Last night as I sat in seated position, palms together placed at my chest, with my head bowed towards my body, I found myself choked up with tears in yoga. Every class is ended with a pause of gratitude for family, friends, and self–for honoring the body and making the choice of following through on an action that greatly benefited your self for an hour. What about that that got me choked up is difficult to express, all I can say is that it has been something on my mind this past weekend.
Choices. We all have to make them every day and they always come with a sacrifice. We choose one thing to forgo the other {a sacrifice}–sometimes it’s a good choice that might be costly, but the end result far out weighs any sacrifice that is made. Other times the sacrifice is something that would have been beneficial, but the choice was to ignore it. Yoga has become a non-negotiable in my life recently. There is no choice for me because that sacrifice of my 60 minutes of time does not compare to what the practice does for my mind, body, and soul. I just wish there were more things in my life that I know are good for me that were non-negotiables. Unfortunately I am so flawed when it comes to excuses. Meh. Excuses. I wish action was more of a friend to me than excuses but truth be told, I can find an excuse for everything.
What I don’t have an excuse for, however, are these adorable baby chick macaroons, comfortably sitting in seated position themselves, meditating. You would never know it, but baby chicks are quite versed in making the right choices for their body, soul, and mind. Maybe I should learn a thing or two from these adorable creatures…
Baby Chick Macaroons
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 Baby Chick Macaroon 1x
Ingredients
- 1 raw Macaroon
- 1/4 c. vegan chocolate chips, melted
- whole almonds sliced in half for: feet and wings
- 1/2 almond for the beak
- 2 chocolate chips for the eyes
- cranberry slice for the top
Instructions
- Dip macaroon into melted chocolate on the bottom. Place the almond feet in position to lay macaroon on top. Allow chocolate to “glue” feet on.
- Using remainder chocolate as the glue, place on the beak, wings, eyes, and cranberry top. Allow to set for 10 minutes
A superb & super cool creation! Yummy yummy too! 😉 Nearly to beautiful & funny to savour,…nearly!
Exactly…nearly. ha!
Dear Cara,
I don’t know you, but you have gave me hope as a veganiac (my silly attempt at vegan and celiac). I was a vegan by choice, but celiac by force. I gave up my passion for cooking/baking out of frustration. I couldnt handle having to relearn everything again in a different way and knowing nothing in the kitchen it seemed. I was sick of stumbling through recipes trying to find gluten free and vegan, but never finding both.
I got angry and my kitchen went from being a place of joy and peace and smelling of love and yumness to being a place I was so afraid of. I had so many failed attempts at EVERYTHING I tried to make that I just gave up.
Then I found your blog. You are righteous. Creative. Innovative. Brilliant. Your passion shows in every single recipe.
You know how to make doughnuts. For that you are my new hero. You truly are some one to look up to!
Thank you for the hope and inspiration to get back in the kitchen!
-Jea
This is probably the neatest comment to read, Jea! You are touching my heart right now because you just explained me exactly to the T about 8 months ago. I cannot express any more how I totally know what you are going through–I even stopped watching the Food Network at one point because I was so depressed! But I’m telling you, stick with it. You *will* find the joy again, I swear you will. And I would almost go so far to say that you might love cooking even more so once you get the hang of it!
If there is anything I can do, please let me know. So happy to hear that Stella is getting her groove back 🙂 xo!, Cara
i used to make excuses all the time and then one day i had a wake up call to the fact that i needed to try my hardest to live my life to the fullest every day. and KNOW that the decisions i made every day(such as food, exercise, relationships) would directly impact my future.
i actually got into a conversation with a girl a few weeks ago where she was whining to me about all the different health problems she has. i told her she should go on an elimination diet(she said she knows she’s lactose intolerant yet ignores it). she told me she knew she should, but didn’t have the willpower and didn’t want to give up her favorite foods. i said, “you have to decide which is more important to you- changing and feeling healthy or not changing and feeling like shit for the rest of your life.” she just looked at me, like, confused/stunned that i was so forward with her.
anyway, BRAVO to you for making the decision to not allow excuses to ruin your healthy lifestyle. healthy eating, exercising, positive relationships- they are all intertwined and necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle. those are the three things in my life that i am most conscientious about and care most to keep healthy and intact.
wow..longest post ever! (i hope you don’t mind.) <3
and..baby chicks! so cute! i actually call dayv my baby chick after i cut his hair(yes, i cut my husband's hair), because he's so cute and fuzzy.
