ugh. it’s pouring outside and my allergies are horrible. I woke up not being able to breathe at all and am still just laying in my bed with the tissue box next to me. Good thing I’m just sitting inside at work all day or this crappy weather would really make me sad.
Last night at school I made more danishes. I made snails (cinnamon sugar danishes), two type of cherry filled danishes, chocolate croissants and….instead of ham and cheese croissants, yours truly made the first veggie croissant! I filled the croissant with chopped bell peppers and onions and while I didn’t try it and don’t think it would taste that awesome anyway, at least I tried. My chef instructor thought that was humorous. I gave him a bite of my Think Organic bar I was snacking on while everyone else was eating their cheese and pepperoni croissants and he loved it. So there.
Veggies!
For breakfast this morning I fixed myself a big bowl of peanut butter granola. Mmm,mmm,mmm! Love this stuff. I had a cup of it with lite soy milk and a banana and was in peanut buttery heaven. Lunch is a little boring and packed but I will report back after work about it anyways. Have a good Thursday everyone!
Becca A
March 20, 2008 at 12:26 pmI love that you made a veggie croissant, I’m not a vegetarian but I would have picked that one over a greasy, meat and cheese one! All of your pastries look great!
hk
March 20, 2008 at 12:32 pmyour yellow bowl is so sunny and bright, I love those ones from anthropologie!! too cute! hope your allergies die down, those are the WORST! know how you feel…have a good day of work!
Sarah
March 20, 2008 at 12:55 pmThe croissants are adorable! Definitely agree…veggie version would be so much better then the ham and cheese…
Julie
March 20, 2008 at 1:16 pmI know ED’s are an annoying conversation topic for many on a food blog but I was hoping for some insight on this…I suffered from an ED throughout college. Went to school in NY and strangely enough everyone I knew had one including my roommate which just egged mine on. Anyway in law school I thought I had it under control and actually gained back 20 pounds putting me in a healthy weight range. The weight came on pretty fast because ofcourse i had been restricting. Well stress got in the way and I lost all of it again…I’m not going to disclose my weight but let’s just say it’s a few pounds lower than what would be considered healthy for my height (5’8″, small boned). I was not starving myself to maintain this weight (getting in 1800 to 2000 calories a day)…until now. I now find I have to eat very low quantities of food – I would say max 1400 calories to maintain this weight and it bothers me because I actually do love food. The problem is for some reason all of a sudden (for the past 2 months I would say) I have to force myself to eat anything above 1200 even with exercise. Take yesterday for example…I went to a vinyasa yoga class, sweat my balls off and then only had an appetite for a bowl of cereal, banana and milk and was really full. I literally forced myself to get out of bed and eat an english muffin with pb because I wanted to get up to atleast 1400ish calories after which I became uncomfortably full. This morning though I ended up weighing myself and had gone up a pound….it concerns me that my body just can’t handle more food and even when I try to force myself to eat I end up gaining. I don’t lack energy throughout the day or feel hungry at all with the 1200 calories. My runs are great and I am able to keep my energy during yoga classes as well. My question is should I stop forcing myself to eat more… I desperately want to be able to eat the same amount I was and maintain this weight. Sorry this was so long but I would love some advice. Thanks 🙂
Romina
March 20, 2008 at 1:19 pmI’m so sorry to hear about the weather! I hope it clears up sooner. =) Good for you for making a veggie croissant instead of ham and cheese one!
arimcg
March 20, 2008 at 1:39 pmmmm…chocolate croissants. You are a saint for not eating one of those.
Susan
March 20, 2008 at 1:47 pmAll your food looks so professional!
Sounds like a stupid question, but literally how do you stuff your wrap the other day and still roll it up. I pack lunch for school so wraps are easy to pack, but they never will close. Any technique/tips?
erica
March 20, 2008 at 2:05 pmthe pastries look incredible as does your breakfast. peanut butter granola = heavenly.
Romina
March 20, 2008 at 2:21 pmJulie – I have the same problem. I can’t seem to get to my calorie goal of 1300 calories a day and am way beyond full all day at only 1200 calories. Your metabolism may have slowed down because of your eating disorder, or you may be eating too much protein and fiber that are keeping you full.
Cara
March 20, 2008 at 2:21 pmCan I have a cherry danish? hahah. jk. My throat is too sore to eat anything real anyway. heh.
Peanut butter granola sounds amazing. Did you say you got that at whole foods?
caitlin (in FL)
March 20, 2008 at 2:25 pmjenna, the pollen in ORL is NUTS right now! my car is covered in yellow dust 🙂
happyherbivore
March 20, 2008 at 2:45 pmcherry turnovers might be my favorite “baked” food ever — and your photos make me wish there was a vegan bakery near by. I have an itch. I need my fix!
