I?ve got a lovely spread of coconut

I broke down and made a foodie splurge purchase today:

Artisana Raw Organic Coconut Butter!

(The tempeh was not a splurge, just a plain old (albeit delicious) food purchase)

$13.99 for a big jar of something I don?t have a clue if I?m going to like or not is kind of steep, but I have yet to hear anything but raves about this stuff and I stare at it in awe every time I make the trip to the one wee health store around here that carries it. I knew sooner or later I would break down so I figured today was as good as ever.

I haven?t done the taste test yet. Verdict to come!

I?ve actually never tried any of the Artisana nut butters before. Have you? What are your favs? I may try some more in the future but I need recommendations before making that kind of investment?Hah.

Backtracking to the early AM?

We?re finally having sunny days! Which I can?t get enough of. So long winter, Hey hey SPRING. It?s still pretty chilly out (wind is doing its thang to chill me to the bone) but that spring-inspired morning sun coming in through the window makes the whole breakfast experience at least 5x more enjoyable.

Sun paired with orange slices, cottage cheese, and the last special spoonfuls of coconut chia granola = breakfast perfection.

Lunch was kind of switch since I had fast food for the first time in? I don?t even no how long. I honestly can?t remember the last time I ordered at a chain fast food restaurant. But today was the day. My friend and I were going to get sushi but? sometimes when you do exciting things the night prior, sushi just isn?t so appealing the next day. And my friend had a fun night the night before so a nice balanced Harvey?s meal was the more appropriate choice of the moment.

Really though, can you argue with a delicious (even PETA says so) veggie burger on a whole wheat bun loaded with mustard and veggies and paired with a side garden salad with light italian dressing and (the junkiest part of the entire meal) a diet Pepsi? I sure can?t. I?d make that kind of meal at home. Harvey?s makes your hamveggie burger a beautiful thing.

GOOGLE Image image. I didn?t even think to take a picture. Mine looked pretty much just like this bad boy though.

You must also see this banana bread I made the other day. Veganomicon?s Lower-Fat Banana Bread. I do not own the book. However I do have access to a lovely thing called Google, which led me here, which led me to bake up this beauty.

My only changes:

Instead of sucanat (don?t have it), I used 1/4 C white sugar, 1/4 C brown sugar

I used about 1T less oil, replaced by ~2T low fat plain yogurt.

I threw in a handful of frozen cranberries (this addition was a hit!)

This BREAD was a hit. I was super impressed by how moist and delicious it came out. Will definitely be keeping this recipe for future reference.

I?ve snacked on it plenty. The last 1/3 finally made its way into the freezer before things got out of hand.

Other Eats from

The infamous cottage cheese. Aka a daily staple. I?m shocked this actually made it into a bowl. A rarity. Usually it?s container->spoon->mouth. No room for a bowl in there.

Veggilicious.

Chicken-and-veggilicious. Aka chicken breast cooked in BBQ and hoisin marinade and broccoli and cabbage slaw in balsamic vinegar and sweet chili sauce.

Soft tofu + frozen mango + vanilla protein powder + stevia + vanilla extract = Blended perfection.

And

The Not-so-pancakey pancake.

When you mix 1/4 C oats + 1/4 C egg whites + baking powder + stevia you get a very eggy creation. Good in its own right but when you?re in the mood for a pancake, this was just a teeeeny bit of a letdown.

Looks kinda cool though. And the -mashed banana + leftover mango tofu blend with peanut butter stirred into it topping- upped the yum factor.

Look at all that sunlight. Love it.

Here we have some Bruschetta Chicken Spinach Salad. Leftover BBQ hoisin chicken cut into strips, served over spinach and mushrooms with a few dollops of jarred bruschetta.

And a good old egg white wrap with spinach, red pepper hummus, laughing cow and Frank?s rounded out the meals of the day.

Thursday?s meals were extra boring and snackish so they get no air time.

And today, good old Friday, has yet to be complete. Dinner still hasn?t happened. My tummy is telling me it should happen soon though so I?m off.

If you?ve tried the Coconut butter, opinions? Anyone actually not like it? What should I do with it?!

Happy WEEKEND!!!

Awesome load of loot up for grabs for Jocelyn’s Cheer Up My Blog Giveaway!