Thank you all for your two cents on my last post. So many of your inputs were so helpful and encouraging. Really, I think my confidence levels have gone up a lot since I started this blog. I just get a really awesome sense of community and genuine care in the blog-o-sphere. There are a lot of times where I imagine a giant meet-up would ensue and the world wouldn’t even know what hit it. Wabam! Anyway, I have to catch you all up on something that’s totally slipped my mind–chocolate! How did chocolate slip my mind? Maybe because it’s in my belly.

Chai Tea Milk Chocolate

Oh yes, this indeed satisfied my sweet tooth. You could taste the various spices in this creamy chocolate bar. I actually let this melt in my mouth and just let the flavors unravel.

The much anticipated Bread & Chocolate dark chocolate!

I was so eager to try this one out since it sounded so interesting and very different from the other flavors. However, I think I built my expectations up a little too high. This wasn’t bad tasting, just sort of a letdown. It was a bit too acidic for my taste but I did appreciate the texture of the bread in the chocolate. Out of all the Theo 3400 Phinney flavors I tried the Hazelnut Crunch milk chocolate was by far my favorite. The saltiness from the toffee, crunchiness from the nuts, and the sweetness from everything else all embedded in a delicious milky chocolate, just spells out amazing!

Now the last of the Newman's Own chocolates!

I finally can say that I have tried everything that the more than generous folks over at Newman’s Own sent me awhile ago. Yes indeed. Let’s start out with the Espresso dark chocolate. Honestly, this bar was not for me. It didn’t really melt in my mouth and I was expecting there to be more of an espresso taste. The flavor did hit me… eventually, it was more like the aftertaste. Now on to the Mocha milk chocolate… that one was so yummy! It really did taste like a mocha but in chocolate bar form, which means it melts in your mouth! Yum! I think my favorite ones from the chocolates are the Mocha milk chocolate and the Orange dark chocolate.

The other day I used up the last of the bag of Udi's Au Naturel granola.

I had it with yogurt, diced apple, and cinnamon sprinkled on top. On the side I had one of my favorite combos: apple + peanut butter!

A Golden Smacker

This Betty Lou’s snack is appropriately named–the taste was golden! What is a Golden Smacker exactly? It’s a patty with peanut butter covered in dark chocolate. Now where can you go wrong with that? I absolutely loved the texture of the filling and I even spotted some raisins as well. This was so delicious and satisfying to munch on. I really savored this because it was just too good to just gobble up–even though that would be easy too! More please! Betty Lou’s also has a milk chocolate flavor if that’s more your taste.

I love lentils!

I cooked these lentils using my mom’s secret recipe and adding some twists of my own–bay leaves, coconut oil, sauteed onions and garlic. However, the rest will remain a secret mwahaha! Anyway, I cooked some rice with cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods to go along with the lentils. This hit the spot! Out of all the lentils, red is my favorite by far. And  I had plenty of leftovers; perfect for a busy week. To go along with the rice and lentil combo, I steamed a buttload of kale and had some dates + ginger + cashew butter.

I bought this jar of sweet mango pickle on sale for 99 cents awhile ago, but have yet to find something to serve it with.

With the lentils? Nay. Any ideas?

Dinner on-the-go I tried something else from Amy's kitchen!

I think it’s safe to say that whoever was around me in this class was jealous because it smelled really good, and it tasted even better! Not to mention, burritos are so convenient and not messy… unless you order a mondo one at Chipotle! Luckily, in this class I do not get in trouble for eating. Sidenote: later on in this post you’ll see my solution to packing something for the class I got in trouble in.

After running some errands with my dad (yay he's in town), I came home hungry but I didn't know what to have.

Then it occured to me that there is no wrong time to have a sweet potato. Plus, I just replenished my supply and this was the last one in the old bag. I just microwaved it and topped it with coconut butter, cinnamon, and I smeared a bit of Sunland’s banana peanut butter to be a taste-tester. Do any of you do this? Some times I’ll have something with half of it topped with one preserve and the other half with another flavor–this usually happens when I can’t decide or I’m just feeling curious. Oh, and for the record, the banana peanut butter with the sweet potato was awesome!

