Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Popcorn, Trainer Session & Numbers, Banana Cinnamon Raisin Oats

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Hi Everyone!  How was Your Weekend?  What kind of trouble fun stuff did you get into?  I had a low key weekend with Scott and Skylar.  After a business trip of Scott’s rendered me a single-parent for much of last week, it was awesome having him back home to help out with Skylar, which gave me a nice break more time in the gym.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s Highlights of the Week Post, we didn’t do anything “special’ which is how I like to keep weekends.  This sounds a little cheesy and trite, bu just being with my family is the best.  I don’t need to “do” anything other than just be with them.  Yes, once upon a time, going out and whooping it up, swinging from the chandeliers and embracing my inner wild child, or going shopping and spending a small fortune in Neiman Marcus was the stuff of life.  But it’s not anymore and that’s actually greatLife changes, we adapt, and the gift of my yoga practice is savoring and relishing in what I have now.  Today.  Not back in the day.  

So that was kind of philosophical for a Monday.  Must be all the endorphins that are rushing through me because this morning I met with my Trainer!  As I said yesterday, he was going to be giving me new Splits (for the non-lifters, that just means what workout routine to do each day and how I “split” up working on different muscles and body parts).  We went over my new splits, and it’s so fun for me to learn new things and have new workouts to try!  As I do them this week, I’ll post them to the Gym Workouts TabI won’t even charge you the $75 an hour I pay my trainer…haha!

He measured me and if you care…
My weight on the scale was unchanged
My waist went down 1/4 inch
My body fat percentage went down 1/2 percent
My lean mass increased by a half pound
All that’s a fancy way to say that I am building lean muscle!  And doing it the Vegan Protein Way without stressing out about “Getting Enough” Protein or very much Vegan Protein Powder at all!

From Yesterday…
I want to thank everyone for telling me that you Support Me in Taking A Blogging Day Off here and there in Order to Have More Real Life, Less Blog Life.  I love my blog and blogging is such a wonderful outlet, and I have made so many awesome friends and have amazing readers, but I need to cut a few cornersLife is so busy for me these days! 

Thanks for also sharing what Content you like To See on My Blog, and on Others’ Blogs.  As I said, I don’t want to bore anyone, but my Blog is about My Life, all of it.  Not just recipes.  And although I love to share my Recipes and Food with Everyone, I also have fun sharing Other Facets of my LifeThanks for supporting me and reading my very multi-faceted blog: Food, Recipes, Real Life Details, Yoga, Fitness Training, Parenting, Holistic Info, Mailbox Goodies, and More.  So no big changes or anything, just trying to keep my blog fresh, interesting, and true to what’s fun for me to post about and for you all to read about! 

And also, thanks for your awesome support and praise and for genuinely getting mad for me when I mentioned yesterday I got a Nasty Comment.

Sophia of Burp and Slurp Said it Best in my Comments Section: and I happen to be able to swear like a sailor as can Sophia!

“WTF….people who criticize your body is one thing…there’s actually ppl who criticize your PARENTING skills? Fuck. Them. That’s all I’ll say. Steaming from my ears!

Okay. Breath in. Breath out.

I’m back! :-)

Yo, DON’T worry abt getting “enough” protein…you most obviously have ENOUGH if you’ve got abs like that!!! I can probably scrub my clothes on it…it’s like a washboard, holy mama! So you’re obviously doing okay, right? show those egg-white-downing protein-obsessed peeps that you don’t NEED all that much pure protein crap!

For me, I always read blogs of those whom I like. Even if their content is boring, I’ll still read it if they are loyal readers, and if I really like them. But the ones that keep me coming all the time are those that have a TRUE passion…passion that infects me, too. I like people who really enjoy what they eat. Or what they do. Or what they have to say. That keeps me visiting continuously. I hope I do the same for others, too, with my blog…

Great questions once again, Averie!

p.s. I will never tire of pics of Skylar…she has the most radiant smile!” 



So if You Missed the Highlights of the Week in Food & Life

In Addition to Great Comments and Lots of Support from you all, I posted about Everything from…
No Bake Vegan Mint Chocolate Coconut Snowballs

No Bake Vegan Mint Chocolate Coconut Snowballs in bowl

Up close of No Bake Vegan Mint Chocolate Coconut Snowballs

To No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls with Extra Protein Option

No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls in container
Close up of No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

To New Hair and a Blogger Meetup

Woman taking selfie showing new hair color
Woman in sun glasses and child smiling
Woman and child sitting next to one another smiling

I had a pretty big week with a couple New Dessert Recipes and Some Protein RevelationsPlus, There’s no guarantees I will do another Highlights of the Week Post I guess it will just be a surprise.  For me included..haha!  Check it out Here.

Moving On…
Today in the Mail I was lucky enough, or shall I say Skylar was lucky enough to Receive a Necklace!

