• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Secondary Navigation Social Media Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Vimeo
YOGUE

YOGUE

Yoga Inspired Life Style

  • About
    • About Insiya
    • Published Writing
    • Yogue in the Press
    • Contact
    • Calendar
    • Subscribe
    • Get on my Mailing List
  • Recipes
  • Ayurveda
  • Yoga
  • Wellness
    • Life
    • Parenting
    • People
    • Explore
  • Home

Bliss “ball” ology…!

Apr. 23, 2014

If you know me, you know that I love cooking and eating whole, natural foods, which is why I am so excited about the Blissology Project Commitment #4: eating food that’s high on the pranameter(TM).  It makes sense, right?  If we eat food that comes from a natural, prana (energy) filled source (ideally no factories between you and your food) we are going to be more radiantly alive?

To celebrate that awesome connection between this simple idea: we are what we eat, here’s a recipe for some blissology “bliss” balls, made with organic, raw ingredients and a whole lotta love.

Speaking of which, I love bliss balls.  I think the first super-awesomely healthy one I ever had was at Capers on W. 4th Avenue in Kitsilano, before Capers was bought out by Wild Oats, and then of course by Whole (Paycheck) Foods!  I loved the cocoa ones, because of the rich, decadent chocolate-y taste, the flaky coconut and yet the healthy sweetness of no artificial sugar, just some good, whole foods.

I’ve experimented with various recipes since then.  These are my current favorites.  If you’re a busy mom, yogi, tri-athlete or simply just someone like the rest of us, on the go, try these bliss balls as a to-go snack.  They’re great for kids, perfect for a long bike ride, hike or just simply as an anytime/anywhere energy boost.

Full of rich antioxidants like walnuts, lemon zest, dates, raw cocoa powder, cocoa nibs and coconut, they are also easy to make.  Sometimes I add cinnamon and dried powdered ginger to them, sometimes cardamom, sometimes a hint of chipotle chili pepper to speed up your metabolism and add some heat.  It all depends!  Lemon juice and zest really uplifts the taste – I got this handy tip from my good friend the lovely natural foods chef Judy Chambers, and I have to say, I do think these are actually better than those Caper’s bliss balls now! 🙂

Let me know what creative variations you come up with!!! Lavender anyone?

Insiya’s Bliss “ball” ogy Bliss Balls:
1 cup raw organic walnuts (or almonds or cashews)
1/2 cup shredded organic coconut
1/4 cup raw organic coconut oil (softened)
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa powder (i like the cocoa camino brand)
handful of cocoa nibs (navitas is yummy)
zest from 1 organic lemon
juice from 1 organic lemon
healthy pinch of sea salt
handful of mejdool dates (or other soft dates) de-seeded
spices to taste

Method:
Coarsely chop dates, add everything into a food processor, process until the mixture gets thick and clumpy.  I like it a bit granular, not too smooth, so a few minutes is usually about all you need.  Taste for sweetness and spice / flavor.  Adjust accordingly and pulse a few more times if you need to.  Then empty the mixture out into a bowl or large rimmed plate.  Form into little balls in your palms and roll in a plate of shredded coconut.  Place on a platter or in a box within layers of parchment paper and chill.

And do try to restrain yourself from eating them all at once!

Tweet
PinIt

Category: Blog, Recipes Tags: bliss balls, blissology, cocoa camino, dates, healthy, insiya, navitas naturals, organic, power snacks, raw, snacks, toddlereats, yoga, yogue food

← Previous Post
Juicy life: Celery Cilantro Quencher
Next Post →
Be Healthy + Delicious

You may also like

A Yoga Routine for when you feel crummy.
Daily Habits for Happiness
The Bali BLISS List: Our Fav Yogi Friendly Cafes in Canggu

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Barb McRae says

    October 5, 2011 at 9:35 pm

    mmmmm, I’m going to make these tonight!! I love healthy sweets 😉 Thanks for the recipe, Barb

    Reply
  2. Yogue says

    October 5, 2011 at 9:43 pm

    you are so welcome!

    Reply
  3. Natalie says

    October 8, 2011 at 7:02 am

    These look fab! I think I will use a mix of nuts – and some dried apricot or apple would be a nice addition too! Thanks so much for the inspiration!

