Eatin' Like An Irishwoman

Happy St. Paddy's Day, y'all! I've got a wee bit of Irish in me (there are some Malones way back on my dad's side), and I'm a sucker for a themed holiday. I get that from my Me-Maw, who decorates her entire house for every major holiday (Valentine's, Easter, Halloween, etc.). So naturally, I wore green today and worked Irish food and green fare into as many meals as possible.

My morning began with a very chilly walk/run (Yes, I'm running again! Slowly coming back from my injury), followed by my current favorite post-run breakfast — a Marley Coffee Protein Shake. But this time, I added spirulina for that lovely green color. Usually, this shake is made with 1 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup cold brewed coffee, 1 scoop Garden of Life Marley Coffee protein powder, a frozen banana, and two tablespoons chocolate PB2 powder. Today, I added one teaspoon of spirulina.

I bought these adorable Irish coffee mugs at a flea market last year, so I made the Vegan Irish Cream from Vegan Food Gifts to spike my coffee this morning. Yes, I had booze before work. But don't worry — it was only enough for flavoring! It's St. Patrick's Day!

By mid-morning, I was ready for a snack. So I picked the greenest thing in my desk snack stash — Pistachios!

Lunch was a Tofurky BBQ Chick'n hot pocket (so not Irish!), but I'm planning to review those later. On the side, I did have something green — a Romaine & Strawberry Salad with Pecans and Blood Orange-Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette.

For dinner, I made the same thing I made last St. Patrick's Day because it was so damn good — Isa's Irish Stew with Potatoes & Seitan from Appetite for Reduction. This has beer in it! And the seitan and potatoes are hearty and filling.

On the side, I made the Irish Potato Biscuits (a.k.a. Spud Scones) from World Vegan Feast. These have just four ingredients (whole wheat flour, potatoes, almond milk, and baking powder), and they're fat-free (and only 61 calories each!). They're actually baked on the stovetop in a cast-iron pan.

I'm about to have a bit more of that vegan Irish cream in a vegan car bomb (vegan stout + a shot of Irish cream) before hitting the town for a couple beers. So Happy St. Paddy's Day! May the luck of the Irish be with ya.