Vegan Pumpkin Scones

Since the scones I made less than a week ago were pretty much all gone, I decided it was time to make another batch! I found a vegan recipe for pumpkin scones, which I modified in a few ways, which seemed perfect, seeing as how I had opened a fresh can of pumpkin for Friday’s breakfast!

Here’s what I used:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 cups (2 cups whole wheat pastry flour + 1 cup white flour) flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 6 tbsp Promise Light (vegans can use a vegan margarine/butter sub!)
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Here’s what I did…

I combined the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Then, add in the margarine, adding a bit at a time until mixed well. I used my hands to ensure everything was mixed properly (great technique ha!). Then, add in the pumpkin and vanilla and again mix well.

I lightly floured a cookie sheet and kneaded the dough until it was in the shape of a large circle, about 2″ thick or so…

I then partially cut the dough into 12 pieces.

Finally, I baked at 425 degrees for 12 minutes. I sprinkled a little brown sugar on top and set the oven to broil. Everything was going smooth until this part… I thought I could multi-task and throw my laundry into the dryer in the meantime ~ bad idea!!!!!!! I ran upstairs and saw the top of the scones being browned to a crisp However, it was literally only the sugar that had carmelized = burnt, so they were still saved, whew! According to my dad, who sampled one with coffee this morning, they taste REALLY good…

I have yet to try one but I did eat a few of the crumbs leftover from cooking and mmmmmmm - they have a fantastic pumpkin pie flavor! I can’t wait to try one!

In terms of calorie counts, this averaged out to: 138 calories!

Happy Baking!

Not In An Oats Mood

Although our Friday was dreary & rainy, today is completely the opposite!  I woke up to warmer weather (suppossed to hit 70 today!) and some sun… I am loving the fact that despite the little bit of wind, I am able to be writing this post from my front porch… I love sitting out here in the sun ~ so relaxing!

Before my 8am spinning class, I had a mini Clif bar as a pre-workout snack, I can’t get enough of these… I had the chocolate brownie flavor, which is probably my least favorite of the three varieties, but it’s still good!

I got to spinning a little earlier (in fear of not getting a bike like last week), so I did a bunch of upper body weights for 20 minutes or so… The spinning class was intense as usual… The Saturday 8am instructor is by far, my favorite teacher (as I’m sure you’ve heard me post about it a gazillion times) so I always look forward to going and burning a ton of calories (550 from spinning+weight training) and getting a hard/tough workout in…

My post workout breakfast had to be fairly filling since I’m not sure when or what my next meal will be since we have a lot of plans for today… I knew I wasn’t in the mood for a warm bowl of oatmeal… It’s not warm out yet, but for some reason I wanted something different than cereal… my mind wandered through the options… Kashi Go Lean with Almond Milk… pumpkin granola with cottage cheese… and then I had it… waffles with fruit, nuts, & peanut butter!  I haven’t had this combination in a while, so it was about time for a change anyway, right ;)  I toasted two multigrain waffles… smeared them with cinnamon raisin pb… sprinkled a tsp of flax… and then added a chopped banana & chopped strawberries to the mix… on top I also added a tbsp of sliced almonds for crunch + protein… I then popped the whole combination in the microwave for 30 seconds so that everything would combine together…

Here’s my pretty picture…

And here’s my not-so pretty picture:

This combination left me STUFFED!  I feel REALLY full right now… I guess that’s a good thing since I’m hoping to just pack some fruit & a granola bar as an afternoon snack… Plus I also didn’t have any coffee this morning, so that way I’d have an excuse to hit the Starbucks downtown for either a warm coffee or an iced coffee, depending on the temperature!  I was hoping to wear flip flops today but my toes are so cold right now that I might have to change!

Now I am off to head to Bill’s… We are heading downtown to pick up our newly engraved wedding bands… I’m super excited, I even painted my nails for the “trying on of the rings” (I know, I’m a super dork!)… Hopefully the weather stays nice because we are planning on walking around the city for the afternoon afterwards… For graduation, my parents & grandparents each gave us gift cards to Ruth’s Chris, so we are hoping to go to dinner there later tonight!  This is Bill’s FAVORITE restaurant (besides Outback of course); however it is mighty expensive, so he is pumped to go tonight (as am I because their salads & desserts are OUT OF THIS WORLD!)…

I hope you all have a fantastic Saturday filled with sunshine, fun, & relaxing!  I’ll be back late tonight to post the rest of the day’s eats!

