Dessert/ Dinner

Yikes

Yesterday was my birthday but today just really wasn’t my day. Guess when its over its over! So far, I have locked my keys in the car, missed spinning, spilled beet juice all over my brand new white shorts and sobbed halfway through Marley & Me. The last one isn’t really “bad”, it just seems that since the accident I have been WAY more emotional than lately and sob my way through every movie I watch. Nights in Rodanthe was a killer! 🙁

Anyways, back to the food! I actually made a killer juice combo using half a lemon, ginger, beet, apple, celery and carrot:

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And then I TOTALLY ruined it by adding wheatgrass. (speaking of GREENS, check out my latest article for True/Slant!)

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I thought it might be an interesting twist but it was bad, bad, BAD. So bad I couldn’t drink the juice and threw it all away after dropping it all over my new Express shorts. C’est la vie!

OxyClean, my old lover from my culinary school days, quickly came to my rescue and alas, the stain did come out after a three hour soak and cycle in the wash. This stuff works miracles, people!

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I then consoled myself with a homemade granola bar straight from the freezer. Now THIS was good!

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And then since Ryan is fishing I enjoyed a lovely little dinner on my own. It felt good to relieve some stress in the kitchen and I put together a killer quinoa bowl!

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The bowl included:

  • 1/4 cup quinoa cooked in 3/4 cup water + pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup kidney beans
  • sliced & sauteed mushrooms
  • 2 sundried tomatoes, chopped
  • few kalamata olives, sliced
  • 2 globs of HOMEMADE babaganoush!
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Yes, I did say homemade babaganoush! I used the eggplant my mom bought me from the market and the recipe from The Black Dog Summer on the Vineyard Cookbook, my favorite!! I’ve never made babaganoush before but it was soooo simple. I just roasted the eggplant for 30 minutes and then threw it in the VitaMix with roasted garlic (roasted along with eggplant for half the time), a tbsp of olive oil, a little tahini, spices, lemon juice and greek yogurt. It came out so smooth and creamy—a nice break from hummus!

And then there was dessert.

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Elizabeth, nicknamed “Lizard”, is the sweet bartender at Fleming’s. When I arrived last night she presented me with this wonderful Wright’s cupcake for me, all wrapped up, because apparently everyone at Fleming’s reads the blog and they all have come to the consensus that “I just eat WAY too healthy!” It also was found out that Lizard’s husband was the amazing detective on my brother’s case six weeks ago. I honestly almost tear up when I think about how amazing he was in the whole tragedy. He stayed all night long with us in the hospital then came 45 minutes out of his way the next day just to sit with my mom after she got home from the airport. Funny how life puts people together, isn’t it?
So, yes, Lizard and everyone else—I don’t eat healthy ALL the time and I thoroughly enjoyed every last crumb of this sinfully rich chocolate cupcake. The top was a little smooshed from the container but it still tasted heavenly nevertheless. I loved it but might be a little dessert-ed out after tomorrow night when my mom is serving my birthday cake—a vegan carrot walnut ginger cake!!!! WOOHOO! What am I saying? I could eat cake every day and be a very happy lady.
Onward with Marley & Me! I better get the kleenex ready for the ending!!
June 12, 2009 By
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  • Anna
    June 12, 2009 at 8:42 pm

    Yikes, indeed! Well at least you had some killer eats today! That homemade baba looks incredible.

  • Jenny
    June 12, 2009 at 8:46 pm

    sorry about your rough day but it looks like your food was definitely redeeming =)

  • Simone
    June 12, 2009 at 8:52 pm

    All i have to say is right when I was reading that you spilled your juice on your shorts, I spilled the blueberry yogurt I was eating on my shirt. At that moment, all I could do was laugh because lets face it, it was more than coincidental and kind of comical that I read you spilled just as I spilled :). At least it made my spill not as frustrating (so thank you for that!!). Back to the laundry room it is for me I guess.

  • Nicole
    June 12, 2009 at 8:55 pm

    I’m sorry your day wasn’t so great! I hope the rest of the night is better. Marley and Me is such a heart-warming and sad movie..I cried so much during it!

    I’m jealous of the cake your mom is making!!

