Hike 29: Recovery

It began innocently enough.

I was told I was low on iron. Low is, of course, a relative term. I was unable to meet the requirements for blood donation, though I was by no means below average. If I wanted to continue my habit of regularly depositing at the blood bank, I needed to take action. I was given several options. Iron supplements are reliable, but tend to cause nausea. Wanting to avoid unnecessary side effects, I chose the second recommendation given to me. Molasses, when taken regularly, can accomplish the task at hand.

How should said molasses to be consumed? By the spoonful? Over pancakes? No; I needed something more appealing. Cookies seemed to be precisely what the doctor ordered. And so it was that a week of binging from which I’m still recovering commenced.

A spoonful of sugar...

I knew precisely which recipe to use. The following is one that I had baked several times before. I was aware of the dangers associated with these particular delectables, but felt confident in my ability to resist consuming the entire batch. How we overestimate our mortal shells!

The cookie waits, knowing it is to soon be removed from its sterile environment.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cup of flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/2 cup of raw sugar (Any vegan sugar will do)
• 2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup of maple syrup
• 1/2 cup of black strap molasses (unsulphured)
• 1/2 cup of canola oil
• 2/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (dairy free)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl.
3. Mix wet ingredients in other bowl.
4. Combine all ingredients into one bowl.
5. Form into balls and place on ungreased sheet pan with at least an inch between each ball.
6. Cook for 11 minutes and take out to cool.

You can find the original recipe posted at the bottom of this page.*

My short, debilitating struggle with prescription cookies ended as my supply dwindled, but make no mistake: the temptation remains. Ever vigilant, I’ve returned to life. I am hopeful that remission will remain.

*http://www.opensourcefood.com/people/reinarama/recipes/damn-good-vegan-chocolate-cookies

 

I Took 12 Hike to Taste the Rain

Water mud trail grass socks.

A glimpse of things to come.

Shelter dark sky trees covering my hatted head.

Umbrella every step.

Please protect the insects from the drops as large as grand. Washed away they’ll find themselves too lost in moss.

Don't move, little one.

Words are swept and swirled by the torrent. Irretrievable, I must compose with what is left.

Rain

Rain

Go Away

The Hike is Hard

The Sky is

 

Variations on the Color of Hike 5

Did you know that RGB screens like the one currently being used to view this blog are unable to accurately replicate violet?*

I realize there’s a certain cruel irony to presenting these photos. They may not all be “violet” per se, but how are you, dear Reader, to know? Your experience is dictated by the medium through which you view a blog that has already been filtered and altered by my perception, as well as by the lens of my camera.

I hope you can forgive me for my intentional deceit. The point is simply this: to see the world as it is meant to be seen, the computer must be tossed aside in favor of less processed experiences. If you care to know more than a shadow of the sights I’ve shown here, go to Spencer Butte, feel the sun on your face and use those beautiful eyes to enjoy the view.

*For more information, see the following: http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/violet.htm