Health issues, most likely caused by food and food allergies, have significantly strained and complicated my relationship with food over the past year. Finding recipes and food that everyone in my family can eat AND enjoy has been tough and I’ve all but lost my mojo for being creative in the kitchen. Nothing has been super spectacular or worked out well enough that I’ve felt compelled to share. That all changed when I found these little gals this week. 

I have many reasons to share this recipe with you, but the most important is that I’m excited about it. It’s been too long since I’ve made and eaten something that inspired me to share the recipe with the world. These little tasty bites have done just that. Plus they kind of kick the trash out of my food issues I’ve been encountering and remind me that food for the digestinally impaired can be healthy, easy to prepare and taste so great that all my kids will ask for  seconds and thirds and fourths until the entire batch is GONE.  (Even the toddler [whom we have officially nicknamed Spidey – as in Spiderman - for his incredible climbing abilities]with all of his food sensitivities, allergies and health issues can eat these without a reaction!)

Instead of calling these by their traditional name (energy bites, energy balls) I call them Energy Spheres. It has a ring to it that is more natural and whole and promotes thoughts of calming and relaxation that in turn remind me that everything we consume has an impact on our ecosystem and that I can make a greater effort to use products that have been grown or raised in a manner that compliments both the environment, mind & body. I’m telling you these Energy Spheres are that amazing.

Also, since I’ve been reading ingredient lists and nutrition fact labels like it’s nobody’s business, I’ve decided to learn how to make my own and share that as well. Those of you trying to address the complicated relationship you may have with food might find this useful. (If you click on the label it will take you to a pdf that is a higher quality)

Energy Spheres

(gluten free, nut free, dairy free, vegan, raw)

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Yeild: 19, 1 oz balls

Serving Size: 60 g (2 oz)

Ingredients:

½ cup sunbutter (or nut butter of choice)

1/3 cup rice syrup (or honey)

¼ cup cocoa powder (natural, unsweetened)

2 tsp vanilla

pinch salt

1 cup quick oats (gluten free)

½ cup coconut (shredded, unsweetened)

2 tbls rice protein powder

2 tbsp chia seeds

½ mix-ins (dried fruit, rough chopped seeds/nuts, chocolate chips)

Directions:

Notes: If you would like to get these closer to the protein level contained in Cliff Protein Bars, only include 6 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut and add an additional 2 tbsp protein powder. Please also note that not, all protein powders are created equal. I used NutriBiotic Organic Brown Rice Vanilla flavored protein powder.

Source: Adapted from Fooddoodles.com

Gwenevere

Ok, so since September (through correspondence on my facebook page) I’ve been taunting y’all with a promise that someday soon I was going to write a blog post explaining what I’ve been up to that has slowed me down in the blog-posting department.

Well, “someday soon” has finally arrived and I’d like to make my first post addressing the “slow down” but before I do, I just really quick want to thank you for your continued support through all the comments, tweets, pins, stumbles and referrals. All that LOVE kept this blog alive and even helped it grow. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! 

Now…. let me tell you about what’s been keeping me. 

No, it’s not a Green Monster Smoothie that's been keeping me from posting. This is just what I’m using to illustrate the story….it serves several purposes:

1)- it has the word “monster” in it so it adds drama to the story that otherwise would not be there. J

2)- It can be made in a Blendtec Blender (more information on that later)

3)- It may look scary, but once you try it you will find there is nothing to be afraid of…it’s wonderful, (kind of like the impetus for my story. It seemed really scary to me at first but now that I’m mostly through it…I can see that it was an experience I was grateful to have.) 

4)- it’s in a cup. (Ok, I know it’s not a "cup", it’s a glass….  but I wanted a picture of something GOOD in a cup so this picture will just have to do.)

So…a summation of the past 6 months of my life presented in parable form (so as to allow everyone the opportunity to relate. I see no good reason to alienate anyone just because they haven’t had a similar experience.) Here it goes....

Often I hear folks talking about “filling their bucket”. When I hear this, I think of a bucket that rests near a fountain that is used to gather water that can be used in case the fountain (from which it is filled) runs dry and there is no water to be had. The bucket holds enough water (i.e. goodness) to provide what is needed until the fountain flows again.

Well, I have a [figurative] bucket and in it I keep all the goodness I can catch. Truth, happiness, joy, love, giggles, hugs, kisses, laughter, experiences, memories, goals & hope…if it’s good, it goes in my bucket.