<3 you.
Preach girl! I think I got a big dose of what you are talking about–hearing everyone around me complain and not doing anything about it. I couldn’t get mad because usually the things that irk me are the things that I need to work on too. So I took an inventory of my self and saw those same excuses. Sometimes I think we like to bitch about the state of our lives because what would happen if we tried to fix those things? We would have nothing to bitch about and how boring would that be??? Which is probably why she was so surprised at your response–most people want to just perpetuate the tornado of drama and look for sympathy but no change. Good for you for telling it to her straight. I like you 🙂 More long posts please! xoxo
Adorable macaroon chicks, Cara! And I love your Take a Hike challenge – I’m so with you on this!
Oh yay!! I am so happy to hear you are joining the Fitness Army 🙂 xo!
So stinkin cute!
Almost too cute to eat. Almost.
You are so awesome and your post made me teary eyed just thinking how blessed I (we) are for the very simple things such as having two legs that work!
So beautifully put! Thank you for this awesome comment! xo
Sorry I’m so late getting here today! These are darling!
Oh please don’t even apologize! I am totally slacking in my blog reading too. I need more hours in the day!!! xo
I am eagerly awaiting my Easter basket of vegan gluten-free goodies. Make sure to double up on these ; )
For you? ANYTHING!!!! I love it when you get demanding 🙂
Oh my these are the cutest things ever! And I hear you about excuses…I am full of them!
I think you and I are one of the same… Thanks for a sweet comment, Gabby 🙂
cutie cutie cutie 🙂 hehehe love the namastasty comment above too – awesome 🙂
I think “Namastasty” will be my new tagline from now on, what do you think?
Cute little buggers. I assume no fowl were harmed in the making of today’s treat, either that or the evidence got scarfed up too quickly for PETA to notice. Hey Cara, go take a walk for me will ya because you all are making me entirely jealous what with all that mobility and stuff. I guess I’ll be the designated audience and cheer you on, OK? xo
Funny how we take for granted the things we typically do without realizing that it can be gone from us at any moment. I will take the cheerleading as long as I can cheer for you 🙂
Look at these cutie macaroons.. they are just so darling and perfect for a baby shower or even a wedding shower. I just love these girl 🙂
Do you have either of these events coming up? Because I can make them for your showers 🙂
Namastasty indeed! That chickie is totally reflecting your state of mind. He looks like is he is seated in a some kind martial arts calm state with that expression on his face like no messing with me right now..and no more excuses.. else i will get up and give u one almond kick to the butt! 😀
super cook chick, and an amazing challenge.. count me in for it!
I bet his little kicks hurt, too! Good call on joining the challenge–I saw the chick giving you a judge-y look, ready to attack if you said no… xo
*Namastasty* These little meditating chicks could teach us a lot – glad to hear you are loving your yoga! These days my meditation comes at the gas pump, mindfully breathing while I wait for the tank to fill….
So you are literally and metaphorically filling up your tank 🙂
How adorable are these- um SUPER adorable.
I am thinking I will be making these for easter at my Grams, they will all get a kick out of these…oh my family I can just hear the rib poking now when I walk in with these
Your family sounds like such a blast to be around. I wanna come and make these with you guys too!
Super cute! So namastasty… Does that mean, “That which is tasty in me honors that which is tasty in you?” If so, I heartily agree!
I don’t think that I could have said it any better myself! Namastasty., Cadry.
Where do you practice yoga, Cara?
Thanks for this inspirational post!
I go to a hot yoga center right by my house and the class that I love is Yin Yoga–it is a stretching, relaxing, and breathing focused class and it is THE best! So glad to hear you found a little something from this post 🙂 xo
I’m clearly not deep enough :D. I just do what feels good, though I do have morals. I like jogging as soon as I’ve finished work because it gets me going for the rest of the evening – I find it helps me to blog. I miss the exercise university gave my mind – my brain feels a little stale at the moment, which is why I try to read a lot. Anyway, these are beyond cute, Cara!
