Highlights of the Week

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Happy National Yoga Day, everyone!  As I mentioned yesterday, today is National Yoga Day and there were and are tons of studios and teachers putting on free yoga classes today!  And more than likely, if you’ve snoozed, you haven’t totally lost out because you could possibly still snag a free class on Sunday.  And if yoga’s not your thing, no worries, Janetha filled me in that Sunday, January 24 is National Peanut Butter Day.  And I know you all love your Peanut ButterOr was that Almond Butter? 

Anyway, I had a great morning at yoga doing teacher training kinda stuff as I am pursing the highest level of yoga certification.  Oh, and I am so happy that it finally stopped raining here in PhoenixMadeline actually likes this weather!  Silly girl!  It’s been raining nonstop for a week!  We’ve hit the annual rainfall total all in the span of one week, by January 23rd.  So even though it’s supposedly the desert, it’s been raining buckets.  Do you like the rain?  I’m a Sunshine kind of girl, for sure!

In the spirit of recapping my week’s highlights in both food, events, and random musings, let’s Roll the Highlight Reel.  But first, if you missed last week’s Highlights of the Week Post, here it is.  

Sunday I reminded you of my Raw Vegan Cheesecake 

Slice of Raw Vegan Cheesecake

Raw Vegan Cheesecake in clear container

No-Bake, Gluten & Soy Free, too!

Cheesecake layer spread on Raw Vegan CheesecakeCheesecake layer dolloped over crust of Raw Vegan Cheesecake

Monday I made No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Protein Bars

Ingredients for No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Protein Bars in bowl 
One No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Protein Bar

And they are So Easy, and So Good!

Overhead of No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Protein Bar
Side of No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Protein Bar

And I talked about Mental Scripts & The Stories We Tell OurselvesDo you need to change your mental chatter?
“Really, the scripts and stories we tell ourselves are endless.  There is always a reason to say, “But no.  I can’t.  I shouldn’t.  That won’t work because…”

And I mentioned many salads and dressings I’ve been loving:  
Mixed greens, carrots, tomatoes with my Vegan Holiday-Spice Orange Vinaigrette

Mixed greens with vegetables and Vegan Holiday-Spice Orange Vinaigrette

And Kale, Brock, Cukes, Sugar Snap Peas, Cauli, and Homemade Vegan Slaw Dressing.

Salad with vegetables and Homemade Vegan Slaw Dressing


Tuesday I Met Up With fellow food-blogger, Madeline

 Two woman and child standing smiling at coffee shop

Made a Vegan Mexican Feast
Vegan Quesadillas with homemade Ginger-Cumin-Lime Dipping Sauce

Two Vegan Quesadillas on plate
Ginger-Cumin-Lime Dipping Sauce being whisked up in bowl
Vegan Cheeezy Spread

And Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookies

Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookies 
Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookie in white dish

And talked about Honest BloggingDo you blog your truth?  Do you fear speaking the truth?  Why or why not?  Thanks for the awesome comments, everyone!

Wednesday I Had a Huge Grocery and Mailbox Finds Post

Tempt Mint Chip and Vanilla Bean Ice CreamsOpen Containers of Ice Creams

 

Thrive Fitness Book
 PureOrganic Conditioner Bottle

And also discussion about the benefits of Coconut Oil, and Refined vs. Unrefined Coconut Oil.

EfaGold Coconut Oil Container

And I asked whether you buy organic food, or not.  

Organic French Roast Coffee Container

And I had lots of comments, thank you: 
Why You Purchase Organic, or why not  
What corners you cut, if you follow the Dirty Dozen Rule when buying organic….it was great! 
 

And I made a huge saladHugh Jass: Raw brock, cauli, carrots, tomatoes, cukes, sugar snap peas, and lightly steamed Brussels’. Dressed with Vegan Slaw Dressing

Mixed Vegetable Salad with Vegan Slaw Dressing
Close up of salad with Vegan Slaw Dressing
Lidded Jar of Vegan Slaw Dressing

And for Dessert, made a batch of Raw Vegan Chocolate Coconut Snowballs

Raw Vegan Chocolate Coconut Snowballs in white dish

Thursday I announced my Yoga and Raw Vegan Foods Retreat!
Large empty Yoga Stuido

 
Yoga Studio

On the Beach in San Diego
San Diego Beach with pier in background
August

Beach with Ocean and Cliffs in background
This Summer in August!
Beach with people and walkway with palm trees

Be there and get your Om Shanti Shanti on while eating your weight in veggies.
 Golden Statue surrounded by flowers and lit candles

Friday I created a new salad dressing: Maple Ginger Dijon Vinagrette

Maple Ginger Dijon Vinagrette
Mixed salad with Maple Ginger Dijon Vinagrette

Showed you some of my other eats:

Mixed Vegetable Salad with Vegan Slaw Dressing

Brock, Brussels, Carrots, Tomatoes, Cukes, mixed greens and Homemade Vegan Slaw Dressing,  it was lovely.