Inspired by chocolate-covered strawberries!

I know one chica that would love the sound of this! I cooked my oats in the rest of my almond milk and coconut oil. Then I topped this creamy bowl of goodness with April’s protein brownie batter recipe and threw in some beautiful strawberries. This all mixed together was so good. The other night I also tried a different variation of the protein batter recipe by using vanilla protein powder + cashew butter. I don’t think you can make a bad decision when it comes to this recipe. It’s so simple yet so delicious!

Leftovers + Whole Foods hot bar goodies!

When I was running errands with my dad the night before I spotted a dish that I’ve only seen and tried once at Whole Foods. I loved it when I tried it and I always checked to see if they had it. But that night, they finally did! It’s a spicy eggplant and tomato dish + I wanted to try the tofu korma. My dad brought up a lot of avocados from Florida = an avocado a day for me yay! I love avocados but they’re so expensive up here that I don’t buy them often unless I see them on sale. However, in Florida they are incredibly cheap–we’re talking 30 cents each at some places!

The tofu korma was the bomb diggity! It had me craving basmati rice and naan + some other delicious Indian food!

Savory snack time!

I topped a Seedlander Dr. Kracker cracker with cottage cheese, kale, avocado, s & p. This was simple, fresh, and I recommend it! I picked up some cottage cheese at the store the other day, and I’m glad I did. I’ve forgotten how practical and tasty it can be. By the way, if you haven’t tried Dr. Kracker’s crackers then you are missing out! These are so flavorful even on their own. They are a bit pricey, but I found them on sale at TJ Maxx so I figured “what the hey!”

Now presenting the solution to my no-eating-in-class problemo!

Obviously, I did not follow that rule. It did, however, inspire some sneakiness and turned into “Operation This Isn’t a Meal It’s a ‘Snack’”. I also forgot to mention that while running errands with my dad, Whole Foods had a 33.5 oz tub of Greek yogurt that was promptly put in my basket! So yes, as of late I have been relishing in that tub of Greek goodness. I also bought a set of tupperware with a twist on lid to ensure no spills! When it’s on, this girl knows just what to do! So I filled the container with Greek yogurt, diced apple, and cinnamon. Then I brought this amazing bar to crumble into, what would evolve into a delicious yog-mess. I wish I could’ve snapped a picture of this bar! You could see the ingredients, and I even spied some dried apples! I was actually worried upon opening the wrapper that the aroma would waft on over to my professor and that he would catch me red-handed. Mouth full I would say, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Anyway, back to the bar. This is a very different product from all the Betty Lou’s reviews I’ve done so far. I think the packaging itself goes along with the fun and light-hearted attitude the company seems to have. And the flavor? It has everything a chewy granola bar should have! Oats, maple, cinnamon, fruits, nuts, and seeds! Now I know why it’s called a Harmony Bar! FYI: “Operation This Isn’t a Meal It’s a ‘Snack’” was a success!

Okay, so I fear this post has a lot of words and pictures and I don’t want to overwhelm anybody. Although I do have so much more to share! But no worries, there’s always a next post. Also, I have really taken your advice on making a to-do list to heart. It has made managing my time so much easier and tasks just seem less daunting. It also helps that I’m checking some things off steadily. Many weights being lifted off my shoulders = easier to breathe. That reminds me! We are over that mid-week hill and now we’re just rolling down to Friday! Actually before I end this post I’m going to sneak in one more picture because I can’t contain my excitement.

From the fashion show rehearsal!

I brought my camera this time and I still almost forgot to take a picture. I cannot express how excited I am for this! It’s on Saturday–so close!!! We got our choreography down, did a lot of run throughs, scheduled our hair and makeup appointments, and overall just had fun.

p.s. my next post I’ll be sharing my re-worked sculpture!

p.s.s. my dear friend, Katie Anne, suggested I make a cheese post and I think that’s a really great idea! So I’ll be working on that. Does anyone else have any themed post ideas they’d like to see me write?