Healthy Eating at the Ballpark
Greetings from Boulder, Colorado
**My sister took this picture from her phone on Tuesday morning — are you jealous you don’t live here?**
As you may have noticed, I spend a LOT of time at Coors Field. In a perfect world, finding fresh healthy food at the ballpark would be easy, but the reality is there’s nothing available that meets my guidelines for “good food.” SOLUTION: Pack your own food!
I tossed together this salad in a matter of minutes and threw it in a container to bring to the park. Before making the salad I asked Joey if I would look stupid eating this next to nacho-chowing fans, but then I thought ‘Who cares what I look like!’ If it’s a choice between eating something good or starving my way through the game just to avoid weird glances in the direction of my salad, I definitely pick good food.
Dressing = balsamic + honey + s & p + olive oil + dried basil + mustard, so simple.
As it turned out, we didn’t end up going to the game anyways. It was POURING, the highway was flooded and it took 20 minutes to get from our exit to the next. We guessed the storm was headed for Denver so at the very least the game would be delayed and I was NOT in the mood to wait for the game to start so we made a game time decision and turned back around.
By the way, the storm never reached Denver and we missed another walk-off homerun 😦
Another day, another open. Yes, I’ve opened the library at 7 am two days in a row now. Early morning run? Bring it on! Early morning work? Kill me now! At least I had this tasty breakfast to wake me up.
Sidenote: In my guidelines for exciting oats yesterday I totally forgot to mention mixing it up with different varieties of oats! Case in point, today’s steel-cut oats vs. yesterday’s rolled overnight oats.
- Steel-cut oats (boil 1/2 c water + 1/2 c vanilla hemp milk, mix in 1/3 c oats and cook covered on low for ~25 minutes)
- 1/3 a ripe banana (broken into pieces and whisked into the oats — the banana should break up and you won’t be able to see the chunks anymore, unless you want some, of course) P.S. the banana will smell so so good!
- Package up 1T granola (Just Bunches), 1T yogurt (Honey Noosa) and thin slices of 1/2 a peach
- In the morning reheat oats (you may need to add some water to help loosen it up) and top with granola, yogurt and fruit, enjoy!
The flavor of vanilla, honey and peaches have been tasting so so good on oats, I highly recommend you try it out!
As good as breakfast was, lunch definitely beat it!
Get used to seeing more “far away pictures” — My mom keeps complaining that everything is too close up!
Cinnamon Raisin Swirl + fruit compote + goat cheese = MAGNIFICENT
With blueberries and kiwi on the side
I’m mourning the near end of this bread along with the graham crackers 😦 must re-stock!
ATTENTION: I WILL BE 21 AT MIDNIGHT!!! We’ll be heading into Boulder tonight but I promise to keep it semi under control. **I’m not much of a drinker** PLUS
- I will have been awake since 6 AM
- I have breakfast plans for Friday at 9 AM
I’m off to take a nap 😀
Happy Alllmost Friday!
Miraculous
That is what I would call last nights Rockies game. Yes, it is now time for me to bore you with baseball talk, but I promise to make it short, like one sentence short. Bottom of the 9th, Rockies are down 3 to 9 and end up winning 12 to 9, with a 3-run walkoff homer!!! Oh yes, miracles do happen.
This bit of baseball magic got me thinking. Unbelievable things can be achieved. Like overcoming a 6-run deficit OR running a half marathon 🙂 I find inspiration everywhere I look. What inspires you?
I came home to a very curious roommate last night. Hannah wanted to know all about oats! She admitted to dabbling in oattery in the past, but found them to be boring and ended up quitting the oat habit altogether 😦
Enter Lauren with answers to your oat woes.
Rules for Exciting Oats:
- Use something other than water — my FAVORITE is vanilla almond milk because it gives the oats a sweet thickness. Play around with alternative liquids till you find your favorite.
- Mix in some FRESH fruit — I strongly believe oatmeal has achieved its bad reputation due to the awful plain oatmeal + dried fruit (usually raisins) + brown sugar combination served in EVERY restaurant! Groooaaan. For me, there’s just no comparing dried and fresh fruit. Give it a whirl, the fruit possibilities are endless and give oats such a natural flavor boost.
- Mix it up. Hannah specifically wanted to know all about overnight oats. These are so so different from hot oats and perfect for a warm day! Everyone needs a little variety in the morning, so why not try some VOOs or how about oats layered with banana soft serve? Oats are SO versatile so by all means take advantage and get creative, which leads me to my next point…
- Toppings! It is ENTIRELY POSSIBLE to make a healthy bowl of oats while still using your favorite toppings. Just remember, everything in moderation. Nut butters, fruit, syrup, granola, cereal, jelly, milk, chocolate, I’ve even been known to throw a few bites of cake/cupcake in, he he. For me, the toppings make the oats so don’t be afraid to go a little crazy 🙂
The best part of the conversation was having Hannah ask me to make her some VOOs! Am I the only one who gets super excited to introduce someone to the wonderful world of oats?
Equally exciting was last nights dinner: Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto + Pasta
I reserved about a cup of the pasta water before draining so I could thin out the pesto. Note to self: Thin out pesto BEFORE adding it to the pasta, duh! I chopped some cherry tomatoes in half to add to the pasta as well.
