My Lunch, Let Me Show You It Again

Yesterday's Lunch: Ranch pasta salad, grape tomatoes, chocolate Teddy Grahams, blood oranges, and strawberries.

I think I've decided that pasta is way more satisfying than rice and tofu... so, I'll have to find a way to make it a bit healthier. Whole grain pasta and black beans, perhaps?

My lunch the day before consisted of brown rice and ginger-peach tofu... using a glaze I just sort of made up using peach preserves, minced ginger, rice wine vinegar, and agave nectar. It was pretty good... but, it just didn't hit the spot like this pasta salad did.

Not even an exclamation point?

Greatest. Cake. Ever.

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And while I have the camera phone attached...

To the Bat Cake!

101 Things in 1001 Days

This is my list of 101 things I would like to accomplish in 1001 days.

Start date: April 4th, 2009 (The week of my 24th birthday.)
End date: December 31st, 2011

For each goal I do not complete, I will donate one dollar to an organization to be determined after the end date.

Travel
Eight out of the ten of these are in my home state of Michigan. Some were taken from 1000 Places in the USA and Canada to See Before You Die, and some are places "just around the corner" that I've never gotten around to visiting. I've already been to the MichRenFest, but would like to go again. I've been to Matthaei Botanical Gardens several times, but have never been in the conservatory.

001. Boston
002. Detroit Institute of Art
003. Frankenmuth
004. Frederick Meijer Gardens
005. Go camping
006. Hands-On Museum
007. Matthaei Botanical Gardens
008. Renegade Craft Fair Chicago
009. Michigan Renaissance Festival
010. Spend a day at the beach

Books
011. A Dorothy Parker collection
012. Ariel - Sylvia Plath
013. Emma - Jane Austen
014. In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
015. Nine Stories - J.D. Salinger
016. Lamb - Christopher Moore
017. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
018. On the Road - Jack Kerowac
019. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
020. The Crucible - Arthur Miller

Food
021. Eat curry
022. Eat naan
023. Eat Teese
024. Eat ToFurkey
025. Eat vegan marshmallows
026. Have a picnic
027. Have Afternoon Tea at a tea house
028. Have Afternoon Tea at home (5x)
029. Make biscotti
030. Make chili
031. Make doughnuts
032. Make five kinds of smoothies
033. Make fudge
034. Make homemade veggie burgers
035. Make hummingbird cake
036. Make ice cream
037. Make jam
038. Make marshmallows
039. Make popcorn balls
040. Make pot pies
041. Make salsa
042. Make shepherd's pie
043. Make sorbet
044. Make sweet potato gnocchi
045. Make three kinds of soup

Movies
This list was compiled using AFI's Top 100, various message boards and blogs... and, as always, references made on Gilmore Girls.

046. Annie Hall
047. Casablanca
048. Fiddler on the Roof
049. Flashdance
050. Grey Gardens**
051. Harvey
052. It Happened One Night
053. March of the Penguins
054. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
055. Mulholland Drive
056. Newsies
057. Paris When it Sizzles
058. Rebel Without a Cause
059. Rent
060. Rocky Horror Picture Show
061. Rosemary's Baby
062. Some Like It Hot
063. Sophie's Choice
064. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
065. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
066. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
067. The Omen
068. This is Spinal Tap
069. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
070. When Harry Met Sally…

Hobbies/Freetime
071. Have postcards printed
072. Reach 100 sent postcards on Postcrossing
073. Reach 50 swaps on Swap-bot
074. Host 5 swaps on Swap-bot
075. Complete a sewing project
076. Complete a crochet project
077. Make candles
078. Make soap
079. Make bath bombs
080. Participate in NaBloPoMo 2009
081. Participate in NaBloPoMo 2010
082. Participate in NaBloPoMo 2011
083. Learn to read tea leaves
084. Take a yoga class
085. Volunteer at the Humane Society
086. Own a Blythe doll

Money/Work
087. Complete Baking and Pastry Arts certificate
088. Save $1000
089. Get a higher-paying job
090. Take a Wilton cake decorating course
091. Sell something (on Etsy or at the Farmer's Market)

Home
092. Organize kitchen cabinets
093. Paint apartment
094. Organize most-used recipes
095. Grow 5 plants on the balcony
096. Have 5 houseplants
097. Buy more display shelving
098. Set up recycling bins
099. Set up wireless printer
100. Buy new bed
101. Buy new bookshelves

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**As a disclaimer, this was added to the list long before I knew about the Drew Barrymore remake. I just wanted you to know.

My Lunch, Let Me Show You It

Clockwise from top left: Garden rice with fried tofu, red grapes, plum sauce, snow peas, fresh diced peaches and blueberries.

I haven't packed my lunch with any regularity since elementary school. I tried for a bit at JCC, as I was newly vegetarian and afraid of the cafeteria, but it didn't stick.

My lunches at work went from nearly non-existent (granola bars and fruit snacks) to needlessly expensive (frozen Amy's entrees) to absolute garbage (vending machine fare.)

I bought myself Vegan Lunch Box nearly a year ago in hopes of taking a healthy lunch to work, but I've just never had the ambition. Then, a few weeks ago, I stumbled across the Laptop Lunch box at Whole Foods in the same week that I spotted some super-cute bento accessories and bento-themed stationary in a shop downtown. I've finally been bitten by the Bento Bug.

Today's lunch isn't particularly inspiring, I admit. I was rushing through the store last night after seeing Watchmen, trying to get home in time for The Office... I didn't have any real gameplan.

The rice and tofu are both pre-packaged, and rather bland. I stole a packet of soy sauce from the sushi counter, which made it a bit better. (Plus, as a habitual dipper... every bite of tofu was equally coated in plum sauce. Yummy.)

I was really craving some sort of sweet carb-y goodness, so I'll have to make cookies or something to bring in the future. I wish I would have packed the leftover biscuits from yesterday... but, I was afraid they'd be smashed to dust.

The only issue I have with the Laptop Lunch box is that there are no lids for the medium-sized cups. I'd like to pack vanilla yogurt with granola or something. I think I'll just have to buy a cutesy container of some sort.

All in all, a good first run.

Biscuits and Vegan Clotted Cream

Baking powder biscuits** with raspberry jam and vegan "clotted cream" from VeganYumYum.

Like Lolo, I've never had clotted cream... so, I really have no idea how this compares to the real thing. I just had some leftover 'Better Than Cream Cheese' and thought I'd give it a shot. It wasn't bad, but not something I'd go to any effort to make again. I've just never been overly fond of creamy toppings.

In other news... I just bought myself a Laptop Lunch box, of Vegan Lunch Box fame. I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I'm still excited. Hopefully, I'll load it up and take pictures soon. Until then, check out the previews of Vegan Lunch Box Around the World on Flickr.

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** Veganized with soy milk and Earth Balance. I don't know if that really needs clarifying, but... yeah.

Sometimes I hate having to add "veggie" and "soy" to every food product I mention, but I know some people would jump all over it if I didn't. Minds are blown when I say I'm going to go get a burger or a taco... yet, adding the prefix "vegan" or "veggie" seems superfluous and kind of ass-y.

C'est la Vie.