How's Your Weekend been going so far?  I've had a nice weekend hanging out with Scott and Skylar, we've gotten in some nice family walks, I've hit the gym and lifted, a lot.   And yes, I am sore but that means progress is happening!  I've done yoga, and best of all, as I mentioned I hoped to be doing , I've gotten in some pool time and magazine reading!

In an effort to live up to My Goals of Less Computer Time, I am going to keep this Highlights of the Week As Short as Possible!  

Click on the Title of the Post if you want to read the Disscussion and Comments from the Topics that day.  And, I am simply dropping in the life & recipe highlights without much commentary.

If you Missed Last Week's Highlights of the Week Post, Click Here to Check it Out.

Monday: Trainer Session, Fitness Competition, Vegan Horseradish Relish Slaw Dressing, Words To Live By  

Easter Bunny & Basket Pics
This basket was sent to her from a relative
Complete with enough HFCS-laden Candy to choke Barney
She chose to read her new books and hasn't had any of the candy.  She Didn't ask and by now, it's outta sight, outta mind.  If she would have or does ask, I will give her some. 

I Made a Big Announcement !
I've decided to attempt to train for Fitness Competitions!    I'll see how I look in a few weeks or months and see if this is something that's do-able for me or not.  I could get up on Stage today and not be laughed off, but I really want to hold my own and give it my best effort! 

Shared my Life's Motto and Asked What Words You Live By

I'm not playing around and am using the approach for my Training like I do Everything Else in My Life:

Go All Out, Give it 110% Every Day, Every Time, Do Not Quit, Do Not Take No for an Answer, Do Not Stop when the Going Gets Tough, Perseverance, Dedication, Discipline, Sacrifice, Heart And Soul Are All In.  Go Big or Go Home.  Pretty much a total ballbuster approach.  I don't know how to do anything in life halfway.  Do you? And after I have done that, given it my all, if it doesn't work out, I can stop knowing that I tried my absolute best.  This is how I am with everything and this is where my yoga guides me:  Finding the perfect balance between strength and surrender. 

Vegan Slaw Horseradish Relish Dressing
Stir to Combine and Dip Your Veggies in It or use as a Salad Dressing!
I love the spicy bite of the horseradish and the crunchy and sweet pickle relish with my raw Veggies
I've been dipping Sugar Snap Peas, Brock, and Cauliflower from my Shopping Trip into the Vegan Slaw Horseradish Relish Dressing and have been clearing my sinuses with every delicious bite.
Move Over Mustard !
After all the horseradish it was time to cool the fire down with some Peppermint Chia Seed Pudding
I haven't made my "Holiday" Peppermint Chia Seed Pudding since the Holidays and it was great now that the weather is getting warmer, because the coolness of the peppermint hit the spot!
Raw Vegan Coconut Oil Chocolate

Tuesday: Gym Session, Blogger Meetup, Intuitive Eating & Choosing Healthy Foods -Does it come natural or easy to you?  Do you eat Intuitively?
Chinese Five Spice Coconut Oil Popcorn

Wednesday: Vegan Protein: FAQs, Sources Of, Weight Training & Exercise as a Vegan, Chocolate Vanilla Coffee Protein Shake
 
Many of you have been asking me what I am doing for (raw vegan) protein now that I am training for fitness competitions?   And in general, Vegans are Always asked, So Where Do you Get your Protein? I covered it all in my Vegan Protein Post!

Including Handy Charts  

Protein in Fresh Vegetables (cooked)

