Coffee Maca Date Balls

We go through so many varying times in life. Times in which we seem to be elevated above everything around us, when life seems to glow with possibility and it feels as if we can do anything. Then there are the low times. The times when the only thoughts that come are negative, and it seems impossible to step away from the persona of failure we have suddenly, and so easily, created of ourselves. If I was as unkind to my friends as I am to myself, I wouldn’t have any friends, and yet kindness to oneself does not seem to come easily. My blog and social media are vibrant places, full of colourful, nourishing food and meal inspiration, and I am a gregarious person, yet I doubt, second guess, and put myself down constantly. I’ve had a big disappointment with plans I made recently, and about which I was really excited. I’ve also not been feeling entirely well lately, and I had a cortisone injection in my hip a couple of weeks ago to see if it would have any effect on discomfort which I’ve been experiencing for the last two years. The pain has stopped me from being able to do yoga or running, both of which activities I love. Unfortunately, the injection has had no effect whatsoever, which is quite disappointing.

I set up a YouTube channel a little while ago, and I have a notebook crammed with ideas for videos, but my current mindset has really held me back from making progress with it. In fact, as I sit here now and reflect on the positive feedback I got from that first video, I can’t believe I’ve almost let myself come to where I am now, yet to change one’s mindset is such a challenge. I find talking about it to be so helpful though. I have a dear friend, who I’ve not even known for two years, but who I’ve found to be one of the kindest and sweetest people I know, and she has been sharing her own experiences with me. The insight of someone who is able to understand where you are coming from mentally is such a help. Owing to my gregariousness, I find myself oversharing frequently, and wishing I could just turn my mouth off in the middle of a sentence, or I find I’m trying to explain something about which I don’t want to give too much away, yet explaining it in part is too ambiguous and I end up giving more away than I intended. Yet paradoxically, writing all this down is a revelation and somewhat of a tonic.

As you will know if you’ve been reading for a while (and if you haven’t, welcome, and I apologise for the negative introduction to this post for what are, I promise you, utterly delicious coffee-flavoured delights), this website is all about encouraging people to eat healthily with exciting ingredients; to embrace the creativity inherent in cooking; to keep traditional cooking methods alive whilst combining them with nourishing ingredients which are of benefit to the body; and to eat as much nutritious, colourful food as possible. It’s funny the way one thing leads to another though. All this focus on a healthy lifestyle naturally leads into mental health, especially when one suffers from anxiety to varying extents, and has the tendency to descend into very low periods where one’s self-esteem and self-worth are non-existent. So I hope you will forgive my indulgence in delving into the inner-workings of my mind, and I hope that perhaps it will give you some comfort if you share these very frustrating tendencies. Perhaps this recipe will help you too. Making date balls is really quick, easy, and enjoyable, and you know that when you scrape the bowl of the food processor and gobble up the remnants, you are only putting goodness into your body!

Ingredients

• 2 tsp coffee granules dissolved in 1 tsp boiling water
• 180g pack Medjool dates
• 2 dessertspoons oat flour or oatmeal
• 50g almond butter
• 1 tbsp raw cacao
• 1 tsp maca powder, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• Cacao nibs

Equipment

• Food processor

Method

Stone the dates and chop into smaller pieces. Place in the food processor with the coffee, maple syrup, coconut oil and almond butter. Blitz until combined, then add the remaining ingredients except the cacao nibs and blitz again to combine.

Using a teaspoon, take blobs of the mixture and roll between your hands to create ten balls. Put the cacao nibs in one small bowl and some maca powder in another, and roll half the balls in each bowl, pressing the cacao nibs gently into the surface of the five balls.

Store in a lidded box in the fridge, and enjoy with a hot drink as an afternoon pick-me-up.

So, I know, it’s another date ball recipe, and I still haven’t made that promised dedicated date-ball-recipe page on the website, but I simply haven’t had a lot (actually any!) time to experiment with recipes lately, and this is one I’ve been meaning to publish for months. I promise they are delicious and that you’ll love them! If you can relate to any of what I’ve written about above and would like to share your own struggles and experiences, I would be so grateful to receive your comments and messages. You can leave a comment in the box at the bottom, or email me. Alternatively search Cooking for Sanity on Facebook and Instagram, or follow the links below to both.

Thank you for reading dear foodie followers; love and peace to you all.

Xxx Sam