Meghan
March 20, 2008 at 3:09 pmYum yum yum, I think one of those pastries with a huge latte would be amazing! You’re so talented, Jenna!
Julie – Because you haven’t been eating enough calories, your body probably thinks it’s in a time of starvation, so what little food you are giving your body is being stored in order to help the body from breaking down muscle in order to thrive and survive. Upping your calories, while daunting, is the only way to fix this problem. At first your body might hold on to those extra calories, but once it realizes that it is going to keep getting enough fuel, everything will even out! I’ve experienced this first hand. I used to not eat enough (because of lack of love for the food in my college dining hall), but now that I eat between 1,600 and 2,400 calories a day, some days only running 1.5 miles, sometimes up to 6, and I’ve stayed at about 120 pounds at 5’8″ for a pretty long period of time. Given, I’m a college student in my 20’s and I’m not expecting to stay this weight forever, but I’ve always been slender so it’s really all about individuality. The moral of the story is that you really need to eat more! Depriving your body of food is one of the worst things you can do to your body, your health and even your sanity! Once your body realizes it doesn’t have to hold on to every little thing you eat, you’ll be able to eat WAY more without effecting your weight! Jenna is a great example of healthy, intuitive eating. If you find yourself “stuffed” after 1,200 calories then you need to stop eating foods with too much volume and instead focus on nutrient-dense foods such as dried fruits, nuts, granolas, and so on! Good luck!
Julie
March 20, 2008 at 3:24 pmMeghan,
Thank you so much for the response…what you said makes a lot of sense but I’m just wondering how long it takes for your body to stop holding onto every calorie. At this point I seem to be eating 1200 calories a day and getting in 40 minutes at the gym 3 times a week and doing Vinyasa/Bikram yoga 2 times a week but maintaining or even gaining on the days that I eat 1400ish calories. I even gain if I eat 1200 on the days I don’t work out. It’s annoying. What I’m trying to gauge is whether my metabolism will get back to a “normal” state after say a couple of months?
CR
March 20, 2008 at 3:28 pmI think ED questions should be directed to another blog or, better yet, a healthcare professional. I find it very disturbing to read comments discussing being uncomfortably full on 1200 calories a day. And I think it’s creating a very negative atmosphere.
Julie
March 20, 2008 at 3:29 pmBtw I agree this blog is an excellent example of intuitive eating. I couldn’t imagine eating the same amount though, not because it’s so high since I’m sure a lot of people that post eat the same or more, but because I don’t think my body could handle it. I’m so frustrated with my whole situation.
Betsy
March 20, 2008 at 3:29 pmwow-i love pain au chocolat. a rare treat for me, but a glorious one!
i am dreading late april early may…the pollen is just god-awful. i once came to work and someone took me aside and asked me if i was upset about something. it looked like I have been crying cause my eyes were all red and watery!!! hopefully it will be over soon. at least you have flowers!!! we still have bare branches and brownish grass.
Paige
March 20, 2008 at 3:39 pmJulie, Like CR, I can’t relate to anyone feeling uncomfortably full on 1200 calories a day, but I agree with Meghan that the body will hold on to calories when it feels it’s being deprived. To me, the goal should be to get healthy and if that means gaining a few pounds, even just until things level off, then so be it. Think of how much better life will be when you can eat more food but not gain weight because you’re giving your body what it needs to be healthy. And your brain, skin and hair will all function/look better! The fact that you seem so scared to gain one pound and are obviously feeling frustrated definitely signals to me that you should talk to a professional about your situation.
melissa-little runner
March 20, 2008 at 3:47 pmHi Julie,
I have thoughts and advice and eating disorders, if you are interested in my thoughts, please email me at thelittlerunnerthatcould@gmail.com I also highly recommend Geneen Roth’s articles (available on her website and good housekeeping’s website) for anyone trying to free themselves from food or weight obsession.
Best wishes, Melissa
Nadia
March 20, 2008 at 3:49 pmIf anyone is looking for a good vegetarian restaurant and lives near Port Jefferson, NY…you must MUST go to Tiger Lily Cafe. I was visiting a friend around there and we went out to dinner at Tiger Lily. Everything is vegetarian, mostly vegan and very reasonably priced. I had tofu cutlets for my appetizer and the falafel platter with the works for my entree (SO good) and my friend got one of their sandwiches which was fantastic as well. I’ve been to dozens of vegan restaurants in Manhattan but I still get so excited with a new find lol.
Kelly T.
March 20, 2008 at 3:50 pmWhat do you do with all the pastries when you are cooking them? Do they keep them at the school or do you just take your stuff home. I dont really ever see you eat them, so just curious.
Thats strange your allergies are acting up when its raining. That seems to be the only thing that slows mine down because all the pollen isnt floating through the air.
hope you feel better!
