Lunch!

Not only is lunch my favorite meal of the day, it is also the second most important meal of the day. Especially on workdays.

I don't know about you, but I can't think of anything worse than getting halfway through a boring day at work, only to be greeted with a super lame lunch.
Lunch needs to be a satisfying half-point that says "way to go slugger! we're half way to dinner!" not a humongous let down that says "I could have been the high point of your workday... but I'm not because YOU suck."

Now, part of the reason I love lunch so much is because I love going out to lunch, especially with good company.
But, that can get pricey and can tend to be on the unhealthy side, so I typically brown-bag it to work. (Although I don't actually use a brown bag. I tend to use no bag, and then end up cramming my purse with non-spillables and juggling my spillables with my keys as I exit house/enter car/exit car/enter office. It's stupid really. I almost always drop my fork.)

The key to not letting you let yourself down at lunch is planning.
Some days, when the fridge is stocked/there's leftovers from dinner, packing a good, effortless lunch is, well, effortless.

Other days, you don't think about lunch at all until you're running late on your way to work and you open the fridge and you realize there is NOTHING there waiting for you.

Those days are ususally when going out to eat is in order, or you're delusional enough to think that grabbing something lame like an apple and a Clif bar is really going to make your mid-way meal a winner.
It's not. At least it never is for me.

So something I have been working on lately is prepping food in advance, so that I always have a good option for lunch that takes relateively no time to prepare in the morning.

This week, I marinated tofu over the weekend (in some random marinade that included soy sauce, vegan Worcester, garlic, tomato paste, liquid smoke, cinnamon and red wine vinegar... I think...), and then baked it up last night while a rice-cooker full of millet cooked.
Pair that with some sort of veggie (I used fresh broccoli) and you'll be good to go for a nutritious and delicious meal that will spread out over at least a couple of days, with little to no work on your part!

For the record, I've recently solved my "fork dropping" problem by keeping an "office fork" at my desk. Genius, I know.

What's your usual lunch routine? Any favorites or planning tips?

I love lunch.

I love lunch. I guess that makes me a "lady who lunches," (whatever that means. I think it's a reference from before my time?)**

And for those of you who know me, you know Wednesdays at the office are no fun for me. 

I'm stuck at the desk, reading content, editing pages, and scrambling to get last minute things together for a 3 p.m. deadline (which we rarely meet, btw.)

However, since deciding to go/becoming vegan, I have a new obsession with consuming as much info as possible from the millions of vegan food and lifestyle blogs on the web, which I manage to squeeze  between editing and all that other stuff, making Wednesdays a tad more enjoyable.

This fact also makes me much more hungry for an uber delicious vegan fix on Wednesdays, which is ironically the least lunch-friendly workday of the week.

I am usually stuck at a desk, unable to take an actual lunch break,  realizing the food I actually brought to eat sucks and totally pales in comparison to all the crazy delicious sounding recipes I've just read. Sometimes I get sad when the clock strikes lunch on Wednesdays. 

(A lot of times, I don't even bother eating lunch on Wednesdays, especially if we are super busy which is CRAY for me as a devout luncher.)

Anyways, I'm sharing my lunch story today because it was awesome. 

It was a mix of homemade, takeout and a quick, much-needed jaunt from the office, coming together in perfect harmony as a totally classic, simple, (vegan) American lunch:

Soup. Sandwich. Cookie.

So I actually brought the sandwich in for lunch yesterday, but never got around to eating it (because a more exciting lunch option came up... aka lunch buffet @ Gateway to India with my office mom, Kim)

and I was a little skeptical how a day old hummus- tomato-cucumber-radish-spinach sandwich would stand up against my mouthwatering, vegan-blog-reading appetite.  

So, I jumped at the chance to go with coworker Jill down the street to Infinite Soups to pick up a bowl of their tasty, made-daily-from-scratch soups (of which they always have at least four vegan options.)

I couldn't decide between the Jamaican Rice and Bean or the Caribbean Red Bean, so I went nuts and  ordered half and half. 

I do not regret that decision.

