer of second chances because this cookie was out of this world. Sweet, “coconutty” with a hint of chocolate.. it was like a Coconut Cream Pie larabar with chocolate chips in them. I loved this cookie, but I think it would’ve been so much better had it been sweet, plump raisins instead of chocolate chips.

Well, that was my weekend.. time to get some actual work done, now. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

Back For Now.. And Some Uber News!

Hi fellow bloggies!

Currently, I am still experiencing technical difficulties with Internet at home BUT I’m at the library so I can update my blog for you wonderful readers!

I really miss having Internet, mostly because of you guys.. you always put a smile on my face with each and every one of your comments. THANK YOU guys! I really do appreciate you!

So, in hopes that you haven’t given up on me, I came to the library to show you some of the eats I’ve been having these past few days. They are pretty random food pics, but hopefully they will entice you.

Breakfast

HempPlus Waffles dusted with powdered sugar with fresh fruit and a dollop of Soyatoo along with Wildwood Vanilla Soyogurt and Barney Butter. Mmm!

Snacks

Katie’s Dark Chocolate Walnut Bar

This was actually pretty good. Not as good as the Jocalats, imho, but pretty tasty nonetheless. Thanks for the bar Katie!

And thanks to Katie for also turning me onto the Jocalat line.. I decided to try two other flavors!

I had really high hopes for the Chocolate Orange flavor (I mean, doesn’t that just sound AMAZING?), but it didn’t really live up to my hopes. I think I found the orange flavor a bit too overpowering and distracted me from the pure cocoa flavor I’ve come to love. But hey, don’t let my review of this  bar get you down, Brooke raved about it, so don’t let me stop you from trying this bar.

As for the Chocolate Hazelnut bar, oh my gosh. Holy yum! This was very tasty and just oh so decadent, it’s hard to believe these bars are actually good for you. Definitely give this one a try.. so good! I’d say both the Chocolate Coffee and Chocolate Hazelnut share the top spot on my list. Yum!

My mom’s traditional “fruit punch” (ponche). It’s traditional that my mom make this for us on New Year’s Eve. It’s chock full of tropical fruits galore. The drink is usually more liquid than fruit, but I’m all about the fruit and sucking on the sugar canes. Mmm… delicioso!

Karyn’s

My sister loved Karyn’s so much, we went back two times! I forgot to bring my camera on one trip, sorry! BUT I got to take pics of our New Year’s Eve dinner there.

We ordered two appetizers – the Combo Fried Basket (mushrooms, tofu, and zucchini)

I had two of each (this is my first serving).

Then we had some Vegan Pizza!

This is just one of my the three slices I had… yum-yum!

Oh, yeah! And I also helped my sister eat some of her delicious Shitake Mushroom Soup (special of the day) and the delicious cornbread.

Just for Halie

A reader by the name of Halie recently commented on how much she loved when my mom made me vegan pupusas. Well, ever since she commented, I had a craving for them, and so I called up my mom’s best friend (who is from El Salvador) and she invited the fam over for pupusas yesterday. And she was so nice as to fulfill my request for vegan pupusa (basically, refried red beans stuffed inside masa and grilled to perfection). This was yummy in my tummy! Thanks Halie for the reminder and here is a pic just for you (and the rest of my readers too, haha).

Desserts

You had to see this coming right?

Basic Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Made them for my sisters (didn’t eat them, but they happily gobbled up two each. I guess that means they were good..)

COOKIES!

Karyn’s Cashew Cookie

Tasted just like a Larabar Cashew Cookie!

Karyn’s Peanut Butter Cookie

Wowee! REALLY GOOD! May be the best vegan pb cookie yet (even better than Chicago Diner’s!)

Karyn’s Oatmeal Cookie

Oatmeal Raisin is my fave type of cookie, and this one is my favorite oatmeal cookie yet! Yea, I know there are no raisins in it, but I didn’t even miss them! The cookie was just so tasty on its own, it needn’t the help of plump raisins at all.