Close up of Salad with Vegan Slaw Dressing

 And this plate: a Vegan, Cesar-Inspired Salad & Brown Rice

Cesar-Inspired Salad & Brown Rice

Dressed the salad with my Vegan Creamy Tahini Cesar-Inspired Dressing

Salad dressed with Vegan Creamy Tahini Cesar-Inspired Dressing

And I Made Recipes Using Up my Ripe Bananas:
Chocolate Brownie Protein Oats

Chocolate Brownie Protein Oats in clear container
Close up of Chocolate Brownie Protein Oats

Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars

 Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bar up close
Side of Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bar

No-Bake, Gluten & Soy Free

Overhead of Protein Bar
Close up of Protein Bar

Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Bread in loaf pan

Gluten & Soy Free 

Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Bread in pan topped with sliced bananas
Hand holding slice of Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Vegan Banana-Nut Muffins

Vegan Banana-Nut Muffins
Hand holding slice of Vegan Banana-Nut Muffins

And I talked about Giving Back, Volunteering, and Wondering What Do You do to Give Back?

Today after yoga, I did my usual Saturday Shuffle cruising around to Trader Joe’s and the regular grocery in hot pursuit of fruit & veggies.  Then I came home and cleaned it all.  Fun.  Just what any yoga teacher-wife-mother-soccer mom wants to do…clean produce on Saturday afternoon.  Any tips for making this go faster?  Oh wait, I forgot, there are no shortcuts on eating wholesome, unprocessed, natural foods…get your knife and cutting board ready!

Pineapple

Diced up pineapple
Diced up pineapple in container

Red & Green Grapes

Red GrapesGreen Grapes

Pears, Bananas, Tomatoes

Pears, Bananas, Tomatoes on countertop

I managed to score these strawberries!

Containers of Strawberries
Each 2-pint tub was only $1.88.  So, we have enough berries to get plenty of diaper rash for under $4 bucks.  Cool!

Cucumbers, Brock, & Sugar Snap Peas

Sliced up Cucumbers
Heads of BroccoliBag of Sugar Snap Peas
And lots of other unphotographed food.  You get the point.  This should last us precisely 3 days.  Skylar plows through her piles and plates of rabbit food, too. 

Yoga Today is Tittibhasana (Firefly Pose) 

Woman doing Tittibhasana yoga pose

Half the blogosphere Some of you have written me wondering what to do if you can’t lift off in any of these lifts, hoovering maneuvers, or arm balancing postures.  And what I will say is that these are poses to work towards.  I have been practicing yoga 10 years.  Although I have not practiced every, single, day for 10 years, I have probably practiced 340 days a year, every year, for the last 10 years. The physical practice of yoga is like playing the piano, learning a foreign language, running, or hiking.  In the beginning, no one sits down and bangs out a Beethoven Symphony or runs a Sub 3 Hour Marathon, but if you keep practicing, stick with it, don’t give up, don’t quit, don’t get down on yourself, stay positive, then this will all come!  And if it doesn’t happen for you, because this is not something your body wants to do, then that’s fine, too, because that is YOUR YOGA, your path, your reality, your situation, unique to you.  

Tip of the Day:  Embrace yourself for who you are, both your strengths and your challenges, and don’t compare yourself to others!  You may not be amazing at yoga, or in the kitchen, but you may be a great writer.  Or, you may be a horrible listener because you’re always talking, but you’re witty and people love it when you talk because you crack everybody up!  Or you may have a hard time finding balance in your life, but you speak 3 languages fluently.  Point being, everybody is at a different place and that’s great!!  Plus, wouldn’t it be boring if we were all the same?

What’s your biggest gift or strength?  Biggest challenge?
My biggest gift I think is my ability to lead others by breaking down big or complicated things into manageable realities.  I feel like with yoga or raw foods or problem-solving with friends and clients, that I can take big things and break them down and people are far less overwhelmed and much more inspired to try their hand.
Biggest challenge is overcommiting and lacking in the personal down-time department, but I’m working on it!

What are you working on?  What comes easy?

And on other random matters, what’s your idea of a dream Sunday?  
Mine would be breakfast in bed, followed by a maid coming and doing all my cooking & cleaning for me, going to do yoga, having childcare lined up, and coming home to a gourmet raw-ish vegan meal.  Followed by the perfect amount of family time, then alone with a backstack of books & magazines, right before the in-home personal a masseuse arrives.  And with that, I can keep dreaming!  What’s your dream day??

Stay Tuned For an Awesome Vegan, Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipe…

 

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