I thought this is the reason that you interact with me–because I stimulate your brain matter, no?
Wishing we could do yoga together today! Miss you.
That would be the best wouldn’t it, friend??? Missing and loving you!
Namastasty, indeed.
There is a time and place to honor the excuse for inaction along with the action. The excuses often come because we “just don’t want to.” That has to be just as okay as the other choice. On my end I struggle with the doing more than the not doing. I’d been on a point-based system with myself in horribly unhealthy ways: forcing myself to wait to use the bathroom until I’ve vacuumed the whole house; forcing myself to wait for dinner until all the cleaning is done (unless cleaning was done at 7pm then I was S.O.L.); naps and resttime must be earned.
I have to take a moment to sit with myself each day and relax. The world won’t crash around me just because I’m not bustling from one activity to another ::Breathe:: I must remember.
Okay, I am laughing at what you just wrote–and not because I am jerk and am laughing at your point-based thinking, rather I cannot believe that there is someone else who tortures their bladder the same way I do! Ohmygosh–I so do that too!!!
I hear ya on the learning to relax time. It’s so great that you know yourself so well and know what *you* need! I heart you. <3
How are we the exact same person sometimes? It’s more than twinsies. One soul, two bodies??
*cue Twilight Zone music* hehehe xoxo!
aww… I want a chickie.
I’ll take a hike with ya! mine is a different kind of hike, though, sort of. I DO need to get back into my routine and gym schedule, but more importantly, I need to reorganize my life and priorities, take care of ME so I can give the best care to my dad. and to Basil. and Jason. and all family and friends. they all deserve a happy healthy me, and so do I. <3
Hear, hear, sister! It’s a ME FIRST movement 🙂 P.S. I love how Basil comes first on the list after you…THEN Jason. That made me giggle. xo!
These will be perfect for easter this year which also happens to be my daughter’s 9th birthday. They’ll be fun to make together, Thanks!
You can make candied balloons for the chicks to hold to in honor of your daughter’s birthday 🙂
Guilty right here!!! I’m better at making excuses than following through for sure, you said it perfectly! You are amazing with words, thanks for this and thank you for these adorable chicks!!!!!
Hi cutie! It’s funny when we convince ourselves that other people have it more together than ourselves {or at least more than what the reality really is}. I would have always guessed that you didn’t struggle with this–then again, I think I am the only lazy one in the world <–lame. I just heart you so much and see you as an example for me, but even examples struggle too. xo
I am also waaaayy too good at excuses. Thanks for the reminder. 🙂
I think you and I could probably co-write “Excuses for Dummies” 🙂 Actually, that isn’t such a bad idea now that I think about it… Happy to hear you got a little reminder in this today. xo
Cuuuute! I want this little baby chick to be my pet! Although, then I would just eat it one day and that wouldn’t be very nice 🙁
Never has anyone said that they wouldn’t trust themselves from eating their pet and I happen to completely agree. It’s true though–this macaroon is begging to be eaten. Oh the cruel justice! xo
Man he is soo cute!
I think we are all more than a little guilty of making excuses. I know I am.
Hoping you are feeling better (as in, your lungs are intact and you feel well).
xx Nina
I think the lungs are finally repositioned back to place–thanks for the follow-up, my love. Thankfully it wasn’t as bad as it could have been–must be my stellar diet (ahem, er at least relatively healthy diet). ha!
You are adorable. These are adorable!
Thanks for the kick in the pants this morning. I was feeling sorry for myself and then I woke up to Cara saying “STOP IT!” Thanks girl.
Did I mention how happy I am that I found your blog??? xo
Awww. I’m blushing… Ditto to that!
Well, there is more where that came from so get used to the blushing…
Ohhh, they are adorable! WANT!! 🙂
Time to break out the vegan chocolate and get making some macaroons 🙂 Thanks for the smile-inducing comment!