  • Rebeca
    June 12, 2009 at 8:57 pm

    Sorry you had such a rough day!
    Yay for Oxyclean- saves my clumsy self from having to buy new clothes every other week, haha
    Just think… if today was crappy, that just means that tomorrow doesn’t have to work as hard to be a better day!

  • Marcia
    June 12, 2009 at 9:10 pm

    Yum, boy does that look good! Most of my favorite stuff in one place! I love babaganoush. I love eggplant. Don’t cook it very often because we don’t get it from the CSA so much.

    Sorry your birthday wasn’t great. It was my sister’s birthday yesterday too. Hopefully your “birthday week” shapes up to be a good one.

  • brandi
    June 12, 2009 at 9:12 pm

    that cupcake looks amazing!

    tomorrow is a new day, and it definitely could have been worse! I’m glad you got the juice stain out of your shorts!

  • Meghan@traveleatlove
    June 12, 2009 at 9:25 pm

    I could not watch the end of Marley & Me! I was hysterical and had to leave the room.
    Birthday season has only just begun, by the way. My closest friends and I live pretty far apart, so we grant a whole season of celebrating, whenever we get around to it. 🙂

  • Katherine
    June 12, 2009 at 9:33 pm

    Oh boy, you’ll definitely need tissues, but it’s a VERY sweet story. I hope tomorrow is better than today was!

  • april
    June 12, 2009 at 9:47 pm

    Glad you enjoyed the cupcake! I am going to try making that eggplant dip it looks yummy!

  • Emily L.
    June 12, 2009 at 10:15 pm

    You, my dear, need an uplifting movie. Try Mulan (although it still makes cry).

  • elliebelle
    June 12, 2009 at 10:16 pm

    Oh yeah, Marley and Me sure gets the waterworks going! Too bad about your juice. I made a green monster yesterday and put in a wonderfully juicy mango and I couldn’t taste it at all! Dang, I should have eaten it plain. I suppose you have those things happen when you mix stuff up and it just isn’t how you imagined. Have a good night!

  • Shannon, The Healthy Beach Bum
    June 12, 2009 at 10:22 pm

    lovin those homemade energy bars <3 the cupcake sounds delish! They are all just jealous of your yummy eats 🙂

  • Kristen
    June 12, 2009 at 10:24 pm

    Oh man, on first glance I totally thought that quinoa bowl was a brownie concoction with caramel-drizzled vanilla ice cream…haha 😛

  • Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope
    June 12, 2009 at 10:25 pm

    Aww, I’m so sorry that things haven’t been going your way today. It’s probably just one of those days. Try to bear through the rest of your night and hopefully things will look a lot brighter for you tomorrow! 🙂

    I loved Marley & Me! Such a cute movie. Yup, definitely need the tissues for that one!

  • Amanda (My Summerizations)
    June 12, 2009 at 10:25 pm

    That cupcake looks soooo good! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂

  • Adi (oatonomy.com)
    June 12, 2009 at 10:34 pm

    I bawled in that movie too! It’s actually the only movie that’s made me cry — I’m definitely a dog lover. 🙂 I hope you still like it!

  • Victoria
    June 12, 2009 at 10:55 pm

    I’m sorry it’s been such a junky day! At least when you wake up tomorrow it’ll be a brand new one. Enjoy your weekend!

  • Emily (Healthy Fit Mama)
    June 12, 2009 at 10:55 pm

    Marley & Me is such a tearjerker! A great movie though.

  • Joelle (Chasing Pavements)
    June 12, 2009 at 10:57 pm

    OOOH that cupcake looks divine! Sorry about your bad day!

    What a coincidence, I made quinoa tonight too- So good!

  • Jocelyn
    June 12, 2009 at 11:00 pm

    Oh man..I agree with you on nights in rodanthe..I sobbbbbed…at the end of that movie 🙁

    that cupcake looks divine..and your bday cake sounds amazingggggg..enjoy it!

