I groove to the pulse of the bass line, listening to the singer croon "there’s a spoon full of honey where your heart should be // And there's honey drippin' off your spoon." The floor is sticky with beer. I get deep into my spine, rib cage, hips, twisting with the beat. Even Logan -- who've I've rarely seen do more than head nod and tap his foot at shows-- is shakin' it. It's a Wednesday night. The air is humid. The musicians are lit up from behind, a spray of beams giving them an ecstatic bent. A three part harmony rings out. I'm brushing up against strangers in my trance. My hair swings out in a sheet, knees circling, arms snaking, chest bumping.

One of the reasons I really love yoga is how it develops a core sense of balance alongside greater body awareness. So when I'm dancing -- alone in my kitchen to Kishi Bashi or in public at a Wood Brothers concert -- my body and the beat are inseparable. I feel this compulsion to move and connect. Maybe I've always felt that way about music. But it's even more satisfying, feeling strong and flexible as I roll my chest and belly along with the bass lines.

Lately in my kitchen food has been all about what is supportive to my body and overall happiness. That's meant a lot more groovy hippie dip breakfasts, vegan or vegan-ish lunches and dinners, low acid meals, tons of water, and mostly cutting out alcohol. It's a huge part of why I feel sexy and on-point dancing and moving and high kicking through life.

I've been getting deeper into my Ashtanga yoga practice. It really puts into perspective how what I eat/drink affects my experience. I've been of the mindset that what you consume becomes you for years. But nothing puts it so into perspective for me as arriving to my mat and hearing my joints pop and crack when I squat or feeling intense thirst half way through the postures.

One of the funnier things about all of this is that I really have no desire to eat shitty food anymore. I know it's going to make me feel sick, and I'm just so over it. I don't want to feel sick! I want to feel like an energized badass bitch! I mean, I'll still have a glass of wine sometimes (singular). And sweet potatoes fries? GIMME. But the difference is that I'm eating those things with awareness, and so I know when to stop.

So these hemp tahini date caramel bars. This is an example of something that tastes like it's bad-for-you but in fact is so so so sooooooo good. Logan and I were munching on them and were both like it feels like were eating candy bars but... there's hemp in them... so....

These are full of protein, Omega 3's, fiber, calcium, and minerals; and they're low glycemic. In other words, they're the perfect storm of high vibe hippie goodness and decadent flavor. Topped with chocolate. Of course.

Hemp Tahini Date-Caramel Bars (Vegan, Gluten Free)

Recipe Type

| Prep time: 1 hour including wait time Total time: 1 hour | Serves: 1 dozen

You can use any nut butters you please, but I particularly like almond and sesame butters together. There's something magical about dates and tahini in a sticky sweet union!

Ingredients

• 12 fresh medjool dates, pitted
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/8 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup roasted unsalted pistachios, chopped roughly
• 1 cup hemp hearts
• pinch fine pink sea salt
• 1/4 cup chocolate
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the dates with a fork (tip: if your dates are a bit dry soak them in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain and pat dry before mashing).
2. Add the tahini, almond butter, and coconut oil and mash into the dates to mix well.
3. Add the chia seeds, pistachios, hemp hearts, and sea salt and mix with a spatula to combine until everything comes together into a pliable dough.
4. Press the dough into a parchment lined loaf pan (or, if you want thinner bars, a small cookie sheet).
5. Freeze for 30 minutes to firm up the bars.
6. While the bars are in the freezer, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in a double boiler set on low heat (or, like me, in a small metal mixing bowl set in a large stock pot filled with 2 inches of water i.e. enough to create a warm water bath).
7. Once the chocolate is melted, set aside until the bars are semi-solid.
8. Remove the bars from the freezer and pour the chocolate over top, spreading it evenly.
9. Pop the bars back into the freezer to firm up the chocolate (15 minutes minimum).
10. To serve, cut the bars into 2 inch squares (or as you like).
11. Eat immediately or store in the freezer in a sealed glass container until you're ready to eat (let thaw 5 minutes or so before eating).

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