How to Stay Young and In Love (With Raw Brownies On Top!)
by Mimi Kirk
On Valentine’s Day, we take time to acknowledge our lovers for the sweetness they add to our lives: for the sink full of dishes selflessly washed at the end of a long day, for the argument left un-picked, for a sympathetic ear to listen to our complaints, our stories, our worries, our dreams. For arms that hug us and celebrate our victories and hold us after our losses. For just being themselves, complete with flaws and weaknesses, and for understanding that we are imperfect, too. But what about that everyday appreciation that we so need?
In this article, Mimi Kirk reflects on the sweetness in her relationship which keeps things working “like a well-oiled clock”, and shares a special recipe she created for her boyfriend, Mike. She reminds us not to try to change our partners, but to love them wholly as they are. No matter who you are or how old you may be, a beautiful kind of love is out there waiting to be discovered if you choose to see it, imperfections and all.
Never Too Late
It’s never too late. I can attest to that. I met my boyfriend Mike when I was sixty-four, he was forty-five. We met on a match site on the Internet. We recently celebrated our tenth year together.
Our first date lasted until the restaurant closed. We both knew we were attracted to each other and had much in common. I knew right away he was a kind man and he had a great sense of humor. He was also very smart, and I like those attributes in a man. He didn’t know my age when we met and I wasn’t as open about it as I am these days. After a few months of dating he read some old business press in my scrapbook where my age was revealed. He never let on for months after knowing the truth, but by then he said he was in love, so our age difference didn’t bother him. We are well matched in just about every way. I moved in with him one year after we met.
Our Love
Unlike many couples we are lucky to be together just about 24/7. He is retired and helps me with all my endeavors. We have very little disagreements and when there is one it’s over quickly. Neither of us believe arguing solves anything. We have a great respect for each other, which I think is very important in any relationship. We are equals.
We never discuss who does what chores at home, we each just each do what we see needs to be done. I love to cook and he doesn’t I don’t like the financial part, like paying bill’s etc. and he does, so we just do what we do best. When we have a dinner party I’m cooking and he’s cleaning the windows or vacuuming the floor. It all seems so natural and we work like a well-oiled clock.
I feel so lucky to be in love and to have that person love me back. I love being in a relationships and always have. I like having a partner to share my life with. It’s said that’s a sign of a good relationship is if you can travel well with another person. Mike and I travel very well together. We love to travel and have visited many countries.
What makes a great relationship is different for everyone. For me it’s not trying to change the other person. If you’re hoping for someone to change, it’s not a good way to go into a relationship. I believe we need to love a person just the way they are. It doesn’t mean they won’t change, or that you won’t change and learn new things, but change in your partner is not something you should be waiting for or there will never be peace. Relationships need to be organic. I think I’ve learned so much from Mike like being more patient, how to manage finances, and how to be more relaxed in general. Mike has learned things from me that I see he has incorporated in his life.
Marriage? Neither of us feels it’s something we need to do. We are together because we love each other. A piece of paper does not change that feeling.
Love is a beautiful thing. When you love yourself, you bring the right mate into your life. When you respect yourself, you attract someone that respects you. If you are giving, you are a magnet to a giver. If you see beauty in your mate, they become more beautiful. You are a reflection of what you attract.
My mother always told me that a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so I’m including a recipe that I think did the trick. I call it Mike’s Birthday BRAWnie.
Mike’s Birthday BRAWnie
Served with raw vanilla ice cream, this is his special birthday cake. Although this brownie recipe has three parts it is easy to make. The smells taunt you while the brownie is dehydrating.
Ingredients
Part 1
- 1 cup almond milk
- ½ cup cacao nibs
- Handful of cashews, soaked 4 hours
- Beans scraped from 1 vanilla pod, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup or sweetener of choice
- 2-3 tablespoons filtered water
- Blend until the nibs are broken up and the mixture is quite smooth. It should be a thick but pourable. Set aside.
Part 2
- 15 medjool dates, soaked until soft about 15 minutes
- 4 tablespoons cacao powder
- Pinch of Himalayan sea salt
- 4 cups walnut flour- this is made from soaking walnuts nuts for 4 hours and dehydrating them overnight or until dry. Grind in a spice grinder or food processor to make into a flour consistency.
- 2-3 tablespoons Irish moss gel or (Agar Agar, not raw) I use Irish moss
- 3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- Handful of raisins
Directions
Put dates in food processor and make into a smooth paste. Remove and place into a mixing bowl. To the bowl add cacao powder, salt, Irish moss, 4 cups of walnut flour, chopped walnuts, and raisins. Mix well with a spatula or large spoon. Pour half of part 1 into the bowl and incorporate very well. Add balance a small amount at a time incorporating until you reach dough consistency. It will look like standard brownie dough, which is creamy, dense and spreadable. Taste for sweetness and add more if needed for your taste.
Divided mixture evenly onto 3 dehydrator screens into large squares about 1” thick. Wet a large flat knife with warm water to help smooth mixture flat.
Ingredients
Part 3
Frosting
- ½ cup almond milk
- ¼ cup cacao nibs
- 2-3 tablespoons cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup maple syrup or sweetener of choice
- Pecan halves for toping
Directions
Blend almond milk, cacao nibs, cacao powder, vanilla and sweetener until smooth. If thin add a few cashews as a thickener and blend well. If mixture is too thick, add more almond milk. Mixture should be on the thick side like a frosting. Taste for desired chocolate and sweetness and add more according to taste. Using a flat spatula, spread frosting on top of brownies, wetting spatula if needed to smooth out. Press pecans onto top of brownies and dehydrate at 115 for the first 2 hours, then turn down to 105 for another 6-8 hours or longer. Check with a toothpick to see if brownie is the texture you like. Brownies will have a slight crust on the outside and a softer center. Texture is personal preference.
Tip
You can stack two or three squares to make a cake and put filling of fruit in-between each layer, or cut into small squares as desired.
Love and Support
If Mimi’s relationship seems like something you desperately want but don’t feel powerful enough to achieve, then maybe our Getting Love and Support Course could help you out. This course will help you figure out how to discover what you want, how to ask for what you want, and receive it well.
Or, are you overflowing with successful relationship wisdom? Share your insights with our readers below!
Meet Mimi Kirk
Mimi Kirk is a best-selling author of LIVE RAW, Raw Food Recipes for Good Health and Timeless Beauty. She is the mother of 4 children and grandmother of seven. Mimi is a former Showgirl, stand-In for Mary Tyler Moore, and designer for Valerie Harper’s wardrobe on Rhoda, both 70’s sit-com TV series. Kirk appeared on an original Star Trek and many other feature movies and television shows. Throughout her lifetime, Kirk has enjoyed a variety of interesting jobs and careers.
In 2009, she was voted “Sexiest Vegetarian Over 50” by PETA, and as a results she appeared on The Doctors, Fox, NBC, KUSI, and dozens of television show in the US and abroad. She has been on the cover of several magazines, in films and documentaries, discussing her passion for health and longevity.
Her latest book LIVE RAW AROUND THE WORLD, will be published in Spring 2013. Kirk can be seen on her youtube series, preparing some of her delicious raw foods. Her website is www.youngonrawfood.com