Sugar-free, dairy-free energy balls - aka Totes Amaze Balls

 

Yep, all the cool kids are saying it, so these are called "Totes Amaze Balls". 

I have seen various recipes for energy balls and here is my version. It sounds a bit weird but they are yum. They are also dairy-free, sugar-free and can be made gluten-free. A really great, healthy snack.

Ingredients:

1/2 small sweet potato, diced, steamed and mashed

1/4 sweet pumpkin variety, diced, steamed and mashed

1 cup of rolled oats (or gluten free alternative)

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 coconut plus extra for rolling

hand full of mixed nuts - I used pecans, macadamias, sun flower seeds, walnuts

hand full of mixed fruit - I used chopped apricots, sultanas, goji berries, chopped dates

teaspoon of chia seeds

tablespoon of flax meal

2-4 tablespoons of honey 

2 teaspoons of vanilla

Method: 

1. Mix all the dry ingredients. 
2. Add in the mashed pumpkin, vanilla and half the honey. 
3. Mix in well (I used my hands). 
4. Add more honey if needed. 
5. Add more oats if the mix is too wet. Add a little water if the mix is too dry. You should be able to roll a ball in your hands.
6. Roll into balls, then roll in coconut. Refrigerate.

These can be frozen. And yes, you can add choc chips if you really want to!

I reckon a dash of baileys would make these a great Christmas treat! 

Home made crunchy breakfast granola with chia seeds and goji berries

Home made crunchy granola

This is really easy, delicious and healthy!

2 cups of wholegrain rolled oats
1 cups of mixed nuts and seeds (I used walnuts, cashews, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)
3 tablespoons of honey
3 tablespoons of golden or maple syrup
2/3 cup dried fruit, chopped (I use apricots, pears, apples, peaches and goji berries.You could you figs, saltana's or dates)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon flaxmeal



Mix oats, seeds, nuts and flaxmeal in a bowl (not chia seeds). Microwave honey and syrup for about 20 seconds until runny. Pour over the oat mixture and stir to combine until the oat mixture is coated. Tip the mixture into a lined baking tray and bake for 180 degrees for about 10-20 minutes (mine took 10 minutes, but my oven is a piece of sh*t!). Leave to cool. Once cool sprinkle with fruit and chia seeds. Store in an airtight container.

I serve with berries and soy milk, or yogurt. Yum!

I have been trying to cut refined and processed foods out of my diet. I think. I mean I am tying to eat whole foods. Foods that are still in their natural form. Sugar and refined flour is something that I'm trying to kick. When I say sugar I don't mean natural sugar from fruit and honey, I mean refined sugar.

Breakfast is the hardest meal of the day to this for. Everything has so much sugar, and if it doesn't have sugar it has processed wheat! Cereal is especially high in sugar.

So, enter home made crunchy granola. This is something I've been wanting to do for a while but for some reason though it would be hard. But, it's really easy

It does have golden syrup in it, but at least I know how much and what's going into it.