A new vegan lunchable?

I almost fainted when I saw a lunchable I can actually eat. It contains the makings for peanut butter and jelly sandwhich, a fruitcup and fruit snacks. Yes, it isn't the healthiest lunch and it is ridiculously easy to throw together your own pb&j. However, lunchables are just fun! They were a rare treat growing up, so I was excited to treat myself to them now. Not to mention I grabbed them at my local 99cent store, so for a buck how could I resist?

Quick dinner

It's almost 7pm and I've been up since 6am. I'm starting to get hungry for dinner, but need to go shopping and I don't feel like cooking anyway. What to do? What to do? Well, I had two BOGO coupons for Del Taco, so I made the trip. I gobbled up two bean burritos (hold the cheese), two classic tacos (hold the cheese, sub beans for meat) and an iced tea all for around 3 bucks. I'm incredibly stuffed now, but happy. :)

Great Costco finds

There are some surprising deals for healthy eaters at Costco. One such gem is the veggie patties from Don Lee Farms. They are some of the best veggie burgers around, in my opinion. Especially when barbecued.
I've also spotted agave nectar at Costco for cheaper than other groceries.
They have good deals on soy or almond milk and of course produce. So stop on by, you never know what goodies you might find.

Warm Lasagna on a Wintry Day

I made a trip to the 99cent only stores today. Here's my loot:
3 boxes of Hankeez facial tissue
3 packages of Mori-Nu tofu
1 package of frozen spinach
2 packages of mushrooms (button and crimini)
1 package of napkins
1 package of small sweet peppers
3 packages of gum
2 packages of pita bread
Total: $16.24

Not bad at all. I was excited to see they had a brand of tissues that is dedicated to sustainability. Just because I'm broke doesn't mean I don't care about certain causes, such as the environment. It seems that particular issues are synonymous with the stereotypical white bread wealthy suburbanite. Where do stereotypes come from anyway? Enough of my rant.... I am in the process of making a delicious vegan spinach lasagna from Mori Nu's recipes. Perfect for a chilly day!

FRESH SPINACH LASAGNA
Servings: 8

Ingredients
3 bunches fresh spinach, washed
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. lasagna pasta
1/2 cup chopped green onion
3 pkgs. Mori-Nu Silken Firm Tofu, drained and crumbled
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tsp. miso
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup grated soy-Parmesan cheese (optional)
1/4 cup grated soy-Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
Sauce:
About 26 oz. (1-1/2 to 2 cups) marinara sauce (homemade or bottled) with:
2 cups sliced mushrooms, sauteed in
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Method
Boil 4 qts. of water in a large pot. Blanch spinach for 1 min.; drain in colander. Stir 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 Tbsp. olive oil into water. Add pasta to water; boil for 10-12 mins. Drain and rinse pasta in cold water, lay pasta flat on cutting board. Saute onions in 2 Tbsp. olive oil for 1 min. Chop spinach and add to onions. Combine with remaining ingredients (except cheese) and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil small rectangular baking dish and spread 1/3 of prepared sauce over bottom. Lay strips of pasta so they cover the bottom and hang over sides of baking dish. Later fold pasta over top to seal in fillings. Spread 1/2 spinach filling; add another layer of pasta. Continue to add pasta, sauce, Parmesan, and filling, ending with pasta and covering with sauce. Sprinkle Monterey Jack and/or chopped fresh basil lightly on top if desired. Cover with foil and bake 20 mins. Remove foil and bake another 15 mins. Let the lasagna rest 15 mins.; cut and serve.

Nutritional Notes
Contains just 2.5g of saturated fat; 2g of fiber per serving.

Nutritional Facts
Calories: 308 Fat: 15g Carbohydrates: 28g
Sodium: 610mg Cholesterol:: 1.5mg Protein: 16g

Money making ideas

I'm out of ideas for making money. I've put my name out there for a house/baby/pet sitter and have had little to no luck. I've listed almost 30 books and dvds, mostly on amazon and have only sold five. I take surveys online for checks and collect cans and bottles to recycle for cash. What do you guys do for some extra bucks? I need all the advice I can get.

Good choice, bad choice.

My first class of the day today was canceled and I had a test in my second. I decided to hang around the coffee shop (typical college student style) and study, sipping a medium soy hazelnut latte. This set me back a whopping $4 and something odd cents. For one drink. This was a bad decision. I really don't even like coffee all that much and I probably didn't really need it to stay awake. After I took the test, (Which I think I aced, if I can say so.) I realized I forgot my lunch. Doh! So, I rushed to the cafeteria and picked up a veggie burger, fries and an iced tea. Which cost me.... only slightly more than my latte. I should have saved myself the $$ and skipped the coffee. *Second face-palm of the day* Oh well, you live, you learn.

Exhausted from the long, fun 3-day weekend

Lunch today is pasta salad with whole wheat pasta, salad dressing and green peas. Snacks are soy milk and enjoy life cookies* and applesauce.**

* I got these on sale at Sprouts. If you happen to have one in your area, do check it out! Just a word to the wise, stick to the door busters and sales. Know what you want when you walk in and don't stray from the list. They count on the good deals getting people in the door to spend more than they intended.

**bought from the 99cent store. Depending on your area they vary on the items they carry. One time I found a jar of organic tahini! It was a month away from expiration, so I had to use it fast,but I was OK with that!

Book find

I just found a book that looks great! It's called "Vegan on the Cheap" and can be bought for less than $7 on Amazon. You can also preview the first chapter for FREE, so just follow the link. I haven't read this one yet, but it has good reviews.

Rainy day

My camera is a little on the fritz today, so I don't have a picture of what I'm eating for lunch. Instead, I thought I'd post a picture of what I'm wearing. It's a shirt that says "A compassionate world begins with you" It's promoting Farm Sanctuary and has a cow on it. Anyone who knows me knows I love cows!

Today, I am eating: a pb&j sandwich, fruit cup and cookies. The peanut butter is natural pb that I found on clearance and the strawberry jelly is an organic brand that's a decent price at Costco. If you don't have a Costco card (as I don't) you can try borrowing one from someone, because they do have a few good deals.

Packing for a park picnic

I love alliteration. I don't have an abundance of patience for small children however, so my picnic on a Saturday where every mother and her 20 heel-biters were out running and screaming didn't end up as enjoyable as I thought. Especially since my neurotic rescue Chihuahua isn't fond of young ones either. This made things double-stressful. At least the food was good.

Picnic includes: boca "chicken" sandwich, potato chips in my lovely apple print reusable snack bag (hand-made with love from my mom), ice tea, a blue cloth napkin.

Sub Sandwhich kind of day

After three times of running back to my class for my forgotten lunchbox, I've finally decided to do something. I'm going to clip my lunchbox to my backpack. Sure, I'll probably look like a dork, but no more so than interrupting the class after mine searching for my lost lunch containers under the desks. Today's yum-yums include: sub sandwich*, pretzels, kiwi and a Mrs. Mays snack bar.

*Sub Sandwich is made up of: whole wheat french bread, avocado, tomato, onion, lettuce, mustard and black olives. Normally I also include bell pepper slices, but I'm all out.

My attempt at health

In an attempt to eat healthier I am going to blog about the lunches I pack. Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm at college all day long, so this food spans meals and snacks. Today is pasta salad*, edamame with chopsticks and soy sauce for dipping, a tangerine, water, a granola bar and in the corner is a green tea latte made out of almond milk. The white piece of cloth with blue stars and spots is my own homemade napkin!

*pasta salad is made of whole wheat rotini, tomatoes, onion, black olives and salad dressing.