Recipe | Energy Balls

January 29, 2017 by Rocio Williams in Food

Today, I'm sharing my version of the energy ball. These energy balls are amazing! They are healthy + delicious, super easy to make, require no baking, and these are a great snack to keep around for an afternoon pick-me up or for a pre or post work-out snack. These simple + wholesome ingredients are jam packed with nutritious-goodness.

Simple + Wholesome Ingredients

Oats, quinoa, coconut flakes, peanut butter, chia seeds, flaxseeds, coconut oil, honey + vanilla extract

1 heaping cup of quick or rolled oats

1 heaping cup of cooked quinoa

1 heaping cup of unsweetened coconut flakes

1 cup of peanut butter (or your favorite nut butter)

¼ cup of chia seeds

¼ cup of flaxseed

¼ cup of coconut oil (melted)

1 heaping table spoon of raw honey (or 3 table spoons of maple syrup)

1 table spoon of vanilla extract

Prep

You will need a large bowl and a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, place all the dry ingredients and than add all the wet ingredients

2. Combine all the ingredients really well

3. After all the ingredients are all mixed-in, scoop a heaping table spoon of the mixture and place in the palm of your hands (the mixture should look something like the image below)

4. With the palms of your hands, slightly press + roll, until you form your energy ball

5. Place the formed energy balls on the parchment-paper-covered cookie sheet

6. You may roll the balls in more coconut flakes or cocoa powder, if you like

Tips

Refrigerate for at least 1 hours before eating

Store in a covered container in the fridge

Eat within 5-7 days

You may add or substitute any of the ingredients

Enjoy!

Xx, Rocio

Recipe | White + Rustic Birthday Cake for a Wild One

June 07, 2016 by Rocio Williams in Food, Bebé

I just knew it would be really special to make Xander's first birthday cake. I love to cook, but I'm not a much of a baker. So I was on a mission to find a recipe that was yummy, easy to make and clean... free of gluten and refined sugars. One of my mommy friends suggested a recipe by Danielle Walker. I took Danielle's recipe and made it my own. Check out what I came up with!

My vision for a white + rustic birthday cake for Alexander's Wild One came to life and I was very pleased. Raspberries were Alexander's favorite fruit at the time, so I knew I had to make a raspberry cake.

Ingredients

2½ cups blanched almond flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon sea salt

⅔ cup maple syrup or honey

⅓ cup coconut oil, melted

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon lemon juice

⅓ cup of coconut milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon lemon zest

½ cup roughly chopped raspberries

Frosting

3 ripe bananas

1 ½ cups of unsweetened coconut flakes

--use coconut whipped cream if banana mash is not your thing --

Filling

1 cup of frozen raspberries

2 tablespoons of coconut sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F

2. Lightly coat 2, 8 inch round baking pans with coconut oil

3. Combine the maple syrup, coconut oil, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, coconut milk and lemon zest into a blender and puree until the mixture is smooth

4. Add the dry ingredients and blend until the batter is very smooth. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender and blend again until the mixture is fully incorporated and smooth. Gently fold the chopped raspberries in by hand

5. Divide the batter evenly into the 2 pans

6. Bake for 16-18 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake and if it come out clean, the cake is done

7. Let the cakes completely cool down before frosting

Filling & Frosting

8. Combine the thawed raspberries with the coconut sugar

9. Blend the bananas until fully smooth

Assemble

10. Place the first layer of cake on the cake stand

11. Spread the raspberry filling on top of the first layer

12. Place second layer of cake on top of the first layer

13. Spread the banana frosting evenly on the top and the sides of the cake

14. Sprinkle the coconut flakes on the top and the sides of the cake

15. ENJOY!!

Xx,

Rocio

Recipe | Kale Chips

April 29, 2016 by Rocio Williams in Food

Crunch is my jam... and I LOVE anything kale. Whoever come-up with kale chips is pure genius. Below I share the three simple ingredients that make this tasty, crunchy, healthy and delicious snack.

Ingredients

Kale, Olive Oil + Sea Salt

5 kale leaves

2 table spoons of olive oil

a pinch of sea salt

Prep

1. Wash & de-stem kale // easiest way to de-stem kale is to pull the leave away from the stem

2. Break-up kale // use hands to roughly break up kale leaves into bite size pieces

Assemble

1. Place kale pieces, olive oil and salt into a bowl and use your hands to combine ingredients & ensure kale leaves are evenly coated with a thin layer of oil

2. Place and evenly distribute kale into a baking sheet

Bake

3. Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit

4. Bake kale for 5-7 minutes on each side until crisp

5. Let kale chips cool down before enjoying

Enjoy!

You may also add ground pepper, chili or garlic powders, tahini or even grated parm cheese to kick the recipe up a notch or two!

Xx,

Rocio