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!
Those pancakes look amazing… can you come to my house and cook me breakfast?
Looks like it’s pancake morning for me, too! I love finding easy, healthy recipes!
Those pancakes look amazing!
Oh my god those pancakes look amazing!
I saw someone else mentioned they cast Javier Bardem as her lover but I figured you could use a pic to see why he’s a good fit.. hehehe :) http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VPFo4Nzmas8/SJsq9Dh3uRI/AAAAAAAAAus/0CUjD6Iycqk/s400/Javier+Bardem.jpg
Also I can’t find spelt flour at my local health food stores (I tried 2 separate ones now!) so I was wondering if in these recipes can I just swap whole wheat flour for it? Not sure if it’s the same amount if I swapped. Thanks! :)
I’m going to try the smiling meditation thing tonight! It sounds so silly, it might just work! :)
Those pancakes look amazing! I got Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan for Christmas, and I still haven’t managed to use it very much yet!
Mashed bananas + blueberry pancakes = heaven on a plate for sure!
I just finished Eat, Pray, Love and that is one of my favorite parts of the book. It’s so simple yet helps so much to just smile. :)
Smiling does work wonders! I love that idea. I was smiling to myself today while I ate my lunch of spelt tortilla and almond butter that I made myself! and a banana. Making my own food with being involved in the whole process, gives me a smile! Thanks for the inspiration to try! Off to make some veggie burgers and hummus :)
I am really struggling with “traditional” meditation as I feel pressure to stop thinking and focus, which makes me angry because it ain’t happening. I will try the smiling technique :)
Oh, those sound wonderful. Your pancakes and baked goods (and everything else!) always look sooo good.
Interesting about the smile thing. I may have to try that sometime. :)
I am so not what I would call a pancake lover and your pancakes look so appetizing! Well… your breakfasts always look so good :D, but I wish I could reach through the screen and grab that plate!
Happy Friday friend!!!
I just went blueberry picking this morning- thanks for giving me a good idea of what to make with them!
I’ll be over for breakfast tomorrow? K thanks.
I don’t think I could sit there that long just smiling! But now, I have to try it.
Those pancakes are making me drool, yum!
That’s the one thing I never got the hang of with meditation – emptying my mind! Now, sitting and smiling – that sounds like something I can do ;) Sounds like a great mental exercise.
I love that smile exercise! I really do believe that a smile can increase your positive energy throughout the day. I will definitely have to try that sometime!
Those pancakes look beautiful AND tasty!
Delicious looking pancakes! I have never tried using spelt flour, but I’m thinking I must invest in some in the near future.
ha. I can see my husband rolling his eyes too lol! thats great! Those pancakes LOOK GREAT! thanks for the reciepe! : )
Today is my last day for this weeks GIVEAWAY (its a beautiful necklace!)
Cheers and Good Luck!
Those pancakes look delicious!! Your recipes are amazing! :)
I’ve tried quite a few of them and I am never disappointed. They are so good I feel compelled to blog about them haha. Two thumbs up! :)