Coconut Balls

Good morning!

And it is a VERY good morning. Last night I finished a gigantic project. The moment I sent off the last file, I shut my laptop (my loaner laptop, that is. But that’s another story), wrapped a blanket around my shoulders, and went outside to stand in the cold and breathe in all that fresh air. A little later, I wrapped Gage up in that blanket and sat us both on the front porch swing to do some more of that fresh-air-breathing, and to listen to all the frogs. Gage and I decided that there must be at least eleven out there (his favorite number) 😀 This is what we also decided together: last night’s frogs were eating pizza and salad, and when they color, they only use one crayon: the green one. I’ll keep you posted as we discover more.

Today, the whole world feels open to me. I could clean the ceiling fan that has been driving me crazy, clean the bathroom that has been driving me crazy, scrub the kitchen floor that has been driving me crazy …. I think you get the picture. The hardest thing for me when these big deadlines come along is that everything else in my life drops way, way down my to-do list. And then in the midst of work, when I have to lift my head and stare off into space to figure out just the right way to phrase that next sentence, one of those crazy-making, neglected areas of my home always comes into focus, and then I feel both crazed AND guilty. I have a hard time juggling work, homemaking, grandparenting, blogging, gardening, exercising, violin-practicing, teaching, counseling, meetings … I guess that makes me just like every other woman, huh. 🙂

While coming down the homestretch with my book project, I’ve had zero time for blogging, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been composing posts in my head. Now the trick is to remember what I said …

For now, here’s a recipe my friend, Lynette, gave me. She called them Choco-Almond truffles, but I think of them as Coconut Balls. Plus, I’ve tweaked it a little to reduce the calories a tad and get rid of that cinnamon … which, in my opinion, should never be in the same dish with chocolate. Ew.

If you like chocolate and coconut, you’re going to be happy to have a little baggie of these in your purse … or pocket, for you guys out there. But the purse is more coconut-ball-squish-resistant, just so you know.

• 11 large Medjool dates
• 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (plus more for rolling)
• 4 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1 TBSP coconut oil
• 1 TBSP water

Mix all in a high-speed blender or a food processor just until well mixed. Form into 1″ balls (I just rolled them in my hand) and then roll in a little dish of coconut, almond meal or powdered coffee. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Note about the coconut: I searched all over Snohomish County until I finally found it in an Indian spice shop. If you have one of those in your area, go check it out. I was amazed at how inexpensive their spices were.