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My head hurts.
As part of Total Health Month (THM), I have decided to forgo caffeine. This is doubly hard after spending a week with my “always-have-a-pot-on” family over the holidays.
Going caffeine free means that rather than ordering my tall Americano, I got a tall decaf Americano (okay, okay, I know that decaf has some caffeine in it – but have some pity, people!). Being a flavor slave and something of an addict, I also have been drinking coffee substitutes. Krakus and Grain Gourmet are my favorites in Canada – they are comprised of some miraculous combination of barley, rye, chicory, and beet root. Throw it with with some Soy Delicious creamer or a MimicCreme and it’s vegan, too!
But my head still hurts.
Withdrawal is a bitch. Which is probably why it’s 9 pm and I’m going to shortly crawl into bed.
However, before I pass out, I must share that tonight I made some exciting vegan goodies. I made them while my roommate was out teaching, so I would have ample time to clean the kitchen before she got home.
Sundried Tomato Cashew Cheese
That’s it. And you can tell my ingredient measurements aren’t too exact, so use your judgment and blend until you have a nice thick texture. The fellow that gave me this recipe also adds in a whole bunch of basil, which I will try next time. The phrase, “cashew cheese” sounds pretty gross to me (evoking “toe cheese” or something – ew), but the result is spectacular. Delicious, and so easy to make – even for me.
Chocolate something or other
Okay, I wanted something chocolate to be able to dip into in times of trouble. Something that would adhere to my THM intentions. So I whipped this up in my Vitamix (I love my Vitamix) based on inspiration from my friend Steph. I added in lots of “good for you” stuff, too, to get this in under THM rules.
Blend this all up, then add:
Again, it’s not an exact science. And you’ll need a hard core food processor as the mixture gets quite thick. I spooned it out and put it into a tupperware container and put it in the fridge to “set”. My intention was that it would make bars or something of the sort.
My roommate came home and I proudly showed her my chocolate creation. Susan is also doing the THM this month.
She looked at it, “”Can we find some cake to put under it?” She dabbed a finger in and tasted. Her brows lifted. “What did you use for sugar?”
“Dates.”
She slowly nods, “This could work.”
This is high praise.
“It’s even got chlorella in it. And chia,” I say proudly.
“So what’s the plan for this,” she says, nodding to my tupperware.
I look down at it. “I don’t know. That it will eventually get cold and I can cut into bars.”
She shakes her head, “That’s not going to set.”
“Then we’ll eat it with a spoon.”
She laughs, “Okay, fine with me, just checking to see if there was an end game here.” I make a note to check in with Steph and see how she gets hers to set into bars. But seriously, I’m pretty happy with the spoon thing.
She starts unpacking her grocery bag and pulls out a bag of potato chips.
She looks at me, and pauses. “They’re baked.”
We all have our cheats.
Rachel supports yoga teachers and studios around the world to create transformational education experiences that help them thrive in their business, share their passion, and inspire more people to practice yoga. Her extensive knowledge and experience include: earning two masters degrees, authoring three books, leading 4,000+ hours of TT, building a teacher training college for a national yoga company, and working behind the scenes in yoga studio & teacher management for more than fifteen years. As a writer and speaker, she continually wrestles with the juicy bits of life: relationships, authenticity, and discovering meaning in this crazy, wildish world. E-RYT 500, YACEP, BA, MFA, MSci. Learn more about Rachel.
One reply on “Total Health Month: Day 2”
ha! I love this! Your mix sounds divine- and think of it as a heavy power pudding;) I grind up some raw nuts- soaked or not- add raw cacao or cocoa, maca, chia, vanilla, cinnamon, blend again then add dates, coconut and pulse til it starts to come together then roll into balls or flatten into squares. My other favourite is 2 raw avocados pureed with raw cacao, a dash of vanilla, cinnamon and or chile, and maple syrup or agave or yacon to taste- instant raw chocolate mousse. You can freeze it too for a simple whipped like gelato. Intensely good and avocados have more bio available usable protein per calorie than a cooked chicken breast- fun fact of the night;) Also, I lived on Inca, another chicory coffee sub, during theatre school. And there’s Teecinno but I don’t favour it.