Super Easy Holiday Spice Balls

Last night I hosted my very first ever, holiday themed wellness seminar. I had such a blast sharing my favourite holiday goodies - all gluten free and vegan and as healthy as can be. I couldn't wait to share this recipe for these easy-peasy holiday spice bites.

The recipe is super flexible, and you can basically use whatever dried fruit and nuts you have on hand. Be warned, however, that different nuts will provide different results due to their fat content.

Holiday Spice Balls

Makes 12-14 tbsp sized balls

Ingredients

1 cup raw almonds, cashews or walnuts
1 cup pitted dates or dried apricots
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
½ tsp cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
½ tsp peppermint, vanilla, or other extract (optional)
Toppings: raw cacao powder, ground almonds, cinnamon, etc. (optional)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients, except toppings (if using) in a food processor or high speed blender
2. Roll into tablespoon sized balls between clean hands
3. Lightly roll balls in topping of your choice, if using

Notes

This recipe is very flexible. Feel free to experiment with different nuts, spices, and toppings!

Use caution if using nuts with a high fat content (e.g cashews, pecans). The longer the ingredients mix, the more oil is released, and the result may be softer than desired.

Wet hands before rolling into balls to prevent sticking.

Raw cacao powder can be found in most health food stores and is an amazing superfood packed with antioxidants.

Regular cocoa powder will work fine for this recipe if you don’t have raw cacao on hand. Carob powder would also substitute well for those sensitive to chocolate.


This recipe was inspired by fellow holistic health coach Kasey J. Smith.

Spiced Apple Breakfast Bowl

Breakfast is by far one of my favourite meals of the day. What we fuel our bodies with in the morning sets the tone for the rest of our day. This breakfast bowl has been one of my go-to recipes lately. It has the perfect blend of seasonal spices, and with lots of healthy carbs and good fats, it's perfect for days where you need a little extra fuel to last you through the morning.

Spiced Apple Breakfast Bowl

Ingredients

1/4 cup oats
2 tbsp chia seeds
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 cup non-dairy milk (hemp, rice, almond, etc.)
1 medium apple
2 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tbsp shredded coconut
drizzle of maple syrup (optional)

Directions

Mix oats, chia seeds, spices and milk in a small bowl, and let sit about 5 minutes for the chia seeds to expand and absorb some of the liquid.

While waiting, chop apple into bite sized pieces.

Once oat mixture has slightly thickened, top with remaining ingredients.

Dig in, and enjoy!

This All Natural Hot Chocolate Will Blow You Away!

If you've been following me for a while, you'll know that I love chocolate. Remember my post a while back about raw chocolate?

Well - things just got real.

Now that the winter months are upon us - at least here in Calgary - I've been craving all sorts of warm, delicious (yet healthy) treats. Once I discovered this decadent hot chocolate, I knew I'd hit the jackpot. The best part is that all of the ingredients are REAL! That's usually enough for me right there, but it's also super easy to make, and so deliciously creamy and delicious.

All you'll need to make this are a few simple ingredients that you may already have, and a blender! I used my vitamix, but any high speed blender would work.

All Natural Hot Chocolate

serves 2

Ingredients

3 cups hot water
6 dates, pitted
1/4 cup raw cashews
2 tbsp raw cacao powder (see notes)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of cayenne (optional)

Directions

Combine ingredients into high speed blender, mix on high for 30-40 seconds.
Serve warm in your best mugs and enjoy with someone special.

Notes

If you don't have raw cacao powder on hand, I highly recommend you head out to the closest natural foods store and get some. It's unbelievably high in antioxidants, and is the purest form of chocolate - what all the candy bar chocolate originally came from. If this is not an option for you, for whatever reason, regular cocoa powder that you would use to bake with would work just fine.

Raw Chocolate Love

I have a new love - raw chocolate. Over the past year or so I've been hearing more and more about raw chocolate and it's health benefits. I discovered raw cacao nibs and raw cacao powder and have experimented with them in recipes like smoothies, homemade power bars (or balls), and other delicious raw recipes, but I hadn't yet put together how raw cacao could be used to make the sweet, melty, fabulously decadent chocolate that I knew and loved.

As I progressed on my health journey I started to learn about the health benefits of this wonderful superfood. If you haven't heard much about it yet, it's definitely worth looking into, and making raw cacao a part of your life. Did you know this superfood is the highest antioxidant food in the world? It is said to be the top source of antioxidants, magnesium, iron, manganese, and chromium. It has also been found to improve cardiovascular health, build strong, healthy bones, increase longevity and elevate your mood and energy. How amazing is that!

