Of Spice and Zen

Pictures from Argentina (and Uruguay!)

2012-10-21T11:03:00.001-07:00

Yoga Poses for Hikers

2012-09-04T07:46:00.001-07:00

Have you ever twisted an ankle toward the end of a long hike, as I have? This cool article from Athleta demonstrates yoga poses that are ideal on the hiking trail: they open up tight muscles and replenish core strength.

It's well-timed with the beginning of fall, a perfect season for hiking. Enjoy!

Book Review: Shawn Johnson, "Winning Balance"

2012-09-03T13:31:00.000-07:00

A beautiful book by an Olympic gold medalist whose wisdom, joy, and inner light are every bit as awe-inspiring as her athleticism.

A real highlight is the section on her floor routine in Beijing: after glimpsing Nastia's score and calculating that the gold was no longer within her own reach, she went on to give the performance of her life, winning the all-around "in the way that meant the most to [her]." Afterward, a reporter had the gall to ask how it felt to lose. She replied, "I didn't lose. I wont the silver medal." Another later asked, "What was the worst moment of the Games for you?" She answered, "I didn't have a worst moment--it's the Olympics, after all! I gave my heart and soul out there."

At the end of each chapter, she includes a lesson, such as "Learn to find pride in your own success, even if your accomplishment isn't recognized by others. Your worth isn't determined by the color of the ribbon around your neck or anything else someone might give you. God created you in his image; that is where your worth comes from."

She went on to win the gold in beam but still views that silver medal as "the most meaningful thing [she] took away from the Games" and "wouldn't trade it for anything."

Shawn, you're a 10 out of 10.

Reflection Number 50

2012-07-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

"Your only responsibility in life is to try, not to succeed. Don't be ashamed of failure, and don't give up!"

~ Rabbi Adam Jacobs, 128 Reflections

Three Chocolatey Health Bars I Love

2012-07-16T12:39:00.001-07:00

I'm making a swift post-surgery recovery, aided in part by...you guessed it...chocolate!

Cooking wasn't much of an option with my hand out of commission, and handling money for the Chinese food delivery boy wasn't much easier. But I was able to scissor open some delicious and nutritious chocolately snack bars. Here are my new favorites:

tastes way too delicious to be healthy, but it is

contains quinoa, chia, and millet

my favorite...exquisite combo of salty & sweet, with just a few ingredients. 7g fiber, 6g protein, and only 5g sugar.

Enjoy! :-)

Surgery

2012-07-02T16:38:00.001-07:00

Dear Everyone,

I wanted to let you know I might be out of commission for a week given this unsightly obstruction to typing and all things manual:

(helps prop up my hand above my heart)

I had a small procedure on my wrist this morning and am fortunate to be doing great now, recovering just fine. My boyfriend was very sweet in taking care of me, and the surgeon just called to see how I'm feeling. I'm feeling very lucky to have received such good care!

But enough left-handed typing...on to some epicurean and guilt-free self care!

Thumbs-up,

(they let me keep my nail polish on! a good day.)

Marisa

Blood type, Genotype, and SWAMI: a journey of self-discovery

2012-06-25T12:24:00.001-07:00

The Center for Personalized Nutrition,
courtesy of natural awakenings

Perhaps the most fascinating thing to befall me this year was a trip to the D'Adamo Center for Personalized Nutrition, located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I had been perusing the Center's main website, Eat Right for Your Type, upon recommendation from my friend Genevieve, who's been thriving on the blood type/genotype diet for over a year. And I had gotten my blood tested to find out my type (O+) and "secretor status." Genevieve had warned me, "If you find out you're a 'non-secretor,' run, don't walk, to the D'Adamo clinic." I ran.

