wiaw #20- sips and salads | the veggie nook

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Firstly, I just want to say I?m so excited you all loved the recipe for the raw veggie stir-fry I posted on Monday! Sometimes I wonder whether anyone will be interested in something so simple. But you guys definitely appreciate the simple things in life ;) And for that, I thank you!

Since it?s Wednesday, that can only mean on thing! It?s time for some What I Ate Wednesday fun. For those of you who are new to the idea, this is a weekly blog party hosted by Jenn at Peas and Crayons where foodie bloggers post about their daily eats so we can all drool over each other?s deliciousness. Head over to Jenn?s blog to check out all the other posts!

This week, I?ll share a couple recipes with you (!!) and also give you a couple sneak peaks to others that are coming soon. And since July?s theme is fitness, I?ll share with you the workout I did as well. It wasn?t much, I wasn?t feeling too awesome. BUT I had a really good day of eats so without further ado let?s get into it!

What I Ate Wednesday- Sips and Salads!

This was a delicious day of refreshing beverages and salads!

warm lemon water to start my day!

insert a mental workout here. Well maybe not a workout per say, but definitely a mental exercise!- meditation! I decided to join in with the 21 Day Meditation Challenge where each day you are emailed a link to a short guided meditation with a focus on Love. This was Day 2 and so far I?m really enjoying it! I gave meditation a good shot during my cleanse a couple months ago, but it has fallen to the wayside since. I found it helped with my stress levels a lot so I?m doing this challenge as a way to get back into the habit!

I decided to take a break from the green smoothies today in favour of a Red Velvet Smoothie! Don?t worry, there are still a veggie in there though ;) This was a nice change of pace and it really tasted like the cake! Scroll down for the recipe!

Next up I had some of my Raw Pizza Bites. These are seriously so good- you feel like you?re biting into a cheese pizza- but it?s raw, grain-free and vegan! Recipe coming soon ;)

Next up at work I had a salad with a Mediterranean theme. I had some mixed greens with artichoke hearts, black olives, tomatoes, quinoa and sunflower seeds with a simple lemon juice and hemp oil dressing with fresh ground pepper. This was a super satisfying light lunch (which I ate at 10 am?my work schedule is weird?)

Came home and did my workout! Today I did a quick once since I had to go back out soon and I was really tired. I did the cardio routine from Tony Horton?s 10 Minute Trainer. Now I am not a big Tony Horton fan?I tried P90X a few years ago and only got a couple weeks in because I found him a little annoying and couldn?t listen to him anymore! But these 10 minute routines are great! Small doses of Tony are best :) He really works you for those 10 minutes!

I also worked on my wall sit. I?m up to 2 min 45 seconds!

I find the key to this is to watch something while you?re doing it and don?t put your hands on your legs like in the picture! I found when I did that it made the pose easier- I would push on my thighs with my hands, lessening the load on my core. Keep your hands off!

After this workout I had a little time to kill before heading out so I snacked on some of these cookies- Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies to be exact. I made them for a staff potluck a while ago and they were very well received so I had to make another batch so I could share them with you all! I have a recipe coming up for these as well. I?m going to pretend I didn?t eat 4 of these?

When I got back home I was miserable- it was sooo hot out yesterday and my car?s air conditioning isn?t the best. So when I got back home I felt drained and dehydrated. So I whipped up this Blueberry Peach Kombucha Slushy that was inspired by this drink from Gena at Choosing Raw. Scroll down for the recipe!

For dinner, I was so tired, I was honestly going to have a bowl of cereal. But then I remembered that I was going to have to post photos of what I ate. Not wanting to be boring, I decided to whip up this salad instead. Thank you WIAW for saving me from a boring, uninspired dinner ;)This is a Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad with a Coconut Curry Dressing. It?s a great way to have a curry, but without the heaviness of the traditional preparations. Not going to lie, I snacked on one more cookie to fuel me through the prep. Recipe coming soon!

After dinner I sipped on some tea and indulged in a little raw chocolate.

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Now for the recipes!

Red Velvet Smoothie (Vegan, Gluten-free, Sugar-Free, Raw)

This smoothie tastes like a dessert but it healthy enough for breakfast! The beets give it a great colour and an earthy sweetness! The optional ingredients give it a little more staying power, but are, of course, optional!

• 1 medium beet, peeled and chopped

• 1 apple, cored

• 1/2 cup nondairy yogurt (I used So Delicious Coconut in plain)

• 2 tbsp cacao powder

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 tsp vanilla

• pinch cinnamon

• stevia to taste (I added 2 drops chocolate stevia)

• Optional additions:

Put all ingredients in a blended and blend away! Serve with some cacao nibs sprinkled on top!

Blueberry Peach Kombucha Slushy (Vegan, Gluten-free, Sugar-free)

This beverage is insanely refreshing and filled with probiotic goodness from the kombucha. The ginger gives it a bit of a kick!

• 1 cup frozen blueberries

• 1/2 cup frozen peach slices

• 1 cup kombucha (I used my homebrewed kombucha which is a green tea base but use whatever your favourite is)

• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger

Pop it all in a blender and blend!

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I just noticed how similar both those drinks look. Haha oops. I promise they taste different!

That?s it for me today! Have a wonderful day and check back soon for one of the teaser recipes!

Which recipe would you all rather see, the ?Raw Pizza Bites? or ?Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad with a Coconut Curry Dressing??

Source: http://veggienook.com/2012/07/18/wiaw-20-sips-and-salads/

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