Single Girl Groceries
No, this isn’t a post about how Joey and I broke up. I’m a single girl until Tuesday night because Joey is in Arizona with our beloved Colorado Rockies.
Oddly enough I am going to Arizona a few days after he comes back. Hello, Spring Break!
Anyways, besides the fact that I now have to wake up at 5 AM to take Tonka on a walk, I don’t mind being on my own for the weekend, especially when it means only spending $45 at the grocery.
Grocery Shopping Tip #whatever number we’re on: Wait till a week when your significant other is gone to restock on all those non-produce goodies you insist on having around.
My single girl groceries all fit in one bag. That’s a good sign.
Produce:
- Bananas
- Granny Smith apples
- Spinach
- Sweet potato
- Brussel sprouts
- Garlic
- Avocado (it’s on top of the bananas, I promise and oops turns out I already had one at home)
Non-produce:
- English muffins
- Cumin
- Ginger
- Tahini
- Coconut oil
- Almonds
- Honey
- Dates
I swear my spices seem to all be running out (or at least running low) all at once.
Note the stack of books on the right edge of this picture. English majors go through a lot of books…
You’ll see where these almonds went later. I love secrets. I’m bad at keeping them, though…
I’m okay with that price considering I got a few pricier items, i.e. coconut oil, tahini and almonds. These are necessities, I assure you.
I wouldn’t mind a few more weeks where my grocery bill looks like this. But I do mind waking up to take Tonka on a walk.
Sunday already, huh? Have a good one.
Popsession
Lamest post title ever? I think so, but it’s the end of the week and by now my creative juices have run out. Especially since I just used the last of those juices up on a popcorn recipe.
Yeah, that’s right, I have a new obsession and it goes by the name of popcorn. I bet Joey regrets letting me buy that bag of popcorn kernels. Oh, wait he’s on the popcorn obsessed bandwagon too. We were meant to be.
It’s up to you to guess if by “we” I mean Joey and I or popcorn and I…
Truffled Pepper Popcorn
Serves 1 (because I’m incapable of sharing and because I downed these too fast for anyone else to have had a chance to share with me)
- 1/4 cup popcorn kernels
- 1 tablespoon high heat oil (might I suggest coconut or safflower?)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon truffle oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- vegan “cheese” or parmesan
- pepper to taste
This is the part where I tell you that until today, I hadn’t actually popped my own popcorn. Yeah, I’ve been letting Joey do all the hard work and by “hard work” I mean dodging flying popcorn kernels covered in hot oil. Word to the wise, keep a lid near by.
Anyways, I’m hear to reassure you that I did it all by myself and it was easy.
Basic method:
Pour 1 tablespoon oil in a deep/big pot — trust me, you’ll be glad you used it.
I would have used coconut oil had I not run out this week — the horror!!!
Turn the heat to medium and put salt and 3 kernels in the pot.
Once these pop (this is the part where you dodge hot flying popcorn), add in the rest of your kernels and shake your pan so you have an even layer. Then put on the lid and continue shaking over the stove until the popping slows, then remove from heat and add the goods.
The possibilities are endless at this point. Are you a plain ol’ butter and salt kind of person or are you feeling a bit fancier?
Clearly, I was feeling fancy so on went the garlic powder, truffle oil, pepper and vegan “cheese,” aka toasted sesame seeds blended with nutritional yeast. Parmesan would be great too!
I’ll warn you that the bottom of the bowl is the best part because that’s where lots of the good stuff falls after you add it. I LOVED this combination. Truffle oil is such a subtle but enjoyable flavor plus the pepper gives it a great kick.
Dive on in!
Popcorn: yay or nay? I was shocked when we made popcorn for the Academy Awards and someone mentioned “not liking popcorn” — I held back the urge to scream “What is wrong with you?!”
Lucky
I was doing some reading for my health and nutrition class when I came across this paragraph.
It seemed pretty relevant considering I do live in (or near, at least) Boulder, Colorado. And it’s true, Boulder is a particularly health conscious place to live and it’s relatively easy to live a healthy life here.
Take today for instance.
My sister and I went to Southern Sun for lunch, where healthy vegetarian options are in abundance. You can’t just go anywhere and find seitan, quinoa and tempeh on the menu. But in Boulder, you can!
Note that this paper tried to fly out of my hand and off of the balcony about 3 times. I guess that’s the price you pay for sitting outside.
I went with the daily wrap which happened to be of the tempeh variety. Score!
Are you eyeing that roasted red pepper bisque? Me too, which is why I subbed soup for my side salad.
Then we enjoyed some mountain views while waiting for our food. They are seriously right there.
Ignore the store sign below the mountains — I have no idea what kind of store “Tuesday Morning” is.
Then our food arrived.
Hello, lover. This wrap was positively delicious or as my sister would say, “I was so hungry, anything would have tasted good.” I promise this wasn’t the case and it actually was really good. And really messy. Why do I always end up with sauce dripping all over my hands when I come here?
Note to self: do not bring anyone I’m looking to impress here.
Tucked away the second half of my wrap for lunch tomorrow then I enjoyed a leisurely walk back to school and passed lots of others doing the same thing. We Boulderites love our physical activity.
After class, I went home at a quick snack and headed back out for a lovely 4-mile jaunt. I say “jaunt” but it was actually much faster than I have been running on the treadmill lately. I swear that thing slows my pace like no other.
- 9:47
- 9:33
- 9:21
- 9:14
- For a total of 37:59
There were walkers, runner, bikers and even a scooterer everywhere.
Colorado really does cater to those wishing to live a healthy lifestyle. I’m so lucky 🙂
Do you live somewhere that makes healthy living easy?
Lauren Loves Good Food 