I arrived at the Brooklyn office sweaty and excited. Dr. David Levi greeted me warmly and gave me a brief tour of the center and its mind-boggling array of enervating supplements, customized for each blood type. I could barely contain my excitement as he logged into SWAMI, the software program designed by Dr. D'Adamo to help "type" an individual using biometric and physiological data and family history. SWAMI assigns a genotype (Hunter, Gatherer, Explorer, Warrior, Nomad, or Teacher) and provides a customized set of dietary and lifestyle recommendations after aggregating information about an individual's blood type, genotype, and other relevant information.

Dr. Levi examined my fingerprints, measured my leg and torso lengths, checked for the presence of a certain cusp on my teeth, gave me a tasting strip with a bitter flavor that not everyone is genetically programmed to taste (I tasted it--yuck!), and helped me through a long questionnaire about physical and mental proclivities and symptoms as well as family history. He input my blood type and secretor status into SWAMI, and we held our breaths as the software deliberated...

Explorer! I knew it! I'd skimmed Change Your Genetic Destiny and narrowed it down to Gatherer, Hunter, or Explorer. Explorer always felt the most like me; Explorers frequently present as "medical enigmas," are very sensitive to caffeine, are typically mesomorphic to meso-ectomorphic with a large amount of muscle mass, are often non-secretors, and are more prone to migraine than other types, among many other characteristics. The line that tickles me most from the Explorer description is "A properly balanced Explorer will expostulate and complain constantly of their day-to-day health issues, all the while being in constant demand to provide funeral eulogies for their less long-lived friends and relatives."

My SWAMI report includes a generous supply of information on Dr. D'Adamo's theory of healthful eating based on one's individual genetic makeup; the Explorer type; and a long list of foods, broken down by food group, that are either particularly healthy/healing foods for me, harmful "avoids," or "neutrals." Dr. Levi also gave me a second folder containing recipes that emphasize my "superfoods" and omit avoids.

I returned home with a sense of triumph and delight, ready to toast over champagne with Genevieve (another Explorer!), even though some of the dietary recommendations for my type are pretty onerous, such as eliminating wheat from my diet. (Yikes! That's, like, impossible! I live for Italian food!)

I'm not sure whether I'll ever have the courage to fully realize this dietary change. But I think I'm already on the road to better health, emphasizing my "superfoods" and minimizing "avoids," and reveling in my unique genetic profile, making what I hope to be better choices every day to support my health and well-being.

To foods that heal,

Marisa

An evening with a childhood friend

2012-06-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

Goat cheese ravioli with tomato-basil sauce...mmmmmmm!!

Maybe I'm just a hedonist at heart, but enjoying this dish in the breezy evening outdoors, siting across from my good friend Rachel (in town from D.C.), was like heaven.

We're both introverts who tend to prefer a quiet, delicious dinner and lazy evening walk to the typical bar scene. So, it was lovely.

Topics of conversation included how terrible our fathers are at basketball; immigration; our siblings; how we're not sure either one of us will ever be able to afford a house; and extremely vague plans to backpack through Colombia in August 2013.

<3

The more inclement the weather, the better the run

2012-06-23T13:09:00.001-07:00

courtesy of [someone else]

I've worked myself into an every-other-day running routine that suits me well. Yesterday was a running day, and I'd been looking forward to it all day. So when I stepped outside in my running shoes (yes, back to those) and found that the summery day had turned an ominous shade of--shall we say, dark charcoal--I was not to be deterred. I cranked up Soulja Boy, loosened up my calves, and hustled over toward the Reservoir. Here is how the next 40 minutes unfolded:

00:00:37 - Woman down. She's literally lying across the dirt, immobile, face contorted in pain. Two or three others appear to be tending to her. I pause Soulja Boy and RunKeeper (the running app on my iPhone) and slow down to offer help but I get a thumbs-up from one of the attendants. Everything's under control. Soulja Boy resumed.

00:07:28 - RunKeeper pipes up to inform me that I've covered one-quarter of a mile, at which point I realize I never un-paused it. Damn. Un-pause.

00:09:15 - The whispered premonition of a side ache is officially a full-blown side ache. No! Why is this happening? I shouldn't have drunk so much water. Proceed to violently prod general intestinal region while producing cough-like noises and continuing to run. This draws side glances from a couple running the opposite direction.

