I shan’t lie to you.
I haven’t really been cooking anything new or exciting lately. I put this down to being heartsore, not sleeping well, and fighting anxiety on the frontline with a metaphorical sword that at times feels as hefty and threatening as a stick of powder-puff-pink fairy floss.
Which is not to say I’m stumbling down Struggle Street, but that I tend to arrive home after work rather exhausted and not keen on making anything for dinner that will require lengthy washing up afterwards. In fact, most nights I’m capable of little more than putting on Treme (down in the Treme / it’s me and my baby…) and throwing something together in a bowl that I’m quite sure would appeal to pretty much no one but me.
Like plain crumbled firm tofu mixed with tahini, nutritional yeast, sambal oelek, and miso paste, eaten cold with a spoon.
Or a toasted English Muffin topped with dark-as-night black sesame spread, a smidgen of maple syrup, and hemp seeds.
I can give you one faux-recipe, though, which I’ve been making almost daily since Chobani generously sent me a box of their new plain non-fat yoghurt. I’ve somewhat fallen in love with this yoghurt (even more than the flavoured kinds) on account of how ridiculously thick, creamy, and tangy-without-being-acidic it is.
I do plan to bake with this plain yoghurt eventually, but for the moment I shall give you my quick (and magnificent, yo) snack recipe:
1. Open 170g tub of Chobani plain non-fat yoghurt.
2. Add sprinkles and coconut.
3. Stir.
4. Add more sprinkles and coconut.
5. Eat.
6. Wash plastic tub and give to E.Moonbeams for her garden projects, then proceed to eat four hundred and thirty seven million straight spoonfuls of coconut and sprinkles while working at your desk.
Other tasty things I’ve eaten lately have included this Almond Protein Hit Bounce Ball, brought back for me from America by my darling Heidi:
Chewy. Almond extract-y. Brown-y. Satisfying-y. Mmm-y.
I also experienced Zambrero for the first time, opting for the vegetarian Salad Bol. This comprised a thick layer of refried beans and another of rice across the entire bottom of the takeaway container, all topped with lettuce, jalapenos, tomato salsa, guacamole, and smoky tamarindo sauce.
And then I ate an entire jar of White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter in two days with just a spoon after having an existential crisis walking home about how underneath the bitumen road and concrete footpath upon which my feet trod is earth, earth, soil and living creatures and earth and cold dark breathing living unknowns all the way down under us under us forever and ever so far down down down under us forever until it’s the other side of the world and oh dear I can’t think about it anymore or I’ll freak out all over again.
Hannah out.
Question Time: Do you even get flustered trying to comprehend basic facts of existence? It happens to me every time I try understand and accept that DVDs translate into little tiny people dancing around on my TV.
*big hugs* Sorry it’s still rough for you. I wish I could wave a magic chocolate wand and make it all better. I think you should share the tofu concoction. I would definitely eat that!
Thank you Debi
Kindness in comments is almost as good as a magical chocolate wand. Oh, and the tofu concoction? It’s pretty much what I just described; I never measure 
I hear you on the dinner front! It’s only the fact that The Sparky has a physically exerting job that makes me/us ensure something more than vegemite on english muffin gets eaten most nights!
A – the size of the universe makes me nauseous if I think about it too much …
Aha, another of those positive/negative/goes-both-ways aspects of being single
Yup – I would totally be eating toast or chips for dinner every night if I didn’t have someone else to look after/look out for me! I’d enjoy it I’m sure, but it would also make me pretty sick soooo +/-
But feeling sick every night is half the fun of being single!
Sometimes, sprinkles are just what one needs, far more than elaborate dinners or new recipes or dishes that need washing up. Actually, always more than dishes that need washing up. My heart hurts for you still, but I feel a little better knowing you have yoghurt and sprinkles and coconut. Keep them up
And let me know if there is anything I can do xox
(Also, I don’t think Chobani is in WA yet! I can’t find it anywhere, Woolworths included.)
Sprinkles > washing up forever and ever amen.
Thanks so much, Kari – even chatting with you across the country helps 
I think Chobani only just became available in Victoria, so it might be a little while before it takes over Australia
It does for me too
(The chatting across the country thing!)
Sorry you are still suffering so, good to know that you at least have some good yoghurt to keep you company. Your tofu snack sounds like a very intriguing mix of flavours, you should make it for me if we ever meet.
Teehee, it’s the most aesthetically unappealing creation I’ve ever come up with, so I think I’d be embarrassed to serve it to anyone!
Bituminous! A word that is not well-known here, but makes me smile every time I hear it:)
I’ve been eating a lot of peanut butter, sunflower seeds and honey on toast. Each spread in a delightfully thick layer resulting in about a 1 pound snack. SERIOUS SNACKING.
Just like that serious salad, man that thing looks large!
