Naraya Cooking Health Recipe

These are raw, vegan, uber nutritious and super delicious. Plus, they're pretty! Kind of. The best part about healthy dessert is that you can eat as much as you want without feeling gross or sluggish later. In fact, these give me natural energy to keep bein' busy and productive with my day. I ate almost all of them myself. No lie. My fave part is the cookie, they seriously taste like oatmeal cookies (and I adore oatmeal cookies). Smack some ice cream in between two of these cookies and whaddya get? Mouthgasms. And also technically an ice cream sandwich. I'm calling the ice cream "bubblegum" because that sounds cute and innocent, but I have a confession. The pink colour actually comes from beet juice. I know some of you might be reacting with "EW!" right now but please, hold the disgust for a second. All I ask is that you try the recipe and see what you think. In reality, you cannot taste the beet juice at all, it just adds a gorgeous colour that will illicit numerous "OOOH's!" (much more favourable). I threw some vanilla in with the ice cream and so I'm calling it "bubblegum" because it's vanilla in flavour and pink in colour; in essence, bubblegum. 

I know that the remaining half of you - who aren't saying "EW!" - are probably stoked outta your socks that I used beet juice in these, because you're a weirdly passionate health nut like me *cyber hug*. We need to stick together, us crazy vegetable fluid worshipers. I have another confession (is it feeling Sundayish in here or what? *Nervous chuckle*): these didn't turn out exactly like I wanted. Me being VERY Virgo, this frustrates me. But then I get over it because they still tasted really damn good. Anyways, I envisioned thicker cookies but I didn't make enough dough so the cookies are pretty thin, and I planned on cutting them in the shape of circles but my cookie cutter didn't go deep enough, so they are sporadically rectangular. I hope my offering is still acceptable, oh dearest ice cream sandwich judges (AKA you). 

If I didn't fuel myself with whole food recipes like this (along with lots of juices, smoothies, nut butters, salads and baked yams) I wouldn't be able to survive my days. I'm back in school now where the reading and writing seems to be bottomless, I am in a serious romantic relationship with Jack which takes up SO much time, I am also working on a new project that I'll be announcing soon (a lot of you have guessed it, hehe) and I make sure I exercise and do yoga everyday. Okay so maybe that doesn't sound like a lot but the point is: I am busy from the moment I wake up until I hit the hay that night. I enjoy my responsibilities and love my life; eating well and staying active on a regular basis allows your body and mind to exceed expectations and do more than you thought they - i.e. you - could. If you wanna live better, do more, and impress yourself - eat plants! 

I am getting back into dreaming of recipe ideas. It used to be my main source of creativity for my blog, but after writing Rawsome Vegan Baking my mind for thinking up raw vegan sweets was basically run dry temporarily. Now I am fortunately returning to the familiar groove that is imagining new recipes as I am falling into dreamland, or just waking from it. I have also been perfecting a super healthy, super easy curry recipe for ya'll. Stay tuned. 

These bars are gooey, sweet, and comfortable. Maybe you think comfortable is a weird adjective for food, but I think it's appropriate. Of course this recipe is reminiscent of PB&J (aka the stuff of childhood), so the flavour combo brings back memories for me of being young and not having a substantial care in the world. Comfort. I will be the first to admit these bars can get messy. So have a napkin handy... or #yolo it and proudly wear bits of jam and chocolate on your face for the remainder of the day, I won't judge. Isn't getting a bit dirty part of life, anyway? 

I've been focusing lately on remembering to live in the moment and 'be here now' as my wrist tattoo dictates. I get so caught up in all of the responsibilities I have to myself and others, and the seemingly endless lists of tasks I need to complete at any given time. It's like I am attempting to be perfect - i.e. clean and not dirty - because I believe that is the only standard I can hold myself to, otherwise I'll let myself down along with everyone else who I think is counting on me. Then I inevitably remember that NO ONE is perfect, and I am only human; a human with many faults. This gives me a lot of comfort, re-realizing I can let myself get dirty. I breathe a deep sigh of relief and then allow my mind and body to take a break, chill out, then eventually get back to work. I do love what I am always so busy doing - studying history at university, maintaining my blog, writing cookbooks, spending time with loved ones, exercising, making and eating delicious healthy food, and communicating - A LOT - with you guys. My life is a blessing! I do not subscribe to any organized religions but I AM constantly thankful for the gift of life I have been given by whatever forces rule our world and universe. It seems pretty miraculous to be alive and be aware of such a reality. I struggle with myself a lot, mentally, spiritually and emotionally, about the nature of being human - especially in this age of modernity - but I can usually calm myself down with the fact that no matter what this crazy cosmos means or doesn't mean, I am fortunate enough to have a healthy body, an intelligent, self-aware mind, a very comfortable lifestyle, and be surrounded by people with whom I share mutual love. I am keenly conscious of the fact that most of the global population doesn't get to enjoy some if any of those luxuries; this just makes me more grateful, and eager for the worldwide standards of living and human rights to balance out. I imagine us to be living in an awakening era, caught between the industrial revolution and the future of environmentalism and more responsible human agency, and sometimes it saddens me to know I won't be here to see our society finally bloom into the more compassionate, ethical, open-minded, earth-conscious community I believe we will become. However, it gives me great comfort merely believing in this future. 

At the end of the day, even though I let myself get stressed out over school, my blog, my books, my relationships, myself, existentialism, and the exhaustive list of world problems... I am always able to remind myself that to face these challenges successfully I need to be happy, not anxious or upset. Knowing this reminds me I don't have to be perfect. It reminds me I am just one person, trying to make sense of this ridiculous, amazing, strange thing we call life. It reminds me it's okay to get dirty, because that is part of life. 

Now let's eat.