WHOA, this pesto is out of this world!! Although I’d still say it tasted pretty garlic-y, it wasn’t overpowering. The garlic scapes have a mild flavor. Joey described it as “healthy tasting,” I’d prefer to describe it as FRESH. 
We both INHALED our giant bowls. A dinner well done!
Speaking of VOOs, I made up a bowl before going to bed.
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 3/4 cup vanilla hemp milk (which I actually thought tasted pretty good this morning)
- 1T chia seeds
- 1/4 banana
- handful of bluebs
- graham cracker + PB samich, dunked in the oats of course
**I REALLY didn’t want to post this horrid looking picture, but my sister is forcing me to**
By the way, I only have about 4 graham crackers left and it’s freaking me out! I’ve been relying on these as snacks for weeks. I may make another batch today because I feel like having these on hand at ALL TIMES!
Sorry for the text-heavy post. Rest assured that the weekend holds promises of pictures-a-plenty! My 21st birthday is this Friday, which means non-stop eating out and many food photo opportunities, stay tuned.
HAPPY HUMP DAY, MY FRIENDS!
Peaches and Pesto
Are delicious! Separately, of course. Breakfast was Jenny inspired.
Oh yes, this bowl of oats (and I promise there are oats in that bowl) was fantastic!
Peaches & Cream Oats:
- Boil 1 cup water
- Add 1/2 cup oats
- Cook 12 minutes covered on low
- With one minute remaining mix in 1/2 diced peach + 1T peach jam
- Top with remaining peach slices + a dollop of yogurt (I used Honey Noosa)
- ENJOY!
Peaches are truly magical 🙂
I enjoyed a day of R & R yesterday (after getting the 3-miler out of the way) all thanks to Joey, who was a laundry/cooking machine! Check out this gourmet dish he whipped up while I laid in bed and watched Intervention for hours upon hours.
Cornflake-Crusted Halibut Tilapia with Chile-Cilantro Aioli — you may have noticed we’re sliightly reliant on recipes. We’re working on this, I promise.
Green Beans cooked to perfection, no recipe necessary.
Full-Proof Green Beans/Asparagus:
- cut ends off beans or snap ends off asparagus
- drizzle with olive oil, s + p
- mix veggies around
- broil for ~10-15 minutes
Ended the night with my two favorite things: calf massage & Seinfeld
NOTE: I literally used to plan my day around Seinfeld so I could watch a total of 4 episodes a day. A little ridiculous, I know. Until yesterday I hadn’t watched in MONTHS! So good to get some Sein in. By the way, we’re seeing him at Caesar’s Palace while we’re in Vegas later this month — SOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!
After taking a break from doing the cooking, I was anxious to get back in the kitchen this morning.
Sesame seeds?
Vegan Cheese?
Garlic Scapes?!
Oh yes, garlic scape pesto WAS made!
This green definitely rivals the color of my kitchen! I haven’t had a chance to try this yet, but it smelled HEAVENLY and was really very easy to make. I got a little nervous because my mini food processor has been known to cause me trouble but it turned out just like it was supposed to, joy!
You can check out Angela’s page for both the pesto and the cheese recipe, OR you can just check it out here:
Vegan Parmesan “Cheese”:
- 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
- 2T nutritional yeast
- 1/4t salt
- Toast sesame seeds in the oven till you notice them getting brown (I put the oven on 350*)
- Put seeds, yeast and salt in the food processor
- Process for ~30 seconds, et voila!
Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto:
- 2 garlic scapes
- 1 cup vegan parmesan “cheese”
- <1/4 cup olive oil
- ~T fresh lemon juice
- handful of spinach
- a few basil leaves (optional)
- Cut the scapes into smaller pieces (see picture)
- Process scapes and lemon juice till fine
- Add cheese slowly in 1/3 increments, alternating with the oil
- Process till the pesto reaches desired consistency
- Add handful of spinach and basil leaves, process
- Prepare yourself for the greeny goodness you’re about to consume!
I plan on cooking some pasta, chopping up some tomatoes and mixing in this pesto for dinner! It’s the only thing getting me through work today.
Salad from the FM + organic straws & bluebs for lunch. Mmmmm, fresh never looked so good!
After I quit my job, I enjoyed some fresh air in the shade on campus. Wait, back up. I quit my job?? CLARIFICATION:I quit one of my jobs. For the past two years, I’ve worked as the receptionist in the Anthropology department, but they decided they didn’t have enough work for me to do over the summer so I was forced to find a new on-campus summer job. I got one at the library and as it turns out the library job allows me LOTS of time for homework, plus I get to work with kids my own age. I was planning on going back to Anthro in the fall, but my library job just works much better for me so I’ll be staying here next year. I had to inform my boss in the Anthro department today. Bittersweet, but I would much rather stay in the library so it had to be done.
And THEN I enjoyed some fresh air in the shade, and admired my new shoes and freshly painted toenails.
It amazes me that this fountain outside the library is able to entertain children for HOURS on end.
Last, but not least, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BIG BROTHER, GABE!
Lauren Loves Good Food 