‘We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude’.
The holidays can often feel stressful. It is the end of the year, and we naturally rush to get things finalized. It is the holidays, and many people travel to and from family. Gratuities, gifts, meetings and holiday parties start to enter the social calendar. In sum, an already busy life gets exponentially busier.
At its essence however the holidays are really about connection, community and love. Isn’t that what we are communicating with the presents we buy, the food we offer and the time we spend together? Yet, this can get lost in the busyness of it all.
When we take a moment to drop into our bodies, when take a deep breath and centre ourselves, we remember the essence of ourselves and by extension of the world around us. When we take time to be present, we can see the beauty in the simpler smaller things. This applies to the ordinary every day as well as the holidays.
This beautiful poem by Nikita Gill, is an acute reminder of reasons to treasure the beauty of the moment.
‘You will not know a last time, until long after it has happened.
The last time you felt the warmth of your mother’s hug.
The last time your father was able to lift you up and carry you on his shoulders.
The last time you shared half an orange with your brother.
Or the last late-night conversation with your best friend.
Perhaps if we knew which ending was forever, we would linger a little longer in each moment.
We would look at it like a diamond held up to the sunlight. Treasuring all the beautiful colours it brought into our lives.’
With gratitude this week to Gina Burgess for this beautiful no bake, vegan, gluten free chocolate oat bar. This was taste tested and approved of by my whole book club. ‘Delicious, light, rich and addictive’ where the comments.
Yield: One loaf
Ingredients
Base/Topping
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 1/3 maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. salt
Fudge filling
- ½ cup dark chocolate
- ¼ cup sunflower butter
- 2 tsp. orange extract
Method
- Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper
- Add the base/topping ingredients together in a bowl till well combined
- Add ¾ of the mixture to the tin and press down. Place in the freezer.
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl, whisk in the sunflower butter and orange extract
- Pour on top of the base layer
- Sprinkle the rest of the topping on the top and place back into the freezer for at least an hour
- Remove from the freezer and cut into squares
- Store in an airtight fridge or freezer
