Chocolate Beetroot Muffins + //the little bites of life//
Sometimes I like to sit by and wonder about the little things in life.
Love, family, friendships, work and school. Food. Of course.
The little things, like how you get to school on time everyday, the food you eat for lunch, the people that teach you, the people that stand by you, every day, every minute, every hour, ready, with their hands open, to embrace you, to love you and to be with you.
When you feel that you've been appreciated for your work and you feel so blessed that you actually exist in someone else's mind.
But sometimes people get so caught up in trying to be better that they forget who they really are, and who they used to be. I'm talking about the friends that change, the friends that change because they are striving for something that's much larger than they are, striving for something that they see is important in their life at this point of time, and letting go of the other little things in life- sacrificing time for having great meals, building up friendships, spending time doing what they really enjoy, and appreciating all the little blessings around you.
I'm talking about the people, or rather, the students, who put in so much time and effort into getting their work done, doing their homework, studying, preparing for school, doing all the one million thousand practices they can find to help them improve - the kind of people that never seem feel that what they are achieving is enough. I'm not saying that studying isn't important, but is over-working yourself worth it? Is it worth it to spend hours and hours on solving a math sum when you could have taken one hour to whip up some comfort food in the kitchen? Or to grab a book that you've always wanted to read and engross yourself in it's magical wonders? Or to simply turn on the TV and watch your favourite show?
There is nothing wrong with working and working and working and working. But is it worth it? Is it worth it to spend such a long time studying, tiring yourself out, just to get good grades? Would you be happy?
I'm only a student. But I've seen many friends and many people who work so hard to get the grades and only end up being unhappy with themselves. There is nothing wrong with competition. There is nothing wrong with elite schools. But when everyone around you is getting A1s and you're getting B4s, how can you not feel that competition?
Sometimes over-working yourself is a choice. You can choose to care about your grades and work 24/7 trying to improve it, rushing home the minute school ends to bury yourself in books and to study, sleeping at 2am completing as many math sums as you can and furiously scribbling down notes in your notebook every minute in class. Or you can choose to spend an hour or two everyday doing something worth doing, doing something that makes you happy, that helps you to wind down, to rest your tired souls.
I'm not a great acheiver. I'm not the top student, never was and is never going to be. But I'm happy. I'm happy because I have great and supportive friends, family; I'm happy because I have a beautiful kitchen filled with the warmth of deep dark chocolate and cinammon; I'm happy because I can spend time everyday watching my favourite cooking shows every night and fall asleep soundly; I'm happy because, although I'm not the smartest kid, I am contended with my grades. And I am happy because there is meaning to my life, there is something out there that I am chasing, there is something, other than working your head off, that will keeps the fire in me burning.
If you're someone, grappling with your many things in life, stop. Stop. Really just stop. Take a deep breath. Think about what's really important to you, and do it.
Live with no regrets, because when you start to appreciate the things around you, when you start to care less about work and studies, and to pursue your happiness, you will truly, truly be happy.
And perhaps spending 10 minutes of your life to make some chocolatey goodness with truly, truly brighten up your life.
Chocolate Beetroot Muffins
Adapted from realfood Tesco
Makes 12 muffins
3 eggs
200 ml oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
250g cooked Beetroot, puréed (about 1 large)
250g caster sugar
180g all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
5 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, vanilla, Beetroot and sugar.
Fold in the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt until just combined.
Using an ice cream scoop or 2 spoons, divide the batter evenly into 12 muffin cases.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
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