00:15:23 - Circle back to immobile woman. This time EMT is there, too. My side ache is back and I slow to a walk, massaging something in the general vicinity of the small intestine. Maybe.

00:23:00 - Everything going swimmingly. I'm back in action! Picking up the pace.

00:26:54 - Cracks of thunder and a flash of lightening. I'm on the side of the reservoir opposite my apartment. A grin spreads across my face.

00:28:06 - Rain falling freely. I try to run under trees and begin to wonder whether there's any chance my iPhone might be waterproof.

00:33:16 - Rain is starting to soak through my clothes. There doesn't appear to be anybody else on the running track. Even the EMT is gone! I'm getting to the highpoint of my run and have no desire to cut it short, but I'm concerned about my iPhone. So I take off my t-shirt and wrap it around the phone.

00:36:00 - Still running. Euphoria. Splashing through puddles. A couple wayward glances from male runners. So I'm not the only one left after all.

00:40:00 - Throw open the door to my apartment, kick off my shoes, and jump in the shower. Best run ever! Or second best, first being last year's blizzard run.

Runnerly yours,

Marisa <3

Running Around the Jacquelyn Kennedy Onassis Reservoir

2012-06-20T14:02:00.003-07:00

One of my favorite things about living near Central Park is running around the reservoir. Each loop is approximately 1.5 miles, so these days I'm shooting for two wide loops and then some, for a total of a little under four miles.

With easy, mostly flat mileage and pretty city views, it's a great place to unwind and walk or run to your heart's content. Hope to see you there!

Yoga Inspiration: Jared McCann

2012-06-15T12:35:00.002-07:00


Credit: Piotr Redlinski for The New York Times

I'm loving this! Can someone please help me hang an industrial chain in the middle of my apartment?

Pretty please? I'll bake you some of these:


Chocolate Covered Katie's Skinny Vanilla Cupcakes...next on my list!

Enjoy the New York Times story on McCann and go rock your favorite poses! Here's a link to Well and Good's guide to summer yoga and fitness classes in New York City. Those in other cities...you're on your own.

Namaste,

Marisa

Tea Primer

2012-06-13T19:11:00.001-07:00

Travel light, live light, spread the light, be the light.

- Yogi Tea quote

Types of Tea

Green Tea - has the most potent antixodants; is somewhat cooling; is the least caffeinated

White Tea - delicate (because made from buds); the least processed; a cooling tea; has the most antioxidants and slightly more caffeine than green tea

Oolong Tea - has fewer antioxidants (because it's partly oxidized); tends to raise spirits and inspire, whereas green and black tea are more grounding; somewhere in between warming and cooling; has more caffeine than green or white tea but less than black

Black or Red Tea - 100% oxidized; has less-potent antioxidants (or flavenoids); a warming tea

image from McDuff's Tea Room

Active Ingredients in Tea

Antioxidants - These molecules prevent free radicals from causing cell decay, deterioration, and destruction. They help us live longer and enjoy greater health.

EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) - Has been found to be over twenty times more powerful than vitamin E in neutralizing the lipids that create free radicals. One cup of tea is the antioxidant equivalent of a cup of blueberries. It's been shown to relax blood vessels, inhibit blood clots, improve blood cholesterol levels, block the production of an enzyme (urokinase) that accelerates tumor growth, and assists in the production of healthy DNA.

Theaflavins and Thearubigens - Found in oolong and black tea, they come into contact with the enzyme polyphenol oxidase during the rolling process and are joined together with it. These oxidized polyphenols seem to have a calming effect on digestion.

Gallic Acid (GA) - An antioxidant with anti-mutagenic, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Theanine - A rare amino acid found in tea and one form of mushroom. L-theanine promotes relaxation without drowsiness by stimulating GABA and serotonin (inhibitory neurotransmitters) and dopamine, a neurotransmitter that reduces blood pressure and enhances mood. L-theanine also appears to improve memory and learning performance, and it may reduce PMS symptoms. Theanine also primes the immune system against bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and it appears to exhibit anti-tumor activity.

