Highlights of the Week

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 Butter.  Or 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 Phoenix...Madeline 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.   

No-Bake, Gluten & Soy Free, too!

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

 

And they are So Easy, and So Good!

And I talked about Mental Scripts & The Stories We Tell Ourselves.  Do 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

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

Tuesday I Met Up With fellow food-blogger, Madeline

 

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

And Vegan Cheeezy Spread

And Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookies

 

And talked about Honest Blogging.  Do 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

 

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

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

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

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

Thursday I announced my Yoga and Raw Vegan Foods Retreat!

On the Beach in San Diego

August

This Summer in August!

Be there and get your Om Shanti Shanti on while eating your weight in veggies.
 

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

Showed you some of my other eats:

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

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

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

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

Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars

 

No-Bake, Gluten & Soy Free

Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Gluten & Soy Free 

Vegan Banana-Nut Muffins

Gluten & Soy Free 

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

Red & Green Grapes

Pears, Bananas, Tomatoes

I managed to score these 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

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) 

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...