Comfort Food

Last night I wasn’t really hungry but when Bill got work he was STARVING and craving Cracker Barrel… By the time we got there, it was around 8pm, so I knew it had been about 7 hours since I had last eaten (amazing & weird all at the same time)… As you all know, I LOVE breakfast food, so I couldn’t pass up an opportunity for it and at that point, my stomach was starting to grumble a bit… I decided on the french toast and asked for it to be made on whole wheat bread (a trick I took from my mom)… it came out with fried apples on top; however, I did ask for no whipped cream or syrup!  I ate about half of what is pictured here… it was definitely comfort food, probably not the healthiest, but sometimes you need to give into those cravings

Manic Friday

Going into today, I knew it was going to be the equivalent of a Manic Monday, but on a Friday… I started the morning off right with some pumpkin bulgur… I apologize for the less than flattering picture, but this was absolutely delicious, once it was microwaved of course!  I have a busy day planned, so I had to pack up breakfast and eat it at work… This combination included:

• 1/4 cup bulgur w/ soy
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 tsp flax
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 1 tsp raisins

Although my breakfast was pretty low in calories (did quick math), it held me over really long… I was surprised… I’m guessing the fiber & protein from this combination did the trick… I ate breakfast at 7am and didn’t “need” a snack until 11am… four hours is a long time for me to go, usually I average 3 hours, so I was impressed… Plus, I find that bulgur & cracked wheat seem to fill me up slightly longer than oatmeal does, interesting!

Mid-am, I had a Clif Z Bar, chocolate chip flavor…

Typically, I may have held out until lunchtime, but I knew I’d be having a late lunch… I bolted out of work at 11am and picked up my mom + veil and we headed off to the bridal shop… Unfortunately, we discovered that the veil we ordered was missing a few beads, normally I wouldn’t mind, but my mom (who is a perfectionist, but I love her) insisted we go back to the store to have a new one ordered

After the dress shop run, we were in search of lunch! We went to a restaurant back by our house which is known for their endless choices… Althought I contemplated trying something different, I eventually wound up getting what I always get their:  a veggie panini (eggplant, squash, carrots, provolone), which comes with a side salad & french onion soup… I ate all of the french onion soup, but ditched the cheese & the bread… I devoured the salad & ate half the vegetable panini… I also got a hot tea on the side with lemon… It was delish and despite the fact that I ate 6 hours ago I am not even hungry!!

Now I’m off to do some laundry & baking… I’ll be back to post my “creations”…

Have a great Friday night!

Ride Your Bike To Work Day

Despite the rain today, it is Ride Your Bike To Work Day today in Philadelphia (and I believe all over the US)… Our very own mayor is leading by example (and also did last year), in an effort to get others to follow… So, if it’s not raining by you, hope on your bike and get movin’!  Unfortunately, I have a 20 mile commute to work (which involves going across states on highways which are NOT bike-friendly), so I won’t be able to participate, but for those of you who can (and are having non-rainy weather), go for it!

Hope you all have a happy Friday!  I’ll be back mid-afternoon w/ breakfast, snack, & lunch postings… “See ya” then!

Sweet Modification

My parents went out tonight to get ice cream, so they brought me back the only non-fat/low-fat thing they could find on the menu… low-fat froyo… mmmm… I am normally not a huge fan of froyo simply because I prefer hard, hand-dipped ice cream… I’m not all about the smooth, tastes like your drinking something feeling I get when I have soft ice cream or frozen yogurt… However, I added in a bunch of strawberries and a tbsp of sunflower seeds to the mix and it was a perfect combination… I love this combination in oatmeal, but in frozen yogurt it is EVEN BETTER… Here are some multiple un-enticing photos because I could either get the flash to be super bright & whitening or dull and dark!

And on that note, it’s off to watch The Office & LOST!  Night

Cottage Cheese Experiment

After work, I headed straight to the gym for spinning… I was excited because it was a good instructor who taught the class and she taught it for an hour instead of the normal 45 minute sessions that they have throughout the week (weekends are an hour)… I got there a little early so I did about 20 minutes or so of upper body weights before class… Class was awesome… The teacher wasn’t really vocal, but I definitely kept the ACS Bike A Thon in the back of my head and REALLY pushed myself… In fact, my legs are actually sore, which hasn’t happened for some time, since I’ve been spinning for almost 3 years now… Weird, but I like the soreness!  I felt exhausted after class had ended, but after I showered, I feel like I got a second wind, so I’m going to ATTEMPT to stay up for LOST which is on at 10pm (my normal bedtime), we’ll see how that goes!