Becca A
March 20, 2008 at 3:53 pmThis has nothing to do with the breakfast post, but I just made the chocolate chocolate chip walnut cookies from Veganomicon (with a few substitutions) and wow…they are good…super chocolately almost brownie-ish cookies…made a huge mess, but well worth it…you should give them a try Jenna (and everybody else!)
Alyssa
March 20, 2008 at 4:05 pmJulie,
I have an ed and if you have any questions or need any support e-mail me at cutiechicky@hotmail.com . Hope I can help!
caitlin (in FL)
March 20, 2008 at 4:11 pmI completely agree with CR. People’s opinions or personal experiences should not serve as a substitute for professional medical advice and therapy.
Alyssa
March 20, 2008 at 4:22 pmcaitlin (in FL),
I also agree, but there is a difference between professional medical advice/therapy and support from peers/those who have gone through such an experience. In no way am I offering my advice as a substitute for professional treatment 🙂
Lisa
March 20, 2008 at 4:46 pmSusan…I make veggie wraps a lot for lunch and take them to work. I have been using a rubber band to keep my wrap rolled up and I also put it in a ziploc bag. I just take the rubber band off when I’m about to eat lunch and it pretty much just stays like that. I’m sure there is a better way but that’s all I could think of! You might want to rinse off the rubber band b4 you use it…it’s up to you ( i didn’t but it might be a little less rubbery smelling)
LT
March 20, 2008 at 4:54 pmohhh mannn…Ham & Cheese Croissanwich from Burger King used to be my FAVORITE “treat” when I was in elementary school!!
LT
March 20, 2008 at 4:55 pmoh and Susan…I cut my wraps in half and seal each half with a toothpick
Ellie
March 20, 2008 at 5:14 pmI’m sorry to hear about your allergies. That’s the definite downside of spring.
And I think the veggie croissant actually looks pretty tasty!
Nadia
March 20, 2008 at 5:27 pmanyone know how long almond butter can be kept in the fridge? I didn’t really care for the taste so have been using it sparingly for the last month or so. Not sure if I should just toss it.
Paula
March 20, 2008 at 7:00 pmJenna,
This morning I tried your Swiss Oats. I was so hesitant because I thought it wouldn’t fill me up like my favorite oatmeal breakfast. I also didn’t know how good it would taste… anyway, I’m IN LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so good – so creamy, sweet, but not overly, and so FILLING! It lasted me a nice long time and I felt super satisfied. Even though I still love hot oatmeal and will eat it year-round, I think that this is going to be an esspecially great breakfast during the much warmer months.
Anyway, just thought I’d share my appreciation for your recipe and to you for sharing it with us! Thanks!
Have a good one, everyone!
Jill
March 20, 2008 at 7:14 pmI want the veggie one! Btw, your pastries look much more professional than the ones I saw in a french (al beit in LA) cafe yesterday! They are beautiful!
VeggieGirl
March 20, 2008 at 7:18 pmThe snails! The croissants! The danishes! Everything looks scrumptious, Jenna – bravo on baking gorgeous batches of treats, yet again! :0)
Ahh, I do hope that your allergies clear up soon! As SOON as I got to NYC this morning, my sinuses cleared – can you believe it?!?!?! Leave Florida and come to NYC to get rid of your allergies! :0D
Hope work is going well for you today – enjoy your Thursday!
Serena
March 20, 2008 at 7:26 pmLisa, your rubberband idea is genius! Thanks for sharing that!
Nadia, it’s funny you asked about the almond butter. I had freshly ground almond butter (from the machines at Whole Foods – just almonds and nothing else) in the fridge for a couple of weeks and I started to notice the taste was a little different from when I first bought it. I tossed it to be safe, but I have had jars of almond butter in the fridge for over a month and they’ve been perfectly fine!
M.E.
March 20, 2008 at 7:50 pmHey Jenna I was wondering if the brussel sprouts you normally have for dinner are fresh or frozen? I love fresh brussel sprouts but have been a little hesitant to try the prepackaged frozen ones. Thanks hope you are feeling better!
jenna
March 20, 2008 at 8:29 pmM.E.
The brussels sprouts i buy are always fresh. I haven’t really had any good experiences with frozen ones! They tend to get soggy on me and fresh just tastes better i think!
Kelly T,
Luckily I work at a place where they LOVE food (aka a restaurant) and I bring all my food in with me to work or I give it away at school. You’re right..you don’t see me eating everything because i don’t like to eat a lot of animal products or 2 pounds of saturated fat (butter in the croissants!) but I LOVE to make people’s day by handing them a chocolate croissant!! And it never goes to waste! 🙂
babycakes
March 20, 2008 at 9:36 pmI love that you stepped up, took a risk, and made the only veggie croissant! Everything came out beautifully as usual. Feel better! 🙂