Good morning!
Well, last night I finally understood the ‘LOVE’ Part of Eat Pray Love! bahaha. I can’t wait to see how they cast for the role of her love interest in the movie…! He has a tall order to fill.
This morning, I started off my day in a strange manner.
I sat and I smiled.
That was it.
For ten– funny-awkward-uncomfortable-uplifting-memory inspiring-I don’t know if I can smile any longer– minutes.
I sat and I smiled.
Let me explain.
Wednesday night, I was reading Eat Pray Love.
[Side note: I know this is starting to sound like ‘One night at bandcamp’…but let’s just go with it.]
I was reading the Bali book and I came across the section where Ketut Liyer, the famous Bali Medicine Man, teaches Elizabeth a new way to meditate.
Ketut says: “To meditate, only you must smile. Smile with face, smile with mind, and good energy will come to you and clean away dirty energy. Even smile in your liver. Practice tonight at hotel. Not to hurry. not to try too hard. Too serious, you make you sick. You can calling the good energy with a smile…Let your conscience be your guide.” [p. 231]
When I read this part in the book I giggled to myself. Sitting and smiling? Was he joking? Obviously, I had to try it out and see what all the hype was about.
So I sat down on my yoga mat and I closed my eyes and smiled. I pretended I was smiling on a beach.
I laughed a little bit at the absurdity of it all. I thought about what Eric would say if he saw me there. He would shake his head and walk away secretly grinning to himself.
And then before I knew it, I started to feel relaxed…and calm…and happy. As soon as I started to smile, my mood lifted and happy memories starting popping into my head out of the blue. When my mouth got a bit tired, I just let it relax into a neutral, yet slightly uplifted, position.
It was the first time I have meditated and not felt pressure to halt all my thoughts. I just sat back and noticed the positive thoughts and energy filling my mind. It was quite an unusual yet relaxing way to start the morning!
I was feeling so good I decided it was a pancake kinda morning!
Blueberry Carob Pancakes
Adapted from Eat, Drink, & Be, Vegan.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup whole grain spelt flour
- Dash sea salt
- 3 tbsp carob powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2/3 cup Almond milk
- Oil, for greasing frying pan
- 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen.
Directions: Grease and preheat a skillet over medium heat. Mix dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. In a small bowl, mix together wet ingredients (leaving out blueberries). Add wet to dry and whisk well. Stir in blueberries. Pour 1/3 of the batter onto a frying pan. Cook on one side until bubbles pop and then flip. Makes 3 medium-large sized pancakes.
I mashed a banana and layered it on top for the ‘syrup’ and I sprinkled some coconut and cacao nibs on for good measure!
Banana and blueberry = magic combo, no?
Then I stacked them and cut in half to show you the middle. Look at how gooey and delicious they are!
These were so good! I loved the combo of all the flavours. The blueberries, carob power, and spelt made these extra healthy pancakes too. No sugar high after eating these.
Have a great Friday (and start to your Civic Day long weekend if you are Canadian!!). I’m off for market madness!
They look great! And Eat Pray Love is such a great book!
They cast Javier Bardem as Felipe
And God smiled and said it was good.
Hilarious! And so, so true…
the pancakes look good and carob is a good addition.
Those pancakes would be perfect for our going bad blueberries! I agree…banana and blueberries are a great combo. I just baked a loaf of blueberry banana bread!
I really want Eat Drink & Be Vegan… especially if deliciousness like those pancakes come from it!!
I love the Ketut Liyer part of the story… :)
E,D & BV is the best vegan cookbook ever (and I have lots). You should totally get it; you won’t regret it :)
Oh man!! thoses look so good!! Good Luck at the Market!!
what a perfect way to start your day…choc. blueberry pancakes…sweet.
Ha ha! Yes, they cast Javier Bardem. And Richard from Texas is Richard Jenkins (the Dad from Six Feet Under).
So I decided that when I write MY biography, I’m totally okay with having Julia Roberts play me and Javier Bardem playing my love interest. Although, I’d also be okay playing me playing me and Javier Bardem playing my love interest, but I suppose that’s a story for another time…. :o)
I love that idea of just sitting and smiling – I think there’s research somewhere that says that simply smiling (even if you don’t feel like it) makes you feel happier! Pancakes look delish!
Maria
They cast Javier Bardem aka, the husband of Penelope Cruz
I really like the sitting and smiling idea! I think a mind full of happy thoughts is much more desirable and relaxed than one that has been emptied.
… :D
Those look delicious!!! I’ve never been a fan of carob..it tastes a little too bitter for me. But then again, that was a few years ago- tastes may have changed since then! :P
I love that idea of just smiling. I did read somewhere that when you’re feeling sad or angry, you should just smile and it will actually make you more happy!
Those pancakes look absolutely delicious. I will definitely try them!
i loveeeee meditation! i’m doing a mindful based stress reduction class and we have a 7-hour meditation/yoga retreat on sunday that i’m pumped for! it’s so amazing to learn to love your body and your existence at each moment which meditation helps me with.
those pancakes look amazing!!! you’re such an inspiration for me in the kitchen!
my fav pancakes as a kid were from the black dog restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard which were called the Justin Timberlake pancakes – white chocolate + blueberries! sinfully delicious :)
good luck with your market planning! wish i lived in or closer to canada so i could stop by :)
You know, I always thought after reading the book about sitting and smiling but I never did it. This just may work for me, since yoga isn’t so hot with my body.
i’m glad your day got off to such a great start! i might have to start tomorrow with ten minutes of smiling, i’m curious to see how i’m affected
I’m going to try that smiling thing! And I’m loving the excerpts from the book that you post, perhaps I should pick it up sometime.
My one and only true love (sorry bf) JAVIER BARDEM :)
Those pancakes look glorious :) Your future children are SO lucky!!
Blueberries make me smile especially when they are all oozy and chocolately.