Fruit + Nut Truffles

Here's my first "Loving Lately" post, where I list out a few things that I have come to really like over the past few weeks. What have you been loving lately? Anything on this list? I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.

Things I've Been Loving Lately:

• Stripes - everywhere, in all colors/sizes/directions.
• My camera - my parents got me my own DSLR camera in December, and I am so entertained by figuring out the settings and taking random (and probably obnoxious) pictures of my dogs and my food.
• The 1975 (an indie rock band) - I recently bought a deluxe pack of 39 songs, and I totally love it. The drums are my favorite part.
• Sting lights - I recently put some up on the wall above my desk.
• Fonts - all kinds, especially handmade fonts
• Terracyling - a new wrapper recycling program that the Green Club at my school recently set up. I'm so impressed how the students have all caught on and the school's amount of waste has diminished.
• Almondmilk creamer - I still don't drink coffee, but the vanilla-flavored creamer tastes amazing in oatmeal!
• The Neighborhood (an alternative rock/pop band) - I discovered them over winter break and still regularly listen to their album "I Love You" on repeat.
• Of course, these mega-yummy and über-healthy Fruit + Nut Truffles!

Have you heard of energy bites or bliss balls? They're basically a combination of nuts and dried fruit (and sometimes oats) into a dough, which is then rolled into balls. I like the idea of combining dried fruit and nuts, but I always felt like there was something missing. Can you guess what it is? Here's a hint: it begins with "choc-" and ends with "-olate."

I made myself some really easy energy bites form just raisins and soaked cashews. I added in some soaked chia seeds and flax seeds for extra protein and fiber. Naturally, I also added in some cocoa powder before forming the dough into balls. I rolled the little balls in more cocoa powder and suddenly I no longer had simple energy bites. I had created chocolate truffles, and they were amazing.

Fruit + Nut Truffles
(makes 8-10 truffles)

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup raisins
• 5 tablespoons cashews
• 2 tablespoons of chia or flax seeds
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Soak the cashews and seeds in the water for at least 30 minutes, preferably more. Drain the water.
2. Combine the soaked cashews and seeds in a blender with the raisins and 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder. Blend until it forms a thick paste.
3. Form the paste into spheres and leave in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
4. Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and roll them in the remaining cocoa powder. Serve the truffles straight out of the refrigerator.