Superfood Energy Balls & Bites: Nutrient-rich, healthful & wholesome snacks by Nicola Graimes

I love how the author starts by saying that "Although 'superfood' may have become a buzzword in recent times, certain foods are undeniably blessed in that they provide superior nutritional value for the amount of calories they contain." because it is a buzzword. One that I generally roll my eyes at whenever I read it, as it's usually accompanied by someone who uses it to feel superior.

Drawn to the book, despite my assumptions on the word 'superfood,' I was pleased to have those same assumptions erased by the time I read through this book! Nicola Graimes, an award-winning writer, shows us how to use these superfoods in a variety of snacks and treats to get us through our day.

The author gives us an A-Z list of all the superfoods used in the book, most I have heard of, like the avocado and quinoa and some I haven't like guarana which is a powdered berry from an Amazonian plant. Then we get chapters that cover raw and cooked superfoods as well as savoury superfoods and it covers other snacks and treats!

A few of the recipes I would like to try are:
Blueberry Bites
Carrot Cake Balls
Morning Mocha
Berry Bounty Balls
Double Raspberry Maca Balls
Chocolate Goji Bars
Lemon Bliss Bites
Coconut & Cherry Drops
Banana Oat Bites
Raspberry, Coconut, & Lemon Bars
Cauli-Chickpea Power Balls
Sweet Potato & Quinoa Bites
Japanese Rice Balls
Satay Rice Balls
Cashew 'Cheese' Balls
Wasabi-Roasted Edamame
Cauli 'Cheese' Bites
Raspberry Kefir Gels
Fruit 'n' Nut Chocolates
Strawberry & Cream Balls
Salted Caramel Banana Bites
Mango & Brazil Nut Wonder Balls

The majority of the ingredients can be found in your local supermarket. There are nuts and dried berries and a few of the not so common ingredients are easily sourced via health food stores or online. They are also very straightforward and simple to put together. 

This book gives us every reason to indulge in our snacking! A nation who loves to snack it's nice to have an alternative to all the sugar or salted ones that line our supermarket shelves. If you like me are weary of the word 'superfood' please do not let it put you off this title, it's full of delicious looking snacks and treats and can change your snacking habits for good! 

* I was provided a copy of Superfood Energy Balls & Bites by Nicola Graimes to review by the publisher, Ryland Peters & Small, retails at £9.99 and available now from your local book retailers or online! All opinions are my own, I was not given any other compensation nor was I asked to give a positive review, please see my contact/policy page above for more information. 

PB & J Power Bars from Whole Food Energy by Elise Museles {book review}

January has come and gone along with most people’s New Year’s resolutions. Making better choices when it comes to food is not something that should only be thought of in January, but all year long. I am a baking blog and I think sugar has it’s place in our lives. However, I also agree that with sugar and/or added sugar in a lot of processed foods is a bit excessive and it’s wise to start paying attention to what is in our food.

I was sent Whole Food Energy to read and review and to be honest I wasn’t 100% sure what I was getting myself into! It was a pleasant surprise just looking at the content page. Divided into 3 parts the book covers everything from what supplies you should keep on hand to drinks, breakfast, snacks, and energy packed treats like these PB & J Power Bars.

I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and I was curious to how these power bars would turn out. The author states that her son has asked for these over and over again and I have to say they have been a hit with my daughters as well!

Full of oats, dates, peanut butter, dried cherries, and almonds it really does taste like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. No lie! The best part is knowing they are full of whole natural food that’s great for everyone! I like that they are chewy too, but the almonds give it a bit of crunch!

PB & J Chewy Power Bars

50g rolled oats
200g Medjool dates, pitted
60g unsweetened peanut butter
1 tsp of vanilla
1/2 tsp of salt
100g dried cherries
75g almonds, roughly chopped

Line a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper with the sides hanging out. In a food processor pulse the rolled oats until still a bit chunky, but chopped up. It shouldn't be a powder. Add the dates, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt and pulse/process until it starts to come together and clump up. Add the cherries and pulse several times to incorporate them into the mixture. Take out the blade and add the chopped almonds and use your hands, clean please, to mix everything together. 
Place in the prepared loaf tin and using the hang over paper, fold it on and top and press the mixture down to flatten, try to make it as even as possible. Leave in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour before cutting into bars. Easy peasy.

Elise Museles is the author of the popular blog Kale & Chocolate has given us a book packed full of recipes that will keep you energised through out the day! If you haven’t heard of her check out her website/blog and this book! I have learned a lot just from reading through it and I can’t wait to try more of the recipes, especially the smoothie ones!

note: Whole Food Energy: 200 all-natural recipes to prepare, refuel, and recover by Elise Museles (from Kale & Chocolate) was sent to me to review by the UK publishers; Apple Press - Available online, from the publishers, and from all good booksellers now! No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own and it was known that I sometimes adapt recipes to share with my readers to give them a feel for the book.

Energy Bites {Jamie Oliver}

It’s that lovely time of year when the leaves start to change color and the skies are clear but you can’t leave home without a coat and everyone is cuddled up with blankets and a hot cuppa (a word I only started using recently). All this loveliness comes at a cost, because with the changing weather we get the dreaded, the most avoided and annoying thing ever!

The common cold.

Last Monday I went to work and it seemed like everyone had one. Tuesday my day off, I felt my throat start to tingle and itch and by Wednesday I knew I was starting to get a cold. So, I sent the hubby to the store for pineapple, oranges, and lemon so I could make the ultimate cold buster juice. Curtesy of The Juice Master himself Jason Vale. The other ingredient for this Buster Juice, as I call it, is Manuka honey.

I already had Manuka honey in my cupboard patiently waiting for me to make these Energy Bites originally called “My Tasty Energy Balls: Apricot, Ginger, & Cashew.” That title and this recipe comes from Jamie Oliver’s latest book Everyday Super Food. Having watched (most) of his shows and following his popular Food Tube YouTube channel I think he probably got a laugh out of calling them “My Tasty Energy Balls.” The 8 year-old in me laughed.

There isn’t a better time then when you have a cold to give yourself as much energy as possible. With the juice and these bites I think I’ve escaped the worst of the cold. I was still sneezy, had itchy ears, and sounded a bit rough, but I could still breath and didn’t have the pressure headaches. So, I would never say that these things cure the common cold, but they have helped me endure it a bit better!

Energy Bites

100g unsalted cashew nuts
20g sesame seeds
80g dried apricots
20g puffed brown rice
thumb size piece of ginger, about 4cm
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
2 tablespoons manuka honey

Blitz 40g of the cashews into a powder - set aside to cover the bites later. Place 60g of the cashew nuts along with the sesame seeds, apricots, and puffed rice into a food processor and blitz until it’s all chopped up. Then finely grate the ginger into the food processor bowl and add the mixed spice, give it a pulse or three before adding the honey. Mix it for a couple of minutes, scraping down the sides if and when needed. Once it’s ready roll into about 24 bites and coat in the cashew powder and store in an airtight container.

tip: You can toast the cashews and sesame seeds in a dry pan on a medium heat for added flavor as suggested by Jamie, but I didn’t. Also wet your hands before rolling the mixture into balls to avoid it being too sticky.

notes: Recipe adapted from Everyday Super Food Jamie Oliver. My husband bought me a copy because he knows I like Jamie Oliver and thought I’d enjoy this book as well. We are terrible gift givers on special occasion’s, but it’s because we do things like buy each other stuff when we see it and just give it to each other instead of saving it.