Pink package holding a necklaceNecklace laying out on fabricUp close of necklace with the name Skylar
 It’s from Sarah at Tag! You’re It! Designs

If you missed my Previous Post about my New Necklace that I Had Custom Made, Click Here

Hand holding necklace with two metal plates that say Om and Shanti
Om and Shanti Necklace worn around neck

And this is Skylar’s First Necklace and she’s wearing it so proudly!

Skylar necklace worn around neck
 Grinning from Ear to Ear!
Young girl smiling and holding necklace

She feels like such a “Big Girl” with her new bling.   

Smiling young girl wearing and holding necklace
Young girl with cocked head smiling
 Thanks Sarah for thinking of us!

Over the Weekend I made Scott probably what will be the last bowl of Hot Oatmeal for the season.  It’s in the mid 90 F range now and far too hot for him to eat hot oatmeal.

 
Banana Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal in green bowl

Banana Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal
1/3 C Dry Oats
2/3 C Water
1/2 Banana Mashed in the Bowl
Cook in Micro for 2 Minutes, Cover with Saran Wrap and watch it so you don’t have a “Bubble Over”

Stir in Cinnamon & Brown Sugar 
Garnish With Raisins and the Other half of the Banana

Up close of Banana Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal

I prefer my oats to be of the Overnight Chocolate Brownie Protein Oats Variety that I store first in the fridge, then the freezer.  Makes them like a dense, refrigerated “brownie” that way!
Additional Tips Here

Chocolate Brownie Protein Oats in clear container
 Up close of Chocolate Brownie Protein Oats in container

Green Food was Raw Broccoli, Sugar Snap Peas, Tomatoes, Carrots, Cukes, and Brussels’s that I steamed for 1 minute in 1 inch of water in a microwave-safe bowl.  I am asked frequently if I eat Raw Brussels, so I am just repeating it for all my awesome newer readers!  But no, I am not that hardcore. 

Mixed vegetables dressed with Vegan Slaw

Dressed with homemade Vegan Slaw Dressing

Vegan Slaw Dressing in glass jar
Close up of vegetables with slaw dressing

After Dinner I made a Bowl of Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Popcorn!  These days I am mindful about keeping my protein amounts up slightly but nothing crazy, now that I’m Training for Fitness Competitions.

However, I did say that Too Much Protein Doesn’t Work for Me and I’m not Trying “Too Hard” anymore.  But, If I can Eat More Peanut Butter, Coconut Oil, and Nooch to bump up my stats, I’m all about it!

Hand holding open jar of peanut butter

Averie’s Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Popcorn
Ingredients & Directions:
2 Tbsp Popcorn Kernels (5 grams of protein)
1 Brown Paper Bag
Place kernels in the brown paper bag and cook for 90 Seconds in the Microwave

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
2 Tbsp Peanut Butter (or other nut butter)
3 Tbsp Nooch

Optional: Cinnamon, Stevia, Maca, Chocolate/Carob Chips, Cocoa Nibs

After You Cook You Pop the Popcorn….
Spray the popped corn down with Cooking Spray, or if you have it, Coconut Oil Spray is great, too!

Coconut Oil Spray!  From This Post
Coconut Oil Spray
 Don’t be shy on spraying it because otherwise your toppings won’t adhere well.

Or, melt Coconut Oil over the Warm Popcorn.  Don’t Have or Like Coconut Oil?  Then use another oil like flax, hemp, olive, grapeseed, or another that you like.  You have to use some sort of oil, or even vegan “butter” (margarine, Earth Balance, etc) or the toppings won’t stickDon’t Fear the Healthy Fats!

Jar of Coconut Oil
Overhead inside jar of Coconut Oil

Then Add Either Peanut Butter or PB2 to the Warm Popcorn (or Almond Butter, Cashew Butter, Walnut Butter, etc.).  
1-2 Tbsp Real PB or PB2 Powder = 5-10 grams of Protein

Hand holding open jar of peanut butter
Jar of Powdered Peanut Butter
Overhead of powdered peanut butter in open jar

For those not familiar with PB2 and I wasn’t until about a year ago when I saw it on other blogs, it’s powered peanut butter with reduced fat and calories.

You mix it with water and voila, “Peanut Butter”.   It doesn’t taste quite like “real” peanut butter, but it passes and is good enough in other things such as smoothies or other recipes.

Nutrition Facts on Powdered Peanut Butter jarInformation on how to use powdered peanut butter
The reduced fat and calories thing is not really a biggie for me since I put about 2 Tbsp of Coconut Oil on my Kernels which is definitely not reduced anything!
Inside jar of coconut oil

Don’t Forget the Nooch!  Add or Sprinkle On 3 Tbsp Nooch (9 grams of protein) = Approximately 25 grams of protein in your bowl of popcorn! Without even adding protein powder!  Cool!

