It’s been a loooong day of studying! I met my friends at the library at 2:30 and we studied until 4:30, when we were not only getting hungry, but FREEZING. I swear the library had the AC on. So naturally we relocated to the nearest coffee shop!
I got a short nonfat cappuccino made with sugar-free caramel. Although I’ve cut out artificial sweeteners from my everyday diet, I see no problem with them every now and then.
I had a LaraBar to eat, but my friend got some of their trail mix and offered me a few nuts, so I just had those for snack instead. They were the perfect blend with coffee – we gobbled them down!
My cappuccino went down fast too and I went back for another – just a simple decaf coffee.
My darling husband had dinner ready when I got home (well, I called and asked if he would get it started
)
But first he presented me with a small sample of his Maple Nut Brown Ale – not yet carbonated. Yummy! Can’t wait until it’s ready to drink.
Since we have no stove, we used the grill tonight. We had two leftover Apple Chardonnay chicken sausages leftover from the Thanksgiving stuffing that we’d frozen so we thawed them out and put ’em on the grill.
Along with a thinly sliced sweet potato –
And a huuuuuuuge pile of sauteed mushrooms (on the grill’s burner!) topped with some parmesan. These came home from EF the other night because they were going bad – looks like we caught them just in time. I love mushrooms, but eating a pile plain like this was almost too much for me.
The husband made himself an ice cream sundae and just presented me with the tiniest bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. I’m enjoying it now but was already blogging so no photo could be captured.
I’ve got one more chapter of chemistry to review and then I hope to read in bed. At 10am tomorrow I’ve got the weekend off before I have to start studying hard-core for my 4 finals next week. Eeek!
G’night.
Maggie says
Delicious dinner 🙂 I feel the same way about artificial sweeteners – I’ve been trying to cut them out (no diet coke for almost 2 weeks now!) but I see no problem with having them occasionally, especially if it’s in something as yummy as a cappuccino!
Have a lovely night 🙂
Marisa says
Mmmm, those sausages sound yummy! Glad you had the grill working for you!
Mel says
Way to be creative! I love your dinner, it reminds me of summer!
Jessica says
I was wondering why you chose to cut out artifical sweeteners?
Also, good luck with your finals! I know how you feel, I have had them all week and then have my last one next Monday.
Kath says
Jessica ,
Simply because they are artificial. While there may not be any research to suggest they are harmful, why consume them if you don’t have to? I learned to enjoy my morning coffee and tea without them and while it was a tough transition, I’m fine without them now. I just add a touch of real sugar or honey if I”m in the mood for something sweet.
But I do like to treat myself to the flavor syrups in coffee shops because they taste so good. I definitely don’t think there’s anything wrong with once in a while, but I didn’t want to be consuming them in large quantities every day in my drinks.
K
Regina says
Ooo! Those sweet potato slices look SO TASTY!! I just bought a pound of ‘um today and I think I’m going to try that circular-slice method! 🙂
PS. Just wanted to say hi and thank you!! 🙂
caroline F. says
Man, wish my kitties could cook so I could come home to that! 😉 The potatoes look great like that, does this help the crunch factor? “Fries” just never manage to crisp up for me.
ashley (sweet & natural) says
I’m not even a beer fan, but I can’t wait for the husband’s beer post!
Shelby says
Sounds great! I love the potatoes, I’ve never had them grilled
Justy2003 says
We had sausage tonight, too! Mine was a blue cheese & cashew chicken sausage…yum 🙂
Can’t wait to hear all about the husband’s home-brew experience! Sounds like something my boyfriend would like to do…but I’ve heard it can smell up the house. Did yours smell?
Jenny says
Oh I remember the days of chem studying that never ended, ha sooo glad I’m a psych major now 😉 I admire your dedication, Kath!
I’m intrigued by the husbands ales, can’t wait to hear more about the finished results!
zestycook says
Kath, The sausage sounds delicious. Your meal seems so fun. Great pictures at the coffee shop 🙂
have a great night.
zesty
K says
I think there’s a secret library pact that says they all have to be FREEZING!!
Rose says
That’s quite a title to this post – yowza!
Like the eats in lieu of the broken stove. yum…
Megan says
I used to love to study at coffee shops! Dinner looks great!
