Highlights of the Week

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How’s Saturday going for you?  Whatcha up to?  Shopping, chilling, hanging out, frantically searching for gifts?  Fill me in!  It’s Scott’s birthday today and so I’ve been trying to make his day as special as possible!  We got hot & sweaty together this morning.  On a 4 mile power walk which was great!  And we spent time together as a family but I took Skylar for the afternoon so he could sit back, relax, and enjoy the beach and some much-deserved alone-time on his birthday!  Tonight, he requested Italian food and since the kitchen here is small and I don’t really care to spend time boiling vats of water for noodles that I can’t eat and turning on an oven to bake the rest, we’re carrying it in from one of the bazillion Italian restaurants here on the island of Aruba.  I’ll keep you posted how the food looks and if we get into any trouble on his birthday with a night out on the town.  Kidding, we have a toddler with us!

I’m glad you enjoyed my Chocolate Themed Post yesterday.
I provided backlinks for some of my popular recipes like my Raw Vegan PB Cups 

Raw Vegan PB Cup on paper liner

One split Raw Vegan PB Cup stacked with whole cup

and my Raw Vegan Chocolate Donut Holes

Overhead of Raw Vegan Chocolate Donut Holes on white plate

 

 Close up of Raw Vegan Chocolate Donut Holes 

And also graced you with my take on Raw Vegan Overnight “Chocolate Brownie” Protein Oats

Overhead of Raw Vegan Overnight "Chocolate Brownie" Protein Oats

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

Close up of Raw Vegan Overnight "Chocolate Brownie" Protein Oats

But let’s get started with recapping my week’s eats and events.  If you missed last week’s recipe recap and Highlights of the Week, here you go, check it out!

For this week…
Sunday Heather Guest Posted about Veggies

 
Kale with slaw and nuts on plate

And Yoga

Woman doing yoga pose

Monday I went in Search of Coffee in Aruba

Woman waving in front of flowering shrub
Inside coffee shop

With Skylar in tow

Young girl sitting smiling on step in front of blue door
Young girl standing and pointing in front of blue door

But found Cute Bowls for 50 cents each

Two purchased bowls on table
Close up of one white bowl

Tuesday Katie made Raw Tiramisu Balls Babies
Raw Tiramisu Babies 
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Close up of ingredients for Raw Tiramisu babies

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And I brewed some of my own coffee in a coffee pot I brought from homeAhhh, heaven.

Coffee pot on countertop
Douwe Egberts Aroma Rood Coffee

And mentioned Gena’s Special Cleanse & Great Pricing!

 
Cork on calendar

Wednesday I had a Mega Grocery Store Shop-A-Thon.
I found everything from Dutch White Chocolate and Hazelnut Pastes and Nut Butters

 Dutch White Chocolate and Hazelnut Pastes
Various nut butters on shelves

And more Hazelnut Pasta and Pure Chocolate Pasta.

Stacked Hazelnut Pasta and Pure Chocolate Pasta

To Amazing Cakes and Breads

Various cakes and breads packaged for purchase

Banana Cake and Pineapple Cake.

Packaged Banana Cake and Pineapple Cakes

 

 

Package of Muesli Bread

To Overpriced Veggies

 
Tomato price sign

 

Yellow Peppers price sign

To Maranatha AB & Goddess Dressing halfway around the globe!

Maranatha Almond butter
Close up of Goddess Dressing

And there was Time at the Pool

Young girl in swim suit in front of fence

 

Woman in bikini laying in lounger

And Time at the Beach

White sandy beach with people in waterBeach with pier going out into water
Beach looking out into ocean with boats in water

Thursday Alison of Mama’s Weeds Guest Posted about her Weight Loss Success Story!

Woman sitting on porch

And we had a morning at the Beach
Then we came in for lunch.  And a much needed nap!

Young girl in bathing suit sitting at table eating snacks

 

Friday I announced the Winner of  the Bora Bora Foods Give Away!

Various Bora Bora products on countertop

 

Four Bora Bora bars

If you missed the Winner, Click Here to Find out!

