I think my legs have been oriented to Charlottesville’s hills – I had my best (read: easiest not necessarily fastest) run to date today.
We took Andrew 4.25 miles all through UVA, winding in and out of parents, futons, Greeters and SUVs. College orientation is so fun! I hope I can spend some time on the campus pretending I’m a student this fall 
Karen had fun being the Queen of Summer on our porch – she loves to swing!
Once home, hydrated and showered, we assembled lunch.
Karen and Matt discovered Twin Oaks tofu on a trip this winter. It’s made at a co-op in central Virginia and it’s the best tofu I’ve ever had!
It’s firm and dry (no pressing needed to get a great sauté) and this flavor – Italian Herb – had all kinds of wonderful seasonings embedded IN the tofu – something you can’t really do at home unless you make your own.
We seared some up in Garlic Gold (walk away and let them brown!)
Also on our salads, Caromont Farm smoked goat cheese from the farmer’s market.
All I gotta say is ….oh my word. Paprika and spices, it was incredible.
Combined with avocado, squash, green pepper and spinach dressed in Garlic Gold
On the side, Great Harvest Cinnamon Raisin Walnut drizzled in honey
For dessert, we polished off the Gail Ambrosias. The Cinnamon Cayenne was my fav!!
Peace, frogs!
{ 58 comments… read them below or add one }
Oooh fun! I miss college this time of year!
Oh college orientation…memories. I kind of miss it. Even having a part time job, full time classes and a full social life somehow seemed so much easier than the real world
If you are football fans – UVA football games are such a blast (even though I went to VA Tech, I still feel like I can admit this).
Oh your meal sounds really quite divine. You’ve made me hungry! (thank goodness, dinner is ready and I thought I had no appetite :p). Sounds like an awesome run too!
That cheese sounds delicious!!!
Great looking salad! That tofu sounds like a find; I hate having to press tofu!
Move in is so fun to watch!
There is nothing like Freshman with their eyes the size of a salad plate
That tofu sounds great!
Cayenne chocolate sounds so good! Was it super spicy?
Glad you’re finally getting used to the hills!
I’ve been running on hills for years, and I still don’t like them and they still don’t like me. 
I HAVE to get my hands on some garlic gold…. honestly!
That tofu looks tasty!
Definitely the best/worst part of living in a college town!
I did not like my college orientation — too many mixers that didn’t really let you get to know anyone, just make fools of yourself! I don’t miss that at all. I DO miss my Univ campus though.
Great salad, that cheese looks divine!
the tofu looks great!
You live near UVA?? Booooo….haha just kidding
(I go to V Tech)!
I’ll have to try that ‘fu
Wow that is so great that there is spices in the tofu. I would love to try it, too bad I’m on the West Coast.
Oooh! I just had that tofu for the first time and fell in love with the texture. The fennel seeds were a little…unexpected though.
I loved college, but didn’t have the greatest of orientation experiences…haha. I totally know what you mean about college life. I love walking through campuses and “feeling” like a student again.
Glad you had a great run!! I HAVE to find a Great Harvest around here.. I’m always seeing it on the blogs, but I can never find one!
that tofu sounds great! too bad it’s not in la!
That tofu sounds amazing! I’m always trying to find ways to make my tofu more flavorful and that seems like a great solution.
I love college campuses. There’s something so relaxed and upbeat about them. If I lived closer to one I would spend time there too. Glad you had a great run!
I really missed out on a real college experience since I went to culinary school. I was at Georgia Tech yesterday while kids were looking around and moving in. There really is a great vibe there! Lunch looks delicious and you all look so happy! Have a great afternoon!
Congrats on overcoming those hills on your run! That’s always a good feeling. Your salad looks spectacular!
I found tofu like that at my local Asian market and I LOVE IT. Sure beats going through all the marination/pressing process, especially when you’re looking for a simple meal. Sweet run – glad you’re legs are well oriented now
Enjoy your day with your beautiful family, kath!
One of the reasons I love being at Tulane so much is because of the beautiful campus. It’s so nice. Also, that tofu looks amazing. Wow.
Nice run. Lunch looks great, I love tofu on salads.
I don’t know anything about Charlottesville other than what I read here, but it’s making me want to move! A beautiful farmers’ market, locally made tofu, great for biking . . . . What’s not to love? Other than the currently flat bike tire
Looks like fun!
