Loaded with natural sugar, healthy fats and fiber to satisfy your cravings
Makes 12 balls
* 1 medium gratted carrot * 1/2 cup (125ml) rolled oats * 1/2 cup (125ml) almonds * 1/4 cup (60ml) hazelnuts * 1 tbsp chia seeds * 1/4 cup (60ml) almond milk * 1/6 cup (40ml) pitted dates * 1 tbsp coconut oil (not melted) * 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon * 2 tbsp shredded coconut (I used unsweetened but if you prefer a sweeter energy ball, use sweeetened)
Blend everything (except for the shredded coconut) in a food processor until dough is formed. Shape with your hands into bite size balls and then roll in the shredded coconut.
I am 57 years old, and I am here to dispel the notion that being a certain age restricts you in terms of the activities you can do. I am a firm believer in the notion that age is but a number, it is all in how you feel on the inside. I would like to illustrate this via my love of ballet.
From a young age, I have been fascinated with the dance world, and the innovative ways in which it marries music, movement, and expression. I Took ballet classes in my teens, but life caught up with me, and I eventually resorted to simply spectating at performances here and there, nothing more. However, as time went on, I could no longer fight the urge to revisit it for myself. There was one small thing holding me back in my mind. If I were to go back, and start from the beginning, I would be placed in a class with young children, and would need to keep up with them, and the fear of old knee and other injuries flaring as well. Still, despite all of these apparent concerns, something compelled me to enroll myself.
This is a photo of me at my midterm recital, as you can attest, my fifth positon is not perfect and I need to work on and improve many movements and steps. Regardless, I made it! I attend two hour classes twice a week and can keep up with my much much younger class mates. My passion for the art of ballet inspired me to push my limits, stay fit, practice the sequences, and better myself with each and every class.
Somewhere, I am hoping that I could maybe also be an inspiration to a parent or grand parent, anyone really to follow their passion or dream. This goes to show that no matter how old you are, you can do anything you set your mind to, it’s never too late! If there’s something you’ve always wanted to do, find out the necessary steps, and work towards your goal.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9 inch Quiche pan.
Combine the ground flaxseeds and water in a small bowl and set aside. This is your flax egg.
In a food processor add the dry ingredients (almond flour, all purpose flour and salt) and pulse to combine. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and flax egg. Add 1-2 tablespoons water as needed until the dough sticks together when you press it between your fingers.
Crumble the dough into the pan and press the mixture evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Press firmly and evenly. Poke a few holes in the bottom of the crust, and then bake for 12 minutes. Remove and set aside while you make the filling. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
For the filling:
In a medium skillet, sauté the garlic and mushrooms over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the mushrooms soften. Now add the spinach and stir until it wilts. Remove from heat and set aside.
In the food processor, add the drained tofu, almond milk, nutritional yeast, onion powder, turmeric and salt. Blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the cooked vegetable mixture, and pulse a few times to combine, but don’t blend entirely.
Pour the filling into the crust and spread evenly using a spatula. Bake for about 35 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk the peanut butter, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and sea salt together until fully combined.
Stir in the cocoa powder and oat flour until a thick mixture forms.
Mix in the chocolate chips and cacao nibs.
With a medium size scooper (*Makes 12), form round shapes and place on a lined tray. Sprinkle on some cacao nibs and more chocolate chips (optional) and place in the freezer for 30 minutes until set.
Filling 1¾ cup raw cashews (not soaked) 1/4 tsp espresso coffee 1 cup soy milk ⅓ cup maple syrup ⅓ cup melted coconut oil 1 tsp vanilla cacao powder for dusting
For the crust, add pecans to a processor and process until ground. Add the rest of the crust ingredients and process again.
For the filling, combine all of the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
Divide the base between small verrines, cups or jars and press with the back of a spoon to cover the bottom. Add the filling on top of the crust. dust with cacao powder.
