what it really means to love yourself + vegan candy {recipe}.
Ah, February.
The month of red & pink everything, conversation hearts, chocolate bonbons, romantic kisses, and single girl sadness. Although Valentine’s Day has good intentions, it tends to make the masses feel pretty inadequate. Sure, if you’re part of a couple, it’s fun to give each other thoughtful cards, maybe a surprise delivery of red roses to work, or even a candlelit dinner somewhere special.
But what if you’re not part of a couple? Or, even worse, what if your better half doesn’t show you any extra love on the 14th?
Your heart sinks. You feel alone and unworthy. And you figure polishing off a bottle of wine + a side of greasy cheese fries + man-hater conversation with a few girlfriends will make you feel better. But that never really works, does it?
If you’re in the wellness/personal development world like me, you’ve probably heard the term self-love. The practice of being really nice to ourselves and participating in activities that lift us up instead of weigh us down. It’s a game-changer and something us ladies need to do often.
So, what does loving yourself really mean?
It means waking up 30 minutes earlier to make a super healthy breakfast to fuel your body.
It means taking a long, luxurious bubble bath after a stressful day.
It means letting your ankle injury heal properly before hitting the gym again.
It means forgiving yourself always and often for anything, big or small.
It means honoring your true feelings and acting accordingly.
It means loving your body even if it’s not the shape or size you’d like.
It means motivating yourself to step into empowerment instead of victimhood.
Ultimately, self-love is loving yourself the way you want to be loved by others.
If you like recognition for your hard work, acknowledge how much you’ve accomplished.
If you like receiving fresh flowers, give yourself your favorite kind weekly.
If you like dinner followed by a movie, take yourself on a solo date.
If you like feeling sexy, buy yourself hot pink lingerie.
It may seem funny to give these kinds of things to yourself, but it feels incredibly nourishing because you are treating yourself like gold. Not in an ego-based way, but in a best friend way.
This weekend, I encourage you to fill your time with loving actions no matter what your plans are with your significant other, girlfriends, or yourself. Go get a massage. Write yourself a love note. Or make a healthy version of your favorite sweet treat (like mine below!).
Confession: York Peppermint Patties are my favorite candy of all time. So in honor of Valentine’s Day, I made Vegan Peppermint Patty Hearts, which I plan on sharing with everyone I see this week. I’ll be honest, these are not easy to make, but they’re worth it.
Vegan Peppermint Patties
Makes 12-14 patties
1/2 cup organic coconut butter
1/2 cup organic coconut oil
2-3 tablespoons of peppermint extract (depending on how minty you want it!)
3 tablespoons of organic maple syrup
1 cup semi-sweet dark chocolate chips
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 small heart-shaped cookie cutter
Mix together coconut butter and coconut oil in a bowl until mixed completely and almost in liquid form. Add peppermint and maple syrup. Give it another mix until fully combined. Put bowl in the freezer to firm up the mixture for about 5-7 minutes. You don’t want it get completely solid, just back to a buttery consistency. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Take about 1-1/2 teaspoons of the mixture and roll it into a ball in your hands. Place on the sheet and press down with your palm until flattened. Continue until you’ve used up the whole mixture. You may find that the patties are beginning to melt a little, so it’s best to pop them in the freezer for another 5 minutes so they can firm up again.
Next, bring water to a boil in a pot. Place a glass bowl on top and pour in the chocolate chips. As the chocolate begins to melt, stir in the remaining coconut oil (this will help the outer shell harden). Once the chocolate is completely melted, let it cool off a bit. If it’s too hot, the coconut patties will melt a little.
Take the patties out of the freezer and use the cookie cutter. Any left over pieces can be made into new patties. Once all of your hearts are done, start dipping them in the chocolate with a fork and place them on the parchment paper. After completely coating all of the hearts, put them back in the freezer on the baking sheet. They may need another coat of chocolate, so once they’ve hardened up again in the freezer, give them another dip and stick ’em back in the freezer. Then, enjoy!
It’s a lot of steps, yes. But they are so freaking good!
Here’s to treating ourselves with lots of love and pure, healthy goodness today and all days.
Hugs and kisses.
P.S. What’s your favorite way to love yourself up? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below.
