So easy snacker-balls

So, I’m still taking advantage of a few re-blogs especially as they are relevant to my week ahead. Each week I create something in my kitchen to nourish the mamas who attend my Infant Massage courses and this week I am going with a tried and true recipe. So quick and easy while being oh so delicious and nutritious.

From May 2019 …. The sun is still shining here and for the end of May the days are surprisingly warm …. especially in our little sun trap.  So with the temperature outside being balmy for this time of year and the temperature inside being hot, due to babies needing to be fully undressed for massage, I thought that a cooler treat would be ideal last week.

Making the most of the good weather …. walking up Hapuku River

These super easy treats came about, as many things do, through my resistance to pay for something that I was sure I could make at home.  That ‘give it a go’ mentally is definitely a kiwi trait I think, definitely a very strong trait of mine anyway. Combine that with a bit of frugal living and … well … you end up trying to create at home (making 45 of them) what would cost you $9 in the supermarket for just 10 balls.  Back then I named these little treats Snackerballs, after themselves telling me that they weren’t ‘Frooze balls’ ….. then low and behold a year or two later I see that ‘Snackaballs’ appeared on the shelves.  Obviously onto a good thing with the name back then, shame I didn’t trademark it 🙂

These are another ‘one pot wonder’ which you can whip up quickly and easily, adjusting them to your taste-buds pretty easily.  I just store them in the fridge so they can be made whenever and last for ages … if they aren’t gobbled up before that.  Over the years of making these we have tried lots of variations; adding different things like cranberries at Christmas, grated chocolate, nuts, seeds, carob and recently ground LSA (Linseed, Sunflower seeds and Almonds).  We found Healtheries LSA Superfruits , which is super yum, a while ago when making some apple crumble and I have to say that adding this did give the snackerballs a bit more firmness which I quite liked. Though it does have a bit of sugar added to it (in the blueberries for some reason) which some of you may what to avoid.  

Anyway here is the basic recipe I worked out and then the only limit is your imagination!

Snackerballs

• 1 Cup dried dates
• 1 Cup boiling water
• 2 Cups desiccated Coconut
• 3 Tablespoons black chia seeds
• 1 Tablespoon psyllium husks
• 1 Tablespoon ground LSA (optional)

-Soak the dates in the water for 10-15 mins and then mash into a smooth paste – of course if you have a blender this is easier 🙂

-Stir in the other ingredients and mix until fully blended

-Shape the mixture into small balls (makes around 45 with this recipe) and put into a container.

-Refrigerate and enjoy

Packed up and ready to go to class

Hope this finds you all enjoying tasty treats with your loved ones.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Alternative Vegan shortbread (Paleo too)

Time to get baking again! I’m planning a baby reflexology course next term and on the outlook for some new recipes. So when this little gem came into my inbox courtesy of The Minimalist Baker I had to give it a whirl; an alterative to vegan shortbread which is also grain free! While we didn’t do the whole shebang of making s’mores like they did we did indulge in the shortbread recipe and we’re loving it! Even the diary eaters among us are saying it is good and asking for more 🙂

Fresh out of the oven … with a few bits already sampled.

I haven’t bothered to change anything in the recipe; didn’t need to! It is already a one pot wonder and it is already super quick and easy. The only thing I think I would do next time is just cut it into squares and bake like that rather than worrying about cookie cutters. In saying that though it does look pretty in different shapes and it stays together much better than the other vegan shortbread recipe when using a cutter.

Below is the recipe as I created it and the tips I used however if you want to make some s’mores out of them – by adding a caramel and chocolate layer – than check out the original recipe here. I have to confess that the way she spelt her s’mores was what got me to open the link, due to confusion, and explore!

Vegan, Grain Free Shortbread

• 1 1/4 cup of ground almonds (almond meal)
• 2 Tbs coconut oil
• 2Tbs maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/4 tsp salt

-Melt the coconut oil. Once melted add in the maple syrup and vanilla essence.

-Add in the ground almond and salt and combine fully.

-Form the dough into a ball and then place in between two sheets of baking paper.

-Keeping the dough between the baking paper; roll into a rectangle shape a few mm thick depending how crunchy you like your shortbread. If you do this on the baking tray you can save yourself a job of transferring the dough 🙂

-Place in the fridge for at least 15 mins to chill.

-Remove the top sheet of baking paper and cut, gently, into squares

-Bake in a preheated oven, at 160 Celsius, for 7-10 mins or until the edges are golden. I went for 8 mins which was just right.

-Cool and enjoy

Hope this finds you healthy, happy and loving the life you have.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Banana and Walnut loaf

Almost the New Year and time to welcome in 2020!!  Many thanks to all of you who have supported me throughout this tough old year, both in person and online.  I’m all focused on having a much less emotionally charged 2020 🙂

I hope you all had a wonderful break over the holiday season.  We had a very quiet Christmas here and actually made the most of upstairs to decorate.  Himself isn’t a big Christmas fan, in fact he doesn’t like it at all, so we keep all the carols, presents and decorations at bay for him.  Then it was just a quick overnighter at family and making the most of the great weather we have been having.

Themselves enjoying the river

This week is a quicky post as themselves are waiting to watch a family DVD and I thought I’d sneak out while they clean up after tea 🙂  The recipe tonight has been taken from The Liver Cleansing Diet by Sandra Cabot and is listed in there as Banana Muffins.  As part of my bid to resolve a few health issues I have been looking for a few more body nourishing recipes and came across this one in the recipe section of Sandra Cabot’s book.

I have tried this as muffins however with the GF flour thrown in they came out a little dry.  So I decided to double the recipe and reduce the flour a bit which seems to have worked out not too bad … even himself is eating it!  It does take a while to cook through as it is quite dense but once the top browns it is there.  If you find, once you cut into the loaf, that the middle isn’t quite there then it toasts up a treat 🙂

Banana and Walnut Loaf (GF, RSF and vegan)

4 ripe large bananas

2 Tablespoons of maple syrup

4 Tablespoons of Olive oil

2 Tablespoons LSA

4 teaspoons vanilla essence

2 Cups GF flour (I use Edmonds premixed)

1 Cup of chopped walnuts

• Mash Bananas and mix with the other wet ingredients.
• Add in the walnuts and flour and mix really well to ensure there are no flour lumps
• Transfer mixture into a baking paper lined loaf tin and cover with tin foil
• Bake at 180 C for 60-70 mins, taking off the tin foil about half way through baking.
• Allow to cool before enjoying with a cuppa

Hope this finds you enjoying the last moments of the old year and enthusiastically entering the new year.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz