Greetings beautiful people. How time flies. Today I realized that it has been almost 2 months since my last post here. I am still unsure where April has gone and now it’s already mid of May. Time is moving too fast.

But we are having so much fun. Together with a few very good friends, we took up rock climbing 2 months ago. If I am not working or cooking food for my hubby and friends, we are spending almost all our free time outside.

Whether this is going for a cooling swim upriver (as it has been scorching hot lately), climbing a new piece of rock, or going for a hike or kayak ride, we are having the time of our life. While doing something active we also find peace and enjoy the mental and physical boost we get from spending time in nature with the people we love.

Yesterday morning we went climbing again. We try to go once every week or every 2 weeks. I would have never thought that we all would love doing this so much, even though most of us always come home with scratches and bruises. You can’t believe how good it feels when you finally conquer a piece of rock that you have been trying to climb for a few times.

Yesterday was one of these days… though I climbed a few nice routes yesterday, the biggest achievement was finally climbing to the top of a 6a! I felt so happy as the previous times we went climbing I was only able to reach the tops of 5 a, b, and c levels. But I kept trying and finally, I made it.

The left one on the picture is the 6a I finally was able to climb... next is the 6c to the right, but it starts with a nasty little overhang just at the bottom. I tried a few times yesterday but after doing this 6a and 4-5 other climbs my arms were just not up for it anymore.

This was me just after reaching the top of the 6a... I couldn't move anymore but you can't believe how good it felt after so many failed attempts the weeks before.

All this climbing and other outdoor fun, however, means time for posting on Hive or spending time on my computer is very limited these days. But that’s ok as it seems like my hubby and I are in need of these digital detox moments. My hubby even more so than me as he spends his entire working day behind the screen.

I would, however, love to be more active on Hive again. I will try my best to be around a bit more, but I can’t promise anything. There are only so many hours in a day and I need my 8 hours of quality sleep.

What have all of you been up to? I hope you are all enjoying life as much as we do.

NO-BAKE VEGAN STICKY DATE CARAMEL SQUARES

With all this high energy-consuming action I have been making a lot of nutrients dense snacks to refuel our bodies during or after these high-intensity activities. One of my latest creations is sticky date caramel squares.

I quickly made them yesterday morning before we went climbing as I wanted to have a snack for all of us after the climb. When we came home they had set perfectly to serve with a cooling glass of kombucha, while enjoying the many stories of everyone's achievements of that day.

Ingredients

For the base

• 1.5 cups almond and cashew mix, toasted/roasted for extra flavor
• 1 cups dates, pitted
• ⅓ cup cacao powder
• ¼ cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
• Pinch of Himalayan pink salt

For the sticky caramel layer

• 1.5 cups dates, pitted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• ¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
• Water as needed (I used about ¼ cup)

Chocolate layer

• ¼ cup cacao powder
• ¼ extra virgin coconut oil

Directions

Line a plastic container or baking pan with baking paper. Set aside.

Combine all base ingredients in a blender and process until no big date pieces remain.

Press the base firmly into the container or baking pan. Pop into the freezer to set while you prepare the sticky caramel layer and chocolate sauce.

Add all sticky caramel ingredients to the blender and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Spread the caramel in an even layer on the base.

In a small glass or bowl, mix the cacao and coconut oil until you have a chocolate sauce consistency. Pour over the caramel.

Add to the fridge for a couple of hours to set. Cut into squares and serve or store in the fridge for later. I topped the squares with a little icing sugar, but it has been so hot here that the chocolate layer with the icing already started melting before I was able to take a few good shots.

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY AND HEALTHY DAY ღ ღ ღ

ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL!

PICTURE(s) TAKEN WITH GOOGLE PIXEL 3 XL

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