Oh, and by the way, yes, Karyn’s cookies are that large! No exaggeration!

MORE COOKIES!

Vegan Sugar Cookies

Another WF Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

WF Vegan Pumpkin Pie and Susan’s Eggnog Cheesecake

That’s all folks!

Foodwise, that is…

The lovely Astra gave me this award and honestly, I couldn’t be more happier! An award.. wow! What do you say to that, except thank you! THANK YOU to Astra for awarding me this and for all you bloggers and readers. You are the reason I do this and I enjoy so many of your blogs as well. I know the rules say that I must award this to 5 other people, but I award this to ANYONE who has a blog. All of your blogs each have something great to offer and I truly enjoy reading them, even if I don’t comment all the time, know that I do read them and I enjoy every single one of them!

Unfortunately, it’s time for me to go, but I promise I will keep updating the blog as often as I can. You all have a great weekend and, oh, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And It’s Over

I can not believe Christmas is over.. it came far too quickly and now it’s over. My, how time flies!

I  am sorry to say that I did not take any photographs of my food on Christmas.. I just wanted to savor the day and festivities, so I did not even bother to bring my camera over to our friends’ house, which is where we spent our Christmas. We also went to the movies and saw The Spirit, which was alright, but not as great as I thought it was going to be.

I did manage to photograph my eats for today, though, so on with the recap!

Breakfast

ZenSoy Banana Pudding topped with a serving of Sunflower Agave Plus granola and an orange

The banana pudding was really good – I was pleasantly surprised! I never really liked regular pudding, so I was not really expecting to like this, but it was really good. Definitely give these puddings a try. The granola was out of this world crazy good. I LOVE Nature’s Path granolas, they are by far the best out there, hands down! I personally liked that this box was clearly labeled “VEGAN” and not simply “vegetarian”. I highly recommend purchasing this granola. Really tasty!

Lunch

Katie’s Larabar Jocalat Chocolate Coffee bar and a Chill Strawberry Bubble Tea

My mom and I decided to head on over to Woodfield Mall to check out the sales. Boy, was it PACKED! It took us 30 minutes just to find a parking space! While shopping, I ate the Larabar, which I really enjoyed. I’m not a fan of chocolate nor of coffee, but I’m really likin’ the Jocalat line! Thanks Katie for turning me onto them… I never would’ve given them a chance if it weren’t for you! I also found a place in the mall that sold bubble tea and I immediately ordered myself one. I hadn’t had one of these in years, so it was a great treat. I especially love the tapioca pearls – so chewy!

Dinner

Dinner was leftovers galore! I ate both of my sisters’ leftovers from Karyn’s the other day, as well as a dollop of Sabra hummus (mmm!!) and some baked tortilla chips.

Dessert

Cookie!

My name is Evey and I am addicted to cookies.

I told ya I restocked my cookie stash! Tonight’s dessert was from Karyn’s – I had her Sweet Potato Cookie. Holy yum! Although this had more of a bread texture than a cookie texture, I thoroughly enjoyed every single bite. The sweet potato was definitely noticeable, as were hints of lemon and chunks of sweet pecan pieces. This was an amazing cookie and I can’t wait to try the other flavors I got.

Before I go, I must encourage you to comment on Katie’s blog post. She is so sweet – for every comment posted, she will donate 20 cents to the Enough Project, which is a great cause. So if you haven’t done so already, go over there, post a comment, and help out.

I’m off to get some shut eye. Night, bloggies!

Weekend Wrap-Up 12/20-12/21

Hello my bloggies! Happy Monday!

I hope you all had a great weekend. My weekend was great, except for the awful weather we’ve been having lately! Yesterday was so frigid that it was so hard to breathe outside! No wonder I couldn’t breathe, it was -5 degrees, but with the wind it felt -30!!! Brrr!

Needless to say, I think I will be staying indoors today, haha.

