Many years ago, I went to the Chopra Center for Well Being, to study Ayurvedic cooking and wellness.  It was there I fell in love with exotic spices , such as curry, nutmeg, and turmeric, to name a few.

The aromas in that kitchen did something to my spirit.  I felt healed and nourished, like when your have a cold and your Grandmother brings you her homemade, delicious chicken soup.

It makes sense to me now, knowing that in Ayurvedic cooking, the most satisfying part of the meal stems from the freshness and the “prana”, or life force, found in food.  In our demanding world, it can be a challenge sometimes to balance our mind, body and spirit.  It’s a conscience effort daily for me to surrender my busy spirit and keep connected with God.  Through keeping my food full of freshness, my activities conducive to wellness and my spirit filled with the word, it’s a full time job.  But a job I deem very important!  I hope these little yummies bring some balance to your busy life.

I am excited to share with you an all time favorite that I learned in that amazing kitchen over 15 years ago.  Of coarse, it has evolved from the original recipe.  As always, I have to put my spin on things.  These are high in protein and low in sugar so they can be eaten for breakfast or for those moments you need some quick energy.

Ingredients

1 cup soaked walnuts (raw is fine too, learn more about soaking nuts)
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup shredded coconut (learn more)
1/2 cup hemp seeds (learn more)
1 cup dried fruit (I used apricots)
2 tablespoons chia seeds (learn more)
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil (learn more)
2-3 tablespoons coconut nectar (learn more)
1 teaspoon vanilla1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

nut free version below

1. Pulse soaked walnuts,  pumpkin seeds, hemp and chia seeds in a food processor or the amazing, life changing, do it all Vitamix!
2. Add dried apricots (dates or figs are great too) and shredded coconut.
3. Next, add  coconut oil, coconut nectar, vanilla and nutmeg.
4.  Lastly, roll the mixture into small bite size balls and place them on a lined cookie sheet.   If batter sticks too much you can use a little coconut oil or dampen your hands for easy rolling.  They will keep for a few days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for weeks.

Tips: Raisins are too high in sugar and many dried cranberries are loaded with added sugar.  If the dried fruit label has added sulfites, go on to the next best choice. Also,  to avoid a sticky mess, add coconut oil first than use the same spoon to add coconut nectar.  It will slide right off your spoon. Taste your batch before rolling your Bliss Balls.

I have split the batch and added a few tablespoons of unsweetened cacao and or a scoop of my favorite protein powder.  In the pictures above you can see I had fun coming up with different versions with the base recipe.  So make it your own and please share your artistry with me!

Nut Free Version : Omit all nuts and use 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds,  1/2 cup of raw sunflower seeds or sun butter, 1/2 cup hemp seeds, 1/4 cup of ground flax and an extra 1/2 cup of shredded coconut.  Follow with all the other ingredients and directions.  You may need an extra tablespoon of coconut oil if you use the raw sunflower seeds instead of the sun butter.

With a Spoonful of Bliss,

Dawn

 

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