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Food & Coffee Finds, Almond Butter Treats, Goals

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Hi Bloggie Friends! I hope your day has been mellow and chill. Mine, not so much. It’s been anything but mellow and chill because I did the Grocery Store Shuffle this morning, then Target, cleaned my house, did tons of laundry, fielded 987887 emails, it’s been a blur! Not a bad thing, just a bit crazy because shopping and schlepping to multiple stores with a toddler adds that extra dimension to things. Carseat buckles anyone? Not to mention, when I set out on errands, with rare exception, I am all business, no dawdling and no “just browsing” . Get the item, throw it in the cart, turbo-walk up and down the aisles, and get outta there. No time to linger, I have blogs to read…haha!

Today was the day I had to reload my Produce Stash . I try to do one major grocery run per week with one, maybe two, fill-in smaller trips. Do the math, that’s 3 trips per week. Ahem, every other day. Sigh. But we’re plant-based people so we need to constantly replenish the fresh produce!

Today I picked up red & green pears, bananas, and vine-ripe tomatoes

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Apples Carrots, Grapes, Cucumber, Red Pepper…

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Remember how I mentioned yesterday that I have been stalking sprouts at multiple grocery stores, but that they’ve all been out? And lots of you wrote to tell me you’re having issues getting your sprouts that past week or so, too!

Well I’m in business again! Thank goodness because I was going through cruciferous withdrawals!

Brussel Sprouts in bag - 7 Brussel Sprouts in bag - 8 Close up of Brussel Sprouts - 9 Close up of Brussel Sprouts - 10

And then I hit up Target and Picked up some essentials like toilet paper and coffee. Two New Flavors: Kona & Fudge Brownie

Kona Blend and Fudge Brownie coffees - 11 Kona Blend and Fudge Brownie coffees - 12 S'mores Coffee with grounds in filter - 13 S'mores Coffee with grounds in filter - 14

But The Fudge Brownie Smells Divine…

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I wonder if the Fudge Brownie Coffee will taste like my Raw Vegan Chocolate Brownies ? Raw Vegan Chocolate Brownies- Slighly Different Recipe than 1st Link

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Or if the coffee will taste more like my Vegan Fudge- 10 Minute No-Bake Recipe?

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I can’t wait to find out in the morning and I’ll be sure to report back!

Fudge Brownie Coffee in filter - 27 Fudge Brownie Coffee in filter - 28

So I was glad to hear you liked my Nut Butter Stash from Yesterday

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And also my Chocolate Goodies

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Thanks for telling me about your drink-guzzling ways ! I’m glad to hear I’m not the only person who can down an ice-coffee in 27 seconds flat! Sounds like you all are some turbo drinkers , too! Hey, there are worse things.

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And it also definitely sounds like I’ve got some ice coffee lovers in the house, too! Yay for ice coffees in the summer for me! Once upon a time I used to love a margarita on the rocks on a hot summer day, now I’ve progressed loving iced coffees on the rocks. Although a really good margarita on a rooftop deck for happy hour on a warm summer evening, that doesn’t sound too shabby!

Since I haven’t discovered any rooftop decks with great happy hour specials lately, I’ll have to settle for this Blueberry Clif Bar. This is not a flavor I would have ordinarily chosen for myself, I would have gone for chocolate, of course. But I bought this for Skylar thinking blueberry is somehow healthier than chocolate. In a bar like this, I really don’t think there’s much of a difference nutritionally speaking between blueberry and chocolate, but hey, I try.

Blueberry Crisp Clif Bar in wrapper - 35 Blueberry Crisp Clif Bar in wrapper - 36 Hand holding Blueberry Clif Bar - 37 Hand holding Blueberry Clif Bar - 38

However, I didn’t count on loving this bar myself!

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What I love about it is the Chewy, Dense Texture. I hate airy and light bars. I like to chew. I love raw foods that are crunchy and that work out my jaw , and I prefer the same highly chewy factor in bars . And I love this one!

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The Texture of the Blueberry Clif Reminds me of a Cross Between My… No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Coconut Oil Protein Bars…

…And My Vegan Gluten & Soy-Free Homemade Granola , which I underbake so that it’s nice & chewy.

Close up of Vegan Gluten & Soy-Free Homemade Granola - 47 Close up of Vegan Gluten & Soy-Free Homemade Granola - 48 Chunks of Vegan Gluten & Soy-Free Homemade Granola stacked on top of one another - 49 Chunks of Vegan Gluten & Soy-Free Homemade Granola stacked on top of one another - 50

I also broke into one of my Betty Lou’s High Protein Almond Butter Balls . Gluten Free, too!

