Happy What I Ate Wednesday my foodie friends. As usual, please give a warm welcome and a lovely little shout out to our hostess with the mostess, Ms. Jenn at Peas and Crayons. Make sure to check her out and see what other bloggers consider all in a day’s eats.
I normally blather on about all sorts of things before getting to the food. It’s shocking, but true; I’ve been known to be a little long-winded. Yep, only a smidgen though, and I’ve decided I’m not going to do that to you. Not today anyway. Perhaps I’m feeling charitable or maybe I’m just a little mentally drained so words are escaping me and falling out of my head. Literally, I watch the words as they tumble down and out like rocks tossed into an abyss. Oh my, wasn’t that melancholy and macabre all at the same time. I’m depressing even myself.
Truth: I’m really super hormonal right now.
Note to the younger ladies (so much for not being long-winded): if you are on birth control for fifteen plus years, and in an effort to be more natural suddenly stop taking said birth control, you will become extremely hormonal once a month, and I’m talking raging out of control, emotional basket case. Do you remember my sob fest on the floor two months ago right around this time? And, I don’t even want to tell you what happened last month. On the flip side, you might find yourself a little more randy than usual (mad monkey love….need I say more).
Sudden detour over (I warned you I was all over the place), let’s talk about food, even though it might be awkward now…for you anyway.
I’m sharing with you my Monday eats because they were good, and I was a proper food blogger and took pictures. Then because I’m really thoughtful, I’m opting to share with you mass amounts of food photos in the form of collages because nothing says “I love you,” like collages…(yep, that’d be me, still emotional).
Monday started with a glass of the Best Beet Juice ever, and I’m not exaggerating. It was hands down, bar none, the best, although I should alert you to the fact I’ve only been drinking beets for six months now, and they’ve all been my own concoctions so my comparison capabilities might be limited. No matter, I shall pass judgment anyway. This juice rocked my socks, and I’ll share the recipe at the end of this post for anyone else eager to have their footwear fancied.
A bit later in the morning, I snacked on some Energy Bars, and yes these are recycled photos, but they look a million times better than the actual photo in my dark office. I had two of these babies before heading out to eat for lunch; a rare workday treat for me.
Lunch was at a vegan restaurant downtown called The Flaming Ice Cube, although I must admit I saw no pyrotechnics on my visit, which made me a little sad (or it could just be the hormones), but the food more than made up for it. I had a bowl of Tomato Basil Bisque, a garlic hummus stuffed veggie wrap and a serving of black bean and corn salsa (my favorite). I cleaned my plate…and my bowl, squared.
Since I missed my lunch time workout, and I really needed to clear my head, I went for a run when I got home from the office, which felt fabulous. In case you were questioning the validity of this claim, both the Hubby and my brother can attest because I sent them sweaty jogging pictures. Aren’t I sweet?
While my run was wonderful, it made me ravenous, so I needed an easy and satisfying dinner. I roasted some asparagus in olive oil and diced garlic, made a fried egg and reheated my roasted veggies, which I had prepped mere days before. The roasted veggies were a combination of farmers market carrots, minced and whole cloves of garlic, quartered yellow onions, red skinned potatoes, and a sweet potato all tossed with some olive oil, fresh thyme, salt, pepper and a dash of love (yep, still emotional). C’est magnifique.
Since I’m craving chocolate for some unknown reason (scoff), I also ate this. While I wanted a nice pretty spoonful like the picture on the left from a few weeks ago, I really ended up with the picture on the right. Either way, my peanut butter and chocolate craving was satisfied.
Now I’m going to take my hormonal ass on outta here and go for another run. I think I need it.
Best Beet Juice Ever
- Bundle of Small Golden Beets (I used eight small beets)
- 1 cup orange juice or thereabouts
- 1 whole orange, peeled
- 1 handful of strawberries (I used about six extra-large berries)
- 1/2 Lemon, the juice of.
- 3-4 ice cubes (because I like my beet juice chilled)
- Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until of smooth consistency. Pour into a glass or preferably a mason jar and drink.
How do you deal with raging hormones? Is there something I can eat to calm my inner crazy, without tampering with my monkey love? By the way, if you can’t relate to this, wait until you’re in you mid-thirties. We’ll talk then.
One more glamour shot for kicks, hormones, or really my thumbnail for the link up. 😉
Stupid hormones!! Joshua used to ALWAYS know when my time of the month was coming.. I guess I turned into some type of cry baby or something he said? I personally think he’s crazy and maybe it was HIM! 🙂 Ha Ha!
oh… and I’m sure your hubby made your sweaty run picture the background on his phone. I mean I can only imagine you were looking pretty sexayyyy
Sexy is probably the last thing I look, but I’m ok with that, and besides maybe the Hubby thinks differently.