On to the weekend’s eats! I didn’t take pics of ALL my food (sorry, forgot my camera sometimes! I gotta get the hang of carrying it with me all the time), but here are the ones I did take.

On Saturday morning my sister wanted to go to the Chicago Diner for their amazing brunch! I was so happy! I decided to keep my breakfast light with a bowl of the SWEETEST PAPAYA EVER and an orange. Light and refreshing!

Then we headed over to the Chicago Diner! I have gone there once before, but it was for dinner. I’ve never had a vegan burnch before, so you could say I was pretty excited! I had my eye on the Cornbread French Toast, but once I got there, the waitress recommended I get the special – Bananas Foster French Toast. Ummm, yes please!

Let me just say.. THANKS A MILLION to my waitress for recommending this! HOLY YUM! The Bananas Foster French Toast is described as “oven baked banana walnut bread dipped in our new french toast batter and grilled to a golden brown… topped with a rich caramel rum sauce with toasted walnuts.” It should be described as heaven on a plate. Yes, this was the most rich and decadent breakfast I have ever had in my life. It was soo good, guys. I savored each and every bite of the banana bread. It was so moist and just so perfect. Ah, I can’t stop raving about it!

For your viewing pleasure, my little sister chowing down on her Chickin Filet Sandwich w/Sweet Potato Fries.

Needless to say, after such a decadent brunch, I could not even fathom the idea of dessert, but my sisters wanted some, so they ordered the vegan Cocoa Mousse Cake.

I’m not a chocolate lover, but I’m guessing it was good…

I was full pretty much all day, but I did manage to eat some sort of dinner later that night. I had some cole slaw, roasted asparagus and green beans, and some more of my mom’s yummy chipotle lentil soup (this time it was pureed).

I know I had a very decadent brunch, but I still wanted to end the night with something sweet, so I served myself a scoop of Purely Decadent Snickerdoodle Ice Cream and a dollop of Soyatoo. Best vegan ice cream ever!

On Sunday…

Breakfast was a Chai Spice Scone I bought at the Chicago Diner on Saturday with an orange, banana, and Ginger Zing tea (not pictured). The scone was so perfect! It was slightly sweet, had perfect crumbly texture, and was delicious to boot! If you ever find Chicago Diner scones at your Whole Foods, get one! They’re so good!

For lunch, I had a frozen meal. I know, I know! I should be cooking home meals now that I’m at home and there are no time constraints from school and such, but this meal sounded tasty at the time and I’ve just come home from church and I wanted something quick. So, I heated up a vegan Pad Thai Tofu meal that my mom got from Whole Foods. I had that with the last of my mom’s chipotle lentil soup (this stuff was so good!).

For dinner, I had some beans, rice, and some more of my roasted green beans and asparagus. No pic, sorry!

For dessert, I had an ABC Snickerdoodle Cookie. Yumlicious!

Overall, I had quite the tasty weekend! Now, I’m going to finish my brekkie and then start reading some books. I bought Twilight so I guess I should start on that. I’ve heard from so many bloggers and friends that it’s good. Enjoy your day guys!

In Need of a “Bar”eak

I’m in need of a break here from studying hardcore for my nursing med surg exam on Monday… and what better way then to take the time to update my blog?

Yes, this means I found my camera! Silly camera.. hiding at the bottom of my hamper!

As I am a busy on the go nursing student, I find that lately I’m relying a lot on easy on the go snacks and bars to keep me properly nourished. One of my biggest lifesavers have been bars… they’re portable, quick to eat, nutrient dense, and delicious to boot! My favorite bar to eat? Larabars, of course! I have been on a larabar kick lately.. I just can’t seem to get enough of them! My #1 fave flavor has got to be Peanut  Butter Cookie, hands down! It’s just chock full of peanut buttery goodness! It is followed closely by the Cashew Cookie flavor, which sublime and subtle flavor has me craving it regularly.

But in order to avoid monotony, I decided to break out of my comfort zone to try two new flavors my store started to offer.

