So MUNGry
Hey everyone! Happy Friday! WHEW. I am feeling like a new person today.. last night’s chillax sesh was much-needed. Thank you for understanding and for all of the well wishes <3
This morning, you can bet your booty that I broke into the raw cinnamon crispy cereal (from One Lucky Duck) that Katie sent me.
I had a bowl with almond milk, cinnamon and sliced bananas.
While I was moaning with foodgasms, Viesa attacked the bear that Celestial Seasonings sent me:
Then she shared the bear with Bella, who cuddled with it on the couch:
I think the bear is actually a little bigger than Bella 🙂
(More info on what Celestial Seasonings sent me coming up on Monday, as well as a GIVEAWAY)
I met up with Ashley at the gym, where we dominated our biceps and triceps. Finishing everything out with 25 straight-leg tricep dips left my arms feeling like vegan Jell-O.
Snack:
I almost cried tears of happiness when I saw this bar in the bar stash. I thought they were gone! Definitely the last of my Vega Vibrance bars.. Whole Foods needs to get these in, stat.
I went to Wizzle, the post office (Lauren, your raw cacao cookies are on the way!) and then came home to make raw malted chocolate tarts since we’re having dinner guests tomorrow night.
The coconut almond macaroon crust:
Mmmmmmm…..
The shells are uncooking away in the dehydrator, and I’ll make the filling when I get home from work.
Since I have 4 appointments in a row today, I figured I’d make a good lunch to take with me.
Of course, it was high time to test out the mung bean pasta I picked up the other day.
I had to do a double-take when I saw the nutritional stats…
20 GRAMS OF PROTEIN?!?!?! Only 180-something cals per serving?! Winner, winner, mung bean dinner.
I measured out 1.5 servings since the cals are a little low for a meal –I’ll have a salad too- making it 30 GRAMS of PLANT PROTEIN POWER!
As you guys might have noticed, I don’t usually eat a ton of pasta (except for the occasional butternut squash lasagna on brown rice noodles). It just feels like a waste to me because 1) It doesn’t taste very good.. you have to spend a lot of effort flavoring it with other things. Why not just have the “other things”? 2) I like zucchini pasta better and 3) even the nutritional stats for the whole grain kind are ho-hum.
Well not this….
I may have a new pasta lover.
It’s boiling away right now as I type — I’ll be sure to let ya’ll know what I think about it 🙂
Off to finish packing my lunch, take the dogs out in the pouring rain, then head to work.
Have a wonderful Friday!
xoxo,
Gina
Today’s tip: Have your next pasta dish focused on the veggies, instead of the pasta. When I first started my weight loss journey, I switched to whole grain, but also put the veggies and sauce in my bowl first, then topped it with a little bit of the pasta. It’s a great way to save calories, but also tastes so much better.
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wow, i can’t wait to hear about the review and the stuff from celestial seasonings! great tip with the veggies & pasta, too…i’m definitely a pasta lover, but it wouldn’t hurt to cut back from time to time 🙂
That pasta does look good! And 20g of protein? I’m in!
I’m with you on the pasta; I like the goody part better w/ just a little bit a noodles. I’ve always made my lasagna w/ more goody and less noodles. I’ve almost always used whole grain and the kiddos don’t even notice.Have a good day.
So glad that you’re feeling more like yourself today! I definitely agree with your tip! Whenever I get a craving for italian, its usually just the sauce and parm so I’ve been steaming up fresh veggies and having sauce on that. So good and definitely satisfies my craving. 🙂
That pasta looks interesting! I love pasta, but we rarely have it, so it’s a treat when I do cook it up. Of course, I prefer the stuff I make at home as opposed to the stuff we buy in restaurants. I’ve had a few “gourmet” pasta dishes that tasted like they came out of a can!
Tonight I’m planning on steaming veggies and topping them with some peanut noodles and shrimp. Should be delicious!
K
Oooooh, can’t wait to pick up that pasta!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hey Gina,
I noticed you like Sangria 🙂 I posted my recipe on my last blog entry if you’re interested 😉 Its quick and ‘clean’
http://www.biochemista.com/2010/02/snow-soup-and-sangria.html
xx
Lauren
Definitely let us know how that pasta tastes! Whenever I want/have pasta, I get stuck trying to figure out where to get my protein from without putting meat into it! Beans mixed with pasta is okay, but BEAN PASTA? Maybe that’s the key!