    Reply
  4. Lisa says

    October 22, 2011 at 8:14 pm

    Hi Insiya! These look great! Have you ever tried making them with a different oil? Coconut oil is high in saturated fat – I was wondering if it would work with olive oil?

    Reply
    • Yogue says

      October 26, 2011 at 6:35 am

      Hi Lisa,
      You are right that coconut oil is high in saturated fats, however it is the “good saturated fat” Here is some more info that may help: Why is Coconut oil unique and unlike any other fat?

      “Coconut oil is made up of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA’s). Two-thirds of the saturated fat in coconut oil is a medium-chain saturated fat. This important fact deserves clarification as MCFA’s actually helps us to lose weight, lower cholesterol, improve diabetic conditions and reduce the risk of heart disease.

      One of the most outstanding benefits of consuming MCFA’s is that they do not require the liver and gallbladder to digest and emulsify them. This means instant energy and increased thermogenesis (increased metabolic rate in the body) which leads to more heat production as well as improved circulation. For anyone with impaired fat digestion or a removed gallbladder, coconut oil is the only oil to consume as it is very easily digested.
      MCFA’s are also known for having antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties, so they are beneficial to our immune system. In addition, coconut oil assists people with under-active thyroids by increasing the metabolic rate of the body and creating more energy.”

      Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/022313.html#ixzz1bror08yo
      I really feel strongly that coconut oil in moderation as part of a healthy, balanced diet is good for you.
      For this recipe, another nice option is also to use a little bit of almond butter to bind the other ingredients together. However I do like coconut oil both for the taste and health benefits. Hope this helps! cheers.

      Reply
  5. sd says

    November 18, 2011 at 10:02 pm

    I use almond butter

    Reply
  6. Brittany Rickett Nadeau says

    January 9, 2012 at 12:33 am

    Thanks so much for this recipe. These are my 5 year olds new favourite school snack!

    Reply
    • Yogue says

      January 9, 2012 at 1:12 am

      you are so welcome!!! that is great!!! peace.

      Reply
  7. Anita says

    July 5, 2014 at 2:31 am

    Delicious !! Thanks so much for the recipe!
    I made them with cashews as didn’t have enough walnuts & added ginger and cinnamon – my 2 favourite spices !
    (The lemon juice gives the balls a nice kick)
    I will try with alternative ingredients next time 🙂

    Reply
    • admin says

      July 5, 2014 at 5:38 pm

      I love cinnamon and ginger! Yummy.

      Reply
      • Anita says

        January 10, 2015 at 6:32 am

        Hi Insiya,
        I made the bliss balls again – this time with walnuts & goji berries … Taste better than my first attempt 🙂

        Reply
        • yogue says

          September 30, 2015 at 7:51 pm

          that sounds delicious Anita!!!

          Reply
  8. Andrea says

    July 5, 2014 at 6:42 am

    sounds & looks yummy! i’ll have to try them, especially handy since I’m at a yoga workshop this weekend 🙂 one question: do you also put the shredded coconut into the bliss balls or only roll them in it?

    Reply
    • admin says

      July 5, 2014 at 5:37 pm

      Hi Andrea, if the mixture is too moist definitely add some shredded coconut into the balls and then roll them in it also, if the mixture is of a good consistency, ie. rollable and not too sticky you may not need to. Let me know how it goes xoxo

      Reply
  9. Ayesha says

    March 9, 2015 at 7:03 pm

    Hi Insiya! I can’t wait to try these! Quick question- where does the sweetness come from? Is it the dates? I’m using unsweetened cocoa powder and unsweetened nibs so was wondering if this was going to be bitter?

    Keep these recipes coming!

    Reply
    • yogue says

      September 30, 2015 at 7:53 pm

      The sweetness does come from the dates. I use unsweetened cacao and cocoa nibs as well and find they have the right amount of sweetness. Let me know how it goes. Will keep more recipes coming. xo

      Reply
  10. Sarah Jane Cockell says

    October 1, 2018 at 4:04 am

    Hi Insiya, if I use the almond meal left over from making almond milk, do I need to add anything? More moisture? something sticky? Or is it fine as it is?