AND, on top of everything else,  the lovely, also fresh-and-scratch made vegan-friendly Corina Bakery just happens to be right across the street from Infinite Soups. That's where the double pack of peanut butter cookies (vegan and gluten free) come in*.

*Cue parting clouds and  heavenly music.

As I near the end of writing this post, and take another bite of peanutbuttercookie-y goodness, I am overwhelmed with joy and happiness at the simple, absolutely delicious local lunch that can now join the blogosphere of vegan food write-ups that I will inevitably continue reading once I get done eating and get back to work...










** before posting I decided to go ahead and Google "ladies who lunch"... here's the Wikipedia definition:

"Ladies who lunch is a phrase to describe slim, well-off, old-money, well-dressed women who meet for lunch socially, normally during the working week. Typically, the women involved are married and non-working. Normally the lunch is in a restaurant, perhaps in a department store during shopping. Sometimes there is the pretext of raising money for charity."

Ok, so apparently I'm not one of these "ladies who lunch." Maybe it would be more appropriate to call me "a lady who loves lunch" or "a lunching lady"? The simple term "lunch lady" also briefly popped into my head, but that phrase doesn't really work for the purpose of this post, either. 


Anywhoo - thanks for reading!

Sincerly,


Your Lunch Loving Lady

Happy Valentine's Day!

My office romance...

Lavender Vanilla Heart Cupcakes courtesy of my delightful co-worker, Jill. 

I also got a glittery kitty paper Valentine from another co-worker, Tami (It says "I'm Purr-fect." Can't argue with that.)
Kim is wearing a heart-shaped necklace, Lauren heart-shaped earrings and the anonymous snack table is chock full of heart shaped  chocolates and other Valentine-related treats today.

Apparently Tacoma Weekly really "does Valentine's Day"... who knew?

(365 Day Project - Day 357.)

Co-worker lunch date at Happy Teriyaki

Pictured here is the sushi lunch combo - two full rolls of your chioce for $9.95. 
(WAY too much for one person.)
I got the "Mariners Roll" (think a sweet sushi donut or soppapillas or something. The whipped cream is not as weird as you'd think) and a Spicy Mexican crab roll. 
Both were very delish. 
If you like fast, cheap, good and not boring, this is a must-try for lunch.



www.thehappyteriyaki.com - 2223 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma - (253) 272-1544

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.3

365 Day Project - Day 343

It's a pothole bonanza!

Join in on the return-of-the-Pothole-Pig Craze by clicking here.

You wouldn't believe how big this little guy is.

365 Day Project - Day 330

TUESDAY

This is what I look at most Tuesdays, because I'm usually stuck in my cube...cramming before our Wednesday press deadline.

For a long while, Tuesdays were pretty much my least favorite day of the week, due to the aforementioned cube-stuckedness/deadline cramming, topped off with a nightly visit to the Edgewood City Council Meeting.
A couple months ago, I was relieved of my "Edgewood council" beat, after years of trekking deep into the depths of East Pierce County, which (no offense, E-wood) has definitely lessend the usual Tuesday suckedness that I had become accustomed to for so long.

So now, Tuesdays just kinda suck. 

 

But they suck even less when i get to stare at a buliten board covered mostly with inspirational images, words and faces I love. 

KEY:

(Bottom row from left to right)  Work phone number chart and extension list. Tacoma Farmers Market card with a cartoon version of the city-skyline I like. "Tacoma Saves" Jesus Postcard. A photo of Eddie as a puppy.  A photo of my brother Pete. A Poloriod of me and Sean "Swampy Claus" Nivens on Christmas at the Top while we were still strangers. 

(Middle row, right to left): Gold Teeth zipper sticker (unstuck... I'm saving it for something good.) A grouping of fortunes and a quote I like and "laminated" with scotch tape. They read "You will always be surrounded by true friends" "You will go far but be sure to come back" and an old quote (by Matt Driscoll of the Weekly Volcano from some article I can't even remember what about, but the quote jumped out at me and I cut it from the paper and have had it for over two years now because it perfectly describes so many of my beloved locals) "...the gritty, cigarette smoking, cheap booze drinking, toxin ingesting, broken dreams having, crazy look in your eye Tacoman I know and love..." 

