Chocolate in Aruba & Chocolate Brownie Protein Oats

TGIF is what most of you are saying, right! Well, I hope you’ve had a great week and that you’ve got lots of fun, mellow things planned for the weekend. Is anyone actually going to be braving the stores for some Christmas Shopping? As I mentioned yesterday, we don’t do gifts anymore, so I don’t have to fight for parking spaces or worse yet, fight for merchandise like sometimes happens on those Day After Thanksgiving Day sales when people get trampled over electronics or sweaters on sale!

Anyway though, I am really glad you enjoyed Alison’s post on her Weight Loss Success Story from yesterday.  She is just an amazing woman and I love her so! Thanks again, Alison for sharing your lovely and inspiring story!

But moving on to what I really want to talk about today: Chocolate in Aruba!! You know how much I love my chocolate.

From Raw Vegan Chocolate Coconut Snowballs

 

And Raw Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Donut Holes–Another 5 Minute Recipe!

To My Raw Vegan PB Cups
Thanks, Heather, for mentioning these yesterday.  So glad you got in on a little messy chocolate action of your own!

To My Vegan Guiltless & Fast Vanilla Hot Cocoa

It’s pretty hot here so Hot Cocoa isn’t on my mind, but of course, chocolate always is.  So I whipped up:
Raw Vegan Overnight “Chocolate Brownie” Protein Oats
1/3 c dry oats
1 ripe & well mashed banana
1 heaping scoop of the Chocolate Sun Warrior Protein Powder (something that I did bring with me)

1 Tbsp Agave
Pinch of stevia (omit, reduce, or increase sweeteners to your taste)

Mix all ingredients (I use a little tupperware with a lid) together, Refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours…

...and Enjoy! (Pics taken 12 hours later.)

It tastes like an oatmeal-inspired chocolate brownie to me!  Thick, fudgey, and delish!

And even though it’s hot and hot cocoa doesn’t come to mind, hot coffee still does.  Did you catch the fact that I brought my own coffee pot with me to Aruba? And I also brought some Vanilla Stevia drops.  Perfect in the ‘joe!

Now for more chocolate….
Some Chocolate Bar Finds!
White Chocolate

Note the Fair Trade Label. Cool!

And then this Dark Swiss Bittersweet Bar

And the Stats if you’re Interested

And then this Cappuccino Bar.  A Chocolate and Coffee Lover’s Dream Bar!!!! (it’s not vegan though)

That Fair Trade Symbol again.

The white chocolate is the perfect compliment to the dark chocolate, which has a lovely coffee flavor according to Scott.

Yeah, it looks pretty good, I’d say.

And these Dark Chocolate with White Nougat…

…with Peanut Chunks inside the white Nougat.  If Milky Way Dark were flecked with Peanut Chunks in the Nougat but with the caliber of Godiva or Sees’s Candies Chocolate, that’s what this is like.  For 2 America dollars for 18 pieces.  Score!

Ok so I confess I haven’t only been eating chocolate.  There’s been plenty of kale, cukes, brock, and cauli in my life.

With the Homemade Vegan Slaw Dressing I gave the recipe for here.

And Brown Rice, and A Garden Salad dressed with my homemade CreamyVegan Cesar-Inspired Tahini Dressing

And there’s been Fruit.
Grapefruit

Fresh Mangos

And Grapes, Apples, and Pears which I didn’t bother to upload.  Uploading here is like the Pony Express: Slow!

But for more Chocolate now…
There’s been some damage done to a batch of Vegan Chocolate Coconut Snowballs that I whipped up here. I omitted the coconut oil and just used maple as the liquid and things turned out just fine. 5 Minutes and sooo good!

And there was a dark chocolate-colored wooden statue that a friend of ours down here gave us.  (Sorry bout the dark pics, the lighting is quite horrendous indoors here)

She’s the perfect drishti (gazing point) for my yoga practice!

Yoga Today is Skylar’s Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Savasana)

Ahh, inner peace.

Tips of the Day:

RodeyGirl is Having a Tea Give Away
Danica AND Brandi have Knock Knock goods!
April’s giveaway!
Iowa Girl has a Give Away!

What’s the food you never get sick of? I know Katie and I share a love of chocolate.  Although she mentioned she actually OD’ed on it.  And another person I know loves his chocolate. He’s got a stash to rival mine. I love chocolate, too…always. And coffee.

Seriously though, like Holly mentioned in this post, I crave green, raw, fresh veggies, some fruit, but just wholesome greenery and lots of it!!! Of course I love my desserts, but I find that when my diet is well-balanced and rounded out with enough veggies, fruits, and I am getting all those trace nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, I crave desserts less. So what food(s) or beverages do you never tire of?

Or, tell me about your weekend plans?  Shopping?  Packing for a holiday trip to see family members?  Whatcha up to?

Stay Tuned For Week in Review Highlights Post, More Great Guest Posts, and Another Give Away Announcement…