    Reply
    • yogue says

      October 6, 2018 at 6:25 am

      Hi Sarah, I think I may have confused you talking about almond meal. I don’t use the almond meal leftover from making almond milk for anything except the compost bin. Since this meal does have the peel, it is not the best for our bellies. Almond skin is not the easiest to digest say all my ayurveda teachers, which is why when we eat almonds, we recommend soaking and peeling the almonds. If the almond meal has no skins, I would use it in bliss balls and there is a recipe on the blog here: https://www.yogue.ca/bliss-ball-ology/ you can use some of the almond meal to sub in for coconut. thanks!!! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Sara Rasiwala says

    April 10, 2019 at 4:47 am

    I made them today for friends . They are delicious .

    Reply
    • yogue says

      April 19, 2019 at 10:05 pm

      oh, amazing! so happy to hear.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

ABOUT YOGUE  Hi, I'm Insiya. Journey with me as we live slow, scatter beauty and tread lightly on the planet.

Find me online

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Vimeo

Recipes

Spiced Apple Almond Muffins

Once there was a busy mama and yoga teacher who … [Read More...] about Spiced Apple Almond Muffins

Simple Spiced Summer Oatmeal

Summer has been rushing by...   until we arrived … [Read More...] about Simple Spiced Summer Oatmeal

Ayurvedic Chai: My Favorite Recipe

Contrary to popular belief, an oh-too-sweet chai … [Read More...] about Ayurvedic Chai: My Favorite Recipe

Summer Popsicles: with an Ayurvedic Twist

We love popsicles around here in the … [Read More...] about Summer Popsicles: with an Ayurvedic Twist

Menu

  • About
    • About Insiya
    • Published Writing
    • Yogue in the Press
    • Contact
    • Calendar
    • Subscribe
    • Get on my Mailing List
  • Recipes
  • Ayurveda
  • Yoga
  • Wellness
    • Life
    • Parenting
    • People
    • Explore
  • Home

insiyafinn

Yesterday was so life affirming and heart filling! Yesterday was so life affirming and heart filling!!! 

We got out on a hike in sooke and I’m so proud of my mama for traversing some steep climbs and even more steep and rocky downhill paths. I felt energized and so happy to be outside in a forest that smelled cool and fresh and pine-resin-y… @theblissologist and lion even got into the icy cold glacial streams and then we picked up grandma @carolefinnartist and enjoyed some delicious pizza on the deck @stokedpizzeria near sombrio…

My family kept cautioning me to not push myself - but honestly and truly I think I was just high on feeling alive and being amidst the waterfalls and green of what has turned into a very hot spring (climate change is real friends…)…

Yesterday was such an affirmation of how much we all need to be outside to reconnect within to what really matters…

Thanks ananda lion for making me a mama 12 years ago and thanks to my mom @sararasiwala for your love always… also it made me so happy that eoin got to see his mama too! Life is short. Keep those you love close and fill it with beauty and kindness.

Ps. I did wear a dress hiking (just because) and I am very tired today but was it worth it? YES ❤️

#yogue #mothersday #family #familymatters #healing #healinsiya #healcancer #cancerthriver
Photo sprinkles… Stepping out into spring. L- Photo sprinkles… 

Stepping out into spring.

L-R: A Saturday picnic w @yogalink + Carole + dingo the bali dog and my mom. Thanks for the chai @sararasiwala 😁 and the pic @theblissologist ✨
Blossoms on the hill.
Blossoms inside :)
Homemade spinach and mushroom quiche.. so good 💫
Pakoras by mom… aka delish chickpea fritters 
Daisies :)
And
Apricot nectar and strawberries yesterday… 
/ shadows and sunshine :) 
Heart shaped flowers…

Feeling all this golden light and springtime goodness. :) 

🌺💕☀️

#healingjourney #wholefoods #growth #changes #shift #insiyafinn #healinsiya #healcancer
So I decided to share this picture here because fi So I decided to share this picture here because firstly today was so special. I got to see a dear dear friend who I haven’t seen since before the pandemic and we got to finally connect a few steps away from home. Yes this is currently Victoria (or it was this morning when the sun was bright and warm)…

And yet this morning was hard won. Yesterday after weeks of things going relatively well I had what is called a partical blockage with my ileostomy. I think it was caused by my not chewing my lunch as slowly as I normally do…(I will blame this on both being v hungry and that my dear mom’s cooking is dangerously delicious) 😁 when my girlfriend came to see me yesterday, I had low energy and a strange cramping sensation in the stomach and lower rib area. This progressively got worse and worse until my body with all its wisdom tried to push my lunch out of me. In other words I threw up. Consistently and continuously.