 Next is a pretty printed card with two birds on it complementing me on a column I wrote (I like prints, brids and kind words, I tacked it up.) A tiny pin of what appears to be Magilla Gorilla on a Mini Cooper. A postcard depicting the major SR-16 at Sprague construction "flub" which reads "Tacoma. Working hard to get... somewhere?" My sister's Christmas card (which I photographed)  depicting her family in a flawlessly awesome parody of the cover of "Abbey Road."

(Top row): A copy of the original Star of Destiny that says all the great things about Tacoma in 1910. It served as inspiration for the centennial recreation in the Tacoma Weekly.
Lady Gaga Monster Ball 2011 Calendar. 

The end. 

Bring it on, Tribal Wednesday!

T-Town Lowdown - Get Happy in 2011

365 Day Project - Day 322

A recent gift from Sean to "replenish my coffee cup supply" now that the last of the roommates are gone. I brought it to work as inspiration. And sipped out of this while I finished up my fifth installment of my "Tacoma Culture" column, "T-Town Lowdown."

The last couple of rounds of the "Lowdown" I haven't been completely happy with, so I thought I'd share this one I actually like! And if you are from Tacoma, it should also be on the useful side, so more reason to check it out :)

T-Town Lowdown | Tacoma Weekly

365 Day Project - Day 292

Santa Paws!

This charmingly festive mutt will also be famous be featured in the Tacoma Weekly's upcoming "Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide" insert, accompanying a "Top 10 List for Pets" compiled by yours truly.

Check it out for last-minute shopping ideas this week, and of course, to help Eddie relish in his "15 minutes."

365 Day Project - Day 291

Way to rain on the parade

Taking pictures in the dark and pouring down rain is not easy, or fun, which is probably why this was considered "work."

Pictured here is the Puyallup Tribe/Community Alliance's third annual "Lighted Parade," which featured more than a dozen festively lighted and decorated vehicles in a community-building, crime-fighting evening parade throughout the East Side and Portland Ave.

I covered it for the paper. A plastic shopping bag covered my camera.

Here's one of the "better" shots of the night.

Me As Pop Art

Happy Friday, everyone! 

I spent a good chunk of my afternoon (at work...shhh!) fiddling in Photoshop during my "down-time."

This is the result. 

It started out as a decent photo that I didn't like enough to use as a POTD, but DID like enough not to throw it away. (I scrapped the original version prematurely  on accident, so I can't show before and after, but basically I ran a TON of levels adjustments, upped the contrast, and converted to Moody Pop black and white.)

  I think it works in this dramatic, pop-art style. 

I kinda feel like James Bond, but with a camera.

What do you think?

T-Town Lowdown

 Check out my very first column entry for the Tacoma Weekly's new T-Town Lowdown, which "went live" just a few minutes ago...

It (along with a few other TW writer's new columns) are online-only features we are starting to get more traffic and interaction on our website.

Let me know what you think and for all you Tacomans, if you have any other ideas for future T-Town Lowdown topics !

365 Day Project - Day 252

Apparently this is what happens when bootcamp* gets canceled...

*"Ultimate Fitness Bootcamp" is the workout program I joined last month. I typically go there right after work, not to the Lucky Silver with the Legacy guys... 

Oh, and Happy November!

My annual countdown to my birthday and all other holly jolly festivities has officially begun!!!

365 Day Project - Day 207

ELVIS LIVES!

Entertainment at the annual Inter-tribal Luncheon hosted by the Puyallup Tribe. 
J.P. Patches, "John Denver" and "Reba McIntyre" were also in-tow.

Not a bad way to spend a Friday...

365 Day Project - Day 184

HALLELUJAH!

Presenting:

My new work computer. 

My favorite toy.

My true love.

My baby.

My SANITY.