Many of us crave chocolate, although we usually get our fix in the sugary candy bars found at the supermarket. Our bodies are on to something here. A craving for chocolate is not a bad thing, and it's not proof of a lack of will power. It makes sense that our bodies (which are much smarter than many of us give them credit for) would crave something that is so beneficial for our health! It's a shame, though, that the chocolate that is readily available to us is processed, laden with sugar, and lacking the beneficial properties that the cacao nut possesses in it's natural state.

That's where raw chocolate comes into the picture.

If you look for it, you might start to see raw chocolate bars and products on the shelves of your nearest health food store. My favourite brand is Giddy Yoyo, a Canadian company that sells a variety of health food products, most notably their wide variety of flavoured raw chocolate bars. Check our their website in the link above, or on Facebook. I'm in no way affiliated with this company, I just really love their product and what to share it with you! Keep your eyes open and you might find it sold in the most unexpected places. I was definitely surprised to see it in the impulse buy section leading up to the check outs at Winners.

Leave a comment and let me know of any other brands of raw chocolate worth trying! I'd love to hear your thoughts, or your favourite flavour combinations. Also, keep your eyes peeled for upcoming recipes on how to make your own raw chocolate at home.

As always, thanks for reading!
Much love and light.

Homemade Hemp Milk & Matcha Goji Berry Chia Seed Pudding

Non-dairy milk has become increasingly popular over the last few years, and rightly so. Many people are beginning to realize that dairy is not the health food that it is marketed as. Perhaps you are one of those very people, and have experienced first hand the bloating, acne, excess phlegm or sinus infections that are all associated to dairy consumption. Did you know that as we age, the majority of humans lose the lactase enzyme that is required to digest milk? It’s great to know that there are so many options available to substitute the cows milk that so many of us are accustomed to drinking. If you take a look at just about any grocery store you’ll see options including soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, and my new favourite – hemp milk. Although this is my new go-to, you won’t find me drinking the store bought stuff. Not when the real deal is so easy to make at home

When I say easy, I mean really easy. This milk is the quickest, most delicious (not to mention nutritious) non-dairy milk I’ve ever made. Knowing that you’re making your own means you know exactly what’s in it. No pesky preservatives or nasty inflammatory causing carrageenan. Here’s what you’ll need:

Homemade Hemp Milk

Ingredients

• 1 cup shelled hemp seeds (also called hemp hearts)
• 3 cups filtered water
• 1tbsp maple syrup (or other natural sweetener)
• ½ tsp vanilla (optional)

1. Combine all ingredients, and blend on high for about a minute (I use my vitamix at variable speed 7, but any blender will do)
2. Pour milk into a jar and store covered in the fridge for up to a week

So simple, and there’s no soaking or straining required as there is with nut milks such as almond milk. If you’re curious about what nasties might be lurking in store bought non-dairy milk, check out this article. Not only are you avoiding these potentially hazardous ingredients, you're also filling up on so many essential nutrients like healthy Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, lots of protein, fibre, and trace minerals such as zinc, phosphorous, magnesium and iron. Just take a look at the nutritional info on my bag of hemp seeds from Manitoba Harvest.

One of my favourite ways to use my freshly made hemp milk is to make a chia seed pudding. I’ve been experimenting with different ingredients, but so far the most delicious one I've found is a matcha & goji berry chia seed pudding.

Matcha & Goji Berry Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 cup hemp milk
• ½ tsp matcha green tea powder
• 3 tbsp chia seeds
• ¼ cup goji berries
• fresh fruit or berries

1. Blend hemp milk with matcha powder until well combined.
2. Pour mixture over chia seeds and goji berries
3. Stir to combine, let sit for 15 minutes, stirring once every 5 mins. Instead of stirring you could shake the ingredients in a jar to have a quick, grab and go breakfast
4. Let sit covered in fridge overnight (or at least an hour or two). To serve, top with berries or fresh fruit of your choice and enjoy!

Recipe inspired by Choosing Raw

I find this incredibly filling and energizing as a breakfast. The matcha powder contains caffeine, but it’s much more steady and long lasting than coffee and won’t give you the same jittery caffeine high. Every ingredient here is considered a superfood, all together boasting a huge amount of fibre, protein, complex (slow burning) carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Such a wonderful way to start your day on a healthy, nutritious note.

Matcha green tea powder can be found in many health food stores, but I found the one above from my local London Drugs. If you're in western Canada and it's easier to get to a to a London Drugs check there first! It's not super cheap (about $30 for 100g), but since a single serving is about a 1/2 tsp, a little goes a long way. If you haven't tried it yet, I would highly recommend it. Not only is it great in the chia pudding above, but can be a great addition to smoothies or frozen banana soft serve (which is another recipe for another day).

Enjoy! And as always, thanks for reading! Please leave me a note and let me know what you think :)

Love & Light