FLAXSEED + HONEY + SEED BUTTER SNACK BALLS

As my girls get older it seems they are starting to question everything I prefer they eat - mainly vegetables and vitamins. Vegetables aren't so easy to hide in the quantities they need but vitamins are a different story. Recently, I've been sneaking their vitamins and other superfood boosts into these simple snack balls. I pack them when we're out and about, pop one for dessert, or whenever I need a quick jolt of energy. They're so versatile you can adapt them as you please and add just about anything: dried fruit, nut or seed pieces, coconut flakes, spirulina / chlorella, carob or raw cacao powder, veggie powders, [you can fill in the blank].


[THE RECIPE]

1/2 c. freshly ground flaxseeds [or any other ground nut or seed of choice]
1/4 c. pumpkin + sunflower seed butter [or any other nut or seed butter of choice]
1/8 c. raw, unfiltered honey*

Place, in a small glass bowl, all ingredients along with any add-ins you choose and mix really well. Roll small chunks of the dough between your [clean!] hands to make bite-size balls. Place in a glass container, cover, and refrigerate. Keep refrigerated and cool when traveling.

Note: Drink plenty of water when you consume flax, psyllium, or chia seeds to help them move through your system. Honey in any form is not suitable for children younger than one year old.

*Raw, unfiltered honey is typically more firm in consistency and lighter in color. True raw honey retains all of its natural vitamins, living enzymes, and other nutritional elements. I love Sleeping Bear Farms Raw Honey as a local option as well as YS Organic Bee Farms Raw Honey. A quick search on localharvest.org can easily connect you to local honey in your area.

CHAI-SPICED AMARANTH CEREAL [WITH POWER-UP ADD-IN]

I hope you all are enjoying winter. This post is going to be short. I'm taking my own advice and stepping back from trying to do it all today. But, don't let the brief nature fool you into thinking this recipe is less tasty or important. It just means you have more time to try it!

[AMAR-WHAT?!]

Amaranth is an especially great food for infants and toddlers, pregnant and nursing women, people who do heavy manual labor, and on and on and on. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization found that wherever amaranth is consumed regularly, there is no malnutrition [see source below]. Let me say it again, no malnutrition. It is packed with protein [apparently the digestible kind!] providing half your daily needs, as well as calcium [and the necessary nutrients to help calcium absorption - magnesium and silicon], phosphorous, iron, and zinc. If your child is congested, try giving him / her amaranth to disperse the dampness [found with congestion] and relieve the stuffiness. If you suffer from heavy menstrual cycles, amaranth may help to reduce some of the bleeding if consumed regularly. It is worth trying to fit this food into your and your family's diet whenever possible. Start small and work up. My daughter now loves it plain, especially the texture, or with fruit and seed milk.

[THE RECIPE]
Serves 3 - 4

1 c. amaranth seeds
3 c. water
small handful of dried fruit [like currants, raisins apricot pieces, etc.], optional

Place amaranth seeds [and dried fruit if using] in a quart-size glass jar and cover with water. Soak overnight [I like to keep my jar in the refrigerator] or at least 6 - 8 hours. When you're ready, place all in a medium sized saucepan [add more water if necessary - there should be at least two times the amount of water as amaranth] and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until amaranth is thick and creamy. Approximately 20 - 30 minutes.

3/4 tsp. Ceylon "true" cinnamon
scant 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 - 2 pinches each ground cloves and ground cardamom
1 small pinch sea salt
pure [local if possible] maple syrup, to taste
nut or seed milk of choice
frozen [local if possible] blueberries or berries of choice
small handful of nuts or seeds, gently crushed
1 - 2 tsp. Power-Up Add-In [see recipe below]

After amaranth is cooked, stir in cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and salt. Pour into single serving bowls and top with maple syrup, milk, berries, and herb mix [see recipe below]. Enjoy warm!

[POWER-UP ADD-IN]

Bulk Herb Store has a great mix of herbs designed for weight-loss [if you're so inclined] but are also great for energy, detoxification, elimination, you name it. I add this mix to my smoothies, energy balls, and cereal to give me a boost whenever I need it. Check it out!

Source for information on amaranth: The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood, pg. 10