Happy Monday! Hopefully the title of this post got your attention…haha! It’s President’s Day for all the U.S. readers. Are we supposed to honor the President today? (The economy is in the crapper, unemployment is at an all-time high, millions have no health insurance, but hey, let’s give him a pat on the back for President’s Day. Ok, back to food blog programming.) I hope you all had an awesome Valentine’s Day Weekend and that you had a little romance in your life and if that wasn’t in the cards, hopefully you were able to cuddle up with a book, a cup of coffee on your right, and a chocolate bar on your left, and get your relaxation groove on! I had an extremely busy weekend, filled with a Raw Foods Presentation, shopping trips and errands, and a some Valentine’s Day fun times with my fam. Glad you Liked the Valentine’s Day Pictures, too, and thanks ladies for the compliments on the flowers! They smell so good in my kitchen!
Thanks for all the great compliments on my No Bake Vegan Rum Cake Balls!
Making them was a labor of love filled with drunken cake eating memories in the Caymans with fond memories of a Grand Cayman trip, and I regaled you with my Caribbean Rum Cake Story with Scott that was my inspiration for the recipe.
I loved hearing about if you think Foods have Medicinal Properties and also your comfort level with public speaking. And whether or not you get flustered!
But my favorite comments were the ones where you told me that 1. You like my recaps and if others don’t, oh well. And 2. Agreeing that it’s unsettling when people come to a raw foods presentation and demo and want to argue about the merits of raw vegan foods. Glad I wasn’t the only one who thinks people like that should have, ummm, just stayed home! But whatever, 95% of the presentation was awesome and if you want to see the recipes I made for the attendees, click here.
Moving alone, here are some things that have arrived in my mailbox. Sit back and relax, I’ve got a big stash to show you. Go pour a cup of coffee make a green juice.
First the Morrocco Method sent me these hair care products
And a scalp massager
They are 100& Natural, Raw, Vegan, and Organic. Cool! They’re also Green and Fair Trade! I like the sounds of Goddess Elixirs. Yeah, that works.
If you want to be at one with the 5 Elements, this line is for you!
When I opened the box, the aroma of sandalwood, patchouli, and really earthy, but awesome, scents were wafting through the air. I love those kinds of scents!
Thanks Morrocco Method! I can’t wait to put these heavenly smelling products of yours to use on my locks!
Next, the lovely Gliding Calm Sent me a Valentine’s Day Card.
Love that girl! Even though I wish she would have packed me in her suitcase as she’s exploring India right now!
Then I received a package from Nutiva!
I use coconut oil in my Raw Vegan Chocolate Coconut Snowballs
In the mix for my Vegan GF Pancakes
And also use coconut oil to fry them up in
And Coconut Oil for Roasting Veggies With
And I am always singing the praises and benefits of coconut oil. Need to know the difference between refined and unrefined? Or questions like that? Click Here.
Nutiva Hemp Seeds
I cannot wait to start making more recipes with Hemp Seeds! Such an amazing source of vegan protein and other important nutrients, too! I plan to make Kristen’s Cheezy Hemp Nacho Sauce for sure! Any other awesome recipes using Hemp Seeds you guys want to share with me?
And HempShake mixes
Thank You Again, Nutiva!!!!!! I am thrilled about this Mailbox Find and will be putting this all to great use!
Finally in the mail, I won Brandi’s Give Away: Arbonne Aromassentials!
And I loved the sticker she used on the outside of the box!
A Lovely Smelling Collection of Bath Products!
Regretfully, we didn’t get to put the massage oil to good use this weekend. We have a 3 year old, what can I say.
Brandi said she loves this product and sent me a sample of it.
Arbonne I read is Vegan.org approved (I had no idea, very cool!)
For Brandi’s Business Link, Click Here
Whew….that was alot, if you’ve made it this far, thanks for sticking with the mailbox and products deets! Hopefully it was of interest to you!
I ate more than just vegan rum cake balls this weekend. And being that it’s a postal holiday Monday, you’re all safe from the massive mailbox finds for a day or so. haha!
I picked up some produce as mentioned in one of my many grocery runs over the weekend. I think it’s impossible to get it all at one store. Sigh. The Sunday Morning Grocery Store Shuffle!
Including Asparagus which I am loving this past week. It does make certain things smell though, if you get my drift. Oh well that’s the least of my problem’s in life.
And Fruit: Strawberries
Oh, Did you see my Recipe for Homemade Raw Vegan Chocolate Sauce for Vegan Chocolate Covered Strawberries?
And I also picked up some Pineapple which I love!
One of the Green Meals I enjoyed was Mixed Greens, Red Cabbage, Asparagus, Brussels, Sugar Snap Peas, Tomatoes, and Cukes
Dressed with my Homemade Vegan Slaw Dressing
Dessert was No Bake Vegan Rum Cake Balls!
Yoga today is Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Angle Stretch)
This is a very active pose. As you are folded over your straight, strong front leg, make sure to keep your quads engaged, and your back leg strong and engaged, too. Chin to shin. Drop your neck. No tension in the head, neck, and shoulders. Looks like you’re just flopped over, but there’s alot more going on. Enjoy the deep hamstring stretch!
Tip of the Day:
Random Tip to win a $500 Victoria’s Secret Shopping Spree if you have any Dating Disasters You want to share! I thought in honor of my single girlfriends, you may enjoy that one!
Questions:
Do you have any dating disasters? Oh my, I had plenty in my day.…from blind dates that were such creepers that I excused myself to go to the ladies’ room and just never went back to the table! To stalker types who thought that after a couple very casual dates that it was ok to check in with me about 50 times per day, show up at my work, and that 118 missed calls before noon was normal. I could go on and on but I survived and have been married for 9+ years. Which makes me sound incredibly old, too! Any disasters you want to share? I can’t wait to hear about these!
President’s Day–Do you have off work or school? Do you “get into” holidays like this?
Hemp Products. No, not that kind of hemp. Hemp Food Products like Hemp Oil, Seeds, or Milk. Have you tried them? Do you want to? If you’re into Hemp, what are your favorite recipes and uses? Drop in a link if you know of a great recipe!
Stay Tuned For Raw Goodies…
Thanks for the nice post. Pictures are looking wonderful. I just wanted to say that i am loving your blog. I agree with you, Coconut oil has many benefits.