I hate (strong word, I know) the feeling that sneaks up on me on the last day of vacation. I mean, everything is going great, and then BAM! It hits me. Back to reality. I’m going to have to start making my bed again. Geez.
I can tell I’m ready for my own cooking again, though! That’s a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, now isn’t it? Actually, a cloudy COLD day. (I’m more than a little bit disappointed to see that white stuff on the ground.)
Breakfast in beautiful Lafayette was dreadfully uninspired. Quinoa oatmeal with almonds, of which I only ate half, and a soy latte. I was kind of saving my appetite for lunch…
Unfortunately, lunch didn’t pan out as planned. (Seems to be a reoccurring theme for this vacation, doesn’t it?) We were hoping to stop in at The Chicago Diner, which just happens to be on the list of the top 21 vegan restaurants in the United States. But, as luck would have it, traffic was not horrendous in Chicago, and we made it all the way through by 11:00. I was definitely not hungry. Plus, in all honesty, we had eaten there last summer, and while it was good, it was not mind blowing good. Maybe it’s just what I ordered. I don’t know. Someday I will have to reevaluate. But not today.
Anyway, I did have a backup plan. Yep, you knew it. Whole Foods in Milwaukee, here we come! I love their hot/cold food bar. Have I mentioned that before? Plus, I was able to get some of the grocery shopping out of the way. You just can’t beat their fresh produce!
I feasted on kale, marinated mushrooms, curry cauliflower, veggie tabbouleh, wheat berry salad, and a couple of pieces of tofu. And for dessert? …my favorite cake EVER, which, BTW, just happens to be from The Chicago Diner! Cookies and Cream Cake! Should I ever end up on death row, this will be my last meal.
The ingredient list is a little bit scary for me, (you know I’m not a fan of processed foods), but this is a special treat, not a weekly occurrence. Or at least that’s what I always tell myself, as I’m ripping open the container. I managed to polish off half before closing the lid and calling it a day.
Now that I’m home, I can’t wait to start “making” in the kitchen! You better believe in the next 24 hours I will be whipping up the following:
1. ginger tea
2. roasted veggies with dry fried tofu and turmeric tahini sauce
3. chia seed oatmeal (With nut butter…I missed almond butter. And cashew butter. And sunbutter!)
4. chia seed jam (This will be joining the nut butter on my oatmeal!)
5. banana ice cream shakes-I’m thinking it’s March, so it’s still Shamrock Shake season
And if I’m feeling extra adventuresome, I’ll be attempting that hemp milk latte with turmeric.
