The Food Edition

listing a few items I made in my very small kitchen this week

My plan for the weekend was to finish an essay about Russia / Stranger Things, but that will have to wait (I need to actually sit down and do that soon). Instead, I decided to write about the things I cooked / baked this week.

On Saturday, I went to bed thinking about how excited I was to grocery shop on Sunday. I love grocery shopping and like making my own food even more. After three meals out (dinner on Thursday, breakfast on Friday, and dinner on Friday) I was beyond ready to be back in the kitchen.

This was what my grocery list looked like before I went:

turkey burgers

ground beef

flour

greek yogurt

cottage cheese

eggs

egg whites

sweet potato

avocado

brown rice

cucumbers

peppers

chicken meatballs

chocolate chips

oats

feta

Oat flour ??

Cereal

Dressing of some kind

gelatin if they have…

And I surprisingly stuck to it!! The additional items I got were: a sumo orange, which I have never had before, but I wanted to try after seeing all the hype on social media, and tuna & onions to make tuna salad, which is my favorite part about working from home (having the freedom to eat tuna without shame). I ended up NOT getting oat flour (TJ’s did not have), cereal (we have it in the office), and gelatin (TJ’s did not have that either). Otherwise, I hit everything on the list. Pretty successful trip. To level set, my total was $97.58, which honestly was shocking considering I got two packs of ground beef and chicken and turkey burgers? I was pleasantly surprised it was under $100. Also — I think I have to call it out — but I don’t calorie count or protein count (to a certain extent). Yes, I am cognizant of calories / protein, probably more than the average person, but I don’t count in a notebook or with an app — I loosely try and hit my weight in grams of protein (~150g per day) WHICH is really hard. But I like to think I get close! Also I focus on calories per grams of protein — for example, I would choose a 130 calorie snack over a 220 calorie snack if they both have the same amount of protein (this feels like a no brainer). All in all, I think energy and body feel is the most important. I try and make things with whole ingredients when I can because that is what has made my mind and body work and feel the best.

Anywho, to get to the point — I love making things from scratch. So here is a list of a few of the creations I made this week (with recipes and or links to the recipes I used):

1. Homemade Bobo’s Oat Bites: Thank you Brett’s Bites for influencing me into trying bobos before my runs! They have literally changed the game because they are the perfect weight for a pre-run snack and also sooo tasty. But, as I was eating them, I decided that I could 100% make these from scratch. They’re just oats with filling! So that I did dear reader, that I did. And it was beyond easy! As a quick call back to my first post…I did use my food processor. I amended the recipe slightly and instead of using almond butter, I just used more coconut oil. To be honest, I don’t like nut butter in my recipes and I feel like a lot of these quote-unquote healthy recipes use nut butters as a thickener / combining agent but is it wrong to say they normally overpower the recipe? Sue me big nut! Here is the recipe I used: https://saltedplains.com/oat-bites

   

   ugh realizing now I forgot to take a pic once they were done, but this is what they looked like pre oven & pre top dough (the raspberries sit in the center of the muffin-like structure). I added blueberries to the last one that is unfilled in this pic. YUM!

2. Egg Bites: This is my go-to breakfast, and I meal prepped it this week, which is new for me. I normally try and rush these during the few minutes between my workout and leaving for work, and as a result I often find myself standing in the kitchen with coat and backpack staring at the oven so that I can throw them in my backpack and hit the road. Although I doubt we will be in the office on Monday (due to the winter storm of course), it still is nice to have food prepared in advance. The ingredients are simple, egg whites, spinach & feta, peppers & feta, etc., seasonings, cottage cheese if you so desire…go wild. I wish I had ham to go full western-omelet style, but alas…country girls make do. Maybe next time.

   

   you might say, what an unappetizing picture olivia, to which I would reply, yes, you’re right unfortunately, but I have integrity & a duty to my 3 subscribers

3. Chickpea Sweet Hummus: Now THIS is a staple dessert in my household. I am simply obsessed okay. But my bold take of the week — this isn’t a cookie dough dupe? I think that that wording is misleading and leads to disappointment. Like, lets call it what it is, this is a sweet hummus. Sweet hummus exists. And its okay! It won’t be for everyone but those who get it will continue to get it. So anyway. Again this is a huge food processor recipe. Here is the recipe I used: https://frommybowl.com/chickpea-cookie-dough/ (substituted nut butter for coconut oil)

4. Sourdough (!!!): Okay so I might be jumping the gun by writing this before I have successfully made sourdough, but my starter is in good shape (knock on wood) and I am hoping to make sourdough on Wednesday evening. Phew. It is honestly a really intense process and more difficult than I would have thought, but definitely a test of patience. Keep me in your prayers as my sourdough reaches its peak sometime tomorrow.

   

   ugh this was like day 3 of my starter wow it was so cute and baby. now it has grown a lot. I promise it also has bubbles and there is activity this was just immediately after feeding it. also fun fact the kit I got was in Italian so I have kind of just been winging it

5. Carrot Express DUPE Bowl: Those who work in Midtown are probably familiar with the insane concept of Carrot Express. I think (emphasis on think because it is kind of unclear) that their whole MO is no seed oils, no fake stuff, but they definitely emphasize it less than Springbone (another Midtown staple), and instead try and sell a lifestyle. I like one meal from Carrot Express — the healthy burger bowl. Ah yes, the $27 turkey burger, rice, avocado meal has become a part of my weekly rotation. Sob. So obviously I started making it at home because those are GENUINELY the only ingredients. Literally I think a 5 year old could make this and it costs $27 somehow.

   

   

   ok my burger bowl is on top and the carrot express one is on the bottom (obviously) but genuinely come on. I know mine doesnt look that appetizing in the photo (turkey doesn’t photograph well) but like take it from me as someone who eats either version of this meal like once a day that they taste exactly the same (mine even includes feta). thanks

6. Butter: Okay before you gasp, butter is easy to make. SURPRISINGLY easy. My boyfriend and I love to make vodka sauce (also easier than you’d think) and we always have heavy cream left over. So I have been just throwing it in a Tupperware and shaking it. Literally just vigorously shaking it — for like 20 minutes. It is a grueling arm workout but it works so well. So once a week I have been making butter for my sweet potatoes & hopefully for my sourdough, and it really makes me smile. I’ve made salted butter, salt & pepper butter, hot honey with pepper flakes, etc. My next week plan is to make a sweet butter (adding cinnamon & sugar). See below for homemade butter & garlic oil that I made in a sur la table cooking class two weeks ago!

My next project is to make collagen marshmallows for my coffee (should be easy I’ve heard), blueberry cottage cheese muffins (a pre-run staple snack that I use in rotation with the Bobos) and finally, successfully make sourdough (which I will never shut up about once I do).

Until next time…