How NOT to Start the Day as a Grouchy Bitch

March 2, 2010

in eating disorders,God,My story,product review,recipes

Sometimes, you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed. You know what I mean— you get up in the morning with a frown, every little thing seems to irritate you, and you continue on the rest of the day as a Grouchy Bitch.

That’s why it’s just so important to start the day off right. You see, I noticed a pattern on my bad days, and it all starts from the day starting out wrong.

Typical Bad Day:

Wake up late —> Skip breakfast —> Rush to class —>  Flustered mood —> Tired, doze off in class —>Feeling unproductive –> Cranky and annoyed –>  Act like a bitch –> Shun social activities –> Lonely –> Unhappy

Does that sound familiar to you? I’ve had one too many days like this, and it has  been really getting to me. It’s already the third month of 2010, and looking back to my New Year Prayer Topics, I’ve realized that I still have yet to actually work on some of my goals. I’ve been procrastinating on getting serious with them, and it’s only gotten harder and harder to start on them as time passes by and things get busier.

So this is what I hope the start to my Typical Good Day will be like:

Wake up early –> Run –> Pray, listen to praise music, read the bible –> Breakfast –> Classes, rest of the day –> happy!

Today was Day#1, and I feel freaking wonderful. Thankfully my roommate was out, because I was singing along to praise songs, dancing to and fro as I cooked breakfast. And I did not doze off during classes at all! I feel surprisingly energetic, and I just feel…so alive and peaceful. I feel empowered by God’s word and spirits, and I can’t help humming as I walk across the school campus.

Hash! Ah, is there anything more grubby and stick-to-your-ribs than good ol’ hash? The best thing about hashes is that they can easily be made with any leftovers you have, and it can be as simple or as lavish as you want it to be. My hash was actually inspired by this Tropical Traditions product that I won from Mara’s giveaway:

 Coconut Peanut Butter! Oh this product is absolutely lovely! It is made from just two ingredients: organic Valencia peanuts and organic coconut. Nothing else!
It’s kind of runny, but I like that because it isn’t so dry like regular peanut butter. It’s not overwhelmingly coconutty, but enough to give it an exotic twist. As Mara said, it’s just screaming to be put into brownies or noodles. But obviously, I had to go the more untraditional route. So how does this product make into a hash? Well, all you need is a bit of imagination…

Especially because I hope that you participate in this week’s BSI (Bloggers Secret Ingredient)! Tara from Fun Fearless Foodie has asked me to host this week’s BSI again, and since the winter is clearing away for spring, I wanna hurry up and take advantage of the last of winter’s produce…BRUSSEL SPROUTS!!!

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Please check out this page for previous BSI challenges and guidelines. And here’s just one idea on how to use brussel sprouts:

Coco-NUT-ty Sweet Potato & Brussel Sprouts Hash

• 1/2 cup Coconut PB cottage cheese blend (recipe to follow)
• 1 cup brussel sprouts, quartered
• 1 large sweet potato, cubed
• olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 2-3 mushrooms, chopped
• salt and black pepper
• balsamic vinegar
• handful dried berries (or raisins, or craisins)
• 1 large egg
• handful cheddar cheese

Coconut PB cottage cheese blend:

• 1 part dijon mustard
• 1 part honey
• 1 part apple cider vinegar
• 1 part Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter
• 2 parts cottage cheese

First you gotta make the CocoNUTty part of this dish. Just blend all the ingredients for the coconut PB cottage cheese blend together. I just gave ratios so you can make as little or as much as you want. I made a big batch, and stored it in an empty salsa jar:

Rich, luscious, creamy, sweet and savory. Almost pudding-y! SO good!
Now, I did not have any leftover brussel sprouts and sweet potato (are you kidding me? I always finish them off), so I had start with fresh ingredients. I put a pot to boil and then threw the sweet potato cubes in there, and boiled it for about 4 minutes. Then I threw the brussel sprouts in and cooked it all for another 1-2 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

Next, heat oil in a large skillet. Cook the garlic, onions, and mushrooms together. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high. Toss in the brussel sprouts and sweet potato and dried berries with a splash of balsamic vinegar, and cook over high heat.
In the meantime, in another skillet, fry up an egg to your desired doneness. When the brussel sprouts and sweet potato have a bit of sear to them, turn off the heat. Stir in a few dollops of the coconut PB cottage cheese blend; stir to coat.

Ladle the hash onto a serving dish. Top with runny egg, sprinkle with cheese, and drizzle more of that coconut PB blend on top.  
Okay. Imagine me presenting you with this dish in the morning. Is that enough to make you burst out into a song, or what?
Let me count the ways why this dish is perfect to start your day: First, a runny egg.
  Second, that creamy, exotic, incredible coconutty sauce.
Third, sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts (BSI ingredient!), cooked up nice and crispy.
Fourth, the melted, gooey cheese.
Fifth, it’s well-balanced, and freaking nutritious.
And finally, it’s a Sophia creation! What’s not to love?
Do you have a goofy grin on your face already? Because I sure do!

Another reason I have a goofy grin on my face, is because my hair is finally long enough for me to tie it back!!! AAAAAHHH!!!
For those of you who haven’t been with me long enough, you should know that I lost 70% of my hair because of my eating disorder, and the ones that were left looked like it’d been deep-fried…yeah, a side effect that nobody really warns you about diets until you start pulling out clumps and clumps of hair in the shower. Well, ever since I’ve started getting enough calories in, my hair has been steadily growing out, and they’re thick and healthy, not thin and fraggled! I still remember it was only almost exactly one year ago that I first discovered my new hair starting to grow out!
So it’s true. The best beauty you can possibly be is to be healthy. And I want to emphasize that previous to this, I was eating “healthy”. I refused white carbs, sugar, etc. I was obsessed about getting enough protein, fruits, vegetables, blah blah blah. But it was only when I got enough calories in, that my body started to regulate itself. The proof is in the hair, my friends.

Related posts:

1. “They” vs. Me
2. Wishing For Dreams Come True…
3. The Past I Bear
4. The Truth about “Truth”
5. To Surrender: The Easiest Decision Ever

Tagged as: breakfast, brussel sprouts, cheddar, cheese, coconut, cottage cheese, dried fruits, egg, hash, peanut butter, sweet potatoes

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