Promise you won’t roll your eyes when you read this next sentence… please? Ok, here it goes: I really like Mondays. There isn’t an especially good reason, other than there isn’t any good reason not to like them. Mondays get such a bad rap. They’re the ultimate scape goat and the lowest common denominator for office camaraderie. Hating on Monday is about as original as complaining about the weather. We can do better. Being a hater is so easy.
If you think about it, Mondays are pretty awesome. They have the power to set the tone for the rest of the week. If you have a productive Monday, whether you crush your to-do list at work, eat a baller breakfast or have a kick ass workout, that’s like telling the rest of the week to watch the eff out because you’re here and your ready.
I dare you to make Mondays a cause for celebration. That could mean waking up ten minutes earlier to treat yourself to your favorite coffee, or sneaking notes to yourself into your planner on Mondays, or making a special Monday playlist with some of your favorite songs that you save just for Monday or maybe it’s making a reoccurring Monday plan to call your best friend after work. There’s a million little ways to inject awesome into your Monday no matter your situation.
Now I don’t want you thinking that on Mondays cute little birds and squirrels come to wake me up and then I float to work on my magic carpet. (please, that’s Tuesdays and Thursdays) What really happens is that I make a point to make my breakfast and lunch ahead of time, I pack my bag for the day and I lay out my gym clothes the night before. When my alarm goes off I try not to even think. I just move. I remind myself how good it feels once I’m 2 miles into my run. I remind myself that one of my favorite coffee shops is conveniently located across the gym. I remember that my co-workers are rad and that I’m blessed to be working for a company that I believe in and then I try to drink a ton of water. That’s it. No magic. Just a light pep talk and some early endorphins. Oh and some good coffee.
And today I have the extra bonus of knowing that I have a full jar of chocolate sunbutter at my finger tips. Ever since I finished my jar of sunbutter a while back I’ve been craving more. Sun butter is just like peanut or almond butter, except it’s made with sunflower seeds. It’s great when you’re looking to switch things up or if you’re allergic (or in close contact) with anyone allergic to nuts. I was feelin’ a little adventurous in the kitchen this weekend so I did some experimenting (aka just add chocolate to everything) and boy was I excited with the results. This chocolate sunbutter is rich and fudgey and still so simple to make. Spread it on your toast, mix in into your yogurt or oats or enjoy it straight from the jar. There’s no rules with this chocolate sunbutter.
- 2 Cups of Sunflower Seeds
- 3 Tbsp of Cocoa Powder
- 1-2 Tbsp of Honey (depending on desired sweetness)
- 1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
- Place all ingredients in a high powered blender
- Blend until smooth creamy texture, scraping sides every couple minutes 15-20 minutes total
- Place in an airtight container
- Store at room temperature
Your Turn:
- What’s your Monday morning look like?
- Are you a fan of Mondays or do you think I’m nuts?
- Have you ever tried sunbutter?
Definitely will be making a batch of this once I am back in Houston! I actually love Mondays too…It is Tuesdays that I have a weird relationship with. 🙂 Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe! XOXO
I feel ya on that. Tuesdays are when the going gets really tough. Nothing a little coffee and some good tunes can’t fix though
I don’t really hate Monday’s either! But I think that might change when I have to enter the real world…having only one late class helps! Tuesdays are my least favorite. I made your sun butter a while ago and need to make this variation now. I blame you for my nut butter addiction 😉
It’s funny I feel the same way, Tuesdays are when you really have to dig deep. I take full responsibility of your nut butter addiction (with pride!)
This needs to be renamed to Chocolate Yumbuter.
Nailed it.
You’re not the only Monday fan here! I see it in the same way: a fresh start and a brand new excuse to go out and kick butt 🙂 It would probably be even better if I had some of that choco-Sunbutter…
Indeed! I’m a big fan of fresh starts. Maybe why I love the morning too! Oh and obvi chocolate will make 99% of things better.
mmmm saw this on instagram and it looked a hell of a lot better than my breakfast this morning. going to try this and add it to my oatmeal too!!
I’ve got a great window with excellent lighting to thank. I love adding a little chocolate to my oats/breakfasts. It let’s the rest of the day know you’re not fuckin’ around
I’ve never tried sunbutter because I’m a peanut butter fanatic – but I am allergic to tree nuts, so looks like a good choice if I ever want a substitute for my PB!
