Slow Mornings with Slow Mochas (Non-dairy, Vegan)

I've always imagined I would know I made it when I could wake up without having to rush off to work. I could lay in bed for a few minutes and do a gentle yoga flow. I could walk barefoot to the kitchen and fill the kettle with water for tea. The sun would shine through large windows and when I was good and ready, finally sit down to get some work done. I would know I made it when the word "rush" was no longer in my vocabulary.

But now I keep thinking that regardless of my schedule, regardless of my income, regardless of who my employer is I will keep rushing. Because that is what workaholics do. We rush, and we wait to rush and when we can’t rush anymore we crash and burn. (See my last post on burnout). The workaholic I am fills my schedule until I have no choice but to eat in my car on the way to my next appointment. I ignore dishes, laundry and sleep.

So when do I stop? When I keel over? When my body finally says enough and I'm stuck in bed for months on end?

I don't have time for what matters to me- especially lately. I am finding those slow mornings difficult because at the end of the day I am afraid of what silence brings. I am too tired to wake up that extra half hour to journal and to actually drink my tea instead of chug it. I don't have time for me.

Which is the stupidest thing a person can say. I don't have time for me. I know I've made it when I achieve those slow mornings. But what if I work on achieving these mornings now? What if I slow down now? What if I make space for what's important now?

So that is my intention for the rest of the year. Slow mornings, rising before the sun and spending time with myself and the people I care about the most.

Slow mornings with yoga, tea and silence. And sometimes this mocha I made with love while patiently looking after my sourdough focaccia this past week. I adapted the recipe for the crostata in the picture from the cookbook Sourdough by Sarah Owens. It’s a bit time consuming and I plan on trying it out a few more times before sharing how I make it. But let me know if you would like the recipe.

A quick note on this mocha recipe, I don’t like my drinks to be overly sweet so if you prefer a bit more sweetness feel free to add some cane sugar or maple syrup. But for me, this mocha is the perfect combination of chocolate and coffee. Be sure to use a darker roast of coffee otherwise you may lose the flavor to the chocolate.

Slow morning Mocha

Serves 2

1/2 C of brewed espresso or strong black coffee

1 1/4 C non-dairy milk of choice (I used soy)

2-3 Tbsp of chocolate syrup (checkout the recipe for chocolate sauce on this blog post and thin it out with a bit more water to create a syrup, or use store bought)

1. Make espresso or coffee. I have a moka pot I bought in Italy a few years ago and it makes about 3 servings of espresso (about ½ cup). You can absolutely use drip coffee, coffee in a french press or espresso from an actual espresso machine. Just try to find a dark roasted coffee to stand up to the chocolate. 

2. While the coffee is brewing, heat the milk in a pot, adding the chocolate syrup until steaming. You have a few choices now, you can leave the milk as is (the flavor will be fantastic) or you can froth the milk. I have a french press I use to froth milk but you can absolutely use one of those small milk frothers if you prefer. 

3. Pour the coffee into your favorite mug and top with milk and chocolate mixture, frothed or otherwise. Dust with extra cocoa powder or cinnamon and enjoy with someone you love! (Crostata is optional!)