I now firmly believe that spring is on its way.

Boston has been gracing us with some gorgeous weather these past few days (after snowing twice over the weekend), and I can’t help but smile as I walk down the streets, breathing in the urban smoke and bus fumes fresh air. It’s not quite warm yet, but as long as I don’t have to wear my marshmallow jacket, I’m good to go.

I really don’t have time for blogging this week, but I’m blogging anyway. As I said on Monday, blogging is therapeutic, especially since my posts are typically lighthearted. So today I’m sharing you some of my recent eats, along with some fun facts about each!

Thinking out loud style— with Amanda!

1) Pepper shakers don’t dispense the pepper fast enough for me.

I only add pepper to my eggs nowadays, but when I do, it’s like a Boston blizzard of pepper. I douse my omelets with it. Sometimes I take the top of the pepper shaker off if it’s not coming out fast enough.

2) The dining hall does not know what curry is.

This was sweet and sour chicken that they called “red curry chicken.” Delicious, but so incorrect. #offendedAsian

3) I didn’t finish off my almond butter jar just so I could have oatmeal in a jar.

These weren’t overnight oats, but it still hit the spot. I microwaved some quick oats with cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and water. Then I stirred in vanilla protein powder and a sliced banana before letting it cool and dumping it into the almost empty almond butter jar. Perfect.

4) Some days, I unintentionally go pescetarian.

baked scrod with barley + salad with tuna

Which is why I give up meat and peanut butter on Fridays during Lent, because giving up meat isn’t quite a huge sacrifice for me…

5) This Moroccan chicken and couscous dish had dried figs in it and I FREAKED OUT.

I freaked out because I ♥ dried figs and this made me very happy.

6) This was the sandwich of my dreams.

This was a whole wheat roll with roast beef, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, roasted vegetables, and honey mustard, all toasted until the cheese was melted. Yes, it was messy. Yes, it was bomb.

7) When the dining hall has Sargent Choice (all healthy options) night, I ironically become very stuffed because I want to try everything…because it’s all healthy, right?

baked chicken nuggets with sweet potatoes, side salad, and honey mustard + turkey chili with cornbread

I’m storing some extra in the body in preparation for fasting on Good Friday. {jokes}

8) Hi, my name is Alison, and I am a bananaholic.

I won’t deny that it’s a problem, but listen, I could be hoarding much worse things in my dorm.

The real reasons why I take so many bananas from the dining hall are the following:

• I freeze some for snacks.
• The bananas are usually greenish when I take them from the dining hall, so I let them ripen in the dorm for a little bit so that I can take them down to the dining hall to eat with my breakfast on a later day. I like my bananas slightly spotted when I’m eating them with toast, oatmeal, pancakes, etc. because they’re sweeter (and healthier!).

9) I’m on the brink of an emergency because I’m almost finished with my second jumbo Costco-sized jar of peanut butter of the semester.

Alison’s body composition: 65% water, 25% peanuts, 10% bananas.

10) I hope you all have a wonderful day filled with nutritious and delicious eats! Let us give thanks (especially on this Holy Thursday!) for the food we have to nourish our bodies and souls.

Go be the sugar, spice, and everything nice in someone’s life today.

So tell me:

Do you have a holy grail condiment or spice?

Have you ever eaten an imposter ethnic food?

Is it easy for you to go meatless?