I really really liked the Key Lime Pie flavor! It truly felt like I was eating a slice of Key Lime Pie and I thoroughly enjoyed my quick retreat mt tastebuds took to the tropics. The lime flavor permeated throughout the bar and complemented so well with sweetness of the coconut and dates. Another new fave indeed!

I was intrigued to try the Ginger Snap flavor, since I do enjoy this particular spice, especially during the Fall/Winter seasons, so I was really looking forward to this bar, but when I took my first bite, I was overwhelmed by the strong and potent ginger flavor. Don’t get me wrong, I do like ginger, but I guess I like my ginger to be more subtle than be in the starring role. I suggest this bar only to those who really like a strong ginger flavor. Sadly, this larabar was not for me, though.

My new found love of Larabar had me buying quite a lot of them.. which meant I was spending a bit too much money on them. So, I decided the best way to take care of my Larabar cravings without breaking my bank was… to make my own! I had a ton of nuts in my freezer just waiting to be consumed, so I bought some fresh Medjool dates (don’t bother with anything else!), got out my mini food processor, and started to make my own larbars. Using the larabar ingredient list as my guideline, I made my larabars with 2 tbsp of nuts and 2 chopped and pitted Medjool dates. First, process the nuts. Then add the dates. Process and voila! your very own larabar!

What about taste-wise? Do these homemade larabars live up to the storebought ones? Thanks to larabars wholesome and pure ingredient list, these homemade larabars taste EXACTLY the same as their storebought counterparts!

Which flavors did I decide to make? I decided to keep things simple and just make my top two fave varieties: cashew cookie and peanut butter cookie.

So I encourage you guys to try and make your own larabars.. they’re so easy and much cheaper to make, too! Go make ‘em now!

Another bar that I’m really enjoying are Clif Nectar Bars, probably because they are, in essence, larabars. I love how simple their ingredients list is, too, and my current fave is Lemon, Vanilla, & Cashew. Omg.. it is so good guys! Definitely try this flavor if you ever see it! I’ve also tried the new Apple Cinnamon flavor (it has hazelnuts in it!) which I also found to be quite tasty as well.

Is anyone familiar with the Macrobiotic diet? The only time I’ve heard of it was with reference to Madonna, who I heard follows this type of diet. Well, anyway, I saw these macrobiotic bars pop up at my health food store, and when I found out they were vegan and the ingredients list was simple, I decided to give them a try.

I bought the Macrobars Peanut Protein flavor and the MacroNutrient High Protein Cashew Mesquite bar.

Wow, these bars were good, in their own way. They kept me well satiated for at least 5 hours (great for clinical days!) and while they are not as great as Larabars, they provide different nutrients and protein that you won’t usually find in bars. I’d say give these bars a try if you ever find them. I especially recommend the Peanut Protein one, just cause I love anything peanut, haha!

Some random eats I’ve had lately… Vegan with a Vengeance’s Fronch Toast served along SmartLife Bacon. YUM!! This is the BEST FRENCH TOAST recipe EVER! If you haven’t tried it, do so soon!

And I tried tempeh for the first time ever. I had heard that tempeh can be quite bitter, so I did as many other blogger’s advised and boiled it before baking it with Annie’s BBQ sauce. I can now say that I am in love with tempeh! So good and a protein powerhouse to boot!

And I can’t conclude a post without my favorite part of the day.. dessert!

While browsing Katie‘s awesome blog, I stumbled upon her recipe for Vegan Cheezecake, and luckily, I had all of the ingredients on hand. And since Katie’s recipes are always simple yet delicious, I decided to bake my  first ever vegan cheezecake. The only substitution I made was that I used Wholly Wholesome’s Spelt Pie Crust cuz that’s what I had on hand. The result?

