Birthday Party, Grocery Finds, Vegan Sweet Treats, Gratitude

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Happy Hump Day!  We’re halfway there and I am really looking forward to the weekend!  I’ve got some cool yoga classes lined up, but we are also going to throw Skylar’s 3rd Birthday Party

Large number 3 birthday candle

Birthday Party supplies on countertop

When I say party, I should really define that as an intimate celebrationWhy?  Because we’re new in town and don’t know too many people, so it will just be the three of us, and that’s totally fine by me.  More desserts for us…haha!  Thanks to everyone who chimed in with all your special memories about the parties you had as kids!  The birthday girl has requested cupcakes so that’s what it shall be and other than that, I am in girly-girl birthday party planning mode!  Any more tips??

Up close of young girls face smilingYoung girl leaning toward countertop smiling

I’m glad you enjoyed yesterday’s post about my Yoga Class with the Yoga Master Dharma Mittra & the words of wisdom he had that I shared.
Woman standing with Dharma MittraDharma Mittra addressing crowd

And of course I know you loved the Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls, too!

Overhead of Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough BallsClose up of two Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
Melts in your Mouth, Not in your Hands!
Stacked Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls in clear container

And Thanks for Giving me your Perspective on PatienceAnd what’s easy and what’s challenging for you to be patient with.  I like hearing everyone’s take on topics like that!

Moving on to a few grocery finds…
I picked up these little crackers that were on sale for $1.99 in the organic section of the regular grocery store.  Michael Season’s Baked Multigrain Chips.

Baked Original Multigrain Chips in bag

They are wheat and gluten free, although Skylar and Scott don’t have to be gluten-free, as I mentioned before, wheat & gluten are inflammatory and harder to digest for everyone, so I try to keep it to a minimum around here.

Chips showing Wheat and Gluten Free
Overhead of chips in hand

And while I was at the grocery, I stocked up Sale-Priced Fruit

Grapes

Red grapesGreen grapes

Cherries!  I love cherries and haven’t had any in about 6 months!  

Hand holding cherry
Cherries in bag

They still weren’t exactly cheap, but they were on sale and that was good enough.  And they were perfectly crunchy & juicy…ewww! to mushy fruit!

Close up of hand holding cherry

Strawberries were on sale for $1.88 for 2 pints!

Sliced strawberries

Skylar Loves Her Berries!  Yay for Strawberries!  
Still sick, but happy nonetheless!

Young girl standing in front of wall with arms up
Close up of sliced strawberries

And Greenery.  Not on sale but essential!
Brock & Sugar Snap Peas

Heads of broccoli in bagBag of sugar snap peas

TJ’s lettuce mix, organic peas, and a yellow pepper

Lettuce mix, peas and yellow pepper

And a red pepper

Diced up red pepper in bag

I also love gum.  I know, classy to be chomping away, but there are worse things, right!  Anyway, these are my newest obsessions.  The Extra Family Fruit Sensations. 

Various packages of Extra Fruit Sensations gum

The lowdown:
The Mango Smoothie tastes like an Orange Creamsicle, more orange than mango, really good
The Island Cooler is faint, pineapple/mango-ish, and is very light in flavor, and is the most subtle of all four
The Watermelon is a big Pop! of Sweet Watermelon flavor
And the Strawberry-Banana tastes more strawberry than banana and is also a pretty “big” flavor like the watermelon.  
Nothing worse than bland gum!  Or gum that loses it’s flavor in 30 seconds!  For the gum chewers and connoisseurs, what’s your fave these days?

Here was a bowl of greenery I savored:
Everything was raw except the Brussles Sprouts which were steamed for 1 minute.  Brock, sugar snap peas, carrots, tomatoes, yellow peppers, romaine, cukes

Mixed salad with Vegan Slaw Dressing

Dressed With a Fresh Batch of Vegan Slaw Dressing that I made yesterday

Overhead of jar of Vegan Slaw Dressing
Side view of lidded jar of Vegan Slaw Dressing
Close up of salad topped with Vegan Slaw Dressing

Oh, Remember the Tempt Ice Cream from my  Grocery & Mailbox Finds Post?