Caffeine Content

Black tea contains roughly half the amount of caffeine found in coffee. Green, white, and oolong tea usually have lower amounts of caffeine: oolong has more than white and white has more than green.

If a stranger say unto thee that he thirsteth, give him a cup of tea.
-Confucius

Resources
Blofield, The Chinese Art of Tea (1985)
Chow and Kramer, All the Tea in China (1990)
Mitscher and Dolby, The Green Tea Book (1998)
Pratt, New Tea-Lover's Treasury (1999)
Tizer and Fellman, Tea Here Now (2005)

A special thanks to Ms. Fellman for her delightful and informative presentation, "Tea Here Now" (from which this information is derived), at Miraval.

Fruits in Season

2012-06-11T10:18:00.002-07:00

What do apples, figs, grapes, mango, watermelon, rhubarb, and tomatoes have in common?

They're all summer fruits, according to chasingdelicious.com. And passionfruit, bananas, and citrus fruits are in season year-round, so I'll be stocking up on these, too! (Heaven forbid I go a day without eating a banana.)

In other news, my boyfriend moved into his summer sublet yesterday, and the healthy chocolate-chip cookies I brought to warm up his new digs were a hit! (Thanks, Chocolate-Covered Katie!) The jug of chocolate milk didn't hurt, either ;-).

It felt great to bake something after a months-long hiatus. Even the oven seemed pleased!

Allergy Testing

2012-06-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

"Empty yourself and let the universe fill you."

So reads the quote on the little paper attached to my Yogi tea bag (Berry Detox - piquant and relaxing).

I visited an allergist today, an appointment I would recommend to anyone with pesky or mysterious health issues. (In my case, I first saw an optometrist and presented what I thought was a pretty severe case of chronically dry eyes; he suspected the underlying problem might be an allergy, so I did the first round of testing today.)

And it turns out I'm allergic to...dust mites!

The nurse handed me a booklet on dust mite allergies, and a magnified photo of a dust mite was sufficiently terrifying to send me scurrying in the direction of Bed Bath & Beyond, where I purchased a mattress cover and pillow cover. My bed sheets are swishing around in the washing machine as I type this, and I'm hoping the temperature of the water reaches 130 degrees Fahrenheit (the better to annihilate the dust mites!).

I've promised myself not to become over-the-top neurotic in my fervent effort to remove my immediate surroundings of these nasty pests, though I confess I'm looking forward to a new routine of dusting and cleaning my bedroom. (It will be very zen, I tell myself.)

One of my younger brothers is also allergic to dust mites, and his health is much improved since he outfitted his own bedroom to be dust-mite--unfriendly. I hope I'll notice positive results too, and I wish any allergy-besieged readers better health as well!

The best part of my visit? I'm not allergic to any pollens, so I was told to go out and play...doctor's orders!

The LSAT for Disillusioned Paralegals

2012-05-21T14:44:00.001-07:00

Laugh of the day: The LSAT for Disillusioned Paralegals.

You're welcome.

;)

Chocolate Find!

2012-05-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

I am down to one itty-bitty little square of sweetriot's organic, fair-trade, vegan, 85% cacao dark chocolate!

Nooo! Where's the nearest Whole Foods?

image from http://kidwinks-blog.blogspot.com

Unfortunately no one is paying me to tell you it's delicious, but I'll tell you anyway! It's smooth and silky, and there's a certain something - the very slightest hint of - dare I say, salt? - but salt is not listed as an ingredient so I'm not sure what wondrous yumminess I'm tasting. Try it and see what I mean!

Sweetriot is dedicated to global justice; its mission statement is "to create a more just and celebrated multicultural world for our next generation." Not that I need another reason to gobble it up!