Did I mention that I’m coming to Your house so that you can feed me all of this?!?! I’d even run…well…walk fast, you’d have to make sure you didn’t lose me since I don’t know your neighborhood… 😉 I’ve got to start roasting veggies again. And yes…I still don’t juice (need a juicer, but no room) and I need to make smoothies. What kind of foodie am I? A spacially challenged one, mostly! Happy WIAW, Kiddo!
You are welcome anytime Fran. I’ll even make you some juice. Happy WIAW.
that salsa & wrap sound good! ughhhh about hormones
Thanks, both were particularly delicious. Yep, hormones are a double edged sword I suppose (ball of emotions, but extra randy).
I have to be honest, since I haven’t had my period in a while there is no specific time of month where I get all hormonal and emotional. More like, there are just random outbursts where I start to cry. Bahaha. My dad just loves that 😉 Good to know about the birth control though. Hope to never take that now!
That beet juice sounds really refreshing and I’m not just saying that because the recipe’s title may be making me *slightly* biased.
Also, you are way too honest. Haha. I think the point of using a recycled picture is so that you don’t “have” to show the less visually appealing one and your photography prowess still remains intact. Although, for you it’s not really a problem because even the picture on the right of the peanut butter and chocolate looks good enough to eat.
Oh, and according to a fancy Google search, maca and coconut oil are supposed to be good for raging hormones. Who knew?
Random crying jaunts are always entertaining and father’s are so good at handling them (not). It freaks them right out.
The beet juice was refreshing; I’m just hoping the farmer has more at the market tomorrow because I’m about to buy them all up!! Along with some maca and coconut oil. I’m still a hormonal mess.
Ahhh hormones- the joy of being a female ;)! I definitely get unnecessarily emotional every so often and when I can’t point fingers at the cause, I just blame it on my hormones- it’s like a beast takes over me haha! Your dessert looks FAB and let’s be honest, there’s nothing a bit of PB & choc can’t fix!
It is like a beastial take over. After years of side stepping this, I’m suddenly like WTF. Who am I?
PB and chocolate really can fix almost anything. 🙂
Oh my gosh I’m laughing out loud as I’m going through the same thing right now! I’ve been in such a funk lately and know it’s attributed to my aunt flow scheduled to stop by any day now but am so over it! In my post from today I listed a few things I’ve been doing to try to get out of my funk 🙂
It’s frustrating because my logical mind understands it, but try telling that to my emotions. I’ll have to check out your tips for shaking the funk.
I want eggs all the time now.
Having never been on BCP I can tell you I just rage all. the. time.
Or so my kids would say . . .
Raging. You make me laugh, and I want eggs all the time now too. Weird? I figure it’s better than some processed crap, yes.
Mmmm pb and chocolate. Also I went off bc after 2 years (I hated being on it) and it was insane. I don’t know how you’re coming off of it after 15!
It was actually closer to eighteen years, but fifteen sounds like a nice number. So 18 years of supressed hormones suddenly being unleased makes me a joy to be around (snort).
OMG!! I’ve been to the flaming ice cube in Canfield, OH (that’s where my husband is from). I love the food there, but the service needed a little upgrade. So funny that you brought that up.
Happy hump day!
I really did enjoy the food, and I had no idea it originated in Canfield. This one just opened up in downtown Cleveland so it’s good to know they are doing well enough to open a second establishment. Ohio is getting there, just slowly.
Birth control pills make me cray cray. That’s all I have to say!
The Hubby thinks I should go back on it because I’m cray cray now that I’m off it.
I doooo love that you are off the BC, but shitty that you are hormonal! I was on those pills in HS and kicked em to the curb when I started college. Now the thought makes me cringe..none of that for me! I embrace my hormonal days and lock myself in my room with PB and my cats. I am coming over..and you must take to me that flaming icecube..what an awesome name.
If you come over, I will take you to The Flaming Ice Cube (the food was spectacular) and then to pet/feed Max because he’d very much like to meet this person who thinks he should just be fed more. 🙂
Locking myself in a room with PB and pussies…now there’s an idea.
Your dinner looks delicious! Hope the run helps and you’re feeling better soon!
One day at a time or something like that…..right?!
Ohh man, I quite BC after 5+ years at the beginning of the winter (for similar reasons), and YUP, whack-a-doo for a few months after. But it pretty much evened back out after three months, so it wasn’t too too bad of a transition. And how are your easy/ravenous meals so gorgeous? My easy/ravenous meals are hacked up bits of veggies dumped into Greek yogurt containers.
Whack-a-doodle-doo is the perfect way to put it. Rationally I understand what’s happening, but hormonally I can’t control it. It’s been seven months and it only seems to be getting worse. I might also be going through the mid-thirties peak (ahem, ahem). All I know is I’m all over the place.
