Recipe Wednesday - Carrot Cake Anyone?

Recipe Wednesday means I bring you a great recipe to consider for your collection.  My intention is to bring you delicious recipes featuring better food choices.  Let's face it, if it doesn't taste good, you won't eat it no matter how good it is for you.  Today's feature is Carrot Cake Balls, a no bake recipe.  Let's get ... well, in this case, NOT cookin'!  

Retrieved from http://urbanposer.blogspot.com/2012/03/raw-carrot-cake-balls-giveaway-upgrade.html

RAW Carrot Cake Balls (Dipped in RAW chocolate)

Grain Free/Gluten Free/Dairy Free/Vegan/RAW

Ingredients:

2 Large carrots, peeled (about 1/2 a pound)

1 large tart apple, peeled and cored

1 1/4 cups dried shredded coconut 

1/2 cup chopped up raisins or currants (chopping raisins can be sticky business)

3/4 cups finely chopped (with a few larger chunks) pecans or walnuts

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger (or fresh grated ginger to taste)

1/4 tsp nutmeg

pinch of salt

*3 Tbls RAW honey (palm sugar or agave for vegan)

*3 Tbls RAW nut butter (almond, pecan, walnut, cashew)

Juice from half a lime

Raw cocoa nibs for decoration

*Note: Depending on your pulp, you may need to use more or less honey/nut butter to get the desired texture. Go by feel.

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 Tbls  raw honey

1/2 tsp vanilla

7 Tbls of raw cocoa (add another half Tbls for making a drizzle)

Directions:

Finely grate the carrots and apple, by hand or w/a food processor. Then press out as much juice as possible by using a fine sieve or strainer. Alternately, you can use a nut milk bag or cheese cloth to squeeze out the juice. Originally, I used my juicer for this recipe and they turned out pretty great. However, I have found that there is MUCH more flavor to the cake ball when I make the pulp by hand.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the cocoa nibs to the carrot/apple pulp. Mix well.

Roll the dough into balls (about 1 Tbls worth of dough)

Chill the cake balls in the freezer for about 30 min.

While the cake balls are chilling prepare the chocolate...

Start with room temperature unrefined coconut oil (it's liquid point is around 76 degrees).  In a small bowl, combine the liquefied coconut oil, vanilla, honey and cocoa. Whisk together until the chocolate is well combined, with no lumps. I like to let the chocolate rest for about 15 min or so to let the cocoa absorb well into the oil. Depending on the size of your cake balls and the amount you end up with in the end, you may need to double the dipping chocolate recipe. This amount is usually enough for about one dozen 2 inch round cake balls. Be sure to let the excess drip off before removing from the skewer.

Using a wood skewer or dipping fork, dip the frozen cake balls into the chocolate. Let some of the chocolate drip off  than allow the chocolate to harden while you hold the stick (it will harden pretty fast), sprinkle a few cocoa nibs or nuts on the top of the cake ball before the top hardens. If you don't  take the time to let some of the chocolate drip off you may not have enough chocolate to finish all the cake balls. They still taste great with a thick coating, but you will have to make extra chocolate sauce. It takes some practice to make your chocolate go far. If practice isn't your thing just make extra chocolate sauce.

Tip: it's common for the chocolate to crack slightly as it hardens. This can be reduced if you leave some space at the bottom of the cake ball without chocolate. That is often where the crack starts. However, if a crack does happen, it is VERY easy to cover it up when you drizzle the chocolate over it later. So don't stress out about that. Can't have chocolate? Don't worry. Just roll the cakes balls in shredded dried coconut or crushed nuts before chilling them.

The dipping chocolate I use for these cake balls is made out of three simple ingredients: coconut oil, raw cocoa and raw honey (and maybe a splash of vanilla). This makes it not only completely raw, but full of good healthy fats and antioxidants, as well as being free of refined sugars. For vegan friendly sweeteners try raw coconut nectar, raw yacon syrup or raw agave.

Also, instead of using a 'juicer' to make the pulp for this recipe (as I did in the old version), I made the juice pulp by hand. The result was MUCH more flavorful with a wonderful texture to boot! However, if you do decide to use your juicer, I recommend  adding about 1/2 TBLS or so of the juice back into the pulp when making the cake balls. 

For the chocolate drizzle, make the same chocolate recipe as above, but add 1/2-1 Tbls more of raw cocoa. This will make it a bit thicker. Using a spoon or a 'candy making' squeeze bottle (get it at any craft store) drizzle the chocolate in thin lines over the cake ball.

Cake balls should be kept in the freezer for best results. Take them out about 5 min before serving. They should be fine for up to 15 min before starting to soften too much. At that point, the coconut oil will become liquid (at around 76 degrees) and the chocolate will begin to melt.

I have also kept them in the fridge, producing a much softer cake ball. They taste great this way, the only downside is they DO melt in your hand as well as in your mouth.

Please visit The Urban Poser to view the original post and to check out her other recipes!