Eating Seasonably: May

2012-05-04T11:48:00.003-07:00


Courtesy of Eat Seasonably

Oh what a beautiful wheel! It makes me want to go and buy a cart-full of fruits and vegetables. The interactive chart is sponsored by Eat Seasonably, a UK organization, so it applies more to the climate there than in the United States but may be considered a close enough approximation, depending on where you live.

What's in stock for May? Rhubarb and asparagus are considered the best produce for the month, but cauliflower, spinach, curly lettuce, and cucumber are also in season.

Bon appetit!

Week Off

2012-05-02T08:39:00.002-07:00

Image from http://www.therunningfront.com/

I can't say this week off is entirely voluntary. I would run just about every day if I could. But this week I'm taking a break because my body said, Enough.

There's no shortage of strong opinions when it comes to the topic of running injuries. Is it running itself that incurs injuries, or is it bad form? Maybe it's a little of both, and maybe it varies from person to person. But I've been struggling with two injuries for a long time now (a chronic strain to the right quadriceps and, more recently, a very tight right calf that seems to pull easily) and this week decided to give in to them, let them rest.

Even in the absence of injury, a week off once in a while can be very beneficial. There seems to be a consensus among scientists and athletes that the human body emerges from a periodic rest period in a state much more receptive to exercise and better prepared to build muscle. A less talked about advantage to taking a week off is the mental and emotional break--the chance for your mind to detach from its focus on performance and the body. You can use the extra time to catch up with a friend, tidy up your living space, read a book, cook dinner, or anything your heart desires! The point is, a break from routine has mental as well as physical benefits; when you return to your routine, you'll likely notice renewed energy and enthusiasm as well as endurance and strength.

May we all have the knowledge, resources, and wisdom to know how to heal our injuries and when to take a break. Here's to a healthy lifetime of running!

_______________________________________________________

Question: Did you transition to barefoot or minimalist running successfully? How did your body acclimate to the change, and what are your tips for an efficient and successful transition?

Friday Zen

2012-04-27T08:39:00.001-07:00

Image from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Koto-in_Zen_Temple_Kyoto_-_entrance_walkway.jpg

"Don't believe your mind."

"In practice we take the risk of trusting things as they are right now. And we take the risk of being content, even happy, in a world full of problems."

-Chozen Bays

In The Joy of Practice, she also talks about how framing anything (unpleasant) as spiritual practice makes it much more meaningful, enjoyable, and fulfilling.

For more, visit the Audio Archive of the Zen Community of Oregon.

A Day in the Life of Tim Ferris

2012-04-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

Image from http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/04/tech-millionair/

Well, folks, here it is, in video form, what you've all been waiting for: A Day in the Life of Tim Ferris, also available temporarily on Hulu.

Tim starts his days with a 5-10 minute meditation. Today I started my day burning my thumb on someone else's boiling water for tea, confirming my long-held suspicion that I'm not as cool as Tim Ferris.

In all seriousness, though, I really can't help but like the guy. His ideas? Love them. He's one of the few thinkers today (as far as I'm aware) who truly challenges convention, pushing the boundaries of lifestyle design and never failing to inspire.

Check out Four-Hour Workweek, Four-Hour Body, or The Blog of Tim Ferriss, and be prepared to expand your world.

How to Maximize Your Lunch Hour

2012-04-24T10:45:00.003-07:00

Rather than giving a traditional how-to guide, I'll walk you through my lunch hour today to give you an idea of how you might maximize your own lunch break. Keep in mind that it's particularly easy to accomplish a lot in an hour if you live or work in Manhattan, as I do, but some of this will still apply in other places.

1. On the way to my favorite cafe, I stop at Aerosoles (which doesn't look crowded) and try on a couple pairs of flats. I like one of them but can't make up my mind, so I put it on hold.

2. I walk a block to Dig Inn, where I can always find a tasty, quick, and quite nutritious lunch. Today I get a plate with Spanish brown rice, beef cutlet, steamed carrots, broccoli and kale, and a concoction of pinto beans (delicious! who knew?), red pepper, and greens ($10). I sit down and eat a bit, but the serving is large so I package up the rest for later.