I’m not sure how the food pictures turn out so well other than to say I do stage them and then take my plate outside for natual lighting. All told, it probably adds an extra five minutes to the whole ordeal, but my OCD likes the symbiosis of the pretty plate, so it works. Although usually when I come back inside with my “pretty plate,” the Hubby says why doesn’t my food look like that? His is just a giant bowl of hacked up veggies. 😉
7 months? Yikes! Talked to a doc to see if there’s something you can do/take temporarily as things even out? Bowls of hacked up veggies are my specialty! Maybe because I don’t have that five minutes of patience, haha.
Hmmm, talk to a doctor. That’s not a half bad idea, although I general avoid them unless it’s my routine physical. Maybe a phone call can’t hurt. I’ll just explain I’m extra crazy now. 😉
Meghan I’m not exaggerating when I say that your food always looks DIVINE! The beet juice, egg and potato plate, and energy bars are all right up my alley. Hope you had a great run!
Thanks Sunnie. The beet juice and the eggs might have been my favorite part of the meals too.
This post cracked me up. I’ve been on the same birth control for, like, 8 years, and am terrified of what kinds of hormonal atrocities I might subject my friends and family to if I ever go off it. Good to know there’s an upside though! By the way, your dinner looks amazing. Eggs, potatoes, and veggies are perfect together.
Be afraid, be very afraid and then hope you’re in a committed relationship or perfectly fine with free loving when you decide the time is right.
Thanks for kind compliment. I do love me some eggs.
Your roasted veggies have got me salivating! For your beets, are they cooked first or put in raw :)?
The beets are raw. In fact, I’ve cooked beets a handful of different ways (roasted, in pasta sauce, as chips) and I haven’t really liked any of them. The only way I seem to be able to enjoy them is raw so juice it is.
Roasted veggies are so easy. I like to make a big casserole sized dish of them on weekends and then I have a perfect side dish for dinner every night. In fact, I make finish the rest tonight.
I can not start my day without first having a smoothie. Can’t wait to try this recipe tomorrow. It looks and sounds spectacular. Love the veggies with the egg, my taste buds always thank me whenever i eat asparagus with a fried egg. 🙂
I’d love to hear what you think; it was by far my favorite beet juice yet.
There’s something about asparagus and eggs which pair so well together.
Oh my god, that dinner looks so amazing!
And yes, I totally know what you mean. I get SO sad. It’s like, I know exactly why I’m sad and I know that it’s not REALLY sadness, but I can’t help it. I have a little widget on my phone that warns me how many days I have until the waterworks start.
This widget sounds amazing and very useful, at least from the Hubby’s point of view.
I just went off the BC (more migraine prevention) and trust me I feel you on the hormones… yikes! On the bright side though your eats look amazing, particularly that egg-y veggie hash you had for dinner.
Thanks for sharing the beet juice recipe too, I’ve never had beets before, but I’m always open to trying something new 😉
Thanks; the eggy veggie hash was delish.
If you like the taste of raw beets, you should like the juice. For me, raw beets was an acquired taste but I love them now.
LOL I adore you. The peanut butter chocolate chips is probably the best idea I’ve ever seen by the way… screw OIAJ…
Secret: I’ve never had oats in a jar. I like my way better. Tee, hee.
Everything looked yummy! I’ve never eaten at a Vegan restaurant, but it sure looks good!
It was really good although I didn’t really order any of the faux meat or cheese options. My friends did though and really enjoyed their meals.
It is posts like this that remind me just how much I love you…and make me wonder why it took me so long to consistently read your blog. There are, in fact, too many things I wanted to say as I read it, that I probably should have paused and written in the comment box, and then gone back and read some more. This, however, always incites the risk of premature commentation.
At least you’re here now and realizing the error of your ways. 😉 I’m hoping you stick around for a minute or two. I get really crazy when CSA season starts. Then it’s total madness all with a side of veggies.
Premature anything is bad.
Good God that egg ensamble looks good.
I’m giving up the BC next month. D: My husband should probably be scared.
Well there are certain perks….
if you need any advice, don’t ask me, but I will listen if you find yourself sobbing uncontrollably.
Girl, I only WISH I had a reason for my mad hormone fluctuations…which as of last week have only been intensified by a lack of sleep after returning to zombie mode. What’s messed up is that I can’t even find comfort in food because thanks to the lack of sleep my stomach and I have not been friends. Hormonal AND hungry/sick is NOT a combination I recommend!
At least I can still LOOK at food (for the most part…I will admit the chocolate chips made me feel a little queasy just now…wtf?!) so I appreciate the eggporn pic at the end…and um, you’re a genius for thinking ahead with the thumbnail thing! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve published an all collage post and then been like, “damn”! Lol
Collages are great, until you realize your thumb nail on Peas & Crayons site ain’t cutting it.
Emotional, no sleep, a bazillion blog posts to read, tummy troubles and an aversion to chocolate chips….girl, something is going on. None of that sounds particularly appealing so I hope something works out soon.