When I was living in Perth there was a lovely organic community cafe called the Fern that hosted donation based dinners every Monday night. On the night I was able to attend, the owner had made a raw chocolate mousse dessert that my friend and I intended to share, but I'm pretty sure I ate 95% of because apparently my rudeness overrides my ability to control my sweet tooth. Intrigued by the unique flavor and texture of the mousse, I asked the owner the recipe and was taken back when she told me it was mostly made from avocado. Umm, say what?! How did I not know about this.
After my bout with the Fern's avocado induced mousse, I started experimenting with some avocado inspired recipes. I have a serious sweet tooth and love my chocolate, but I'm also aware of the negative effects of excessive sugar and striving to live healthier. There are so many desserts we can enjoy from natural, raw ingredients without harming our body. One of my favorites so far are raw chocolate cupcakes. A healthier alternative to store bought shit, with ingredients mindfully brought together to suffice the sweet cravings. The chocolate frosting is incredible and I'm still in awe of the magic cacao and avocado creates. I've made these several times, and today I figured I'd document and share.
Cupcakes
500g walnuts. For this I used 250g pumpkin seed instead because one of the kids I look after has a nut allergy. Sunflower seeds are another alternative, but have fun and experiment.
2 heaping tablespoons of raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
16 pitted raw fresh dates
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
combine walnuts, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt
blend until ground, but not too fine
add dates and vanilla.
blend a bit longer. I added coconut oil to bind the mix together a bit.
scoop and hand mold into mini cupcake portions. Refrigerate 1-2 hours. * Remember these are raw and not baked:)
Chocolate Frosting
1/4 cup honey
2 ripe avocados
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder
blend all the ingredients until creamy and thick.
Spread the frosting over each cupcake. I garnished mine in goji berry. Refrigerate until ready to serve and enjoy<3
It has been 3 days since I arrived in Brisbane, and the first thing I noticed upon stepping off the plane was the stagnancy of the air. After living with the ocean at my bed side for so long, my senses instantly grasped the change, but the 'no ocean' factor was a sacrifice I was aware of before arriving. Brisbane is set out on a river, and today I took the ferry for the first time from the city to the suburb of Bulimba, where I'll be living and working as a part-time au-pair for the Copland family. At the moment Jonathan ( the dad) and I are staying in a temporary apartment in the heart of the city, and the rest of the fam officially moves over June 18. This may be an awkward predicament, but we both have our separate room and bathroom, and Jonathan is far from creepy or awkward, so I feel completely comfortable given the circumstance. My job the first few weeks is to basically be the overseer of the families move from Perth to Brisbane. My duties involve being at the new house when all their belongings start arriving, being in control of unpacking and setting up the house, getting utilities set-up, ect. I see this as good practice to get my organizational skills in tact. A mental challenge to achieve and stay completely focused on tasks that typically wane my interest. Setting up space and creating ambiance has always been my forte, however;)
Walking the
streets of Brisbane the city has much more of a 'city' vibe than Perth,
with a bit more hop in its step, soul to the eyes of the people, and
more diversity to the culture. I haven't missed America until arriving
in Australia, because the two countries have so many similarities.
Living in Asia for over a year and being immersed in the foreignness,
unfamiliarity, and sublimity of it all, I was distracted in my adapted
Asian life. I was distracted in my environment, and in love. I've found, (
and am constantly catching and correcting
myself) from the judgments that are constantly surfacing and causing me
to compare the American vs. Australian life. I hate to sound like an
arrogant American and commend the stereotype that America is the
greatest, but let's just say for the first time I have the most
appreciation for philly than I ever have. I have not made it to Sydney
or Melbourne yet, and its only been weeks since i arrived in
brisbane, but living in Perth there was an overbearing
sense of compliance , artifice, and "white is right," vibe to the
culture. I've had
an incredible longing for home.
I've spent the past 2 weeks trying to make connections and finding my bearings here. I've found an all womens circus group http://vulcana.org.au/about-us/....and
here I've started circus training again 3 days a week. One of the girls asked me to join her in the schools showcase on july 5,
so I'm looking forward to having the chance to finally perform. I
also interviewed and taught a sample class to the owner of a yoga studio down the street from where I'll be
living, and she's keen on having me teach a class, so things are sloowly
falling into place.
Perth
was difficult for me, but I feel brisbane has provided me with a breath
of fresh air, and I'm feeling really inspired once again. I took a few
dance classes this week , which I haven't had the opportunity to do since leaving philly.
I'm inspired to do everything at the moment, advance as a performer,
evolve my teaching, get involved in community, and I've even considered
looking into taking a course at one of the many universities here, more
specifically on alternative medicine. My question is, how do you narrow
down your interests and passion to one specific niche, when you have so
many? In order to really excel should one choose an area and
focus only on that? This is why it's so difficult for me to settle,
because my brain is currently latched to so many dreams and ideas.