  • Tammy (Defining Wellness)
    June 12, 2009 at 11:01 pm

    Sorry you had a rough day, Jenna! But don’t feel bad about Marley and Me. Me, my husband, and my 33-year ALL cried during that movie. Afterwards, my brother declared, “Ok, that was good. Now I never want to see it again.” LOL. I agreed completely. It’s one of those movies to turn off after the scene when Marley poops on the beach. That’s a good spot for the ending! And wow, that is amazing how life brings people together! Hey, I never even knew what a blog was until yours, and now I’m an addict! 🙂 Blogs were brought into my life for a reason!

  • RunningBetty
    June 12, 2009 at 11:04 pm

    Karma, baby!

  • jenna
    June 12, 2009 at 11:21 pm

    yum your quinoa looks great!! So does that cupcake!! amazing!! I hope tomorrow is a much better day for you!!

  • Amanda
    June 12, 2009 at 11:52 pm

    I hope that your first day at age 24 is the roughest of them all! It’s all downhill 🙂

    I don’t everrrrr cry at movies and I bawled at Marley and me. No worries for letting your emotions out during movies – we’ve all gotta get it out sometime!

  • Maria
    June 13, 2009 at 12:01 am

    Sorry to hear your day isn’t going to well! Wow, I didn’t think the beet juice would come off, that oxy clean stuff must be as amazing as the infomercial says it is. That quinoa dish looks fantastic, and I must try making babaganoush too.

    Mmmm, that cupcake must have been divine. Isn’t Marley and Me a sweet movie? Hope you enjoy the rest of it!

  • elliQQ
    June 13, 2009 at 12:11 am

    Dear Jenna .. I came for the Chocolate Cake (thanks to SparkPeople’s directions) then saw your Chicken Enchiladas, then read your latest Blog (LOL) … I hated ‘Marley and Me’ ~ must have gone thru a half a big box of Kleenx !! You are well on your way (Life gets Hairy!). You did the Best that anyone can do … you shared it, and Laughed about it ! Sooo, Happy Birthday and Many Many More. L

  • Sarah (LovIN My Tummy)
    June 13, 2009 at 2:55 am

    I think the tears and cupcakes are warranted and perhaps even needed. I know I need a cupcake now!

    I hope tomorrow is better!

  • Lacey
    June 13, 2009 at 4:02 am

    Wrights cakes are the best!
    Oxyclean is great stuff but I am still suprised that it took the beet juice out of your shorts.
    I keep my granola bars in the freezer too it makes the extra good!

  • Maya
    June 13, 2009 at 6:19 am

    That quinoa baba ganoush bowl looks amazing, I love throwing random delicious things in a bowl.

  • Debbie (Green Apple A Day)
    June 13, 2009 at 7:25 am

    I totally hear you about being emotional. I saw the movie UP the other day, and I was crying like a baby. It was a great movie!

    On a food note, I love quinoa. I have never made it at home. Maybe I will try your recipe later this week.

  • Katrina (gluten free gidget)
    June 13, 2009 at 7:48 am

    Wow the babaganoush and quinoa bowl look out of this world A-MAZING!
    Speaking of A-MAZING the cake your mom is making… no words!
    It’s funny how small the world is. Lizard’s husband… that is so crazy and amazing at the same time.

  • Island Girl Eats
    June 13, 2009 at 8:55 am

    I refuse to watch Marley and Me. We lost our cat after 11 years in November last year. I can’t possibly bring myself to watch that movie, it would be too upsetting for me.
    Good news that you were able to get that stain out. Talk about Oxy Clean to the rescue!

  • Jenni
    June 13, 2009 at 12:10 pm

    Marley & Me…I didn’t STOP crying for about 10 or 15 minutes after it ended! 🙂

  • Natalie M.
    June 13, 2009 at 3:53 pm

    Jenna,

    When I turned 24 that’s also the time that I became more emotional and hormonal and I began to cry a lot easier than I used to… I think its just a way of growing. You become more in tune with your surroundings, your feelings, and sometimes when you express it.. its a tad overwhelming.

    Being emotional is nothing to be ashamed of.. embrace the changes… every year will only become better and you’ll become a much stronger person because of you being in touch with your feelings 😉

    Trust me.. I’m 30.. life only gets better.

  • Marcia
    June 13, 2009 at 8:44 pm

    Natalie is right…life only gets better. My 20’s were fun (well, except for getting fat), the 30’s are awesome!! and the 40’s…well, let you know next year.