3. Cross the street to the fruit vendor, where I pick up a banana and grapes ($2.75) to snack on later if necessary.

4. Keep walking toward the New York Public Library, 5th avenue location (not the huge touristy one but the one across the street, where you can actually check out books and movies). Stride purposefully toward the DVD corner, where I browse for a moment, spot "La Regle du Jeu" ("The Rules of the Game"), and check out (free). Now I have a fun evening to look forward to after work and my run.

5. Last stop: Oren's. I cross 5th and 6th Avenues, pick up a delicious soy chai ($3.50) to linger over when I get back to my desk, and hustle back to work before the clock hits minute 60.

Et voila!

I love filling my lunch hour with a combination of food, drink, errands, shopping, and/or simply walking. And why not? It's such an energy boost--and a happiness boost, too, when you realize how much you can accomplish or enjoy, smack in the middle of the work day.

Bonus Tip: Start your lunch hour early (before noon) so that the lunch joint won't be crowded and you won't waste time waiting in long lines while your stomach growls!

A Weekend of Mid-Century Film: "The Best Years of Our Lives" and "All About Eve"

2012-04-16T13:27:00.002-07:00

This past weekend I had the pleasure of watching "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) and "All About Eve" (1950), two American classics. To me they seemed very much to be sibling period pieces with political undertones and a spotlight on the sanctity of the American family and the question of shifting gender roles.

"The Best Years of Our Lives" chronicles a Hemingway-esque effort to preserve masculinity in the wake of war; "All About Eve" centers on the power of youthful femininity and the devastation wreaked by its loss. Cigarettes and fake eyelashes pervade both films as the viewer becomes aware that gender is performed and perhaps exaggerated in post-war America: as Margo Channing (protagonist of "Years") muses, "There's one career all females have in common - whether we like it or not: being a woman. Sooner or later, we've got to work at it, no matter how many other careers we've had or wanted. And, in the last analysis, nothing is any good unless you can look up just before dinner or turn around in bed - and there he is. Without that, you're not a woman."

Both films chronicle an effort to recapture the past against the inevitable and relentless tug of the future. The transitory nature of the best years of one's life is treated with tenderness in "Years" and cynicism in "All About Eve": "Nothing is forever in the theatre. Whatever it is, it's here, it flares up, burns hot and then is gone."

Burning hot in "Years" is Peggy's (Teresa Wright) ardor for Fred, and with it, the question of female agency. Will she break up his marriage? Will Wilma's hands suffice for both herself and her future husband, whose own hands were burned off in the war? Whatever agency "Years" imparts to women may be strong by 1940's standards but is weak by our own. "All About Eve," on the other hand, imparts a pernicious form of female agency that is as subtly regressive (only recall Eden) as it is potent. Still, a sign of progress: it calls on the mental resources, not just the physical ones, of the quasi- femme fatale.

The threat of communism looms over both films, overtly in "Years" and covertly--under the guise of homosexuality, as some critics suggest--in "All About Eve." In "Years," confidence in the moral high-ground of American democracy finds its reflection in the affirmation of the loving nuclear family. Still, American prowess in war forms the backbone of patriotism in "Years", while "All About Eve" both celebrates and deconstructs the distinctly American brand of culture represented by Hollywood and Broadway, hinting of the cultural imperialism with which they colonize the tradition of performance:

"The Theatuh, the Theatuh - what book of rules says the Theater exists only within some ugly buildings crowded into one square mile of New York City? Or London, Paris or Vienna? Listen, junior. And learn. Want to know what the Theater is? A flea circus. Also opera. Also rodeos, carnivals, ballets, Indian tribal dances, Punch and Judy, a one-man band - all Theater. Wherever there's magic and make-believe and an audience - there's Theater. Donald Duck, Ibsen, and The Lone Ranger, Sarah Bernhardt, Poodles Hanneford, Lunt and Fontanne, Betty Grable, Rex and Wild, and Eleanora Duse. You don't understand them all, you don't like them all, why should you? The Theater's for everybody - you included, but not exclusively - so don't approve or disapprove. It may not be your Theater, but it's Theater of somebody, somewhere."

