It is my personal tradition to celebrate my birthday for as many days as I am celebrating years. Let’s just say that I have well over a month’s worth of partying to enjoy this year! ????
The tradition came about on my 30th birthday, when I had some big plans that got canceled + I ended up sitting at my desk, working, all day instead. It was disappointing until I got over it and realized I had a WHOLE YEAR to celebrate this next trip around the sun, and that the way that 10,950th day on Earth was spent couldn’t possibly ruin that. The occasion also brought to light the notion that it had actually always been impossible to squeeze all of the important people, exciting treats, small moments + general specialness into a single day. And so I stopped trying, and vowed, instead, to spend much more time celebrating life – in all the little ways + a few opulent ones – in general.
This week, I’ll start my birthday month+ celebration and there are lots of special things in store. A birthday trip starting TODAY, for one. And, these Secret Stash Candy Bars are coming with me as a snack (because you KNOW that a month of mini birthday celebrations for me is NOT devoid of SNACKS!) A crunchy cookie layer, topped with a creamy date-coconut caramel, and bathed in dark chocolate. Simple, and baller.
Candy bars like this are pretty much my FAVORITE THINGS to make. And, they’re an absolutely effing perfect pocket snack for wintertime. They’re packed with all the ingredients our bodies need to nourish in the cold. Dates are a super-food source of carbohydrates, minerals, and nutrients, the coconut in the caramel + in the cookie base works to keep our bodies energetically cool + prevents inflammation(even though we’re generating heat by moving.) The innate bitterness of the dark chocolate also helps reduce inflammation, keeps the digestive system balanced and the channels of the body running clean + clear, and the nuts and oats in the base serve as a crunchy, satisfying punch of power to keep us moving all day long.
The crunchy cookie base is made of dates, oats + nuts and then baked until golden, and topped with a creamy coconut-date caramel before being coated in chocolate. Did I mention that they won’t melt or freeze in cold weather? If you like Date Bombs, you’re really going to love Secret Stash Candy Bars.
Now, there is a bit of process involved. This isn’t an all-day process, it’s just a patience-is-a-virtue process. The technique is easier than one might think but it’s critical to follow the instructions as they’re set out below and don’t stray. And once you’re done, you’ll have a stash of candy bars that will last a good bit. (21 candy bars last us a couple of weeks around here.) I’ll be sharing a little reel of some of the technical details this weekend on my Instagram account – keep your eyes peeled there if you’re curious to see this one in action!
At the risk of ruining the fun because YES YOU’RE MAKING CANDY OUT OF NUTRITIOUS INGREDIENTS, I’ll keep this week’s newsletter short. Suffice to say I’m a huge proponent of eating candy bars on the trail, and even more so when you can make them yourself. Without further ado, here we go!
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