A slice of vegan heaven!!! Omg, was this so good!! I can only imagine how much better it is with a graham cracker pie crust, but my version was yummy. So much so, my family went back for thirds (and, I did, too), but how could you not? This cheezecake tastes great and is soooo much better for you than its dairy counterpart. Thanks for the amazing recipe, Katie.. as I always say, you are a frickin’ genius!

I’ve also baked a batch of Vive Le Vegan’s Homestyle Chocolate Chip cookies…

AMAZING, as all of Dreena’s recipes are.

And I’ve got to thank Caitlin from See Bride Run for turning me onto to Clif Z bars.. I’ve become obsessed with them as well. My favorite flavor has got to be Blueberry, but I love the Peanut Butter one, too. I did try the Honey Graham flavor (I don’t have a problem with honey consumption), but I found it to be just ok. Maybe they should come out with Agave Cinnamon flavor.. hmm..

And guess what this naughty vegan had for breakfast this morning?

That’s right.. I ate a donut! Not just any donut.. a VEGAN one! Yumo! I hadn’t had a donut in forever.. so you can imagine how ecstatic I was when I found these at my health food store. And guess what? You can order these online! They are so good guys, and way better for you than the ones over at Dunkin Donuts.

Well, this post took me a bit longer than I wanted it to, so I’m gonna go back and hit the books one more time before hitting the sack. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.. ’til next time!

It’s Been A While

Hey everybody!

I know it’s been a while since my last post, but nursing school is pretty much dominating my whole life, so I’ve had little time to update, but I have been following your guys’ blogs, even though I may not always be commenting.

Anyhoo, I’ve got a lot to do tonight, so this post may be a bit impersonal, but hopefully I can make it up to you later!

On to the food:

V’con Snobby Joes

Black Bean & Veggie Mish-Mosh Salad

Veggie Salad topped w/ my FAVE new condiment

My Jenna-inspired vegan quiche lorraine, using Wholly Wholesome Spelt Pie Shell

Miss Eating Bender‘s Your smile is as sweet as butter…nut

My fave new soy-free veggie burger (SOO GOOD!)

Another awesomely delicious Amy’s meal

Some recent breakfasts…

Nature’s Path Pomegran Plus Granola (really good! Thanks for the recommendation Erica!)

Katie‘s sickeningly good Oatmeal-Raisin Pudding (Katie, you are a GENIUS)

And who would I be if I didn’t include DESSERT in a post?

Celine‘s Amazing Peanut Butter Muffins (make these now!!)

Celine‘s Chocolate Chip Spelt PB Cookie (so easy, but so amazing!)

Enjoy Life‘s Snickerdoodle Cookies (surprisingly good.. just wish I had more!)

Well, that’s it for me for the time being.. gotta hit my Med Surg book, then it’s off to bed because tomorrow’s my first day at my new bakery job! But bakers = EARLY MORNING, so my shift starts at 6 am! Hope you guys had a good weekend! ‘Til next time…

Fall is Here!

Hey guys! How was everyone’s week? Busy, I know!

But we’ve made it through another busy week, it’s time to get prepared for the next busy week ahead (ahh.. busyness doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon).

This past week I had TWO nursing exams and a ton of reading and studying to do for other classes, too. While I am sad to report I didn’t do as well as I thought I had on my Med Surg exam (I got a 78, . That’s almost failing in the nursing program.. sigh, I am not gonna let that get me down. I know now what to expect on tests and now it’s a matter of really buckling down and studying my butt off. I guess we nursing students are expected not to have a social life, haha. I am pleased to report that I did really well in my other nursing class, Psych Mental Health. I got a 91 on that exam.. so yay for me!

This week I also had my Psych clinical rotation and we went to a nearby health center that focused on patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. Now I was a bit apprehensive about this clinical.. the only exposure I’ve had to people with Alzheimer’s was through movies so I was expecting these patients to be somewhat like that. What we basically had to do in this clinical was to talk with the patients and “get a feel” of what is means to take care of these types of patients.