I freak out about existential issues all the time, and then feel dizzy, but they’re so far from cheery that I’d rather not mention them, because then I’d feel the dizzy, and have to go outside, and look at every newly-sprouted plant in my yard to calm myself down. I could also chant bituminous to myself. Hmm. Emma out.
Wow, I had no idea “bituminous” was a word, so you’ve taught me something!
Bahaha, that’s exactly what I do! Except I’d have to call it a just-under-half-a-kilo snack, because we’re part of the rest of the world that understands the METRIC SYSTEM IS BEST and your country’s system is silly.
Oh my gosh, I didn’t think it showed well in the photo, but the salad was *huge*. I couldn’t even finish it, which almost never happens. So much hidden rice and beans!
I’m so glad we found each other, Emma. We can be dizzy together, halfway across the world, freaking out about how we really are a squillion steps and oceans and people away from each other.
I think the spinkle/coconut yogurt recipe is genius.
Teehee, thank you! It’s a winner.
I get flustered as soon as I get out of bed.. sometimes I have to smack myself in the face to try to focus… *sigh*… life’s too hard as it is, let’s be a bit lighter on ourselves eh? Easier said than done
Oh look, see? When I threw that orange chocolate at your face I wasn’t being a terrible friend, I was helping you not be flustered. YAY! I no longer have to feel guilty!
But yes, we do need to be calmer and kinder to ourselves. Rake sway hakuna matata gorgeous xoxo
yep – love the colours of sprinkles and love the texture of coconut so though it seems crazy I might just love this – sorry to hear life is being tough on you – some days existence makes me sigh – probably just tiredness with me though!
Teehee, sometimes a little dose of crazy is just what we need
I’m glad to say that there haven’t been as many days lately where I’ve dreaded getting through the day, but there has been a lot of tiredness!
Maybe you need some time to wallow in your sadness? It’s an okay thing to do.
I’m a big believer in the healing powers of the cry detox, but at the moment it’s more a problem of finding time to allow for it!
mmm i do that all the time, get a spoon and a jar of nut/seed butter and eat my heart away. it does make me feel better for the moment, but my stomach tells me that it isn’t happy, so i must stop this emotional eating. i go through many spurts of pondering my life too – lately it’s been pretty frequent, so i know what you are going through. chobani rocks. i love that stuff. and i also love the idea of tahini with tofu! yum. i read recently how tahini is the unroasted version while sesame paste is the roasted version!
Why is it that even though we know we’ll feel sick afterwards, the lure of the nut/seed butter jar is so strong?! One day I’ll defeat the urges…
Hmm, I don’t think that tahini/sesame paste distinction exists here, as most of tahinis I’ve seen are roasted, I believe. All I can really choose is whether it’s hulled or unhulled! The black sesame spread has a bit of sugar in it too
You are as usual ingenius! This yoghurt is so delicious and with sprinkles, who can ever complain
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Aw!! You’re too lovely
xo
Sounds to me like you need a big hug, brought to you by Leah, Little G and Chucky. What better way to make you smile, at least for a moment.
Anxiety and I go way back Hannah. If you ever need to chat please feel free to vent with me.
That would be utterly, utterly wonderful. Hug raincheck?
I’m so sorry you struggle with anxiety too, dear Leah. Sometimes it helps even to know others go through – and get through – it. xo
Um, your tofu-tahini concoction sounds kind of amazing.
To your question: yes. Yes I do. Especially when pondering quantum physics. It’s mentally delicious.
I totally love how when I tell my friends here in Canberra about that concoction, they all pull horrible faces, but I knew that I’d find supporters here
(I forgot to mention the ungodly amount of black pepper that also goes into the mix…)
“Mentally delicious”. That’s a most brilliant turn of phrase. xo
Sprinkles are very cheery and they can definitely provide a lift to a bowl of very plain looking yoghurt as well as a lift to the heart-broken soul stirring them in! Better days are coming! xx
Thank you my dear. There are still many, many shining moments in every day that are helping me get through
Hehe so how is the yogurt with the peanut butter?
And I’m relieved to see the jar of PB come out because otherwise I would have really wondered what was wrong 
Don’t hate me; but I can’t really get behind the yoghurt + peanut butter combination. Somehow it doesn’t taste right to me? *hides*
My grown-up brain says I should be scared of sprinkles in yogurt, but the rest of me really, really wants to try this now.
I am quite impressed with the Chobani yogurts, though I am still annoyed by the idea of importing fresh food. I overcome my irritation if I see Chobani on special, mind.
You can get Bounce balls at Woolworths. The peanut version is exceedingly good. I keep them in my locker at university for emergencies.
I think the sign of being grown-up is making the conscious decision to embrace sprinkles
I think I read somewhere that Chobani is hoping to start producing its yoghurt here eventually. Fingers crossed! I do like the bounce balls, but unfortunately they have dairy in them so I probably won’t buy them myself. Sadface.
