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a snack-y lunch

27. April 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Cooking, Food & Drink, Gluten-Free · Tags: , ,

My sister keeps asking me for quick lunch ideas that can be thrown together in the morning without much forethought. Inspired by Anne’s 5 Minute Packable Lunches, today’s lunch is a perfect example of that.

packed lunch a snack y lunch

A cheddar cheese stick

Sliced peppers + cherry tomatoes + a small Kirby cucumber+ ranch dressing served in an Easter egg

A big Tupperware of fully cooked edamame {from the freezer section of Trader Joe’s; defrosted, warmed up, and sprinkled with sea salt}

A bowl of Anne’s White Bean Chicken Chili Soup {frozen in a Ziploc baggie then defrosted}

Plenty of vegetables- check. Healthy carbs- check. Protein- check. Lots of fiber- definitely check!

P.S. My sister absolutely raved about the simplicity and deliciousness of combining Trader Joe’s Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup and Al Fresco fully cooked chicken meatballs for the simple tomato basil meatball soup I mentioned a few weeks back.

lunchbox meal: buffalo chicken casserole

05. March 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Cooking, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian · Tags: , , , , , , ,

tuna lunchbox meal: buffalo chicken casserole Photo credit

Craving an insanely quick lunch a la my “chicken parm” or healthy chicken masala? Well, here’s another lunchbox meal for you.

Saute a piece of chicken tender using this foolproof method. In the pan, add chopped red onion and buffalo sauce {like Frank’s Red Hot}. Chop chicken; toss with gluten-free noodles; top with grated mozzarella cheese. Voila! 

Even easier and just as delicious? Toss a can of {drained} tuna with buffalo sauce, cheese, and noodles. 

Craving more vegetables, like I admittedly was? Try this leek and dill tuna casserole or just pack some edamame on the side, like I did! And for fruit: Welch’s very addicting mixed fruit snacks. They have Vitamin C, so they count, right? No?

P.S. If you’re a vegetarian, try crumbling Morningstar Buffalo Chicken Bites and tossing them on top!

recap of nyc trip

10. June 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Life Updates & Recaps · Tags: , , ,

What a whirlwind! I haven’t even had computer or internet access since Monday (I used WordPress’ handy scheduling tool to schedule a few of my design posts).

Monday: Arrived at the office at 6:30am. Met the summer interns. Took a bus to NYC. Dropped bags off at the beautiful Renaissance 57 hotel. Ate lunch at the NYC office. Hit the streets to chat with merchants, like this one, this one, and this one about their participation in Dollar Lunch Day. Ate dinner at Brother Jimmy’s, my new favorite Southern-inspired NYC BBQ joint, which has maps and flags from Duke and Carolina everywhere! Hung out on the top of the hotel roof.

Tuesday: Breakfast at the office. Hitting the streets once again. Lunch at delicious Jezalin’s. Funny adventures with my partner, another research intern. Dinner at Spin, an adorable ping pong bar. Girls night in, complete with a bottle of wine and 16 and Pregnant.

Wednesday: 4:30am wake up. Camping out at the Today Show to promote Dollar Lunch Day. On the screen for approximately 15 seconds. Seeing Jimmy Fallon, Al Roker, and the back of Meredith Viera’s head. Heading out to Angus McIndoe to assist them with Dollar Lunch Day. Pizza and beer at the office. Saying goodbye to LivingSocial people and heading to the West Village. Dinner at Ditch Plains, where I tried a hot dog covered with macaroni and cheese.

Thursday: Bagels, coffee, and park with my nephew and sister-in-law. Starbucks time. Seeing Bridesmaids, my first solo movie experience! 5th Avenue to wait in line for the Black Eyed Peas benefit concert (with T Swift!). Heading to happy hour at Brother Jimmy’s once we realized the concert was cancelled. And the rest is history!

a lunch box confession

01. June 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Chic Living, Cooking, Family, Food & Drink, Life Advice, Trends · Tags: , , ,

I have a confession to make. I told my 25-year-old sister that her lunch box was dorky, which resulted in her discontinuing its use. I then proceeded to buy my own several weeks later. I’ll admit it: I was wrong and she was right. Sorry, Sara! I should always listen to my older sister in the future icon smile a lunch box confession

a lunch box confessionWhat’s not to love about lunch boxes?

  • They’re cute and colorful (do you see that baby?!)
  • They’re better for the environment
  • They eliminate the need to search for a bag in the morning
  • They’re washable
  • They’re insulated
  • They don’t fall apart like brown bags
  • They’re the appropriate size, so things aren’t tossed around

So I’m going to use my lunch box with pride. And if I get strange looks, I’ll just know that they’re just jealous of my little stretchy pink lunch bag that is conveniently made from wetsuit material.

The bigger takeaway: as confident young adults, we shouldn’t care whether or not people judge us based on something like a lunch box…even if it does make us look like we’re headed to kindergarten (side note: as a therapist for kids with autism, my sister actually does take her lunch box to preschool. It’s always funny to hear her say that she’s headed to preschool).

Sooo….young professionals of the world, raise your lunch box (or bag)!

pixel a lunch box confession
+Cristina Roman