Real Food Friday: Kitchen Sink Energy Balls

Life is getting busy.

A few weeks away from summer for most means vacations and time off of work to enjoy all the sweetness that summer has to offer. In the life of an industry professional though, the opposite rings true. With Kelowna being a city that relies so heavily on their summer tourism, for me it means time to buckle down and prepare for our population to triple from about 120, 000 people to over 300, 000 people for the next three months straight!

Needless to say, i have been trying out recipes for quick snacks that require little prep time but also are packed with nutrition to keep me going when a full meal will not be an option for long periods of time.

I have made maca balls using a few different recipes, but these ones are my new favorite. This recipe is called "Kitchen Sink" energy balls and I took it from the book Superfood Snacks by L.A. based natural food chef Julie Morris. True to its name, I stuck very loosely to this recipe and used some of what I had in the house and just went with it!

Have fun with this recipe and add in whatever superfoods you have a taste for!

Kitchen Sink Energy Balls

Makes 12-20 (depending on the size of the ball you make)

Recipe:

• 5-6 Medjool dates, pitted

• 1/2 cup walnuts

• 1/2 cup dried/shredded coconut, unsweetened

• 2 tbsp maca powder

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• 1 tbsp hemp hearts

• 2 tbsp raw cacao nibs

• 2 tbsp dried raisins

• pinch of sea salt

• 1/4 dried goji berries

Preparation:

In a food processor or high powered blender, add together all of the ingredients and process until you have moist, crumb-like consistency. If it is a bit to dry you can add a tiny bit of water (one teaspoon at a time), blend, and check the consistency again. You want the crumbs to stick together when pinched.

Scoop about a tablespoon size of dough out and roll into a ball. Repeat until you have used all the dough. I usually keep them on a sheet or plate in the fridge. They will last for several week unrefrigerated, and you can also make larger batches and freeze some for long term storage.

Happy sunshiney weekend,

Cayla Lou

#maca #energyballs #gojiberries #cacao #dates #realfoodfriday