Here’s a recipe for healing heartache, handed down from my great-great-grandmother, who was a Redwood tree.

Honey Heart Cake is  a dense and rich dish, and it can be enjoyed raw or baked.

For me, it comes out differently each time, but here are the basic ingredients:

1. Three or more cups of friends.

2. Several heaping quarts of Vitamin N (nature)—hiking 50+ miles helps, talking with trees, birds and mud, creek therapy.

3. Tears of pain and rage—the saltier the better—liberally sprinkled (don’t use all of them, though, save some for other pain.)

4. A handful of Chocolate Love Chips, to add sweetness.

5. Several tablespoons of Pema Chodron.

6. A dash or two of humor, gratitude and forgiveness—including self-forgiveness, if you have any on hand. (If not, borrow some from a neighbor.)

Instructions:

1. Mix ingredients together in a large heart-shaped bowl, while breathing deeply. It doesn’t matter what order.

2. It’s very helpful to listen to music while cooking, especially sad and angry songs, but whatever fits the mood.

3. Add Pema intermittently during preparation and while the dish is baking

4. Bake as long as necessary and at whatever temperature you need to reach desired consistency. If your oven is already too hot, bake at lower temperature. If your oven is broken, it’s ok to prepare raw. Lumps may remain.

5. Enjoy thoroughly and digest.

6. Finally, fanatically dance the sh*t out of all those f*cking calories.

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Relephant:

A Simple Guide to Healing a Broken Heart.

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Author: Ryan Van Lenning

Editor: Yoli Ramazzina

Photo: Flickr/Alice Carrier; author’s own.