.SOMETIMES RAW.

From my experience when it comes to men, they tend to see things less complicated than women do. I had a conversation with a friend at work the other day who told me that he has a cookbook with easy recipes because it does not need to be complicated what is on his plate. He shared some of his favourites with me which I find so funny. Maybe you want to try some of his recipes. They are definitely easy to make but maybe not that healthy. 😀

Recipes from his cookbook

Hot Dog

Ingredients:

• 1 hot dog
• 1 bun

Directions:

1. Poke holes in the hot dog because otherwise, it might explode.

2. Put it in the microwave for thirty seconds.

3. Put hot dog in bun.

4. Boom! That’s all you need to do!

Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• Oh man, just go down to the supermarket, hit the produce section, and get some of everything. Carrots, snow peas, mushrooms, eggplant? Just whatever! Broccoli!
• They have all the veggies together in bags labelled “Stir Fry” now, but that’s cheating.
• Chicken if you feel fancy.
• Rice if you have time.
• Soy sauce from bottle or packets.

Directions:

1. Stir all of it together in a wok.

2. If you don’t own a wok, check around the apartment. The last people might have left behind a wok.

3. If not, it’s a great excuse to stop by someone’s house and introduce yourself.

4. My friend Wendy had a wok but it stayed at her house. I was over there a lot.

Ramen Noodles

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of Ramen
• Water

Directions:

1. Fifty-nine cents. You got chicken, beef, or pork.

2. I lived on Ramen for months. At least a meal a day, often two.

3. It… uh… I had to go to the health center because the salt intake was making me kind of fall apart. It was bad.

4. Boil the water, throw the thing in there, drain the water, put the powdery stuff in there.

5. I also started to have blurred vision from all that salt but my wife saved me by starting to cook at my place.

6. I saw a place up at Karlsplatz in Vienna the other day, a ramen restaurant. And their ramen costs like seventeen Euros for a bowl!

7. Prices have sure gone up!

Quesadilla or Burrito

Ingredients:

• Tortillas (1-2)
• Refried beans (can)
• Cheese, pre-shredded

Optional ingredients:

• Salsa
• Sour Cream
• Meat
• Guacamole

Directions:

1. Put beans and cheese in tortilla. Meat if you have some.

2. Microwave it. Maybe clean the microwave first. Which we never did when I was in college. I mean, it got pretty rank in that thing. We just forgot! I mean, this was our life: go to class and learn organic chemistry, Brit Lit, sociology. It was intense. And then party like crazy all weekend.

3. That microwave, though. Talk about organic chemistry. Wendy, now my wife, thought my quesadillas were disgusting.

4. Make sure that meat isn’t expired. Trust me.

Barbecue Chicken

Ingredients:

• Cut-up chicken parts (raw)
• Barbecue sauce (any)

Directions:

1. Slather the sauce on there and slap it on the grill.

2. Cook it all the way through. That’s important.

3. Otherwise, boom, back to the health center.

4. And friends who came to visit you before will say they’re getting a little tired of what they call your “pattern.”

5. And things will feel different when you recover and you might not have time to get things back to where you want them to be before it’s too late.

6. And then you’ll just have… life, you know?

7. Everything just goes away so fast.

8. Time flies. We have such little time.

9. Seriously, promise me you’ll cook the hell out of that chicken.

More Advice from Him on Giving Driving Directions to a Woman.

Assume a woman has the same deep knowledge of local landmarks and geography as you.

Deny the existence of digital mapping technology.

Ask whether she is “looking to take S3 or S4,” as if they know what you’re talking about.

Tell her the story about your friend X who lives “up in that area” and can help you if you get completely lost. Give her his number.

On second thought, tell her she should take S7 instead because you saw “some jokers racing on S3 and S4 the other day.”

Notice her tires “could use a little air.”

Point out that back roads are usually her safer bet.

Ask her for details about her car. Like all technical stuff and if she is able to change a flat tire.

Ask whether she is getting regular oil changes. Giggle while you say it.

Tell them about Daniel from your high school who wrapped his BMW around a huge oak tree over by S3.

Mention the extra oil filters you have lying around that happen to be an exact fit for her vehicle.

Insist on changing her oil. Now, don’t giggle. Or do.

Remind her that traffic will be a pain in the ass, and it’ll probably be easier to just stick around for dinner and wait until morning.

I made these chocolate energy balls at my son’s school today as a healthy breakfast/snack alternative and the kids loved them. Some moms asked me for the recipe so here you have it.

I used to make these chocolate date balls years ago. In fact, I remember sharing this recipe as part of a presentation I did in nutrition school. They’re so good and so easy to make.

I have tried many different energy balls already. Some that are made with shredded coconut, but these ones today are made with walnuts, hemp seeds, and rolled in chopped almonds. They’re the perfect snack for a little energy boost, and they’re absolutely delicious to boot.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHOCOLATE ENERGY BALLS

Let’s chat a bit about what makes these chocolate energy balls so energizing in the first place.

• Walnuts: walnuts are a great source of healthy, satiating fats that help make these balls filling and balance out the sugar from the dates.
• Dates: medjool dates are my favourite; they’re rich, soft, and caramel-y. They give this recipe its sweetness and supply a good dose of energizing carbohydrates.
• Hemp Seeds: hemp seeds are a staple in my kitchen. They offer 3 important things: fibre, healthy omega-3 fats, and plant-based protein.
• Cacao: the raw, organic cacao powder used in this recipe is definitely a star when it comes to providing some energy. Cacao contains some caffeine, but also plenty of antioxidants and minerals like magnesium.
• Almonds: I like chopping up almonds and rolling the balls in them for an extra dose of monounsaturated fats (and crunch!)

Chocolate Energy Balls

 Prep Time 15 minutes

 Servings 24 balls

Ingredients

• 3 cups walnuts
• 1 cup medjool dates (about 10-12 large dates)
• 3-4 tbsp cacao powder
• 2 tbsp hemp seeds (optional)
• pinch sea salt
• 1/4 cup almonds, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Remove pits from dates. Soak dates in warm water for about 5 minutes to help them soften. 
2. Add walnuts to food processor and pulse until roughly ground, but not a fine powder.
3. Add dates and remaining ingredients to food processor and pulse until a doughy mixture forms. Start with about 10 dates, then taste-test the mixture to see if it needs more sweetness or more cacao powder to your liking.
4. Grab small chunks of dough and roll into small balls.
5. Finely chop or grind almonds in food processor. Add to small bowl.
6. Roll balls in bowl of ground almonds/coconut flakes until covered.

Recipe Notes

Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freezer for longer-term storage.

Enjoy!

Hello Lovely,

Good morning. I am always with you and yet we seem to have lost touch. I understand that there are always things to do, places to go, opportunities to seize, dreams to realize and fires to fight but it is almost as if you have been avoiding me. Did we grow apart? I thought we were pretty close.

From distance, you seemed happy earlier this year and reminded me of a younger Daniela, one surer of herself and her place in the world. Is this true? Now, what happened? You bought a house. Wow! You love it, do you? So much nature. So much beauty. But are you really happy or have you just occupied yourself with urgency to avoid dealing with what is important? I ask because I care about you. I am not a stranger to you, Daniela but recent actions have made me feel like one. You are both wise and jaded enough to know the difference between acts of self-love and distractions offering temporary happiness. And yet you have consistently fallen into the trappings of comfort. When we last met, you had sparkling eyes, ambition, and unflinching clarity but all those distractions have muddied your heart. There is nothing where there these days. What happened? Oh, I remember, you told me. Stress. Pressure. The notion to perform at 100% in life at all times. Guess what, this cannot work. More importantly, what have you felt or learned? In my dreams, you are remarkable. Please do not allow life to get the better of you. There are things only you can do so you must do them. Look at your son. He is amazing and this is almost solely your work.

It is rare to have the ability and opportunity to build a significant life so please make the most of it. Giving in to the everyday pressure of mediocrity and smallness won’t get you to where you need to be. Hey, I know the gnawing feeling of unfulfillment is something you have been grappling with for a while now and you are prepared to completely retool your life. It will be a challenge but not impossible.

Things will change. Look what you have accomplished in your private life! It took you quite some time to get to this point and know exactly who you are so don’t resent the journey. The secret to leading a worthwhile life is to make a few meaningful and thoughtful decisions every day and let go of the rest. And, as you learn to detach yourself from this web you will come to realize your insignificance. All of this, my dear, existed before you were born and will continue to thrive long after your departure. So, optimize your time here for that which has the potential to outlive you.

You must focus on yourself, your son, your family, and friends and leave the rest behind. There is no need to tolerate ignorance. Everything will work out, believe me. You will be fine. You have this little pure soul who depends on you and walks next to you in life wherever you go. Isn’t that everything? 

Breathe. Do not forget that this life is yours and first and foremost belongs to you. You have some power over it and can undo many of these wrongs if you choose to. Guess what? When you were born the first debt you inherited was your privilege. Then came the burden of expectations placed on you. This was soon followed by the power others yielded over you. And the final debt is one that grows with each passing day: Time. You wonder about your purpose here but have you considered that perhaps it is to simply walk this earth with joy? If you can say no to anything which does not inspire happiness or peace in you then you are free from all debts. Remember that you can get anything you want but not everything you want. What choices will then lead you to your best life? Aren’t you living it already? I think you do. 

You have already learned through all your dramas that humans are transient beings. We all come and go bringing varying measures of joy, pain, longing, and wisdom into the lives of others. This is the natural order of things akin to the ebb and flow of the sea. This is also why you should rethink certain things, choices, and options. It will shape your entire life so do this with care. In all this change, happiness then lies in the constant.

I see you in the mirror every day and wonder about the love that will make you feel this way once again. I need you to regain control of your heart again. To open it. You were made to love and be loved and yet on some days you seem to believe that you are incapable or undeserving of it. Where there were wounds once, now there are scars. But all scars will be loved. I promise. What do you see when you look at your reflection? I hope you can see everything worthy of love in you. I see this every day and it makes me believe in the best of you. I will always believe in you. 

All my love, 

Yours.