**First things first. You all amaze me with your words of encouragement, support, and kindness. The emails, messages, tweets…wow. No wonder I blog every day, my gosh! Thank you so, so much for all of your support! Lots of love!!**
My new job offers this great service for employees — you can drop off your car keys with HR and they arrange for your car to be serviced while you’re at work and returned to the parking lot. Neat, huh?
I noticed on Monday morning that I was in need of an oil change so on Tuesday I stopped by HR with my keys. I got an email around noon letting me know my car was ready and I could come finish the paperwork any time.
As usual the day got busy and the next time I looked up, it was after 5pm. I started clearing off my desk and shut down my computer. I grabbed my bag and keys, and realized that I never went to HR to complete my paperwork and pick-up my car key. I darted down the hall to HR and the office suite was locked and everyone was gone for the day.
I jetted up the stairs to my boss’ office, and he too was gone. I called maintenance — no one picked up. I called the hospital’s front desk and got transferred 3 times. I don’t think anyone knew what to do with me.
They decided to page someone to call me and meanwhile, I was calling Mr. Prevention to let him know that I wasn’t going to make it to Lily’s daycare by 6pm and he would have to pick her up….and then possibly me! Of course, he didn’t answer.
I was finally let into HR’s office and my keys were right there, laying on someone’s desk along with my paperwork. I got my keys but not before letting a good handful of people throughout the hospital in on my blonde moment. I felt pretty dumb about the whole situation…almost as dumb as I looked in Zumba last night. Oy. But it’s good to try new things, right?
Like…tofu pie. That was a first for me and it won’t be a last. Unlike my key situation…let’s hope!
Chocolate Raspberry Tofu Pie from Eating Well
1 1/2 cups (10 oz) chocolate chips
1 12.3-oz package firm silken tofu
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, thawed
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 9-inch low fat graham cracker pie crust
Directions:
Microwave chocolate chips in a medium bowl for 1 minute. Stir, then continue microwaving, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted.
Place tofu in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add the melted chocolate, maple syrup and vanilla; process until smooth. Add raspberries and sugar and reprocess; scraping down the sides as necessary. Spread the mixture into the crust. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
Yield: 8 slices.
Nutrition Information (per slice): 320 calories; 13.6 g. fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 116 mg. sodium; 47 g. carbohydrate; 4.8 g. fiber; 6.6 g. protein
Result: This was a very unique flavor and not because of the tofu but because of the raspberries. This was creamy and rich and definitely had me coming back for seconds. Mr. P thought it had a “tart” taste, again…because of the berries. I thought this made the pie seem fresh and summery 🙂 I love that this is low in sodium and high in fiber. It was quick to make and kept well for 4-5 days. Enjoy!
[/print_this]This week is flying by!
Be well,
Ok, first, that’s AWESOME that your company does that!! I Just made an appointment for an oil change and I hate not being with my car for a day. I would love it if Market District would take my car and do the oil change while I Was working. THAT is SWEET! Sorry to hear you forgot to pick it up though, yikes! Although it sounds like your days fly by pretty fast, which is great.
Thanks for the wonderful recipe. I haven’t tried tofu in a really long time, but I’m eager to try it again. I think my stomach/GI issues are getting better, so it’s time for a test!
It sounds like your new job is ideal! That is awesome!
I recently discovered desserts like this and they are AMAZING. I love to tell people after the fact what its made of. Heh heh.
At my old office, I was given Exec parking (instead of a raise- we won’t discuss it) my second year. The one perk was I could drop my keys off and they’d wash and vacumm out the car while I was working away.
I miss that. But then again, I just sold my car… so it’s not really of use to me anymore. :p
But did you enjoy Zumba? It is definitely my favorite workout. I can easily burn over 500 calories in an hour AND I have a blast. This pie looks delicious and I’m all for using tofu in anyway, shape, or form.
Tofu is actually a great ingredient for silky and smooth desserts. I’m surprised it’s not utilized more often.
That majorly sucks about your car keys. I would have gone crazy…I’m a bit obsessed with being punctual and if I knew I was going to be late to pick up my dog I’d probably stress myself out.
Have you done Zumba before? I don’t remember you mentioning it…maybe I missed it. I tried it once at home with some videos and I was SO terrible. I think it’s the kind of thing that you need to do regularly before you really get the hang of it. In any case, I never tried it again.
I saw this in Eating Well and I’ve debated on making it so many times but my husband is so anti-tofu I doubt I could lie about the ingredients. 🙂 It looks delicious.
I’ve been dying for a chocolate pie for months and this looks like the perfect candidate. I’ve heard silken tofu makes an excellent vegan custard. Must try SOON! 🙂
Beautifully written. And whew, despite the episode, that’s such an awesome, unique perk to you job! So cool! My car is totally dying for an oil change write now. Might be time to have a talk with my CEO…
Whoa this looks amazing! I’m already making plans to pick up the ingredients …
Aw, that sucks about your key – but glad you got it! Tofu in pie – that’s a new one for me too. Maybe I could sneak this by the hubs?!
That is super neat!! And so glad it worked out..that would have been the worst if you would have ended up needing a ride.
I have never used silken tofu but keep saying that I need to try!!
Oh my gosh, chocolate tofu pies are the BEST! <3 <3 <3
That is one heck of a perk!
I am definitely intrigued by using tofu in a pie like this. I would to experiment with different crust alternatives and shapes for little pies. Thank you for this inspiration! It looks too good to be true.
I can’t remember if I actually congratulated you or not – so I will say it now, huge congrats!! I am so proud of you and can’t wait to see what you come up with.
And PS, I love tricking people out with tofu. I did it just yesterday with this fab dip I came up with for CE – can’t wait for you to see it, I think you’ll love it!