VernetteOutLoud

Quote of the Day

happy days

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Anytime, anywhere.

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7 for Seven

September…for the first time in a long time I’m loving you. Bonus: People who practice gratitude are said to have stronger immune systems, lower blood pressure, higher levels of positive emotions, and fewer feelings of loneliness and isolation. So I’m even giving thanks for you September! You’re making me healthier.

…every Monday, we post seven positives from the previous seven days of the week as a reminder of what we have so that the week starts out on an upswing. There is much truth in the belief that happy people attract good things, so it is important to start the week out right. Sometimes it’s the more grand, but other times, it’s the simple things.~ Key + Arrow

7 for Seven originated at Key + Arrow and here are my short and sweet 7 positives for this week:

A short commute. The new school term just started and with it came traffic on the roads. I loathe traffic and it is brutal when the school starts. I am so grateful for the short time I take to get to work and back. No more than 10 minutes on a good day.

Getting back into Spin after some time away. Some health issues kept me away from one of my favourite cardio workouts for a little while. But now that everything is back to normal, I was able to get back on the bike…and it was positively ah-mazing.

The power of prayer. I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.

#30Layers30Days Self-Discovery Challenge. This journey is being led by the lovely GG Renee of All The Many Layers and I have been micro-blogging through this challenge on Instagram. This is some serious soul work.

Conversations that matter. Do you know how I can tell when a friend is the real deal…when we can talk about nothing and everything at the same time and it never feels like small talk. *Shout out to my Cohort Of Awesome*

God’s sense of humor. I have been praying about a particular situation for a while. Novena after novena…and still no answer…or rather His lack of an answer was the answer? Go Figure. Anyways, long story short, He answered my prayer but there was a catch. I realize now that I’m not ready for the answer. Plot Twist! Turns out, I still have some growing to do before I can have that particular prayer answered.

The sun on my skin. The A/C at work is apparently stuck on Arctic Blast, so my lunchtime walks outside, in the sun feels so freaking good.

Girls Night Out. I spent Saturday night with two of my favourite cousins and it was ALL CAPS AWESOME!!! I got dressed up, wore heels and partied until the wee hours of the morning. Two words: Tequila shots!

My hope is that by turning my focus to all that I have to be grateful for at the start of my work week, by sowing my own seeds of faith and gratitude, I can carry with me and reap the rewards of “positivity + balance + bliss” throughout the days ahead.

If you’re reading this, this is me blowing some glitter and confetti on you because you’re super blessed to have received the gift of another 86,400 seconds today, to spend any way you desire. What made you happy today? What are you grateful for? I would love to hear from you.

Quote of the Day

SERENDIPITY

Read, enjoy, share.

Anytime, anywhere.

{Linking back to http://VernetteOutLoud.wordpress.com is appreciated.}

7 for Seven

I love it when a new month starts on a Monday and I love it even more when it’s a holiday!!! Whoo hoo for long weekends.

Trinidad & Tobago celebrated 52 years of Independence yesterday and while we have a long way yet, to grow as a nation, there is no denying how far we have come. I am so proud to be a Trinidadian.

…every Monday, we post seven positives from the previous seven days of the week as a reminder of what we have so that the week starts out on an upswing. There is much truth in the belief that happy people attract good things, so it is important to start the week out right. Sometimes it’s the more grand, but other times, it’s the simple things.~ Key + Arrow

7 for Seven originated at Key + Arrow and here are my 7 positives for this week:

7 for Seven week 35

My hope is that by turning my focus to all that I have to be grateful for at the start of my work week, by sowing my own seeds of faith and gratitude, I can carry with me and reap the rewards of “positivity + balance + bliss” throughout the days ahead.

If you’re reading this, this is me blowing some glitter and confetti on you because you’re super blessed to have received the gift of another 86,400 seconds today, to spend any way you desire. What made you happy today? What are you grateful for? I would love to hear from you.

What I'm loving: Avocado

Do you remember that scene in Forrest Gump where “Bubba” names all the different ways you can prepare shrimp? That’s how I feel about Avocado or zaboca as they are called here in Trinidad.

You can have avocado in a soup or a smoothie or a million other yummy ways.

Today I’m sharing one more way you can enjoy this so-good-for-you green and yellow yumminess.

You can check out the original gluten-free, vegan recipe here.

Gather
1 cup baker’s flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 mashed avocado
3 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. maple syrup (pancake syrup)
A handful of chocolate chips
A dash of Angostura Bitters

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and grease a baking sheet. I used parchment paper, so no extra grease was required.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: Flour, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, mix together the avocado, coconut oil, vanilla extract, maple syrup and bitters. Add the wet ingredients to the large bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. Then add the chocolate chips. I found my batter texture to be a little on the dry side so I added another tbsp of coconut oil.

Wet hands then form your batter into 1″ balls. Place on a baking sheet and then gently flatten with the palm of your hand. This batter yields 12-14 cookies, so you can tweak the ingredient amounts if you would like more.

Bake for 11 minutes until the edges are firm. I used a timer and the cookies were perfectly cooked in 11 minutes. I kid you not. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before enjoying. This is the really hard part. The waiting.

But oh so worth the wait. These are ho-ly shit good!

IMG_20140824_134206Seriously no eggs. Yummy soft, cakey texture. Who ever thought avocados and chocolate chips could be so yummy together??

This recipe is easy to prepare. I’m not even kidding here. 10 mins prep time, 11 mins bake time, about 5 mins give or take a min if you put a fan directly on them to hasten the cooling process.

And you have a healthy (there is avocado in it), absolutely delicious, guilt-free chocolate chip dessert.