Whats in "Our" Lunch Bag

Nathan was given this beautiful cooler from family for Christmas. Since then, I have made a habit out of stealing it on-the-daily. That mossy green goes with just about every outfit and therefore has inspired me to pack food for work more often. Since the initial sewn in is not yet mine, it also holds me accountable for my actions, i.e. NOT turning it into a compost by allowing an orange to disintegrate inside (the demise of my last lunch bag). 

Being prepared is a good thing. The nature of my job means that I truly am always "on the go". That's a phrase that (mostly annoying) people use a lot, but seriously, about seven hours of my day is spent traveling in a live truck with little access to any food other than the miracle oasis that is Wawa. 

(**if you are not from the area, Wawa is a concept that is hard to put into words. Its a convenience store that is really more of a lifestyle for people in the greater-Philadelphia,Pa area.  Nathan has made the mistake of trying to challenge its importance to me. I think that Wawa is the only thing we've ever actually gotten into an argument over - I feel a separate blog post brewing about that!**)

If the closest Wawa to the story we are covering is of an older generation, well then, my photographer and I are out of luck in the bathroom department too. 

Since I work the evening shift, I do have some time during the day to prepare meals and luckily, really enjoy cooking. 

The challenge lies in the fact that I do not like to eat meat. Occasionally I will, especially if someone has prepared it for me as it makes me more sad to let an animal go to waste. With this being the case, I can't simply pack a sandwich. I'm also experimenting with cutting down on grains, sugar, dairy and legumes. (Yeah I know, lame. It's not an all the time thing.) 

For my fellow "flexatarians": Here's an example of some things that went into that pretty lunch bag today; 

Paleo-Friendly-ish Pumpkin Spice Mug Cake 

Yellow Tomato and Herb Baked Salmon 

The Mug Cake is super easy to make. I simply combine; 
One Egg
2 Tablespoons of Pumpkin Puree
2 Tablespoons of Coconut Flour
1 Tablespoon of Honey
1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
2 Splendas
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
(or Pumpkin Pie spice if you have it) 

Pop that baby in the microwave for 2 minutes and there you go! I like to pour some Almond milk on top for some added texture. 

For the Salmon you'll need: 
A palm-sized Fillet
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 to 1 diced Tomato
Salt, Pepper and dried/fresh herbs to taste
(My favorite spice for anything is smoked paprika, so I throw a bit of that in as well) 

Preheat the oven to 400. Combine the diced tomato, olive oil, salt/pepper and herbs in a bowl. Tear off a square of tin foil and lightly use a bit more oil to rub where the fillet will lay. Place the fillet skin-side down then wrap the foil to create a bowl - that makes it easy to pour the tomato herb mixture on top. Secure the foil by pinching it closed on top and bake for 25 minutes. 

Today I topped some roasted veggies and lettuce with the salmon and remaining oil for a nice hearty salad. No dressing required. 

Don't worry, I left a second serving in the refrigerator for the owner of the cooler! 

                                                                                                    - Alex