Betty Lou's High Protein Almond Butter Balls in package - 51 Betty Lou's High Protein Almond Butter Balls in package - 52 Hand holding one Betty Lou's High Protein Almond Butter Ball - 53 Hand holding one Betty Lou's High Protein Almond Butter Ball - 54

I reviewed Betty Lou’s Products in This Post but the basic info is that Betty Lou’s is known for their Vegan, Gluten-Free, Organic, Dairy-Free, Wheat-Free, Soy-Free or Corn-Free snacks.

Close up of one Betty Lou's High Protein Almond Butter Ball - 55 Close up of one Betty Lou's High Protein Almond Butter Ball - 56

The outside of the almond butter ball had tons of little almond chunks embedded in it. Actual size is golf-ballish.

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I pulled the ball apart so you could see the middle is dense and chewy like a protein bar is. The inside reminds me of the inside of a Balance Bar or garden-variety protein bar…

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….But these don’t taste garden variety! Really good and although there is a subtle “protein taste”, there is also an almond butter flavor and the little almond chunks gave some crunch. Good stuff!

If you don’t have Betty Lou’s Almond Butter balls on hand, just make some of my high Raw Vegan Almond Butter Cookie Balls , instead!

Plate full of Raw Vegan Almond Butter Cookie Balls - 61 Plate full of Raw Vegan Almond Butter Cookie Balls - 62 Three Raw Vegan Almond Butter Cookie Balls on white dish - 63 Three Raw Vegan Almond Butter Cookie Balls on white dish - 64

Green Food: Asparagus, Sugar Snap Peas, Mixed Greens, Tomatoes, Cukes

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Dressed with Homemade Vegan Slaw Dressing

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Desserts…. I found a few Vanilla Sunflower Seed Butter Balls in the back of the freezer and was so happy to munch on chilly balls!

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You can make These Balls with any kind of nutbutter : Sunflower, PB, Almond, Whatever Works.

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Super Easy and The Fat from the Nut Butter Just Melts in Your Mouth. Nummy.

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I also had a Chocolate Craving and decided to break into a Chocolate Inspirations Vegan Treat

Vegan Fudge Sensation Bar - 79 Vegan Fudge Sensation Bar - 80 Raw Vegan Coconut Oil Chocolate - 81 Raw Vegan Coconut Oil Chocolate - 82 Diced up Raw Vegan Coconut Oil Chocolate in bowl - 83 Diced up Raw Vegan Coconut Oil Chocolate in bowl - 84 Close up of Raw Vegan Coconut Oil Chocolate diced in dish - 85 Close up of Raw Vegan Coconut Oil Chocolate diced in dish - 86

Yoga Today is Recovering from the 90 degree hot power flow class I taught last night! Needless to say, my class was slipping all over their mats and panting and dropping like flies in child’s pose. Insert devilish laugh when I know I have made believers out of people that yoga is more than “just sitting around breathing.” Come to my class, you will not wonder if you “got a workout in”.

Sirsana (Headstand) . Your shoulders and arms should be absorbing about 90% of your weight, and only 10% is absorbed by your head . If you’re feeling it too much in your head & neck, you need to really concentrate on building your arm & shoulder strength, ok love?

Woman doing Sirsana yoga pose - 87 Woman doing Sirsana yoga pose - 88

Tip of the Day: Did You Check and See Who Won the Lunchbox Set Give Away ?

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Questions 1. For the coffee drinkers, do you like flavored coffees? I never used to but lately, I am totally grooving on them! If you have any flavored coffees you love, do tell! 2. Fitness or Health Goals? Or just any goals? I have sort of a crazy idea that I would like to do explore the possibility of doing figure competitions. Yes, those competitions where you spend insane amounts of time and energy sculpting your body and then prance around in a swimsuit being judged. Yes, those!

I know, pretty crazy but I have always wanted to do them. I sort of alluded to it in This Post .

What’s stopping me? The fact that I actually don’t enjoy lifting weights, at all!!!

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I don’t know where to begin on this possibly journey , and not saying I am going to pursue it, but it’s a goal and a thought I have rolling around in my head. Just like spending a couple months in India on a yoga ashram is also a goal! What are your goals? Fitness, dietary, health, relationships, self-care, what are you working on, either short or long-range?

Stay Tuned For Hot Topic Friday…