Well, the actual experience was both the way I thought it would be and what I didn’t think it would be. First, I learned that Alzheimer’s is NOT a mental illness. It is a biological illness that has a cause. I also thought that these patients would be extremely forgetful and found that, yes, they were pretty forgetful, but not in the way I had imagined. I was able to hold very interesting conversations with some of the patients. One patient I talked with was born and raised from Chicago and I was amazed at how well he remembered certain past events of his life, but when I asked him what he had for breakfast that morning, he was at a loss!

Another patient I talked with was a 94 year old woman who sometimes had my laughing so hard my belly hurt! The way I communicated with her was pretty interesting.. she was very hard of hearing so I had to write my questions down and she would read and answer me back. It was very different to what I would normally communicate with patients, but this was what worked and I was able to have an engaging conversation with her, though sometimes I did find their attention to sway elsewhere, but all of them seemed to experience this.

By the end of my clinical, all of the patients were sad to see me and my classmates leave. They were so happy to have someone to talk with them, to listen, even if it was for just a little while. This really had made their day and I felt so good for being able to have been able to help these patients, even if it was simply lending an ear.

I love how relaxed and non-traditional my Psych clinicals are… very different from the fast-paced environment of my Med Surg clinical. I’m still not sure what area exactly I would like to work in the most, but surprisingly, I’m finding to like the Psych field more and more.

That was my nursing tale of the week.. this Tuesday I have my Med Surg clinical once again, so I’m really nervous about it, but I know it’s all part of the learning experience and I’m not expected to be perfect at these clinicals. Tomorrow night I go to the hospital to pick up my assignment and do the prep work beforehand.. I must prep really well in order to do well on Tuesday!

I didn’t get to photograph too many meals this week due to the studying for my two nursing exams, but I was able to have some good eats after my exams, like today for instance. I welcomed the start of Fall with a most appropriate breakfast…

Pumpkin Waffles from VwaV!

I topped this waffle with a drizzle of pure maple syrup, banana slices, chopped pecans, dried cherries, some powdered sugar and a dollop of Soyatoo whip cream. Mmm!! So good, guys! Seriously, make these waffles!!

Yesterday, I was also able to cook up an elaborate breakfast, in order to treat myself for surviving another busy week of school…

Vcon’s Crepes!

After having watched numerous commercials on TV for IHOP’s crepe fever.. I found myself aching for some crepes, too! Luckily, I had all the ingredients on hand and so whipped these up in no time. WOW! These crepes are amazing! I had made some vegan crepes before with success, but these babies were really well behaved! They were super easy to make and I didn’t even a tear a single one! I stuffed my crepes with peanut butter and banana slices and topped them with some maple syrup and confectioner’s sugar. Delish! I even made one for my roommate (an omni) that was filled with vegan chocolate chips and she wouldn’t stop raving about them.

I also made a tofu scramble on Friday that I literally just put together in 5 minutes, tossing in every spice in my cupboard that sounded appealing, and voila! Deliciousness is served!

This week I also made another batch of easy Vegan Mixed Veggie Chili topped with cheeze. I can never get enough of this combo, it’s so good!

The cheeze sauce is so good.. I found myself enjoying it spread on some Wasa crackers for a snack.

Sometimes I found myself short on time during the week to cook a nice dinner, so I whipped up protein rich smoothies to have.

This smoothie was made using a banana, soymilk, vanilla soy yogurt, half a block of silken tofu, Lifetime Life’s Basics Plant Protein Powder, cinnamon, and date sugar. A really filling, yet fast dinner! This was my first time trying a protein powder, and I’m kind of on the fence with this brand. It does seem to have an aftertaste to it, but it might’ve been because I put in too much. Will have to adjust this in the future.

While I was deciding what to have for dinner today, I found that I had bought an acorn squash a while back that needed to be eaten asap. Using this recipe I had some yummy squash for dinner that was way better than I thought it would be. Who knew such a simple recipe would produce such a tasty way to enjoy this Fall vegetable?

Oh! And I found a new nut butter obsession!