My bucket has never failed me. It has always held the sweet refreshment I needed, exactly when I needed it, until late last summer (2011).

Being wise (like I so often am) I decided that even thought the fountain was still flowing I should go and check on my bucket…you know,  just to make sure  it was filled and prepared for when I needed it. Well, when I took a peek inside, I was a bit astonished. There was nothing in it. It was completely empty.

“Someone must be taking my goodness.” I thought. “Oh well, I’ll just fill it back up.” So I pushed it under the full stream of the fountain. When I thought the bucket should be close to full, I took a second glance inside. That is when I began to panic (just a little). 

With each step backward the problem became increasingly clear. It wasn’t that there was a leak or a hole; it was that my bucket wasn’t a bucket….

IT WAS A CUP!

The force of water coming out of the fountain was so great that when it hit the bottom of the cup it immediately splashed back out! From where I was I had two choices I could either:

A)- take my cup to a slower running fountain or

B)-get a proper bucket!

I decided to stick with the fountain I was familiar with and set out to find a bigger bucket.

In a frantic effort to find what I was looking for I called everyone I knew who I thought might know anything about buckets or might have one for me to borrow until I could find my own. It seemed my peace was dependant on finding something big enough and sturdy enough to hold the goodness that came from the fountain.

Finally, after making a colossal mess from pulling everything off of my shelves, out of storage and from the places I go to look for lost things....I found what I was searching for. I can now report that what I found holds water very well.

Now, not wanting to repeat this event anytime in the future, I have decided to keep my eye out for bigger and sturdier buckets - you know, just in case there comes a day when the pressure of the fountain is turned up again and the bucket I have is no longer enough to hold what it needs to. When that happens, I’ll know exactly where to go to replace it.

The only real problem I have now (beside the mess that I made that I may never be able to clean up) is that I can’t get the goodness out as fast as it’s coming in, so it often… runneth over!

Thanks again everyone for sharing your goodness with me through this phase in my journey when I thought I had none.

Now get out your blender (a Blendtec if you have it) and blend up a delicious, healthy Green Monster so that we can raise our “cups” to the New Year. May this year be filled with enough goodness to share with everyone. May our world view be big enough to find goodness in every relationship. May our minds be open to new information and may our hearts allow us to receive it. 

Happy 2012!

Basic Green Monster

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Yield: 1 Gianormous Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 cups (packed) fresh spinach, steamed

1 to 1 ¼  cups milk (I prefer rice milk)

2 Tablespoons chia seeds

1 banana

1 - 2 cups of ice (about 10 depending on the size)

Directions:

If you don’t have a Blendtec do the following:

Source: Slightly adapted from Angela at Oh She Glows and Green Monster  Movement.

Gwenevere

Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits

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Yield: about 18 2” biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour


4 teaspoons baking powder


½ teaspoon kosher salt


6 tablespoons chilled *Earth Balance Spread, cut into cubes


1 cup steamed and mashed sweet potato (approximately 1 large potato)


½ tsp lemon juice or vinegar

½  cup rice milk, plus additional as needed

Directions:

Notes: The cooked biscuits will freeze beautifully and can be pulled out at a moments notice. Just bake at 375° until heated through.

*Any preferred butter substitute or butter will work just fine.

Source: Adapted from The Kitchn: Sweet Potato Biscuits

Gwenevere

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp sugar

½  tsp salt

6 tbsp butter flavored palm shortening, chilled (or unsalted butter)

2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)

2/3 cup warm water

Topping (optional)

½ tsp salt

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Source: Adapted from The Cupcake Project

What I'm really trying to say 
is that if all vegan food is this good, then 
SIGN ME UP!

1 ½ cup flour (I used 1 cup fresh milled, hard, red, winter wheat and ½ cup fresh milled hard white winter wheat.)

¾ cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

2 “eggs” made from Ener-G egg replacers (or 1 whole egg)

~1/3 cup rice milk (or cows milk)

1 cup fresh blueberries

¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon red winter wheat flour

1 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons white winter wheat flour

¾ teaspoons cinnamon

1-2 tablespoons coconut oil (solid)

Source: Adapted from Annies-Eats “Blueberry Muffins” which was taken from Allrecipes “To Die For Blueberry Muffins”