Portugal so far... plus chocolate recipe with a quirky ingredient!
Hello! I am at Merkaba in the mountains of Northern Portugal! If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you will already know all about this! i decided to treat myself to a month long birthday present so deeper my own inner journey and spiritual growth.. you'll find more on all that over on the mindset blog.
I am here for the entire month of May (well just over 3.5 weeks) and am settling into community life. It is an incredible space... and the view is stunning! That said we did have ten full days of torrential rain- though luckily out of the other side of that now. Sunshine looks set for the rest of my stay! The rain was a great teacher and afforded me much thinking space.
Check out the amazing Kitchen space! This is where I have been unleashing some creativity :-)
I'm off to join the yoga class on the bus deck shortly (yes the deck next to a converted double decker bus!) and so will leave you with a quick recipe (and some extra food pics)!
One of the guys cooked up way to too much couscous so I tried tho think of as many ways to use it as possible.... these chocolate bars were a huge hit! You could use any grain really- I would typically go for quinoa as a more nutritious and gluten free option. Or how about millet of amaranth?
.... apologies for photo quality. I only had my phone an the lighting was not too great!
Recipe: Chocolate cous-cous snack bars
Ingredients;
- 2 cups cooked cous-cous (or other grain- see notes above)
- 1/3 cup peanut butter (crunchy is good for added texture)
- 1 cup chopped dates (with 1/4 cup hot water to partly soften them*)
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 cup soaked seeds (I used sunflower and pumpkin)
- 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar if needed- adjust to taste)
- 1/2 cup cocoa nibs (mixed through or press on top)
- chocolate drizzle- optional (cacao coconut oil and coconut sugar)
Method:
Blend the peanut butter, coconut oil and soaked dates (I softened my dates simply the processor here is very basic).
Stir all remaining ingredients together then add the wet 'paste'. Stir/mash evenly to coat fully then press into a lined brownie sized tin. I added a little chocolate drizzle to decorate
Firm up in the fridge before slicing into squares.
Here is a little teaser to some other meals I've been enjoying here...
Al food is plant based and organic as far as possible. Much of it is also raw, so I've been trying out loads of raw nut and seed based sauces, I really want to share this one of mine with the gang soon! Also lots of decadently healthy raw desserts. For my first two weeks here Tracy from Raw Happy was here- she is a raw food chef and also amazing yoga teacher and cooked up some incredible meals and treats of us all.
As I woke up this morning... Portugal
As I woke up this morning, my mind slowly waking up to the world, wondering what time it was, the sunlight filtering across my eyelids... For a moment, with my eyes still closed, I lost all thoughts of where I was.
In my head I began planning my day as usual, feeling the grind of routine a little, then a dog barked in the distance which sounded unfamiliar... THEN I remember with a start EXACLTY where I was!
I am tucked up in blankets in a beautiful geo-dome, in the breathtaking mountains in North Portugal, awaiting the beautiful sunshine creeping across the mountain tops, among a community of some of the most love filled people I have ever had the opportunity to share my life with. Anticipating a day ahead filled with love and BEing in whatever form that may take. A day yet to unravel and evolve. A day for me to explore ME.
As a lay there amongst the layers of blankets (it gets chilly in the geo-domes at night) I smiled to myself and it occurred to my that this time last year (yesterday to be precise!) I had just taken the huge leap of travelling on my own for the very first time. It had been so many years in the making, so much fear to overcome. I lay here now feeling so grateful that I was able to push past those fears... because it had lead to me being hear today. I quite simply would not be here if I had continue to let fear hold me back.
My life has changed exponentially since letting go of that fear, experiencing new spaces, meeting new people and ultimately allowing myself the freedom of stepping into who I really am. I have begun to design my life and my work around travel and creating experiences. Elevating these aspects of my life as priorities.
I write this post not as a 'look at me enjoying the sun in Portugal' BUT quite simply as a 'you can literally do anything you set your mind to if you want it enough'. You simply need to reflect and understand your own life priorities, face your fears and your calling... then most importantly take STEPS towards ACTING on those thing in life that pull you strongly, make your heart stir with passion or curiosity and that light up your soul.
THIS is who I am as a coach. I help people get out of their head and into their heart. I support people in taking steps in honouring that process.
I love you all deeply.
So you can reflect along with me if you fancy. Here is the post I wrote this time last year.
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Day to day you can always find me hanging out in these places:
I made this oat crumble as a surprise 'bressert' for my boyfriend last weekend. His favourite fruit is rhubarb and I had a few stalks in the garden that I wanted to use up. I wanted a super healthy breakfast crumble that was indulgent enough for dessert (hence bressert).
I had planned for this to be enough to last us for breakfast ABD dessert late in the day.... but we ate it all for breakfast.