Recipe Wednesday - Shakeology vs Coffee

Recipe Wednesday means I bring you a great recipe to consider for your collection.  My intention is to bring you delicious recipes featuring better food choices.  Let's face it, if it doesn't taste good, you won't eat it no matter how good it is for you.  Today's feature is about indulgences...and coffee...Shakeology & Coffee, to be exact...even a bonus spot o' Tea!  No, it doesn't have to be a grudge match at all, we can have both!  It measures up to a healthy, FAST meal on the go!

Learn more about the benefits of Shakeology by visiting http://myshakeology.com/kashubian, keep reading, the recipes are at the bottom!

In my post on Shakeology vs...  I compared the cost of a Shakeology meal replacement shake vs. other popular choices, such as a Big Mac and a Latte at Starbucks.  We spend a lot on those indulgent choices without thinking about it, yet when it comes to something healthy we dig in our heels and count the cost.  We don't connect the cost of our health care to our grocery bill. Ponder that for a moment, what cost are medicines we need when we become insulin resistant or diabetic?  How much does cholesterol medicine cost because we like our fries?  What is the cost of the aching joints that are a common side effect of those cholesterol drugs?   How much will you save when you replace the groceries you'd have to buy for that meal you have replaced for the month, not to mention the junk food you're not buying?  Best of all, there is a "bottom of the bag" guarantee.  So, even if the bag is empty, if you don't like it you get your money back.

What others are saying about Shakeology:

"Shakeology saves my family about $500 a month.  We no longer buy snacks or junk food - we just make a shake.  I didn't think at first we would be able to afford it, but now we can't live without it." - Brian L., Meza, AZ

"$120 sounded out of my league, since I only work part-time.  If I would have known this one simple drink would fix all my health problems, I would have saved myself a lot more money on trips to the doctor!" - Kassi D., Mosheim, TN

"I thought it was expensive, but when I broke down the cost, it's only $4 per day.  That's cheaper than any meal you could make at home or buy!  I told myself I am worth the investment." - Deanna D., WI

"We travel, which forced us to eat out 8-10 meals a week.  Now we take Shakeology, eliminating the fast food.  Also, our grocery bill went down because we cut out chips, sodas, and cookies, plus we have eliminated one meal a day." - Cruzita S., Porterville, CA

"Can't beat the Healthiest Meal of the Day for only $4.  Eating at a local sit-down resaurant wold cost over $7 - $10 bucks a day.  I mainly decided to try it so I could save a little money each month." - Michael H., Meigs, GA

That was a personal question my family had to face.  My husband was pre-diabetic, had his little meter in hand and tested his blood sugar several times a day.  He was on medicine for his high cholesterol and his joints hurt; his knees hurt so bad he couldn't go up and down our basement steps, his neck hurt so badly the chiropractor was becoming his best friend.  This was on top of my own insulin resistance issues tied to PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome).  We ate the same, yet my blood sugar was good, my cholesterol in the range where our family doctor said I'd live forever (he was even jealous, my cholesterol better than his and he had switched to a vegetarian diet).  Well, there was one difference, I was on Shakeology.  He tasted the Tropical Strawberry Shakeology and got on board.  His blood glucose meter tells a different tale now, he is off the medicines for blood sugar and cholesterol.  I'll share the numbers with you after his next physical.  He has dropped about 40 pounds and maintained it, even while his physical activity level plummeted after his Achilles tendon snapped this summer.  

The benefits of Shakeology

Loose Weight

Reduce Cravings

Increase Energy and Stamina

Promotes Healthy Digestion and Regularity

Lower Cholesterol

Low GI food

So, back to coffee.  Caffeine is my personal drug of choice.  If I were Golum, coffee would be my one ring, my own, my love, my prrrecious!   I am in love with my morning coffee.  So, for my coffee loving friends who are thinking that they can't have their Shakeology and coffee, too, back up the bus, Betty, oh yes you can!  (Just FYI, keep the coffee cold to preserve those wonderful prebiotics and all those health benefits of the super foods in your Shakeology.)

The Recipes

Coffee Storm (omg, how can you even not want to try this one with a name like that?)

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/2 tsp. rum extract

1 cup COLD coffee 

Vanilla Mocha

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup COLD coffee

Is tea more your bag, baby?  Relax, Alice, here's a bonus spot of tea, just for you.

Chocolate Almond Chai

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 cup chilled, unsweetened Chai tea

So, how do you make it?

For each of these delicious recipes, add 1 serving of Chocolate Shakeology (vegan or regular...and yes, they are working on an even better tasting version of the new super food formula that should be out before the end of 2012!) and ice to taste (add more ice for a thicker shake) to the ingredients listed.  Mix in a blender until creamy.

Choices?  You have so many!

Fresh or frozen fruits.  Regular, skim, almond, or rice milk (the more milk you add, the creamier).  Add almond butter or peanut butter (or even PB2 powder), which ever.  Enjoy!

You don't need to take my word for it when it comes to the health benefits of Shakeology, watch this short video to learn  more.

Interested in trying a Shakeology?  LIKE the fitter Fitter on facebook and follow me,  friend me and message me for a FREE sample!