It’s amazing how variable tofu can be. I’ve recently been perfecting my tofu cooking skills after reading FrontBurner’s tutorial.
Woo-hoo for seeing VA products on your blog! Twin oaks tofu is seriously the best tofu ever – it’s what made me fall in love with tofu. The texture is far superior to any other brand of tofu I’ve had and the herb variety has such great flavor. There’s a local market here in Richmond where you can buy it fresh from a bin full of water rather than packaged – it’s awesome!
We should have a meet up at Twin Oaks and do a tofu tour!?!
That’d be fun!
Ooooh cinnamon cayenne sounds to die for!
That cheese looks so tasty, I love paprika! I also want to eat that piece of cinnamon raisin walnut bread through my computer screen
I was a Greeter (= pack mule) for three years! so hot! I feel for those parents!
I’d love to relive the first week of college again… does that tofu come in plain also?
I always see herbed tofu in my grocery store but I’ve always opted for the plain stuff. That flavour sounds like it would taste great in that salad though!
that tofu looks really yummy, im going to have to try and find some
Mmm, that tofu looks good. To be honest, tofu kind of scares me. Maybe I just need to try it and get over my fear of it? Is there a place to buy that kind of tofu online?
Congrats on the run–I love that feeling where running just feels AWESOME and not like a torture fest
It’s just like milk cubes!
That’s so funny! I almost bought that exact same tofu the day before but I didn’t know if I would like the herbs. Herbed things can sometimes be hit or miss. If you say it’s awesome, I’ll take your word for it! Next time I see it, I’m totally getting it.
I noticed that whenever Matt’s mom is with you guys, there is usually an Italian dish of some sort. Coincidence or does she like Italian cuisine as much as I do?
Jenn
She probably does love it
Is Andrew Matt’s actual brother? They look CRAZY alike! (I’m a bit confused because I remember you talking about Kanz and Matt looking alike but not being blood-related way back… something like that?)
My bf went to UVA, he loved it! great city
Andrew and Kanz (Kath’s husband, aka Matt) are actual brothers. Kanz and the other Matt (Laura’s boyfriend) look alike but are not related.
I love it when you guys answer for me
I so need to get my hands on some of that tofu – looks delicious!!
Ahh fun! ISU’s orientation is going on this weekend too. I plan on running down to the campus on Monday
Wow, that goat cheese looks amazing, so does the tofu, what a great lunch! I remember being a greeter in college (I was an RA) and my face being so sore from smiling and my arms being so sore from carrying things up the stairs!
Virginia love! I’m so glad you mentioned Twin Oaks – not only is their tofu amazing, but the community itself is pretty neat – they’re an income sharing, health-benefited intentional community fully of really good people. Three of my closest friends in Asheville met (and two of ‘em got married) while at Twin Oaks, and my partner and I are headed there in two weeks to interview them about their businesses!
I love Karen’s hat! Wish I was such a cute Queen of Summer.
It makes me want to wake up to drink coffee on my porch tomorrow morning.
Twin Oaks tofu is amazing, but you HAVE to track down Sunergia tofu (made by an offshoot of twin oaks). They do a billion flavours of tofu that are SO good, and tofu “feta” and “blue cheese” that are to die for. Oh, torturous memories!
Oh fun
Sounds like a great lunch! This is the first time I will NOT be going back to school as a student and it feels so weird, especially since I live in a university town. I actually feel kind of old!!
Ooh, and I adore paprika… recently I’ve been adding it to omelettes and just can’t get enough!
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
OK, I’m sorry but I have to say this…. Matt’s bro shirtless…. HOTTIE!!
This from a happily married mommy of 2 little ones! Have you had any phone numbers float in for Andrew!??!! I’m thinking KERF dating?
Hahhaa. Did you notice his chest bowl!?
That’s so awesome about the tofu! They’re a commune really close to where I go to school (currently living now). A girl I know actually wrote a paper on the commune for our literary journalism class.
A tip to avoid being “outed” as not from around there: at UVA, it’s not campus, it’s Grounds. As in “I was walking around Grounds today…”
I went to UVA for undergrad and my master’s and I miss Charlottesville SO MUCH! Your blog gives me homesickness now!
Also: instead of freshman, sophomore, etc., it’s First Year, Second Year, etc. Jefferson believed that you can never graduate from learning. Enjoy it…the fall is the BEST!