Definitely a great switch up! I’ve recently been obsessed with sunflower seeds.
I actually like Mondays! And….if you eat some of this…there is no way you can have a BAD Monday 😉
Exaaaactly
Wow, this looks so fudgy and rich! YUM. I’ve actually never tried sunbutter (<— my computer is trying to correct it to sunbather hahaha) since I'm not the biggest fan of sunflower seeds…but this still looks really good!
And I'm with Emily- how much I like a day of the week typically depends on my class schedule for the day haha.
That totally make sense. If you have good classes or enough time in between for breaks it’s so much easier to get through the day.
I never used to be a sunflower seed fan until all of a sudden I can’t get enough.
I’ve never had sunbutter before, but it looks like I’ll be making it AT HOME before buying a jar ;), thanks to your recipe. Looks so tasty!
Homemade is the way to go because a.) it’s super easy b.) it’s actually cheaper and c.) no extra added junk/weird oils.
Oh wow! Totally going to have to try this one!! Looks amazingly delicious!
Stop! That looks SO delicious and so easy. Two problems when it comes to making nut butters in my food processor, though — 1) Patience, 2) Not devouring the whole batch when it’s done. ;D
Exaaactly! I definitely suffer from BOTH those dilemmas but it’s worth the struggle 😉
oh em geeee as if I didn’t love sunbutter enough already!! totally makeing this asap.
please excuse my misspelling of making
Isn’t it fantastic!? I’m a new sunbutter lover – plus sunflower seeds are way cheaper than nuts
YUM! This looks absolutely delicious! I haven’t had sunbutter in ages, but I think I may need to whip this up soon! I love Mondays because even though they are just another day, they always feel like a fresh start. I am coming off the weekend high and am always motivated to get as much done as I can on my to-do list in order to have a better week.
Thanks girl! Totally agree – if you can nail your to-do list early then the rest of the week feels so much more do-able.
i love how happy and positive you are about Mondays! I clicked through for the recipe for chocolate sunbutter and the whole post made me smile!
Thanks Caitlin! Hope you had a lovely Monday <3
how many cups/grams does this make?
thanks!
I love your Monday positivity! I kind of weirdly love Mondays too, especially when I start off with a good run and have healthy meals planned for the week. 🙂
I’m so happy about this! I just moved the UK recently and cannot find Sunbutter anywhere! YAY!
Yay! It’s superduper easy to make too 😀
Hi,
It looks so good and healthy so I gave it a go but mine just does not stick. I keep blending but it’s just dry and not sticky, creamy. Help?
Thanks 🙂
It takes a little while to really get smooth – I would recommend blending for at least 15 minutes and make sure to add a little honey if it’s not sticking. Also, right before you enjoy it heat it up for 15-30 seconds in the microwave 😀 Thanks for stopping by!
I don’t have a high-powered blender but I was determined to make this in the food processor today.
After quite a bit of processing, when the mixture got to more of a paste, but was still pretty dry and didn’t seem to be getting creamy anytime soon, I confess I helped things along by adding about 2 tbsp of melted coconut oil, (and added 1 tbsp more of cocoa to make it a bit more chocolatey). That worked really well, and after more turns and scrapes I got something almost as creamy and shiny looking as your picture!
And VERY tasty! Realized in hindsight I used unsalted sunflower seeds, I wonder what it would taste like if using salted. Have you tried both?
I actually like Mondays a lot!
Since I have extra time on Sunday, I can plan ahead my week, so I have all of my ideas for the week fresh on my head on Mondays. That gives me motivation.
Also, and again because I am at home on Sundays, it is the day I get to clean up my place, so when I wake up on Monday (and when I come back from work in the afternoon) it is pleasant to see everything clean and tidy.
I am not too fond of Thursdays though… those are the days I am already tired of the week stuff and begging for some quiet, resting time… but there is still another day to go! Ugh! (And in spite of my efforts, the house is already quite messy and some maintenance is necessary).
That’s why I have been working on moving some pleasant things to Thursdays instead. I will use your ideas for Mondays, only for my grumpy Thursdays.
And oh, of course I absolutely need to try this sunbutter! Doesn’t it get a tingy flavor? I like sunflower seeds a lot, but feel its flavor a bit tingy.
Anyway, many thanks!