Overhead of open powdered peanut butter and nutritional yeast containersPeanut Butter Coconut Oil Popcorn

Other Add On’s
Maca (1 gram protein per teaspoon of maca). And Check This Post for the Health Benefits of Maca and Maca FAQ’s
Cinnamon
Stevia, Sugar, or other sweetener to taste or omit
I also add NuNaturals Cocoa Bean Extract Liquid Stevia Drops to the Popcorn Mix from This Post

 

Of Course, Chocolate Chips are Great, Too!
Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Popcorn with chocolate chips

When are you Going To Get on the Popcorn Wagon? Susan and Madeline and Kris Did!

Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Popcorn is so good!  I mean melted warm nut butter, who could complain?
Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Popcorn in silver bowlClose up of Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Popcorn

Did you see my Previous Popcorn Creation?
Chocolate Coconut Oil Protein Popcorn

Ingredients for Chocolate Coconut Oil Protein Popcorn

 

Chocolate Coconut Oil Protein Popcorn
It’s a Good Recipe to Add about 35-40 Grams of Protein if You Think You Need it!
Close up of Chocolate Coconut Oil Protein Popcorn

The combo of chocolate + peanut butter + nooch = Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cups!

Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cup split in half on paper liner
Split Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cup showing inside

Yoga Today is Kukkutasana
Full lotus first, but be sure to warm up your Hips and pay attention to your hip opening, rather than just thinking this pose is about the knees, when entering full lotusThen, insert your arms through the holesThen lift off.   Lean Forward if you’re lifting off.  Lean Forward far more than you think you need to.  You need to bring your center of gravity forward or else your bootie is going to weigh you back and downward and you won’t achieve liftoff.  As I’ve mentioned before, these are poses to work towards; not feel bummed if you’re not there today.  And really just have fun with yoga!

Woman doing Kukkutasana yoga pose

Gym & Weights Workout Today was Meeting with my Trainer and Going over my New Splits!
Sunday in the Gym I created my own workout that I called Upper Body: Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, & Abs.
Check My Gym Workouts Tab for it.  Apparently it must have been a little too good as I developed some blisters on both hands.  

 
Blisters on hand

Clearly not even my New Gloves could protect me from Blisters on my Hands

Hand wearing lifting gloves
Close up of blisters on hand
I took this picture yesterday and today the blisters look even nastier, but I realize some people eat while reading food blogs, so I won’t go there for your sake..haha!

Tip of the Day: My Jewelry Give Away for a Custom Necklace!!!!!

Om and Shanti Necklace around neck

I’ve never had the opportunity to Reward a Reader with Jewelry.…Until Now!!!!

 

Have You Entered Yet?  Click Here to Get Your Entries In!!!!

Questions
1. Best Thing You Did or Ate Over the Weekend?
Me =  Peanut Butter and Coconut Oil Popcorn and Time Outdoors!  Even though it’s hot, it was glorious to do some nice, long, slow-n-steady paced walks with Scott and Skylar.

Close up of finished popcorn

2. Are You A Popcorn Fan?  
I didn’t eat popcorn for about 10 years and all of a sudden, I love it!  No wait, I love all the toppings and the popcorn is just the vehicle for all the good stuff I slather on!

3. Have You Ever Tried PB2?  What Do You Think of It?  If you are a Fan of it, what’s your fave use for it?

I ordered 4 Jars of it about 6 months ago (bulk-buying discount) and am slowly working my way thorough them.  I mean, it’s “fine” but I prefer real PB.  Who doesn’t!  However in smoothies, in other recipes where I may need a Tbsp or Two of Almond Flour or Coconut Flour, a little PB2 works fine.  But Tell Me your Thoughts and Recipes for PB2!

4. Blisters.  They suck.  I can go months without getting a blister on any of my toes or feet, and then I will get a whole bunch.  Obviously if you change shoes or socks, they can happen.  But I got some a few weeks back with nothing new or different.  I Wonder Why?  Is it the hot weather and sweating and then blisters happen?
Do you get blisters easily?  What do you do to prevent them?  Once You have A Blister, To Pop or Not to Pop?

5. Measurements.  Do you care about yours?  Have you ever been measured by a trainer?  Do you put stock into them or do you go more about how you “look” or how your clothes feel?
Up until a month ago, I had never been measured in my life.  There was no reason.  Now that I am training, it’s really nice to have some numbers to give me a little “oomph” to keep hitting the gym hard. 

What I have noticed about my body since I’ve been lifting is that my shoulders and upper body has filled out a little bit and my abs are more defined, and so are my hamstrings and glutes I wouldn’t need to be “measured” to tell those things, though.  We put so much unncessary stock into numbers most of the time, however in certain situations, I think numbers can be helpful.  What do you think about Measurements and Numbers?

I’m just throwin’ the kitchen sink and them some at you with the questions today, aren’t I!

Stay Tuned For Mailbox Finds & Making Choices that Aren’t Mainstream…

 

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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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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