(629) whistle while you work

If it's not already pretty obvious, I've been super busy this week. I have finals coming up this week and have just been in a whirlwind of work and studying. 

I have been eating pretty well but I would like to do better this week. I ate chicken this week, which I'm okay with, but I also had canadian bacon (which is totally not okay even though it was no-msg/hormones/nitrites/nitrates etc/gluten free). I really want to eat things like bacon extremely sparingly. I made vegan pancakes for everyone yesterday morning, which I still feel guilty about. I just want to be healthier. I need to start drinking smoothies again too. I would like to eat quinoa, maybe some dandelion greens, chickpeas, and kale this week.

here is a pizza from naturally ella that I adapted to be GF/vegan. I used rice vegan cheese and I have to say, I wasn't in love with it completely but it melted and had the cheesey texture; however, it didn't taste like anything. I am still hunting for an awesome vegan cheese. I like Daiya but at the same time, I don't. who knows. this pizza was delicious though!

here's another reason why I could never be vegan: I do not care for tofu or tempeh. I made buffalo/bbq tempeh because I had a bottle of Annie's BBQ sauce that I needed to use before it expired. it was okay and I ate all of it, but tempeh is so bland, even when it's drenched in sauce.   I will just stick to chicken, fish, beans, and leafy greens!

one of my favorite Iron Hen lunches: quinoa with black beans, garlic sauteed swiss chard, and sweet potato rounds. a prime example of a simple, delicious meal.

trying to organize my pantry: chickpeas, split yellow peas, and black beans.

couldn't resist buying these GF/DF "they'll never know cupcakes" made with spinach, carrot and zucchini. these cupcakes had some of the best frosting (made with tofu!) I've ever tasted. the cake was supremely spicy and carrot cake like. it was a splurge but worth it. (PS I need to stop eating/drinking so much sugar. I've been super bad)

one of my new favorites (like seriously top 3) soups: yellow split pea sunshine soup. we finally got to use my immersion blender (obviously) and it was one of the best soups I've ever tasted, flavored with saffron water and lemon juice. this will be fantastic when it gets colder, which it sort of has been this past week. 

zucchini noodles with arribiata sauce is another good vegan dish. I left out the chickpeas, or rather my mom did, since she didn't feel like cooking dried ones. this will be great in the summertime, when I will try to make bigger ribbon-like noodles instead.