Two newly beloved films to celebrate and see again!

Showering by Candlelight

2012-04-12T11:41:00.001-07:00

A few days ago, for reasons I'm still unclear on, Con Ed shut off the power in our apartment. This initially distressed my roommates and me, particularly because we had just moved into our apartment two weeks prior and had scarcely had an opportunity not to pay our bills.

So Con Ed turned off our power and we had to use candlelight that evening. This could have irked us immensely, but instead it was kind of...fun!

We bought strawberry-scented candles and found ourselves very calm that night. Showering by candlelight, I almost felt like I was in a spa! I let the hot water and flickering shadows lull me into a deep relaxation. Meditating by candlelight was particularly powerful and calming, and when bedtime rolled around I felt very pleasantly sleepy, probably because my body, in the absence of artificial light, had been producing melatonin since sunset.

My experience that night lead me to believe that one of the things humans crave most is novelty, even when novelty comes in the form of the absence of something--in this case, the absence of light.

The power is back on and I'm definitely not complaining. But it's nice to know that a refuge of calm is always a flick of the switch away.

Homemade Chocolate Bars

2012-04-10T07:42:00.003-07:00

I made chocolate bars.

?!!

Me?

Yes. And you can, too. There are only three ingredients and you never have to turn on the oven!

Cocoa powder: 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon
Unrefined coconut oil (melted): 4 tablespoons
Agave nectar: 1/4 cup

I followed a recipe from Chocolate-Covered Katie, with the exception of melting the coconut oil. (For some reason I thought that "unrefined" meant the coconut oil was already "melted." Whoops!)

"Combine coconut oil with agave or stevia drops. Stir, then add cocoa powder (and add 3-4 T water or nondairy milk if using stevia.). Stir stir stir! Stir until it gets thick. Pour into any flat container (or candy molds or smush between layers of wax paper or in ziploc bags). Fridge or freeze until solid."

Since I didn't have any chocolate bar molds, I "smushed" the chocolate between layers of wax paper, and it never got quite as hard as I would have liked (that's what she said), but I think that's probably because I never melted the coconut oil. I will be sure to next time.

Still, the chocolate was/is some of the best I've ever tasted, honestly. This is a rock-solid recipe, and the chocolate is sugar-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. Bon appetit!

The "Darling" Letters

2012-04-09T12:46:00.001-07:00

A few months ago I happened across the folder in my childhood bedroom in Florida where I keep important or personal documents. There I spotted a card from an ex-boyfriend, noting the "my" he'd written before "Maris," his nickname for me, and the carefully drawn hearts and the "love." It was a bittersweet moment. I took in the card one last time and threw it away.

A sense of relief.

I think it's healthy to toss love letters from exes, especially if you're dating someone new! But I hang onto notes from my current boyfriend, even though I don't look at them often. (Hey, we talk every day!)

At any rate, when a friend showed me this poem, I was touched. Hope you enjoy it too:

The "Darling" Letters

Some keep them in shoeboxes away from the light,
sore memories blinking out as the lid lifts,
their own recklessness written all over them. My own…
Private jokes, no longer comprehended, pull their punchlines,
fall flat in the gaps between the endearments. What
are you wearing?

Don’t ever change.
They start with Darling; end in recriminations,
absence, sense of loss. Even now, the fist’s bud flowers
into trembling, the fingers trace each line and see
the future then. Always… Nobody burns them,
the Darling letters, stiff in their cardboard coffins.

Babykins… We all had strange names
which make us blush, as though we’d murdered
someone under an alias, long ago. I’ll die
without you. Die. Once in a while, alone,
we take them out to read again, the heart thudding
like a spade on buried bones.

-Carol Ann Duffy