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I really wish, every now and then, that I could get away with having something like cold tofu & condiments for dinner. Some days when you’re tired in the head, it isn’t just laziness that makes those foods appealing, but something about them is actually really delicious. But with two people, it’s not really an option unless I’m home alone!
Teehee, I’ve had a few of such comments, but in truth, it’s probably a far better thing to have the second person there to encourage you to eat proper food. In my defense, I always have veggies alongside the cold tofu too!
I was discussing sprinkles with friends on Friday night (as you do after a wine or 5). Were yours hundreds and thousands? They seem to be quite hard to track down these days, but are the only acceptable topping for fairy bread as far as I am concerned. Those little rectangle long ones just aren’t the same.
Chobani sent me a pack of their flavoured yoghurt. I found it a little too acidic for my liking.
Luckily, in my part o’ town hundreds and sprinkles are easy to find, and darn tootin’ they’re the only acceptable form of sprinkles. Those rectangular ones should be banished back to the fiery pit from whence they came.
I like the plain more than the flavoured; but I’ve always liked tangy and sour things
Love your blog – so heartfelt, hilarious and expressive..
Definitely sharing the love for the tofu/nooch/ tahini/ sambal olek combo. I’d probably go for lentils/ kale/ broccoli/ avocado/ nori topped by several tonnes or litres of nooch and hot sauce.. I could tip whole bags of nooch down my throat in one go. Oh dear, what an admission..
Oh Kate, thank you for this incredibly kind comment! You’ve made me smile so very much.
Teehee, don’t worry Kate, your nooch admission is safe with me. Particularly as I can absolutely do the same, although if I poured my whole tub down my throat I’d probably choke and collapse. The tub is, I believe, two-thirds of a kilo…
I am so jealous. Over in the UK we can only buy this delight in 100g tubs. Sad as I am I got a big thrill recently from being able to buy 6 of these a month on Amazon’s subscribe and save deals.. It’s nice to be so easily pleased by the small things in life (though a lack of nooch can hardly be described as small…).
Do you write professionally, Hannah? You really should. You write with such poignancy and a flair for the small details that make up life, and your bubbly character really shines through your words. (Being English, I am now hoping that I have not embarrassed you too much with my comments. Forgive me!)
Looking forward to part 2 of your inadvertent family lunch piss up!
Kate
Well, in turn I’m envious of you as neither Amazon UK or US will ship groceries to Australia
I think being pleased by the small things in life is the only way to survive, really. It’s all about getting through each day with as much happiness as possible 
Oh! But you have just given me not a small thing, but an enveloping burst of joy and strength. My dream is to somehow, someday, write professionally, and yet sometimes it feels naught but impossible. Thank you for giving me hope
(Not embarrassed at all! Overjoyed and grateful for your kindness)
P.S. Part Two is up!
hey lovely, sorry I’ve been so absent from commenting! Crazy week it’s been. Thanks for the link, glad you liked the bounce! Love chobani plain greek you – fav. Your no-fuss meals sound delicious and nourishing, well done, lady. I do not like thinking about existence things and such, does my head in! the trick is to not think about it haha. as simple as that. can’t handle it if i do!! Love.
Heidi xo
I’ve been thinking about you and meaning to text to see if things are okay in Heidi-world, but then things have been so topsy-turvy in mine too that I kept forgetting until, like, 2am. And I decided that would not be a good time for the beep-beep of the phone
I’m so in love with the plain Chobanis; they blow the flavoured out of the water! And the protein ball was lovely, even if it totally didn’t bounce when I threw it at the wall. (Kidding, kidding. I would never be so rude to a present 
)
xo
I hate to admit it but I am intrigued by the yoghurt, coconut, sprinkles concoction. I would have to wait until the boys were out of the house, I can see them going crazy- and not in the good way. I am equally intrigued and repulsed by the notion of the peanut butter, white chocolate. I really don’t like pb and chocolate as you know. I would try this I think- although I suspect it might be like the time I bought some balsamic vinegar and sea salt chips because that sounded nice- bit into the first one and went “bah, it’s only salt and vinegar! But the backwards fancy name fooled me anyway!”. Somewhere you asked me about sources for Zotter chocolates- I can’t find where that was to reply in a sensible way- so let me tell you here that if you hang about in fancy providores in Pott’s Point you can find all manner of things.
Pott’s Point… is that Sydney? I am hoping to head there for my bir’day to see a play! (That is, if I ever get around to buying a ticket.) I’ve been eating the yoghurt/coconut/sprinkles snack almost every day at work. The rainbow colours give me joy and calm my spinning mind.
Oooh, I totally almost fell for the balsamic vinegar chips, but then I remembered I live alone and would eat the bag in two days if I did.
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