Vegetable	Serving	Protein Grams
Artichoke	medium	4
Asparagus	5 spears	2
Beans, string	1 cup	2
Beets	1/2 cup	1
Broccoli	1/2 cup	2
Brussels Sprouts	1/2 cup	2
Cabbage	1/2 cup	1
Carrot	1/2 cup	1
Cauliflower	1/2 cup	1
Celeriac	1 cup	1
Celery	1 cup	1
Chard, Swiss	1 cup	3
Chayote	1 cup	1
Chives	1 tablespoon	0.10
Collards	1 cup	4
Corn, Sweet	1 large cob	5
Cucumber	1 cup	1
Eggplant	1 cup	1
Fennel	1 medium bulb	3
Jerusalem Artichoke	1 cup	3
Kale	1 cup	2.5
Kohlrabi	1 cup	3
Leeks	1 cup	1
Lettuce	1 cup	1
Okra	1/2 cup	1
Onion	1/2 cup	1
Parsnip	1/2 cup	1
Peas	1/2 cup	4
Peppers, bell	1/2 cup	1
Potato, baked with skin	2 1/3 x 4 3/4"	5
Potato, boiled with skin	1/2 cup	1
Radish	1 cup	1
Rhubarb	1 cup	1
Rutabaga	1 cup	2
Spinach	1 cup	1
Squash, Summer	1 cup	2
Squash, Winter	1 cup	2
Sweet Potato	1 cup	3
Tomato	1 medium	1
Turnip	1 cup	1

And Fruits

Protein in Fruits (raw)

Fruit	Serving	Protein Grams
Apple	2 per lb.	0
Apricot	med.	0
Avocado	med.	4
Banana	1	1 to 2
Blackberry	cup	2
Blueberry	cup	1
Boysenberry	cup	1
Cantaloupe	cup	1
Casaba Melon	cup	2
Cherimoya	1	7
Cherry	cup	1
Cranberry	cup	0
Currant	cup	2
Date(pitted)	1/4 cup	1
Durian	1 cup	4
Feijoa	med.	1
Fig	1	0
Gooseberry	cup	1
Grape	cup	1
Grapefruit	1/2	1
Guava	med.	1
Honeydew	cup	1
Jackfruit	cup	2
Jujube, dried	1 oz.	1
Kiwi	large	1
Kumquat	med.	0
Lemon	1	1
Lime	1	0
Loganberry	cup	1.4
Loquat	1	0
Mango	1	1
Mulberry	cup	2
Nectarine	1	1
Orange	1	1
Papaya	cup	1
Passionfruit	1	0
Peach	1	1
Pear	1	1
Persimmon	1	0
Pineapple	cup	1
Plum	1	1
Pomegranate	1	1.5
Pomelo	1/2	2.3
Prickly Pear	med.	1
Quince	med.	.4
Raspberry	cup	1
Rhubarb	cup	1
Sapote	med.	5
Star Fruit	cup	1
Strawberry	cup	1
Tangerine	med.	1
Watermelon	cup	1

These are just a couple of Samples of All the Charts & Great Info on the Site .  

Another great source of plant-based protein is Nooch ! What is it? 

See this Post for what it is and 11 Recipes: Nutritional Yeast (Nooch) Info & Recipes Raw Vegan Protein Powder: Sun Warrior Brown Rice Protein Powder in Chocolate (The Vanilla is fine, but I prefer chocolate to vanilla, my protein is no exception)
80 calories and 15 g of protein per scoop in Chocolate.  Vegan, Raw, Gluten & Soy Free, Perfect for me.
Note:I order all my protein, Sun Warrior Brown Rice in Chocolate is my #1 Protein and **I get it from iHerb.com and if you use my code: AVE630 you can save $5 off your First Order!**

I make  Chocolate Brownie Protein Oats with it
With additional Tips Here
18 Hours later, here's what the overnight Chocolate Brownie Protein Oats looked like
I still love my My High Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls   but when I am in need of extra protein, I've got Raw Vegan Protein Cookie Dough, too.
I make my No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Coconut Oil Protein Bars with Sun Warrior
  
And for those of you who aren't big on Coconut Oil or don't have it, you can make these bars without coconut oil:  No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter Protein Bars
The addition of the coconut oil makes them solidify and hold together just a little better which is great but if you don't have a coconut oil, don't let that stop you from making these!

Averie's Chocolate Vanilla Coffee Protein Shake
Thursday: Winner of the Cuisinart Food Processor Give Away!!!
 


Thursday: Officially a Yoga 500 Hour Teacher, Sports Bra Review, Trainer Session Info, Goals
So I'm Official!!!  I now have my 500 Hours and am registered with Yoga Alliance at the highest level! 

