I cry on planes. Every time I leave a place that has changed me. When I forgot my laptop at the security checkpoint of LAX. Over completely non-emotional reruns of CHOPPED. When I start regurgitating my litany of past loves via poetry that need not be written. And, yes, whenever I consider the liminal, unterritoried sky space I’m hurtling through in the quasi-equivalent of a tin can, feeling my minuscule humanity in the gargantuan mouth of the universe. I cry.
There has been much thoughtful surmising and theorizing on the subject of crying on airplanes (really, can there ever be enough?)—notably, the final act in this episode of This American Life, and this article in The Atlantic. To me, flying returns us to a collective vulnerability born of anticipation, hope, and fear. Everyone is either excited or dreading what’s to come upon arrival, and everyone is hoping for the very best: On the most basic animal level, we pray we’ll survive the duration of the flight. And so, in the interim, we feel. Held in the blissful purgatory of a plane-ride, we experience things just that much more intensely than we do on earth.
Which is all to say: Next week, I’m hopping on a plane to Maui with three of my favorite people on earth (who’s ready to cry?!). In 2014, when Alana Kysar of Fix Feast Flair and I first met, we knew one thing for certain: When the time was right, we had to take a trip together to the island we both grew up on, with some of our favorite bloggers in tow. We wanted to show you the place that so deeply informed who we both are, in all its beauty, complexity, tears, and deliciousness.
And so, on Monday, Alana, Molly of my name is yeh, Stephanie of I Am A Food Blog, and I are hightailing our way to Hawaii. And you better believe we’re gonna take you with us. Stay tuned for the fun in all the usual social spots. Since we’ll be plane-bound for a good deal of the next couple weeks, today we’re sharing some favorite travel snacks with you.
These superfood truffles are the perfect savory-sweet travel nosh—packed with healthy fats, plant protein, minerals, and enough superfood chlorophyll from Hawaiian spirulina and ceremonial grade matcha to feel like you’ve had your greens for the day. Plus: Raw chocolate for an oxytocin kick. I used tahini and cashew butter, but you could use any nut butter you prefer.
You didn’t think I expected you to get on a plane with only a handful of superfood truffles, did you? Alana, Molly, and Steph are rounding out our plane-ride snack-fest with these treats:
SUPER GREEN MATCHA CACAO TRUFFLES.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup tahini or nut butter of choice
- ¼ cup cashew butter or nut butter of choice
- 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons spirulina
- 2-3 pinches sea salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon matcha powder
- 1 tablespoon bee pollen
- 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon cacao nibs
Instructions
- Mix tahini, cashew butter, cacao powder, honey, spirulina, and sea salt to form a thick paste. Roll into balls and place on a plate. Chill in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Remove and dust lightly with matcha powder (I shook the matcha through a sifter over the truffles). Top with bee pollen, coconut, and cacao nibs as desired. Keep in refrigerator in an airtight container or plastic bag until ready for travel!