All good things must come to an end.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Is it just me or do the weekends just seem to fly by?

I came across a quote a little while back that basically says it all……

Warning! Going to sleep on Sunday will cause symptoms called 'Monday'. Conversely, also note that staying awake all night on Sunday does not prevent Monday.

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My weekend was pretty active and exciting.  I started my weekend with a bike ride around town and discovered some new finds.   I then ended the evening with an amazing dinner and some divinely chocolate rhubarb brownies. Click on each picture for a link back to each of the posts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I decided to take Sunday morning to sleep in as I was feeling a little groggy when I first opened my eyes.  I think I just needed the extra sleep because the rest of the day was pretty good.  I enjoyed my morning coffee and breakfast on the deck in the sunshine.  I also completed day 3 of my new workout routine – which I have scheduled to talk about in another post soon.  All I can say is that it’s amazing and I’m looking forward to seeing my results in 4 weeks. 

Lunch was pretty basic.  I used last night’s leftovers of the salmon, followed by a juicy ruby red grapefruit. And a skinny latté that is not pictured.   Yummy.

 

 

After lunch I went on a short hike with a friend and her daughter.  We walked a trail around the River and decided to venture off on a path I’ve never really noticed in all of the 5 years I’ve been walking that trail.  Just like I mentioned the other day, sometimes you just have to follow your heart and venture off of your regular routine to discover something new.  Thanks Brenda for the encouragement today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ended up the evening with another fairly basic dinner….jerk chicken with sautéed green beans. 

Hope everyone has a great start to their week.  I’m gearing up for a busy one. 

Happy Monday!

Chocolate Rhubarb Brownies

Did I mention these are also Gluten-Free?
That’s right.  Take a look at these.  Not only are these brownies gluten-free, but they are also loaded with healthy fats and skinny on the sugar.  What could be better than that?

Now I can’t entirely take 100% of the credit for this creation.  I’ve been reading a lot of recipes in the last while, and although I did tweak my recipe to my own liking, the inspiration came from several of the sites I came across. (none specifically)
Now remember how I said they are loaded with healthy fats?  Yuppers!  The base of these brownies are made using avocado as well as a little bit of coconut spread and avocado oil.  I figure that it’s about time I don’t feel so guilty when I want to indulge and give in to my chocolate habit. 
These brownies are very moist, which I believe is due to the avocado in these decadent treats.  And they aren’t as sweet as regular brownies, so don’t be expecting a sweet chocolaty taste.  They have more of a bitter-sweet chocolate taste, which is also due to the avocado because this fruit tends to get a little bit bitter when heated.  Regardless, they are worth every bite.  
 Ingredients:

• 125g dark chocolate, melted ( I used Cocoa Camino’s Organic Semi-sweet 54% baking chocolate)
• 3 medium avocados
• 1 Tbsp. avocado oil
• 3 Tbsp. coconut spread (Artisana Organic Raw Cocoa Bliss)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3 large eggs (try to use organic free-range eggs when possible)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (again I used Camino’s 100% cocoa powder)
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. sorghum flour
• 1 tsp. GF baking powder (aluminum-free)
• 1/2 tsp. pink Himalayan sea salt
• 3 stalks of red rhubarb, chopped into small pieces

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next purée the 3 avocados in food processor and make sure there are absolutely no lumps.  You want a nice smooth consistency. (such a cool color)

Place the avocado purée into the bowl of your stand mixer (or in another bowl) and add all of the remaining ingredients to it (except rhubarb).  Beat with your mixer until the consistency is smooth and fluffy.  Then fold in the rhubarb.

Beware!  I ate a couple of spoonful's before baking and I could have easily eaten the whole bowl.
Pour your batter into an 8x8 dish and bake for about 35 – 40 minutes.  When you insert a toothpick, it must come out clean. 

Let it cool a bit before cutting and enjoy!  Best enjoyed when cooled in refrigerator.

New Discoveries

 

Who else enjoys discovering new places around town?  I’ve been living here now for 5 years and still come across new and exciting places.  For instance today, I decided to hop on my bike and just let the beautiful sunshine and warm fresh air guide me.  I left my camera at home, but luckily brought along my phone, so I was able to snap some pictures. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other night while I was walking the dog, this beautiful sight stopped me in my tracks. The ships are on their way back to Vancouver or Seattle from Alaska.  We know the summer is soon upon us as the cruise ship viewing increases.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!