When life is relatively calm, ie no family crises, and I find myself alone with no urgent tasks, I like to sit down and just let my mind wander where it will. I might close my eyes and just wait for my breathing to slow, or I watch the birds, or just take in my surroundings: the paintings, the family photos, the gentle flames of the woodburner.
When I am completely relaxed, I might get the urge to be creative. This can mean painting rocks, making cards, or even writing a letter – the old-fashioned way! But often, I like to bake or cook. It needs to be simple, quick, and not require that I keep several plates spinning at once, and definitely no interference.
Cooking on my own at leisure is a different experience from the pressure cooking of doing a meal with other bodies around and people requiring my attention or getting in my way. I like to be free to select whatever appeals, create something for my own pleasure and not have to be mindful of others’ pernickety tastes!
I rarely follow a recipe, or if I do, it’s more of a starting point that inspires a variation of the original, as with these no-added sugar energy balls. I fancied a little something with my cup of tea and didn’t really know what the result would be, but on looking in the cupboards I found some Tiger Nut Powder that needed using and remembered a recipe on The Tiger Nut Company Instagram page for Tiger Nut Macaroons by Eve Kalanik.
I used the general measurements, but made some substitutions: almond butter for the cashew, cacao nibs for the coconut chips and coconut water for the plain water in the original recipe. I also added some wild berry-flavoured supergreen powder.
These take literally seconds to make in the food processor and once in the fridge, by the time you’ve cleared up and put on the kettle, they are ready to eat.
It’s easy to make your own substitions so long as they’re like for like, but the texture or flavour will be different.
These easy raw treats are Vegan, Gluten-free and can be made Nut-free if you use Seed Butter.
Please note: Tiger Nuts are Tubers, Not Nuts.
Ingredients
100g Tiger Nut Powder
45g Desiccated Coconut
1 Tbsp Raw Cacao Nibs, for a bit of crunch
2 Tbsps Almond Butter
A pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt
4g Vivolife ‘Thrive for Her’, Raw Green Superfood Powder, Wild Berry flavour
Approx. 4 Tbsps Coconut Water (or water or apple juice)
Pulse all ingredients except water for a few seconds. Add water and process for a couple of seconds to mix.
Scoop spoonfuls of the mix and roll into balls.
Makes about 10.
Place in the fridge to set.
Keep for days in an airtight container in the fridge and for a long time in the freezer if you can resist!
So much healthier and satisfying than a shop-bought biscuit or pastry to have with your afternoon cup of tea, and will give you a lift, making you more alert and energised without the inevitable slump afterwards.
The tea, by the way, is Pukka Herbs’ Licorice and Cinnamon. A perfect relaxing combination on your own or to share with a friend.
Copyright: Chris McGowan
A quick post to tell all you raw chocolate lovers that my favourite 
(I apologise to those of you experiencing snow and freezing temperatures while reading this, I wrote this post only 3 weeks before and now there are 3″ of snow on the ground and more promised next day! I feel like I should be posting about a bowl of piping hot porridge!)
I passed a garden being landscaped and found some small smooth pebbles in the pile of earth that I could use for painting. I saw a couple of squirrels running rings around a tree and digging up hidden larders of acorns. I stood and admired a soaring buzzard before leaving a painted rock on a war grave in our nearby cemetery.
I sat outside on this early November morning to eat my breakfast pudding and it could have been Spring. The hanging baskets were still showing off, if a little windswept, the nemesia was still in full delicate bloom and I had seen daisies growing in someone’s lawn on my walk. The robin was hopping about, busying himself collecting insects where my husband had edged the garden path. What a contrast to the day before. I felt so much better. (The picture here shows the nemesia and the smoothie I had the following morning: banana, mango, blueberries, romaine, walnuts, golden linseeds, chia seeds, coconut water, live soya yogurt. There, two recipes for the price of one!).
Some of these recipes are a couple of years old, so most of you won’t have seen them. These were a big hit when I first made them and I thought I would provide the links again so you can take a look and see if they’re worth trying. Containing no refined sugar, they are healthier alternatives to commercial Christmas treats and can make lovely gifts.
A different Monday Meditation this week. This is an indulge-yourself post. A spend-some-time-on-yourself post. A take-a-break-from-the-world post.
One afternoon, I was craving crisps, as I do every once in a while. Yes, I know, I’m supposed to be a juice nut and a health nut, but I’m human! About twice a year I indulge, and then remember why I don’t eat them: they give me indigestion and I always want more!
It’s been some time since I posted a recipe for raw treats, even longer since we made energy balls, so when we were in the midst of an horrendous thunderstorm and planting had to stop for the day, the food processor was put through its paces and these are what we came up with.
Allow the dipped energy balls to set a little before gently placing a small piece of crystallised ginger from the melted chocolate on top of each ball – it is quite strong so if you prefer, use a raw mulberry instead.
In my previous post 
pearsnotparsnipsdotcom 
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