Two containers of Tempt Ice Cream, Mint Chip and Vanilla Bean

Scott, the resident ice cream connoisseur not to be confused with me the gum connoisseur, says that it’s “Amazing!”  I don’t throw that word around lightly.  This is a man who used to enjoy his full-dairy, full-fat, Green & Black’s Organic Dark Chocolate ice cream and tons of specialty high end ice cream before I transformed him into a non-dairy guy, so for him to give this 2 Thumbs Up, that’s really saying something. 

Open containers of Tempt Ice Cream
I am not the best judge of ice cream because I prefer balls, any day.
 Chocolate cookie dough balls
 Close up of cookie dough balls in container
For Dessert, for Scott, because that ice cream is long gone, I got busy with a batch of Raw Vegan Chocolate Coconut Snowballs
Raw Vegan Chocolate Coconut Snowballs in white bowl
I generally make a batch fill up 4 bowls with the chocolate snowballs
Four bowls of Raw Vegan Chocolate Coconut Snowballs
And then he can grab out of the freezer, as needed.
Close up of Raw Vegan Chocolate Coconut Snowballs in bowl
Which is kinda dangerous because these are delish!
For my dessert, I snagged a No-Bake, Gluten-Free Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bar
 
Overhead of Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bar
Side view of Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bar

Shoutout to Danielle who made these and so did Tess and so did…hmmm.  Ok, having major Alzheimer’s Moment here.  There were at least a couple other people who made these…I swear to you, once upon a time I was magna cum laude.  Now I can’t remember everyone who made these.  I apologize!!!!!  My excuse: playing nursemaid with not enough sleep to a sick kiddie!

Close up of end of Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bar

Yoga Today is Camel (Ustrasana).  Open your heart chakra, let the love in.  And give extra special thanks & gratitude to the Universe this week for all the lovely blessings you DO HAVE in your life today!  Even if life isn’t perfect, there’s always something to be grateful for.  What are you grateful for today? 
Woman doing Ustrasana yoga pose

Tip of the Day:  Be Grateful!  I am grateful that I have an awesome little girl, who still happens to be sick boo-hoo but we’re rockin’ the natural treatments for colds like extra vitamin C, zinc, ginger, and extra antioxidants, I’m grateful for my husband, and all the new friends I have made in the blogosphere since I started blogging!  I am so grateful to all you guys who are always reading, leaving supportive comments, and encouraging words!!!!!  Thank You!!!!

Also if you’re into Vega, here’s a way to Save:

Save 15% on all Vega Sport
products at the Sequel eStore.
Enter promo code VNEWS-SPORT
at checkout. Offer valid through February 14, 2010.
Click here to Shop Now!

Have you tried Vega?  Do you like it?  Do you like their Bars? Or their other products

What’s your Favorite Gum if you’re a gum chewer?  I’d like to get more into mints, tooAny recommendations on mints?  Before I walk into teach a yoga class, which I need to hustle because I have to go teach a 5:30pm heated power flow class, it’s nice to have a mint, ya know?  But, I don’t like anything too strong and overwhelmingly pepperminty though.  I don’t want my eyes watering or anything!

What are you Grateful for Today?

Stay Tuned For Yummy Eats…

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Comments

  1. awwww, Happy Birthday (almost) Skylar! our bday is at the end of Feb. I am thinking of doing just what you did… decorating the SNOT out of JJ's play room and letting his day just be fun.

    I have to get out of the funk from last year's disaster party!

    I would die for a bite of the half and half treat! they look beautiful! (as always)

    and plans for V-day? Well, we have spa gift cards we saved from Christmas and THAT is going to be our get away treat (probably THIS weekend) the 15th is our anniversary (7 years) and so V-day is always combined now with our anniv. they are both special to us, but on a tighter budget, gifts are small. Getting away for massages and a peaceful morning while Patti watches JJ will be a TREAT.

    a 25$ v day treat? PERFUME. I am out. or a pretty bracelet. I haven't had anything girlie like that in ages. AGES I say. (okay, a spiralizer would be awesome too) but I could use a fun treat and not one that requires I do dishes!

    haha

    I had no idea Janetha had a secret valentine thing going on! how fun!