Not only is the monitor sleek and the processor compact, it's fast, it's a multi-tasker, and it doesn't make me want to throw it through the freaking window.

I already feel like I've been more productive and enthusastic about work, so I definitely think it's a great investment on my boss' part...

Now, I know what you're thinking...
What will I do with all the free time I have now that my computer won't be freezing up every 30 minutes or so?

.... I guess I forgot to mention it is also fully-loaded with Photoshop.

Thanks, Boss!

365 Day Project - Day 176

My cube

Here is a quick tour of my cubicle at work: 

To the left you'll see my near decade-old eMac computer, aka my worst enemy (When it's not frozen, it is extremely, hair-pulling-outtingly slow. Basically the only kryptonite to my usual efficiency.) 

Next is a photo assemblage of some of my most beloved: (Eddie, Pete, Gaga, Charlie, Sean.)

Then there's my phone, my iCarly mouse pad (a gift from a co-worker's daughter)

and finally my NEW computer!

After close to a year of bitching and complaining about computer left, my boss kindly purchased me a new processor - the Mac Mini on the right.

The only problem is, its just the processor. No monitor, none of the necessary adapters.

Nothing.

So until those items come into the mix, my lovely little new computer just sits at my desk.

Taunting me. 

Day, after day.

Just one more reason I LOVE MY CUBE!

365 Day Project - Day 161

Tacoma's newest piece of public art.

Here is local artist Shaun Peterson finishing up work on the 22-foot "Welcome Figure" statue to be installed at Tollefson Plaza in Downtown Tacoma Aug. 15. 

I interviewed Shaun back in January 2009, right when the real "work" was begining on the project that had existed conceptually for years prior.

It was really cool to meet back up with him today and see this large-scale carving of a traditional Salish woman coming into the final stages.

Shaun is an awesome artist, and I truly admire his amazing work on such a highly-visible and monumental undertaking of public art. 

365 Day Project - Day 160

Spiderwebs...

...are kind of hard to photograph in parking lots filled with ugly mini-vans for backgrounds, but this dewey little number was too hot to pass up!

Thanks for the tip, Yellowdresses!

365 Day Project - Day 150

Introducing: the Tacoma Tigers

Here is one of the first public photographs taken of Sumatran Tiger cubs in Tacoma... ever.

The mom (Jaya) gave birth to these two cubs in May. They came after many years of breeding attempts and they  boost the endangered species' captive population in North America to 74.

There are less than 300 of these stunning cats in the entire world, and we now have five of them in Tacoma.

Today, I got to see the cubs make their first public appearance and take pictures for work.

 Rough job, right?

They were gorgeous, majestic, adorable and silly all at the same time. Check them out for yourself  -  they will be at Point Defiance for the next two years or so.

 *Read the full story on A1 of the Tacoma Weekly, or online at www.tacomaweekly.com July 29.

365 Day Project - Day 148

Hot damn!

So, today was a "Tribal Wednesday," (For those of you who don't know me, or what my "Tribal" work entails,  Tribal Wednesdays are pretty much the longest, most hectic and frustrating two workdays of the month.)

But this Wednesday was made about 100 times better when Sean surprised me with a delicious lunch date at one of my favorite local lunch places - The Red Hot.

It's close to my office, affordable and ABSOLUTELY FREAKING DELICIOUS!

Pictured here is my go-to dog: the "Chicago" sub veggie-brat no pickle spear, add cream cheese. 

Red Hot Dogs are so delicious that every time I'm  halfway through with one, I start to get sad that it's almost gone and get the urge to order another.

(I never do, though, because by the time I actually finish the tasty sammich, I am totally full.)

But still, they're that good. 

I couldn't have asked for a better lunch break today.

365 Day Project - Day 140

Back to work!

I took this picture for work today at Nelson Farm Park in Edgewood. 

The barn is being nominated to join Washington's Heritage Barn Register, so I wrote a story about it in the Milton-Edgewood Signal.

I like it because it's still red and has a lucky horseshoe above the door - such a natural choice for a POTD!

Good luck, Nelson Farm Barn!