Inspiration Larabar

Have you tried a Larabar yet? If not, you should. They seem to be one of the healthiest snack/energy bars out there. And big bonus; they are dairy, soy and gluten free, vegan and kosher too. They're not baked or cooked and use very simple whole organic ingredients. What's in them? Pretty much just fruit & nuts with some spice variations in each flavor. My favorites? I love the Cashew Cookie bars. They're the perfect size to fit in my bag for when hunger strikes and I feel good that sugar's an unlisted ingredient... with the exception of the bars that contain any chocolate. Most organic snack bars are expensive so with the Larabar concept in mind, I whipped up my own version.

Cadi Balls & Bars

What you Need
11 oz dates
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup roasted & salted cashews
1/4 cup Enjoy Life dairy free mini chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

The Process
Take the pits out of the dates and grind them into a paste in a food processor.
(If you can find dates in the store, pre-pitted and ground, use that & soften the package in the microwave).
Put the date paste in a bowl.
Pulse all the cashews in the food processor until they're in very small pieces. Don't let them turn into powder.
Add the cashews to the dates. Add vanilla & salt and chocolate chips (optional).
Mix it all together very, very well - it's messy, but use your hands. It's the best way.
When it's all mixed and mushed together into a large glob, break pieces off and roll into balls in the palms of your hands.
Or - form them into bars on a plate.
Place on a plate in the fridge for a few hours.
When they've hardened up, wrap them individually in plastic wrap. They keep in the fridge for a while.
The perfect little 2-bite sized snack.

A RAWlly Good Sweet Tooth Satisfier

On a recent trip down to Maryland to visit my oldest friend, (oldest, as in we've known each other for 42 years, since we were 8), I discovered that she's immersed herself into the organic world in an effort to heal a bunch of sypmtoms that have plagued her for a couple of decades. She fed me 'mock chopped liver' made from lentils and green smoothies with spinach, pea shoots & chlorophyll. The lentil liver was actually not bad on crackers but the green smoothie was a little too extreme on the green for my taste and my delicate digestive system.  I gave the thumbs up, though, to a little sweet snack her teenage daughter had made and they are my latest favorite sweet tooth savior.

Savoy Truffles, (recipe from RAWvolution).
They are healthy, organic & so easy & quick to prepare.  (image coming soon)


Combine these ingredients in a mixing bowl:
2 cups finely ground raw almonds
1/2 cup carob powder
optional - 1/3 tsp sea salt
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup agave nectar
2 tbs olive oil. 
Mix it all together until smooth.  Then take small amounts and roll into small ping-pong balls in the palms of your hands. The recipe says to serve as is but what I like to do is stick them in a plastic bag in the freezer for a little sweet tooth craving quencher at the ready. Defrost for a minute and they are perfect.

Option: I've also made them with ground raw cashews instead of almonds.


(Thank you Michele & Lori Koenick for introducing me to these yummy little babies!)