Melissa's Bowl of Soul

Sometimes you want to eat something that gives you that joyful sensation that uplifts you from the inside out. For me, this used to be a decadent cupcake from the local cupcake truck. However, since I made a lot of changes to my diet for health reasons, the cupcakes had to go.

​I needed something sweet and uplifting to replace this with, and I tried many different things. I finally found something that was both deliciously decadent tasting and good for me at the same time. Eating this always makes me feel better, as if I've just stepped into the sunshine and it's washing all over me.

For this bowl of soul, I put in chunks of fresh mango, dark chocolate, Bulgarian yogurt, chopped walnuts and a sprinkle of lavender blooms. I've been staying away from sugar, but you can add honey to sweeten the yogurt. Greek yogurt also works instead of Bulgarian, but I prefer the taste of Bulgarian. It's less thick, but tastes much fresher to me. Also, watch out for "Greek Style" yogurt. This is not real Greek yogurt, but instead a misleading substitute, usually without the probiotics and with sugar and other things added.

​I've been getting my mangoes from a local fruit stand. I'm not sure how much longer they'll be in season, which means I'll be going over there tonight to pick up some fresh, ripe mangoes. A tip on mangoes is you want them to be a bit soft to know they're ripe, like the way a peach feels. If it's hard, like an apple, let it sit on your counter and ripen for a few days.

Mangoes can seem tricky to slice, and here's how I do it: I cut down the middle, length wise, cutting around one side of the giant seed. I then cut this in half. I take one of the halves and cut into it the same way I would make watermelon chunks. I slice across and down without cutting through the skin, until I have rows of squares. I then slice along the skin, cutting them free into my bowl. It's hard to cut a mango without things getting a little messy, because a ripe mango is soft and juicy, but it's so worth it!