    Happy February Averie!
    xo

  2. You are a genius with all of your creative dessert concoctions! I have never had vegan white chocolate, but I really need to get some (or make my own) very soon. Looks delicious! :)

  3. Everything you make always looks out of this world! I love how you always come up with new recipes… And I have just officially realized that I am probably the only vegan to never try agave nectar… I will have to change that soon, maybe i'll attempt one of your recipes and blog all about how i messed it up;)

  4. Happy Birthday Skylar! Congrats on the 500 hr RYT, I'd love to step it up to the 500 hr level at some point. I totally agree with you about letting a kid be a kid sometimes.

    Your peanut butter cups are so pretty:) Maybe I'll attempt to recreate them as a Valentine's gift for my favorite boys.

  5. It looks like Skylar had a fab birthday! I love that you wrote her that "dedication". Awww. Too adorable!

    Oh my those peanut butter cups look fabulous! I need to recreate them :)

  6. OMG those peanut butter cups look AMAZING! Its only 10 am and now I am craving chocolate =) Great recipes, as always. And Skylar's birthday looks spectacular!

  7. Oh. my. goodness. Those peanut butter cups look absolutely delicious and I can't wait to make them!

    Personally, a bag of goodies from you would be more than enough for Valentine's Day…your desserts rock!

  8. awwwwwwwww your little pumpkin looks so cute and excited about her party! Sounds like you did a great job. I love the half black half white cups! They look pretty and yummy. Valentine's day plan= frozen yogurt and maybe a trip to the aquarium. Then we plan to make dinner together :)

  9. To answer your question of which type I would grab…I would grab ALL of them! Peanut butter/chocolate cups are my favorite things in the whole world, and these just take it to a whole different level.

    Yours always come out looking so clean and perfect, mine definitely do not look so polished. I wonder why!

  10. Girl you are killing me with this post! From Skylar's 3rd birthday party to virgin cupcakes, to WHITE CHOC. PEANUT BUTTER CUPS! OMG! My lack of sleep right now has me cravin' sugar like a wild woman. I think i'd go with the white ones…..cause that dk. chocolatey goodness is still tucked inside.

    Glad you guys had such a great b'day celebration. Happy that the little gal got her first taste of cupcake!

    Valentines…what, huh? What's that? Not happening for us either.

    $25…….would rather have priceless Averie goodies in my hands. xxoo

  11. I just love getting comments form you !!! Can you get any sweeter!! U, me, and Janetha could be a triple threat!!!!! Brains and Beauty, we all rock that!!!!

    Clean Eating is a great magazine, I love it!!

    Happy Birthday tomorrow to Skylar, she looks like she was in heaven with that cupcake!!! So cute!! I think its awesome how you raise her to eat so healthy!! I think that is so important!! I really wish I would of incorporated more healthy eating with my son when he was that young, because its easier if you do it that way, if not its tough when they are older : p

    Cant wait to see the birthday party pics!!!

    Valentines Day, Mike is taking me to a suprise place for dinner : ) so that will be fun!!!

    Have a great Monday!! xoxoxo

  12. Skylar is SO adorable! Aww. I just love her. How awesome that she got her FIRST cupcake!

    Your PB cups LOOK AMAZING! I may have to try them.

    I was wondering what that position was called. In my new yoga DVD, they do a very simplified version of it where you only raise yourself a few inches off the ground, and all I could think was "HOW DO YOU DO THIS?!?!" ;)

  13. hey babes! i have missed you, things have been crazy this weekend! but i am all moved in and finally a bit more relaxedddd yesss :) Love the recipe for these white chocolate cups! they are beautifula nd look so decadent. Happy birthday to skylar she is such a princess :)
    I think homemade gifts overtake ANY other gift!! they are so thoughtful and from you, that means delicious too!!!

  14. We don't find peanut butter cups on this side of the globe, we hardly find peanut butter at all as it is definitely not part of our culture.
    Still I have come to love natural peanut butter, and oh yes I will certainly make these peanut butter cups, they seem so easy to make… and eat!

  15. Wow I wish I was your secret valentine those cups look soooooo delish! No plans for the big as I'm a single maybe the cinema with my sis as her hubby doesn't believe in it! Ahhhhhh your little princess looks like she had a fun day what a cutie! x x