Movie night! Tonight on the agenda was a flick called “Black Sheep”. I was searching for the classic Chris Farley comedy from 1996, but it seems the title was rehashed in 2006 for a very different type of movie; a movie about blood-thirsty zombie sheep in New Zealand. How could I resist? Naturally, a movie of this caliber requires popcorn. Thanks to the invent of movie theater “butter” popcorn is usually not considered health food, but I intend to change that. Corn is a whole grain, therefore popcorn is a whole grain. Popcorn kernels contains more fiber than an apple, a banana, 2 oranges or a serving of barley. The only problem is that the carbs in popcorn digest super-quick into your bloodstream, bad for people with diabetes or those watching their weight. Guess what dramatically slows down the digestion of these carbs? That’s right, nature’s perfect food: peanut butter.

Eat less processed meat. That’s our plan for our packed lunches. Peanut butter is a fantastic start, but PB&J will only get you so far. Leftovers are a great option but that requires leftovers, and I’m not going to make a fancy meal just to put it directly in the fridge. That’s when I turned to the blogging world for some vegetarian lunch ideas. The first and best-sounding one was Smitten Kitchen’s recipe, or perhaps I was just getting some recipe-vibes from Smitten’s kitchen across the river. I followed the recipe for the most part, but the chickpeas wouldn’t stick together. That’s when I got all giddy inside and whipped out the peanut butter jar. Problem solved and it became even tastier!

Falafels are more than just a source of sustenance, they are a prime example of vegetarian (or vegan) cuisine. Falafels don’t imitate meat-based products: they’re not shaped like steaks or flavored like sausage, or called some dreadful name like “un-friend non-chicken”. Falafels are their own creature and, conveniently, not a living one. It’s also a cool word, though potentially a cruel word if you slur and lisp like Sylvester the Cat. Their unique design stems from a dense core of ground chickpeas mixed with a host of flavors and spices, and then they’re generally fried for good measure. They will leave you full and satisfied, and not missing meat in the least. Falafels are best served with homemade hummus and fresh vegetables (all shoved into a pita if you’re on the go). Of course the Peanut Butter Boy doesn’t make “normal” hummus, I don’t really make “normal” anything. I should also point out that other than the fresh veggies on the side, all required ingredients for this recipe can be kept on hand and stored in your cabinet which makes for a great backup meal when the rain begins to pour or the funds are getting low.