Also on Friday I posted about Chocolate In Aruba:
White Chocolate

White Chocolate bar

And Bittersweet Chocolate

 Lindt Swiss Bittersweet Chocolate Bar

Cappuccino Themed Chocolate Bars

Cappuccino Themed Chocolate Bar
Unwrapped cappuccino Themed Chocolate Bar
Regular chocolate side of cappuccino Themed Chocolate Bar

And these Dark Chocolate with White Nougat & Peanut Chocolates

Box of Dark Chocolate with White Nougat & Peanut Chocolates

 

Raw Vegan "Chocolate Brownie" Overnight Protein Oats

 

Close up of Raw Vegan "Chocolate Brownie" Overnight Protein Oats in clear container

And I made High Raw Vegan Chocolate Coconut Snowballs

Raw Vegan Chocolate Coconut Snowballs in clear container with scoops taken out
Close up of Raw Vegan Chocolate Coconut Snowballs with scoops taken out

A we received a lovely Dark Chocolate-Colored Statue

Dark Chocolate-Colored Statue

Aside from chocolate there was a Kale, Brock, and Cuke Salad with Vegan Slaw Dressing

Kale, Broccoli, and Cucumber Salad with Vegan Slaw Dressing

 

Close up of Kale, Broccoli, and Cucumber Salad with Vegan Slaw Dressing

And rice with a Garden Salad with Vegan Creamy Tahini “Cesar” Inspired Dressing

 Garden Salad with Vegan Creamy Tahini "Cesar" Inspired Dressing

We also went to the beachAnd I read.  A real, live book!  Something not from my computer screen.  Amen!!!!

Thrive The Vegan Nutrition Guide Book

I know Alison has been all over this book forever.  And so has CindyAnd so has half of the blogosphere, no doubt.  I’m addicted to reading blogs a little slow in cracking this book, but I adore it so farAdore.  Especially the part where Brendan discusses that we need sunlightPerfect.  I’m on the Equator at the moment so that totally works out for me.  Heather was just talking about her love of the sun, yesterday, too.  Seriously the recipes in the Thrive Diet are awesome, worth the price of admission for sure!

Article in book titled exposure to natural light

And I also read some old Yoga Journal Magazines.  I had a stack I brought with to catch up on.  Yay for catching up on the printed word, not the screen-typed word!

Yoga Journal

After we came in from the beach, I feasted on a kale, brock, cauli, cuke, and sugar snap pea salad with my homemade  Homemade Vegan Slaw Dressing.

Salad topped with Vegan Slaw Dressing

And Skylar had a fruit plate

Toasted Raisin Bread with banana and grapes

And mango

Sliced mango on plate

with some fresh, locally-made, cinnamon-raisin bread.

Toasted Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Yoga Today is Bhuja Pindasana

Woman doing Bhuja Pindasana yoga pose

Tip of the Day:  Busyness and Rushing.  When you feel harried, crazy, rushed, running around like a chicken with your head cut off,  and like you can’t catch your breath, just stopClose your eyes.  Think to yourself, I have all the time in the world.  I don’t have to rush.  Envision a wise sage or Buddha sitting and calmly meditating peacefully.  Hold that mental image as you breath in and out for a couple minutes, or 5 slow breaths in and out.  When you open your eyes, carry on about your day, but just hold onto that bit of peace and calm and non-rushing attitude that you allowed yourself for those few minutes.

Do you meditate?  Do you believe in quiet moments?   Is sitting and being present, still, mindful, and peaceful easy or hard for you?  For me, as I get older, and as I have practiced to find the sweet spot of being mindful and aware, but not being too detached nor too hyper-focused on things, especially on outcomes, the practice of meditation and slowing my mind has gotten easier.  But…  My mind is always going a million miles an hour and it has taken years of work and a conscious choice to slow it down, to downshift my brain’s gears, and my meditation practice has helped.  What do you do to find peacefulness and calmness?

Stay Tuned For a Guest Poster who tweaked My Raw Vegan PB Cups Recipe…

Raw Vegan PB Cups on paper liner

just in time for the Holidays…

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Comments

  1. Coffee and water for meee. (I do have a love for wine, I'll have to tell you more about that later. ;)) BUT, wine kind of goes a long with my love of cooking and food. And its a treat. Not a normal thing.

    Love all the pics though. You're beautiful Averie! And gahhh, 5' 11" holy cow! You can tell you're tall with the yoga pics, but didn't know how tall. My best friend is about 5' 11" too, so when (when, not if!) we meet up, I'll be used to the height difference.

  2. You and your little lady are making me so jealous that I am in the cold midwest!
    Obviously my favorite drink is coffee followed by water, which I realize makes me sound like so much fun! :)
    Love all your veggie photos too! There is nothing quite like a giant bowl of fresh veggies, right?

  3. merry christmas my beautiful averie!!
    i enjoyed reading this post and your daughter is just the sweetest kid in the world. who could blame her for loving her nuts??? ;)
    xoxo

  4. Wow aruba im jealous! I would kill for a ray of sun right now :) My favorite drink has to be coconut water even though i never get it anymore because it so expensive.