The next morning, combine 1 frozen banana, 1 tsp cocoa powder, and ginger to taste in a food processor.

 Layer in a glass or bowl.  Top with whatever you fancy! I topped mine with dried cranberries and a scoop of Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter.

 Soup is quickly turning into my go-to, even when I’m not having a flareup! I am seriously loving that Baxter’s French Onion Soup.  On the side: asparagus, kale, and an English Muffin Pizza! These are one of my favorite things to eat.  However, I used a lactose-free ‘cheeze’ i hadn’t used before and oh boy.  It became a solid mess on top and creamy on the bottom.  It tasted good, but the top reminded me of processed maple syrup at a diner: all right in a pinch, but nothing like the real thing.

 For dessert, I baked a Honeycrisp apple for about 20 minutes.  Inside? Some Smart Balance, a bit of apple butter, and a ton of cinnamon and stevia.  It came out delicious, if a bit hard still.  Nothing a little bit of frozen yogurt can’t fix.

 I used a Crispin apple for my next adventure in sandwich-making…this is a Flatout wrap stuffed with 1/2 a Crispin, 1 tablespoon Trader Joe’s Flaxseed Peanut Butter, 1 tbsp raisins, and 1 tbsp glazed walnuts.  That was the finishing touch that put this thing over the edge.

 On the side, the rest of the Crispin dipped with a Fage yogurt smothered in cinnamon.

 Post-run, pre-yoga snack was an AWESOME protein shake.  I mixed a cup of coconut milk with 1 scoop protein powder, 1 tsp Hershey syrup, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, stevia, and pumpkin pie spice.  Absolutely awesome, although I wish I’d put it in the blender.

 After yoga I was STARVING.  My mom had made a huge batch of her truly amazing Pasta e Fagiole.  (I cannot give out the recipe, she would murder me)

 I enjoyed a big bowl (with several re-dips of my spoon into the pot) along with an endpiece of Pepperidge Farms Honey Oat bread, toasted and slathered with Marmite and Smart Balance.

 I am addicted to the Swiss Miss Diet Cocoa packs.  I use two.  Shh.

 This morning I used some more of that fabulous TJ’s peanut butter in my oatmeal.  I combined half a Crispin with Scottish oats, an egg white, and flax meal and stirred it all up until it got hot and puffy.  I then topped it with raisins, the PB, apple cinnamon jelly, and a bit of maple syrup.

 It was FREEZING today in CT, so soup once again was on my mind.  This is my old fave: V8 Butternut Squash.  Absolutely awesome, and made even better with cinnamon and curry powder thrown in!

 The main event? A goat cheese and pear sandwich.  With the rest of the pear on the side.  Waste not.

 This afternoon I ate several handfuls of grapes while I studied, and I also made Mama Pea’s Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte, but decaf and with only 1/2 cup of almond milk as I didn’t want to use up the rest of it.  SO GOOD.  Too good.  I scarfed it down before taking a pic.

All of that coffee did not bode well for me at the gym.  I was sucking down water like a fiend! I couldn’t get it into my system fast enough.  I did manage to get about 40 minutes on the elliptical, along with about 20 minutes of strength training.  I usually just leave it up to yoga to keep me toned, but I could tell I was missing something.  I was glad I did it, as I’ve missed my weights!

After a quick stop at Best Buy to stock up on some DVDs (I’ve fallen in love with Community!), it was time for dinner! My mom threw a baked potato in the microwave while I chopped up tofu that had been pressing on my counter for a few hours.  I baked it in the oven along with asparagus and brussels sprouts, then topped the whole mess with marinara.  When the potato came out, I topped that with Smart Balance.  Then….NOM.

 I think I’ve unintentionally eaten vegetarian for the last three days.  Crazy!  And it’s shocking, but a few times I’ve seen turkey slices sitting in my fridge and bypassed them for another sandwich.  Maybe I’m more vegan than I realized?

I can’t go totally vegan.  I wouldn’t be able to eat this.

 Oh yes I did.

I first heard about this Limited Batch a few weeks ago, when trolling Ben and Jerry’s for holiday flavors.  I was stunned when I thought they didn’t make any pumpkin flavors, overjoyed when I discovered they DID, but saddened when I realized they probably wouldn’t sell it in my grocery store.  Lo and behold!

Let’s just say I will be hiding this from my Dad.  He’s a Ben and Jerry’s freak, too.

Sadly, I can’t eat a lot of this at a time…full fat dairy wreaks havoc on my gut.  However, I did manage to have two tablespoons alongside a normal serving of frozen yogurt, and a crumbled amaretti cookie on top.  This was actually a really smart move, as this stuff is AMAZING but really sweet.  A little bite was more than enough! It even flavored the yogurt as it started to melt.

Now, off to bed I go! Got a busy day of studying and teaching ahead!