Green Goodness: Two-bite Balls and a Farm Fresh Smoothie

If you've ever been to a reggae festival or any type of hippie gathering like that, you've seen dreadlock-sporting folks cruising around with baskets of sticky balls. I love them because I can make them in an instant and the flavor never strays too far off course (ie. very forgiving recipes).

I whipped up one of my own today. Why? Because darn it, sometimes I want something that compliments a warm cup of joe and a kale chip just doesn't fit the bill.

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Two-bite Quicky Balls

In a bowl large enough to stir, mix together with a wooden spoon (so you get good squishing action):

1/4 cup oats

1/4 cup carob or other vegan chips

1/8 cup cranberries

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 teaspoon spirulina powder (optional)

2 tablespoons coconut butter (I use Artisan)

2 tablespoons raw almond or other nut butter

enough maple syrup, agave, or rice syrup to moisten (I used about a tablespoon of maple)

Mix it around until it's a very firm dough. Use a cookie dough scooper or spoon to make little balls, and roll them around a small dish with:

1/8 cup raw cacao powder or other chocolaty powder

They will look like this on the outside (and green on the inside):

After a couple of minutes, the powder will begin to absorb the nut oils and syrup. You can speed up this process by rolling them by hand. They will then turn dark like this:

You won't be able to eat more than one, so stick the rest in a dish and freeze. I bet if you want them to look like truffles, you can roll them around in powder after freezing. But you wouldn't want to disappoint someone expecting a truffle, now, would you?

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My CSA Box Smoothie

Yum!

Blend until smooth and date chunks disappear:

1 banana

5 pitted dates

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 teaspoon spirulina powder

1/2 teaspoon chia seeds

enough water to fill halfway up once the blender has this stuff in it

and this many kale, chard, spinach, and ripani leaves (these are washed with a vinegar solution):

Makes two sweet 15 oz. smoothies.

Here's too a healthy weekend!