Sooo good! I’ve been known to have two tbsp of this stuff straight up for dessert! Mmm!

Today I baked and cooked up a storm today so I can have interesting meals throughout the week. What did I make you ask? You’ll have to tune in next week to find out!

Psych!

The week went by kinda of slow for me. Unfortunately, it was a full week, meaning I did have to go to class on Labor Day (ugh, I know, how awful is that?), but I didn’t let that get me down.

Sure there was a ton of work to be done all throughout the week, but I find that if you have something to look forward to, then it doesn’t seem all that bad.

For me that one thing to look forward to this week (besides the weekend) was my first clinical of the semester, which happened to be my Psych Mental Health Clinical Rotation. I’m not sure if you guys really know what clinicals are, so I’ll explain.

When you are in the nursing program, you have to complete clinicals at a certain point in your curriculum. Clinicals are when you go to an actual nursing unit (usually at a hospital) and you do things for patients that you have learned (or will learn) about in class. Usually, you go to the hospital the night before to collect data about your patient (your clinical instructor picks a patient on the floor for you) and basically, you are responsible for that patient. After you recieved patient info, you go home and work on a treatment plan, complete with a nursing diagnosis. You also look up information on the medications your patient is taking so that the next day you know all about your patient and therefore can provide better care for your clincal shift. Really, clincals are basically another class that’s really more “hands-on” and exciting, if you are a nursing student (after all, this is what you will be doing as a career so you should like this part a lot!).

This semester, I take two nursing classes: Medical-Surgical Care of the Adult Patient and Psych Mental Health Nursing. Each of these class has a 5 hour clinical component that is done once every two weeks. That is to say, one week I have Psych Clinical, the next week I’ll have Med-Surg Clinical.

This week was my first clinical of the semester and it happened to be my Psych clinical. Now, I don’t know about you, but I love psychology! It just really fascinates me how much the mind works and effects your body. So, it was no wonder that I look forward to my psych clinical right? Well, needless to say, I REALLY enjoyed my Psych clinical! It’s really laid back and there’s no “prep” work to be done the night before. You just show up for your shift (mine is from 7:00-12:00 every other Thu) and get your patient’s data that morning and then you just go in and meet your patient and you just… talk. That’s really it! You just talk to your patient. Mind you, some patients will be difficult to talk to (ie, those with schizophrenia, etc), but that’s the challenge a nurse must meet in order to take care of those who are facing a different kind of illness.

I did enjoy my psych clinical. I got to see patients who were diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. My patient was in the hopsital due to a major depressive disorder and it was just heart-breaking to see him almost on the verge of tears every minute or so.. for no apparent reason! It was nice to distract him a little when I started talking to him, and you can see that these little things do in some way help out your patient. And that’s really what it’s all about, right? Making your patient feel the best he can.

Whoa, that took a while and I commend you if you’re still reading this, lol. I know this is a food blog, but I can’t help talking about nursing stuff.. I mean, I am the vegan nurse, hehe. Anyhoo, that was my nursing tale of the week, but now, on to some eats!

During the week I was able to have some interesting food, including…

My first homemade vegan waffle!

I topped the waffle with some delicious Soyatoo Whip Cream.

For the waffle, I used Jenna’s recipe, but I found that my waffle were pretty flat! They didn’t rise at all, but I did sub the oil for applesauce and added about 4 oz more liquid.. maybe that might’ve caused a flat waffle? Anyway, the TASTE was there, so that’s what really made the waffle, but I hope next time I can get a crispy light waffle!

I also did some baking, so I enjoyed…

Lindsay’s Carrot Cake Cupcakes (made w/ almonds) and Celine’s Strawberry Corn Muffin (minus the strawberry, lol). Mmm.. the carrot cake cupcakes, I’ve made before and they were just as yummy as I’d remember them to be. As for Celine’s corn muffin.. soo good! I’ve been dying to have a corn muffin for a while, and this one was the perfect one to satisfy my craving. And so easy, too! I like to cut mine in half and spread some strawberry jam on each slice.. yum! Perfect breakfast food!

