Before I jump into this blog post, I just want to give a big, warm “Welcome!” to everyone who has signed up for the Project Veg-Up challenge (to eat more fruits and veggies) via the blog, email, and twitter. So glad to have you on board! I can’t wait to hear how you’re all doing! And it’s never too late to sign up – you can join at any time if you’re just hearing about the challenge. Click here to learn more.
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Sorry I’ve been a bit MIA this week. The last two days have been some of the longest in awhile. On Wednesday and Thursday, I left my house around 8:30am and didn’t come home again till 11:30pm!!!! And yes, I still had to blog and check email after getting home. Phew!
Here’s a quick catch-up post of what I’ve been up to. Basically, I’ve spent some time prepping for vegging. If I wasn’t actually preparing fruits and vegetables to kick off my Project Veg-Up challenge, I was trying to be conscious of what I was consuming and how I could add more fruits and veggies to the mix.
First up, I must share with you this beautiful bowl of raspberry oats.
I put leftover raspberry sauce (from those pancakes) on top of the oats and added a couple of fresh berries. The sauce is mostly made of raspberries, and I poured it on pretty heavy, so I think this was almost 3/4 serving of fruits right here!
I think that raspberry sauce may be one of my favorite oatmeal toppings yet! Sweet, tangy, fruity, and just right in so many ways. And the sauce is a great way to sneak a fruit serving into your diet – whether it’s on pancakes, oatmeal, or something else. Wa-ha-ha-ha! 
And earlier this week, we had a special double date with our newest Charlotte friends
Sean and Heather! These guys are so fun to talk to. I think we could all sit around and talk for hours. Heather is a life coach and has an inspirational blog called Bliss Fix, and Sean is a very talented photographer. I wish I could hire him to do some Zumba instructor photos for me. He can make regular people look like super heros!
We met up at one of our mutually favorite restaurants – RuSan’s. I kicked things off with a Saki Pomegranate martini.
Heather let me try a bite of her tofu appetizer (I’ve always wanted to try this!) – breaded and fried tofu in a (I think) soy based sauce.
Nommm!
I started the eats with 2 of my usuals – miso soup…
…and a side salad with ginger dressing.
And for the main event – a California roll and a new roll – a salad roll. The description said it had beet in it, but I didn’t see any. Our best guess was that they just used whatever veggies were most fresh. Who knows. It had an assortment of veggies inside and that’s what I was going for! 
For dessert, hubby and I headed home to “veg-up” and eat some organic cantaloupe.
I cut up enough slices for that night and cut the rest into chunks to eat later in the week.
And earlier this week I also prepped one of my fave veggies to take to work – marinated kale (click for recipe).
I love this stuff because you make it in advance and then just package it in individual containers to take to work. It’s perfect for busy girls like me.
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Next time on TCL, I talk about how my first couple days with the Project Veg-Up challenge went.
And hubby and I are going to a wedding this weekend! You know what that means, right? Wedding cake!
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Do you have a favorite fruit or vegetable recipe? Whether it’s one you’ve written/adapted & posted on your blog or you’ve found one online that you make all the time, please pimp it out on my Facebook Discussion for awesome fruit/veg recipes – click to share.
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What types of fruits/vegetables do you like to prepare in advance? Feel free to share your eats and/or a recipe.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I seriously wish they bottled the ginger dressing from Japanese places. It is my absolute favorite, hands down.
I think some places do! Maybe if you ask, one of them will sell you some?
Prepping fruits and veggies in advance definitely help with eating more of them!
And your oats looks so colorful and delicious
Mmmm, marinated kale sounds like a great idea for work, I’m going to try that! Can’t wait to see more about the veggie challenge!
I like to de-seed and slice bell peppers in advance. Then they are always ready for snacking.
I wonder if I should start propping in advance? I never have. but I am so addicted to sweet potatoes. I eat like 8 of them a week.
I think prepping works for some veggies. Like the marinated kale actually tastes better after it’s been marinating for a day or so. And some veggies are good to cut up in advance.
Sweet potatoes are so good! How do you usually eat yours?
I have got to try this marinated kale! So far, I only eat kale when I add it in smoothies
I love baking them, but sometimes I don’t have that much time! I cut them up into cubes and boil them in water for about 15 minutes. Then I mash them and add some pure maple syrup. I’ve also added them on top of veggie burgers, or even into my pasta sauce. I love sweet potatoes!
All of your food looks amazing esp the oats & sushi… I think its time for lunch
Thanks Kate!
I purposely buy prewashed organic baby spinach, prechopped brocolli and shredded carrots because its easy and I won’t have the “too lazy” excuse!
Good idea! That’s a great time saver!
i always cut up veggies on sunday afternoon to get ready for the week! i usually prepare carrots, bell peppers, and celery.
today i’ve had 4 servings of veg and 3 of fruit so far!
How long do you find the prepared veggies last in the fridge?
Nice job on the challenge!
they’re usually good until at least friday! and there are usually some straggler veggies that i eat on the weekend.