Nellie says
what an impressive non-stovetop dinner!
the library at bu cranks the heat to the temperature of the tropics. you’re in trouble if you come in anything heavier than a tank and shorts. thank goodness i like it that way!
Julia (Santa Barbara Dreaming) says
the AC on in the winter? brrrr! That is craziness!
Home made brew sounds sooo interesting!
Oh She Glows says
Oh man that dinner looks delicious…there’s something about a grilled dinner in the winter time. 😀
Angela
www.ohsheglows.com
Madison says
Hehe so cute how the husband always brings you a mini version of whatever he’s snacking on!
Laura says
Hi,
I just was catching up on your blog and I’m glad my package made it ok! It was surprising seeing it on the internet for some reason! Thanks and good luck with all of your finals next week!
Missy says
Your dinner looks delicious! I too have been trying to avoided artificial sweeteners. I am doing well with none in coffee and tea, but i chew a pack of gum a day still. It kills my tummy 🙁
I have been reading this blog for a while and finally decided to start my own. I have binge eating problem at night and food journaling did not work for me. This is my next step to try to solve my problem. I added you to my blogroll if that’s okay 🙂
http://missymaintains.blogspot.com/
Biz319 says
I bet where you live its a lot easier to grill all year long!
Um, I’ve actually had to use a shovel to get the snow off my grill cover to get to it in the winter!
Yeah, that’s dedication baby!
Glad tomorrow is Friday!
Runeatrepeat says
Did you put the sweet potatoes right on the grill from raw?
WendyF says
That maple nut beer looks great even in the early stages. Does the husband brew from grains? I tried to get mine to brew a pumpkin ale in theearly fall but was not successful. Was that a fireplace I saw in the coffee shop? That seemed so cozy.
Well I am off to Chennai, if you have seen the news it is probably the worst day to fly over there. So not looking forward to it.
Lisa says
As a current seasonal employee of Sears, I do apologize for my company’s ineffectiveness. If you lived in Ohio, I’d have been able to hook you up.
nhuy says
Good luck with finals review!
Halie says
Nut brown ales are so good! Good choice for a home brew! Maple would be quite a good addition!
Way to improvise for dinner!
Hope your studying goes well and you rock your tests! (oh my gosh! This is too funny not to share, but when I typed “tests” I typed testes! Yuck!)
Moran says
The food looks colorful!
Sidi says
That fireplace in the coffee shop looks so cozy. Have a nice week-end.
Michelle\', says
Beautiful eats! Good luck with your tests!
Kath says
caroline F,
They weren’t really crunchy. We’ve never had luck getting “fries” to crunch unless they are cut VERY thinly.
Justy2003 ,
Your sausages sound awesome!!
He brews in the garage so no smell comes inside.
Laura ,
Thanks for sending them! I put your bars in the same box and will send them out in the next 2 weeks.
Missy ,
When I quit gum I switched to Altoids – specifically the liquorice flavor, which I love! They also make a chocolate covered flavor which if you just eat 1-2 a day, is the perfect end to a meal.
Runeatrepeat ,
I wasn’t here to see, but I bet he did. I normally microwave them a little first, but he probably didn’t.
WendyF ,
I’m not sure what he brews – he needs to sum it up for us all! The fire was actually fake, but still warm! Safe travels.
Lisa ,
Lol. Despite the inconvenience, everyone has been super nice!
Halie ,
Lol. I mis-type ALL the time!!
Kath
Molly says
Kath, when I took orgo I subsisted on coffee, and pretzels dipped in mustard (gross, but it was all they sold in the library!) Maybe if I had ate as mindfully as you did I might have done a little better…. :).
Amanda says
Mmm! I adore mushrooms too. Have you ever tried roasting them? I like to use just a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano… and maybe a drizzle of balsamic vin. (Once you have your new oven, of course!)
JJ125 says
Random library factoid: They crank up the a/c to help preserve the books. Especially if you live in a humid city and/or your library has a collection of rare or antique books. The cooler air helps to counteract humidity since heat and moisture, as well as light (which usually isn’t a big problem) are main causes of deterioration.
Teddy says
Using the grill as a burner= great idea!
Teddy
misti says
Your blog title just brought back scary images of my Organic chemistry days. Luckily 9 years in my past. 😉