That pasta sounds great!!! And wow that is a LOT of protein!!!
I can’t wait to hear what you think about that pasta. I have a love/hate relationship with pasta. I love it, but hate that it usually doesn’t give you that much nutrients. But that amount of protein? Sign me up! (Only if it tastes good!) 🙂
The pasta sounds interesting. Great nutritional stats though! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
20 grams of protein! hello lover!!!! 🙂 Keep us posted on how it tastes- texture and such. Very curious mind over here
I’ve been reading a lot about mung beans lately, but have yet to find them in the stores. Anyone know more about them???
I’m actually making spaghetti tonight (total comfort food for snowy days), and I’m going to try your trick of adding more veggies! Maybe some extra spinach, carrots, and ‘shrooms in the sauce?!?!
gosh i’ll just echo everyone else and say wow that’s a lot of protein!
I am so curious about that pasta! Can’t wait to hear the review…
I loved the pictures of the doggies. I like how they shared the bear! How sweet.
I’m also not a pasta person. I think I have my padre to thank for this. He always made stir-fries for dinner when we were growing up, and the veggies were always the base. There was always some pasta dispersed without–but the focus was on the greens because they just absorb stir-fry flavors so much better!
I think your suggestion about using veggies as the base is a great one, and not only for pasta dishes! So many people – in our culture in particular – focus all of their meals around the protein or the carbs. While of course these are important components, the healthiest people are often those who plan their meals around the veggies, instead of viewing veggies as merely side dishes or add-ons.
Those malted chocolate cups looks amazing! I think my next big purchase is going to be a dehydrator, after seeing (and tasting!) your kitchen magic.
Great pasta tip… I always put the veggies in afterwards and end up feeling so full!
That pasta looks awesome! I totally agree about skipping the pasta. I realized what I really love most is the sauce anyway! The other day I put my new favorite marinara (Paesana– you have to try it if you see it at Whole Foods!!) and raw goat cheese on wilted spinach. It was so good!
That being said, I’m excited to hear what you think about the mung bean noodles!
I’ve heard of mung beans but never tried them — interesting!
I love pasta, but I usually love it when it’s covered in fatty things. I’d love to find a pasta that is flavorful enough on it’s own to eat with a very simple topping! Can’t wait to hear what you think about this one =D
xo
K
Man, Viesa is just so gorgeous! Bella too of course. 😉 Surely someone has alerted you to the Shiba Inu puppy cam (?). It’s a live video stream of a shiba inu mommy and her 5 puppies, born a few weeks ago. It makes for a glorious break of cuteness during the work day. This is the link in case you wanna check out the cute overload. 🙂 http://www.ustream.tv/sfshiba
Happy Friday!
ahhhhhh i can’t wait to check it out!
Oooh! What a cool new product!!
Wow so much protein! Sounds amazing
i knew i coulnd of been the only one that wanted to know the nutritionals, thanks for posting
I got to try out the mung bean pasta! I have mung beans sprouting at the moment from the Happy Pear healthy eating course on Tuesday, will put them in a salad tomorrow and see what they taste like. Have a fun weekend.
I tried the Breakfast Cookie today and LOVED it! I just used what I had on hand so no protein powder but it still kept me full until lunch. I was wondering if you could recommend a protein powder for me to purchase? Thanks! Love the bloggy!
i’m so glad you liked it!
check out sun warrior (my fave) or designer whey (if you’re not vegan)
Oh fun! I hope that pasta tastes as good as it sounds!
If that bear was around my dogs, it would have been destroyed in .5 seconds, haha!
I can’t wait to hear how you like the pasta! I love noodles!
The pasta sounds fantastic! And it’s definitely true that although pasta may be whole grain, it’s not always healthy to have in humungo portions. 🙂
Bella is so cute!! Your blog really makes me crave macaroons, even though I’m not usually a big coconut fan (that’s what’s in them, right? Or am I mistaken?).
Have a great Friday!
I totally want to try that pasta (!) both because I bet it tastes ummy and because I need more protein. I hope I can find it at Whole Foods.
Hope the pasta is a hit
That pasta looks really interesting! And I love centering my mom’s spaghetti around a massive salad, with my spaghetti served on my salad dish! I get just the right amount of everything 🙂