I love SIMPLE – WHOLE – CREAMY – CHEWY – BLISS BALLS. The pure joy of Peanut Butter Bliss Balls!
Ah the pure delight of a great bliss ball is truly a wonderful thing. My favorite is usually made with peanut butter. What I do know peanut butter is its one of my go to snack creators, I love it on slices of crunchy apple , down the middle of celery sticks (yes really), in a banana smoothie, in over night oats and as the perfect dip for dark chocolate must be bitter with very little sugar (85 to 100%), and last but not least in a peanut butter bliss ball.
I have included a very simple recipe for you here. Honest, just a couple of ingredients and you are in business! If you don’t like peanut better or can’t eat it, you can use other nut or seed butters. I think almond butter is great in this recipe as is sunflower seed. Additionally you can coat the bliss balls with melted chocolate for an extra special treat.
ARE YOU AVOIDING BREAD? IS GLUTEN AN ISSUE FOR YOU?
Today I have a great option for you, I am sharing a recipe for a FERMENTED gluten free bread. YEAH!
Why a fermented bread? The cool thing about the natural process of long fermentation is it breaks down gluten proteins into smaller fragments, which improves digestibility. The process also breaks down phytic acid, a naturally occurring compound found in all whole grains that inhibits mineral absorption, so the fermented process produces a bread which won’t spike blood sugar, has more magnesium, zinc, iron, B12, and a lower glycaemic index.
However, If you have celiac disease all gluten-containing breads are off the menu. Which is why we are looking at this bread recipe using all GF pseudo grains. This bread can be eaten by those avoiding all standard grains and/or have celiac disease.
So how did we get here…. has it always been this way?
For 10,000 years, we cultivated wheat, stored it, milled it and consumed it. The system worked, and it nourished civilization. Then, in the industrial era, we changed things. First, we invented mechanical technologies to turn wheat into barren white flour. Then, we invented chemical and genetic technologies to make it resistant to pests, drought and blight and easier to harvest. And, while we were tweaking genetics, we also figured out how to increase glutens for better “baking properties” (fluffier results). Put another way:
We have mutant seeds, grown in synthetic soil, bathed in chemicals. They’re deconstructed, pulverized to fine dust, bleached and chemically treated to create a barren industrial filler that no other creature on the planet will eat. And we wonder why it might be making us sick?
So what else is in our bread?
Has anyone you know made let you know: “I’ve gone gluten-free and feel so much better. For the vast majority of people with some level of “wheat sensitivity”, symptoms are much milder and seem to be triggered by *something* about modern wheat. The irony, however, is that most gluten-free versions of traditional wheat-based foods are actually junk food. A quick check of the ingredients labels and you might see thinks like rice starch, corn-starch, tapioca starch, potato starch and guar gum, which are highly refined industrial starches that spike blood sugar just like white flour.
Well good news, my fermented bread recipe is perfect for you. Its gluten free, vegan and yeast free.
Checking the batter along the way. Seeing little air bubbles means fermentation is happening.
I really love this bread! Its a very dense loaf, with a slight sour taste. Perfect for anyone who can't have gluten. It's also free of eggs and yeast. The fermentation process (leaving out at room temperature) gives it a rise with all the air bubbles, but by no means is this a light fluffy loaf. Lovely toasted with your favorite toppings.
Peeking inside the finished loaf. As you can see, very dense.
Ah the rich smells from the kitchen today sent me back in time to when I was little. It had me wrapped up in my childhood …. cold winter days just before Christmas when I would bake all sorts of wonderful creations. I think this magical memory will stay with me all day! How wonderful.
Today I made Christmas Spice Biscuits, using all the traditional spices – you might feel you have been transported to another country. So lovely!
The recipe is based on a classic one and uses both white and brown sugar – I altered this and changed the sugar to all coconut sugar. I also used a combination of milk and baking soda (bicarb) instead of eggs (EGG FREE). However the standout for this recipe is the use of white pepper!
If you are like me when you finish a BIG WORK OUT, such as a VERY long walk, or big swim you can feel totally drained. This happens to me when I have sweated ( NOT glow rather real sweat) and been active for more then 2 hours. I find my body starts to slow down and I feel drained. This can be an issue if you need to carry on with what your are doing.
I am currently training for an annual charity walk taking place at the end of July. I know from my training and past walks I feel better and preform better when I am hydrated correctly. This goes beyond just water, its also important to replace lost electrolytes. After a bit of research and testing what’s on the market, I turned to coconut water – which is effective at replenishing fluids and electrolytes after exercise. It is comparable to other sports beverages.
The only issue I have with coconut water is its sweet/slightly sour taste which I don’t care for. However, I do like how quickly I recover when I drink it. So I enhance my coconut water by adding fresh lemon juice – to help with the sweet taste, a pinch of sea salt – to help with the sour taste, and 1/4 tsp. of magnesium power – to help my muscle recovery.
I found my perfect electrolyte drink!
I started with coconut water, add the juice of a lemon and a 1/4 tsp of magnesium powder.
I am talking a yummy, creamy, full of chocolate goodness Mousse. But this one is a bit different, along with rich dark chocolate I added fresh oranges, dates, cinnamon, vanilla and AVOCADO. The result is the most wonderful whole mouth feel decadent wonder. This recipe does not contain egg, sugar, or dairy. Its a whole plant based healthy bomb that just happens to tick all the lovely things about mousse.
Loaded with the good stuff! More Potassium than Bananas.
Using a food processor or high speed blender, this dessert can be yours in 3 minutes. The only real planning is to ensure you have ripe avocados. To help the blending process, I do soak the dates in the juice of the oranges for about 10 to 15 minutes or up to an hour.
Oh what a winner of a dessert!
I am talking a yummy, creamy, full of chocolate goodness Mousse. But this one is a bit different, along with rich dark chocolate I added fresh oranges, dates, cinnamon, vanilla and AVOCADO.
YUMMY Creamy Chocolate Mousse!
Raw Cacao = Wonder Food
Pure and real food – Dates for sweetness and added iron. Oranges for soaking, adding sweetness and providing the Vit C to help us absorb the iron from the dates.
Spring Dessert for a Mexican themed dinner…spring mango, pineapple and strawberries with fresh lime juice and chili
What a great way to enhance the flavor of fresh fruit/vegetables. The lime juice brings out the natural sweetness and the sweet-salt adds a refreshing note and brings out all the natural juices of the fruit and or vegetables. In Mexico this spice mix is called Chamoy and its very popular.