Anyway, I tried to have a pretty protein loaded dinner, since I’ve been reading a lot of cycling articles that explain how protein is good for muscle recovery & training… I decided to attempt to make a cottage cheese omelet (interesting combination, I know) after seeing a bunch of cottage cheese recipes here.  I started out with one whole egg and 1/4 cup of egg whites… cooked it for a bit until maybe 50% done, then added in 4 oz of nonfat cottage cheese and a sprinkling of crushed red pepper (love this!)… and continued to cook… It didn’t get “dry” like my normal omelets do, instead it was kind of just a mushy mixture; however it was delicious… it’s definitely something I’ll be making again… It was slightly sweet from the cottage cheese, but the red pepper flakes added a nice twist… Every bite was a different flavor and I LOVE THAT… If you’re a cottage cheese & egg fan, I definitely recommend giving this a whirl

On the side I also had a morningstar veggie patty & a thomas’ english muffin with (gasp) cinnamon raisin pb… I’m officially addicted to this stuff… It’s becoming a bit much to the point where I can’t go a day without it!!!!!  Oh well, I think it’s replacing chocolate, so that’s kind of slightly healthier, right

Ok now off to finish up some hw & relax in anticipation for LOST, let’s hope I stay awake!

So Sad

So sad, I’m back from my last time with the first graders… It was SO sad leaving them, I can’t wait until next year when the program starts back up again… They really enjoyed the pizza party and it gave us an opportunity to meet their parents who couldn’t stop talking about how us being there was such a positive impact on their children… They said that their kids have a newfound interest in science, technology, and the defense industry… As we were leaving a bunch of the little girls got up and gave me a huge hug, I almost fell over… It was SO sweet of them It was such a rewarding experience and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to participate

Before I headed to the school, around 11am my tummy started grumbling so I had the scone that is featured in my “snacks” picture below… I’m planning on having the raisins & mini clif bar this afternoon before I head to spinning… If necessary, I packed cottage cheese but I think I might save this for dinner and try to be creative with it, we’ll see what my tummy tells me!

I didn’t get to eat lunch until around 1pm, so it’s a good thing I ate that scone, it held my hunger unbelievably well! I used a leftover whole wheat tortilla from last night’s tacos as well as the leftover chopped cherry tomatoes, a few stray olives, and romaine lettuce… I combined all this with a chopped up soy veggie patty and sprinkled on some hot sauce… I couldn’t even close it because the tomatoes & lettuce was overflowing, so instead i just ate it like a makeshift taco salad!  I wish I could show you the picture of my finished product, but unfortunately, the no camera at work rule gets in the way! This was a really yummy lunch, I only wish I had some avocado to go along with it, then it would be absolutely perfect…

Energized & Awake

Good Morning ya’ll…

For some reason I woke up thinking it was Friday, wishful thinking I suppose! At least it’s Thursday and I’m not too far off from Friday

I woke up wide awake and energized, so I’m glad I took it easy last night… I started out the morning with oatmeal mixed with vanilla extract, flax, pumpkin granola, and topped it all off with strawberries and a dollop of yogurt… I also grabbed a tangerine for some extra fruit/fiber… mmmmmmm, such a great way to start the morning off right!

We have our final meeting with the first graders today… I can’t believe the program is already almost over… Today we aren’t doing a lesson, instead, we are just throwing a pizza party for them, so it should be a fun, relaxed time! If I have some time on my drive back to the office, I may stop at Dunkin Donuts to get a free iced coffee, we’ll see!

Hope you have a great morning

Tired

Driving home from work today, I just did not feel right… I decided to take tonight off from the gym since I know I’ll be going tomorrow, Friday, & Saturday… I just feel like I need a night where I can take a nice shower, put my pjs on early, and lay in bed and veg out!  Plus I dont feel too bad since I got a 30 minute walk in at lunch…

So, I went home and had a yummy Mexican dinner… I had a whole wheat tortilla with a little bit of taco-seasoned meat, lettuce, tomato, olives and salsa (I skipped the cheese)… yum! I usually could very easily down two or more of these, but I resisted… For some reason, my appetite isn’t all here either… I dont feel like doing anything but sleeping…

On a positive note, I got my homework done and submitted for my online class, so at least I can rest easy knowing I have no more assignments to do until Saturday (ugh)… At least this class is almost over… I also decided that I am putting off the other two online courses until the January 2009 term (I am required to complete them by January 2010)… I feel like I need a break from school, especially with just completing my masters, I feel like I need a mini reward, plus with the wedding coming up, I feel like I have no time to get the stuff done that NEEDS to be done!

On an even more positive note, I was semi-productive and ordered a part for our favors (yay)… I would love to post them, but I want them to be a surprise for our friends+family, so I’ll refrain from that for the time being… You’ll get to see them in 4 months!   Yesterday marked our 4 months to go mark, which means that 4 months from tomorrow, I’ll be here… Thought I’d leave you with a little picture of Jamaican tropical-ness to end this post on a good note