Speaking of the perfect breakfast…

Peanut Butter Banana Pudding topped with Wheat Germ.

I got this idea from VeggieGirl and WOW.. soo good and so creamy! Talk about great staying power, too.. this one kept me going for a full 5 hours! Will eat next time I have clinical. The perfect breakfast and so easy to make too. Puree 3-4 tbsp of nut butter and banana. Voila! Delecatable and filling! What more could you ask?

But I don’t eat just breakfast, guys, trust me (although I wouldn’t mind it – breakfast is my favorite meal of the day!) as evidenced by the following dishes…

Mixed Veggie Chili w/ dollop of nutritional yeast queso sauce and a corn muffin. Mm.. very tasty and spicy! Comfort food at it’s finest!

Black Bean & Quinoa w/ mixed veggies and Snapea Crips

While I have tried quinoa once before and found that I was not a fan of it all, I decided to give it another try after seeing multiple blogs post dishes about this ancient grain and boy, am I glad I gave it another  chance! This dish was super delicous! I don’t know if it was the spices (cumin, s+p, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes) or the combo of black beans and bell peppers, but this was sooo good I couldn’t believe that I didn’t like it before! This meal was veggie-rific! Would highly recommend.

Oh, and here are some products I’ve been eating this past week.

First up, the Snapea crips that were featured with the Black Bean & Quinoa dish.

I found these at my local health food store and they are so good! They taste like French fries, but are way better  for you! Get these! You won’t be disappointed!

I also got to try some Clif bars for the first time. I got two flavors.

Crunchy Peanut Butter

Carrot Cake

While I thought the Crunchy Peanut Butter flavor was phenomenal (and great filling power… it fueled me well during my 5 hour clinical!), the Carrot Cake flavor was just meh. I wouldn’t buy that flavor again, but these are great for quick mini-meals or pre-exercise snacks.

And no post would be complete without dessert, right?

YUM! These crispy treats put all others to shame.. so good and good for you! Definitely give these a try, too. A perfect dessert or afternoon pick me up to be enjoyed with a nice glass of hempmilk. Mmm!

Well, that’s all I have for you guys for now! Kudos to you for reading this longo post! I’ll be back next time to talk about more awesome college eats and my first Med Surg clinical! Have a great week!

ADDENDUM: Peanut Butter Banana Pudding recipe also found here, thanks to Serena.

Getting There

Hey guys,

I really appreciate every single one of your guys’ wishes.. they totally made my day and I’m truly happy to have an awesome set of blog readers.. you guys are amazing!

Thankfully, I’m feeling much better today and my appetite is totally back! I was also able to do some shopping and I finally settled on a laptop to get for school, along with some other miscellaneous things I “need”. I’m getting there… I’m almost in the mindset for school, hehe.

For lunch today, I decided to have one of my mom’s vegan sweet corn tamales (she’s so awesome, she made the recipe using Earth Balance Buttery Spread and Earth Balance Vegetable shortening). Mmm.. these were so good! The natural sweetness of fresh corn just burst in every bite.. yum! I had my tamale alongside a Banana Date Wheat Germ smoothie. A unique lunch indeed!

While out shopping, I ate my packed snack of peanut butter filled pretzels and a sweet pluot. I am in love with these pretzels. They’re so good!

Dinner tonight was another Mexican delight: a yummy veggie burrito. This time, it was filled with homemade refried beans, Spanish rice, spinach, avocado, and textured vegetable protein that was seasoned with salt, pepper, onions, and cilantro, all wrapped in an Ezekiel tortilla. I served myself a little bit of leftover slaw my mom made. Very yummy and very filling!

I went with a light and simple dessert: fresh watermelon. There’s nothing better in these summer nights than a nice slice of watermelon. Yum!

I’m calling it a night.. you all have a good one!