Woman in Real Life

I'm the kind of person who is always hungry. I don't understand people who can go hours without food. I once had to fast for a medical procedure for a full day - I became a weak, shaky and disheartened mess. In order to ensure that I'm prepared when hunger hits - maybe while I'm watching a dance competition or driving to visit my parents, I always have a snack item or two (or three or four) in my purse. Plus a couple more for my daughter (another always-hungry type).

I intended to do a What I Ate Wednesday post from New York City last week, but we were so busy during the days (and tired at night!) that I opted not to do it in the end. So, this What I Ate Wednesday, I have highlights from about a week and a half of eating. Eating healthy on a road trip can be a bit challenging, but I did okay for the most part.

We have had some crazy weather here these past couple of days. We got our new patio conversation set out on the deck just in time for rain! Oh well, better days ahead. Here's a Wednesday look at some of the foods we've been eating this week, starting with these "Omaha Yakisoba" noodles, made from a recipe in Isa Does It. I rarely make recipes with cabbage (too lazy to shred it) so this took me nicely out of my comfort zone. It features red cabbage, broccoli and corn.

The last couple of weeks have been very busy and eating on the run isn't always the healthiest kind of eating. Add to that a few rum and cokes and my irritable bowel is...well, irritated. So I've been trying to eat well this week - less sugars, less breads and more veggies. My overall plan is to ensure that everything I eat has nutritional value.

Prior to our trip to Niagara Falls this weekend, though, there wasn't much food in the house. As I complained this past Friday on Instagram, I had some trouble putting together breakfast and lunch. Come Friday, there's often no fresh fruit in the house and very few groceries in general. But breakfast was pretty good anyway. I topped some Nature's Path instant flax oatmeal with ground flaxseed, pecans, dried cranberries and almond milk.

We were away from home on the weekend and I neglected to take any photos of my food. Being a vegetarian is sometimes a bit limiting on the road, but I have a few favourite places I rely on.

I had a Subway sub piled with veggies and pickles (hold the cheese), as well as a veggie burger combo (fries please!) from Harvey's. They make the best veggie burgers! I also had a baba ganoush pita wrap from The Pita Pit in Blue Mountain Village. The menu was marked with vegan options, which is (somewhat unusual and) very helpful.

Now, if I were to try to go gluten-free as well, that might be a problem! I would love to hear how full-time gluten-free folks handle eating out.

You might well ask why I have started with a picture of my Keurig making tea...

 

Happy What I Ate Wednesday! Thanks for your very kind comments on my high school grad dress post yesterday. I have met the sweetest people through this blog.

I hope you are enjoying some good, healthy food this week, along with a few treats. We all need a treat now and then, especially when it's January in a cold climate. Sunshine, why have you forsaken me?

Happy Friday! How many of you are going shopping? I'm not sure how long Black Friday has been a tradition in the US, but it just started happening in the last couple of years in Canada. Because we celebrate Thanksgiving in October. Not that I'm complaining. A sale is a sale, and I am a woman, after all.

It's time to share simple cell phone photos from our week. Around here, we have been spending a lot of time at my son's basketball tournaments. His sister is getting used to watching.

Can you believe it's Wednesday already? That means What I Ate Wednesday...to me anyway. I'm into stuff like that.

We had an unseasonably warm day a couple of days ago. Well, in the morning anyway. In the afternoon, it turned cold and rainy. All of that is to say that normally, from September to...oh, about May, we have good soup weather around here.

As the day goes on, my enthusiasm for cooking generally wanes. That's why I love the slow cooker. Throw a simple soup together when my energy is high in the morning, add bread and a salad in the evening, and dinner's on the table! On this particular night, pictured above, I paired the soup with a corn muffin, made from a recipe in How it All Vegan. This black bean sweet potato slow cooker soup is based on a recipe in Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, a book I highly recommend. I have mixed black beans and kidney beans and added some sweet potato. I also reduced the amount of thyme, because I don't like a strong flavour of thyme. The recipe follows. If endorsements might convince you to try making this, you should know that my kids actually said this soup was good. That kind of high praise doesn't often come from those two...when it comes to healthy meals anyway.

Welcome to What I Ate Wednesday and The Simply Bar giveaway!

My dad had surgery last week, and I knew that mom and I would need some snacks while we were waiting at the hospital. So, I made us date squares (a favourite of both me and my mom), along with these All or Nothing Granola Bars, above. They are not only delicious...they also contain some good nutrients to keep your stomach full in between meals.