BLEND YOUR WAY TO BLISS

Raw, vegan, eat clean, energy-packed, superfood titans...
Bliss Balls

 

Time taken: Half an hour

Ingredients: 1 cup of dates, ½ a cup of almonds, ½ a cup of hazelnuts, & 2 tablespoons each of chia seeds, ground flax seed, cacao powder & coconut oil. (Optional extras... desiccated coconut & goji berries).

 

Hi readers,

Life. How IS life today? How are things going for you?? It’s mid-week right now, so take a minute to think… How is this week going? Where is it heading? Evaluate your week. I hope things are looking tip top!

 

Today in Newcastle… January is ploughing on and we’ve had a day of wild, wild weather! Really, it thundered with rain, then there were raging winds, a brief snow storm, some beautiful clear skies, more flurries of snow… it’s madness!

As a result, I think everyone has made the decision to stay inside today, as much as is possible. I certainly have. Plus, everyone in North America is holed up still to hide away from the Juno Blizzard. And if all they’re doing across the pond is tweeting and berating weather forecasters… then I’m not stepping outside to jog.

So, instead, today I channelled my energies into some serious KITCHEN CREATIVITY. I got excited online the other day after I happened upon a blog called Deliciously Ella. This was recommended to me by my Mother Bear’s hubbie, Mr Mash. He said this blog was full of very ‘me’ (read, healthy) recipes, so I rushed to check it out… and it is! I love this blog! So many colourful photos and interesting ideas for things to try out in the kitchen. Check out Deliciously Ella HERE.

I was struck by one recipe that Ella makes for superfood snacks, to munch on during the day when you’re busy. This is exactly what I need right now for energy when I’m working in the library. I’ve drunk so much coffee that it’s increasingly just leaving me feeling dazed.

Instead of being caffeinated, this snacks are full of all-natural goodness. For a boost the right way! They're vegan, gluten-free and raw. Totally clean. Ella calls her creations ‘Ultimate Energy Bites’ but I’ve seen similar ideas online with the lovely name of… Bliss Balls. How cute??
 

I had to give them a go! So, I sacked the budget and invested in some exciting ‘cacao powder’. This is a  raw version of cocoa, I believe, which can be bought from health food shops like Holland & Barrett. It cost me a fiver. And, I’m such a squirrel, I realised that was the only ingredient I needed to buy for these! So, today, I had a cosy morning hiding from the weather, and set about making my first ever batch of Bliss Balls.

You should too! Here’s how to blend your way to bliss in five easy steps:

1. Scoop your tablespoons of coconut oil out of the tub, and melt in the microwave for a minute so that your oil turns from solid to liquid.

2. Chuck your almonds, hazelnuts, flax seed and chia seeds into a blender. Blend until a flour forms and the nuts have crumbled.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: I had to stop the blender to shake things up a few times, in order to make sure that all the nuts had been blended.

3. Add all your remaining ingredients and BLEND AGAIN. Within a minute, sticky dough should have formed.

4. Use your hands to rolls the sticky mixture into truffle-sized balls.

5. If you like, roll your bliss balls around in some desiccated coconut or goji berries, or both! These stick to your balls and give them a tasty coating.

And you should have yourself a delicious batch of bliss balls, like mine. :)

You store them in the fridge and eat them whenever. Probably at a rapid pace. What do you think? Don’t these look so impressive?! I think they’re wonderful! Once you have the crazy ingredients, these aren’t hard to make at all. In fact, they’re quite fun! You get messy fingers and it’s an explosion in the kitchen. An explosion OF FUN.

And these taste… unbelievable. I don’t use protein powder, so I switched that out of Ella’s recipe in favour of extra cacao – this was a superb decision. These Bliss Balls are stodgy, sweet, chocolatey, yummy, indulgent, lovely little snacks. Guilt-free chocolate truffles. They taste SO GOOD. Like heaven! They’re the best. The BOMB.

I can't decide if I like the Bliss Balls with the coconut or with the berries more. I will have to eat more before I decide.

And I've been saving up cute fro-yo pots when I finish with them. So I'm going to use these to store my Bliss Balls in, to take to the library with me. :)

 

I am a convert. I love Bliss Balls! I feel… blissful. Readers, if you have the will and the budget to go buy the ingredients for these, then you definitely should. No regrets, I promise. Do this for your health and your happiness. Go.

Feel bliss safely,

Hayley