Time Management or the Love of Making Food?
One thing that I've noticed about this way of life - It can be amazingly simple or painfully complex. I spent the better part of yesterday evening in the kitchen making chocolate brownies like the one pictured above. Indeed, it was fun and I was happy with what was made, but for all the time involved, I would simply prefer to eat a grapefruit and be on my way.These foods like the brownie and other dishes that take time tend to give us those comforting feelings that we believe we need sometimes. There might be something else lacking in our lives, or we need something exciting to eat to make our lives more exciting. Sounds insane but food is a big escape and therapy tool used to make life more bearable.
I just want to make quick work out of whatever I need to eat, and get on to enjoying life in other ways. Smoothies are a great option for this because they are quicker to make and the cleanup is MUCH shorter compared to juicing or making dishes with a food processor...yet they still can taste AMAZING and are quickly absorbed into the body.
Why is it though that we seek so much enjoyment from these dishes? Can we find the same enjoyment in a freshly picked apple? Can we train ourselves to appreciate a papaya as much as a cheese pizza?
Simplicity is the key. True, I have a fridge full of chocolate mint brownies right now which is exciting I suppose. Id much rather live in a world where something like that would take a back seat to reading a good book or having an inspirational thought while laying in the sun. We need to seek pleasure away from the palate, because if not we will surely become slaves to it.
That being said...here is the recipe for the mint-chocolate brownies.
This will make 2 large brownies...the one pictured above would likely feed two people. These are VERY dense, both nutritionally and weight-wise. They should weigh about 5-6 ounces each. A Larabar for example, weighs 1.7oz. These are no joke. You could even split this recipe into 6 smaller shapes...your choice. I like the larger effect and then to cut it with a fork and knife, possibly saving much of it for later.
1/4 Cup of Hempseed
1/8 Cup of Coconut Oil (2 tbls)
1/2 Cup of Raw Cacao Nibs (Raw Chocolate Beans)
1/4 Cup of Raw Cacao Powder
2 oz of Coconut Date Rolls (About 1/4 Cup)
1/4 Cup of Cashews (Or Pumpkin Seeds that have been Soaked for 1-2 hours)
As Many Mint Leaves as You Can Stand
Agave Nectar to sweeten if needed
I used pumpkin seeds and cacao nibs for extra decoration on the sides. Hempseed or Sesame Seed would also work well here.
Throw all these ingredients into the food processor and stop to occasionally stir until the mixture forms itself into a thick ball. Then go on to shape the dark green-black dough that is produced into the shape of your choice, and decorate accordingly. Remember, this is Anarchy in the kitchen - You decide how you want these to look. Feel free to mix in more nuts or cacao nibs for chunkiness, and add more agave if you think its needed. Better to have more agave and blow everyone away than skimp on it and disappoint everyone with your "Healthy Dessert" that just doesn't compare to the "Real Thing"....Show them that taste and nutrition can be excellent bedfellows.
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