Meanwhile life at home continued on. My son arrived home after a canoeing weekend. I needed back rubs w tiger balm or whatever would help in the moment; and tried to help organize dinner. And my friend later that evening shared how she felt the privilege of being here to help and to witness the rough stuff. Which just felt so dear and real and loving.

And this is why I want to share this story today. It feels scary to put all of this out into the world but I have been thinking that when we hide the hard things behind walls of fear or worry about what others will think, I think we curtail our capacity to be loving, compassionate humans. After all at our core we want the same things. To live and love well. I feel like I share a lot here but I have found it hard to write about the really gnarly moments. There have been so many. What I will say I am so thankful for however is that because I have experienced so much with the ileostomy, I knew I had to ride the waves of pain out until they stopped. And they did and I finally slept last night and stayed out of emerg at the hospital.

And awoke to a new day. And a new opportunity to make the most of this precious moment.

Thanks for being here!

#healcancer #healinsiya #viclife #oakbay #friendship
It’s three weeks post my big surgery. The last f It’s three weeks post my big surgery. The last fortnight has been a wave of highs and lows. It felt like every time I felt a little better something new would happen again that I needed to understand and navigate. 

Meanwhile my inner mind has been a whirling w so so much. I have so many thoughts and so many ideas every day. And having to still be quite still has forced me to pay attention to them. 

The word that keeps coming up is reclamation - reclaiming who I am and how I want to live my life moving forward… life seems a little less like I’m on the edge of a precipice - except in the middle of the night - but things still feel urgent - like I will run out of time before I get to do all the things I would like to. And I have been trying to stay true and listen to the emotions that come up as I continue to navigate the journey beyond - which as yet is a big unknown! 

Today was an easy day to reclaim how much living in harmony with our seasons means to me. How much I love being outside. This afternoon mom and I went for a glorious walk in the sunshine and then lion, our pup and I had some weeding fun in the garden. 

A friend asked me how I am feeling earlier today. I guess the answer today is so happy and grateful to be here and to live in such a beautiful place to call home close to the ocean and sea lions and the meadows and flowers and forests. I am cherishing these little moments. They feel big these days.

Thanks for being here. Xo 

#healing #gratitude #gardening #healinsiya #healcancer #coloncancercanada

📷 @sararasiwala 💖
Today is a reminder for myself and possibly you as Today is a reminder for myself and possibly you as well to not get discouraged… 

Recovery takes time.

there are moments of feeling on top of the world and there are others where I feel flat and tired. 

There is my mind trying to propel me forward beyond the constraints of my body; and my body then signaling with a sharp outcry - you cannot do X, please rest. 

There is life with all its chaos and wants and needs coming at you, because you don’t live in a bubble, the ones you are in relationship with also have needs… 

And so you remind yourself that all you can do is keep showing up now, in this moment, in the best way possible… don’t do more, it’s not necessary- especially right now…

Be gentle today. Happy Sunday.

🙏🏼❤️✨

#journal #healing #recovery #cancer #healcancer #healinsiya #slowlife #yogalife #mentalhealth
Home again. Short - very short and slow - walks do Home again.
Short - very short and slow - walks down our street.
Strawberries at breakfast.
So many Hugs from my son.
Back rubs from my husband
My mom’s continuous kindnesses that keep the day humming.
Friends saying hello and bringing food and tinctures.
And flowers that I cut from our wild garden tonight which is coming alive with all sorts of surprises.

I had tulips in my hospital room the entire 11 days and I can tell you how much they inspired me. As their petals opened up slowly I grew stronger and more able every day after surgery. I saw the colors shining against the dull hues of the room when I awoke each morning and in the sunshine they glistened.

Flowers have healing powers say researchers, apparently patients who can see trees and flowers from their hospital windows vs those who cannot, take less pain medication and have shorter hospital stays… and yes they both relax and uplift us. 

I’ve always loved flowers. Only now I understand why.

Happy weekend!
#grateful #flowers #healingpowerofflowers #healcancer #healinsiya #natureheals #holisticwellness
Load More Follow on Instagram

Footer

Live slow, tread lightly, scatter beauty.

More

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Vimeo

Search

Copyright © 2023 · Your Site Name

Lexi Theme by Code + Coconut

 

Loading Comments...