This has been a decade in the making of daily practice, commitment to yoga, and to teaching yoga and inspiring others.  I am so proud I finally have this milestone that I can check off my list! 
If anyone missed my mega Yoga FAQ Post and you're curious what this means or what you should be looking for in a teacher, I covered it there.
 

Sports Bra Review
Snacks & Desserts
Coconut Oil & Five Spice Popcorn

Friday: Chocolate Review, Service Appointment Woes, Handling Protein
Skylar wanted Fresh Strawberries
Back to that Intuitively Choosing Fresh and Healthy over Processed.  Trust in our biology, trust in nature, trust in the power of choice.   That Intuitive Eating thing again.
Green Food has been Tons of Kale Salads for me lately.  My body must want all the Plant-Based Calcium and Protein in it.  This one was Kale, Cauli, Tomatoes and Cukes.
I just flood it Dress My Kale Salads with Vegan Slaw Horseradish Relish Dressing
As I said I Am an Over-Dresser and Excessive Condiments User .  There are worse things.
For Dessert I had made a batch of   Raw Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Donut Holes
5 minute, 3 Ingredient No-Bake Vegan Maple Flaxseed Cookies
Pumpkin Pie Spice Coconut Oil Popcorn
Saturday I realized that not only do I have a free gym membership at the gym where I teach yoga, but that in my own planned community, there is a beautiful community center and workout facility with a gym that's nearly always empty!   Score!!!!
When I bought the house, yoga was the only thing on my mind so I tuned the gym and weights out.

But today on Saturday on the way to the pool, I remembered it exists!  
Yoga Today is Floating Marichyasana A
Gym & Weights Workout Today:
Saturday I went to the Gym where I teach Yoga and Busted A Hump! 

Since you told me you were curious to see what I'm doing at the gym , here was my  

Upper Body Workout that I did Saturday Morning which turned more Full Body Workout ...
I did 3 sets of 15 Reps Each:
Flat DB Press on Ball
Seated DB Press
Incline Flies
Lat Raises
Barbell Curls
Bent Over Rear Delt Raises
Dips on Bench
Wide Pull Ups on Machine (I did 45 with 8 lbs of help but my goal is no help!)

Chin Ups on Machine (I did 45 with 8 lbs of help but my goal is no help!)
Seated Row Machine
Tricep Pushdown Machine
Abs: Incline Bench Crunches & Hanging from a Machine and Pulling my knees/legs upwards (sorry this is not more technical but it was sure challenging!)
Legs: Weighted Lunges (pulse)
After  that I went for a 3 mile outdoor hill run.  It's key for me to keep up my cardio, I need it for my mental sanity!
And I always do 20-30 mins of yoga stretching, abs/crunches, daily.  I did this before I was training for fitness competitions , too.
I don't want to bore you all with it, but since you asked for the details there you go.

Sunday I went to the Community Center Gym and Did Legs and Abs
I did 3 sets of 15 Reps Each:

Tip of the Day: My $25 Custom Chocolate Shopping Spree Give Away !!!!!!



Questions
1. What's the Best Thing You've Done or Ate So Far This Weekend?
Me= Poolside lounging and Time with My Family!  Food....hmmm, lots of cauliflower, kale, and broccoli.  Not exciting, but I sure love it!

2. Do You Ever Forget About Something and When You Remember It, you're Super Excited and can't believe you ever forgot about it?
That happened to me with the free gym membership that's practically right outside my front door.  
It also happens with food.  Most recently, with Mustard of all things! 
 
What Have You Forgotten About But Recently Remembered?

3. Any Favorite Books or Magazines that You've Been Loving Lately?
I am enjoying the new fitness magazines but admittedly, they get very relayed and parlayed month after month.  

Do you Subscribe to Any?  I have let so many subscriptions lapse because I don't really get to them now that food/fitness blogs have come into my life, but you save so much money by subscribing which is great...if I read 'em!

I am open to picking up and reading any books or magazines, from food to fitness to holistic living to gossip/mindless rags!  haha!  Throw Your Faves At Me!