Spring is in the air here in our South African countryside. And with it hope! The hope of new life. The hope of new beginnings. The air is filled with bird sound as well as the fragrances of spring blossoms on the fruit and nut trees here on our homestead. We have a few small patches of the (famous to SA) wild Namaqualand daisies. The greatest natural wildflower show on earth, our Namaqualand daisies attract thousands of annual visitors at the end of the South African winter. And no wonder. With the sudden appearance of mile upon mile of this exquisite carpet of wild daisies it can't but leave a passerby breathless!
I love colour. I love my fresh fruits and veggies. And with the splashes of colour on our homestead I decided to whip up a colourful contribution for my favourite challenge. As @plantstoplanks so rightly states #fruitsandveggiesmonday will "perk your day right up! This is the contest where rain or shine we are still guaranteed a rainbow of beautiful fruits and veggies". Initiated by @lenasveganliving, and hosted by @plantstoplanks I have enjoyed the colour that it has added to the face of Steemit.
For today's recipe, in true keeping with my pregnancy preferences, I'm sharing my calcium and magnesium enriched Carob Ball treat. I was given this recipe by a woman who used to feast on these healthy snacks only when she was pregnant. When I met her she was about to pop baby number 6. I guess the Carob Balls are THAT GOOD!!! They are also very easy. They are made up in three equal parts of these ingredients.
CAROB BALL RECIPE:
1 cup carob powder
1 cup tahini
1 cup chopped dates, nuts and seeds
Always soak nuts and seeds for a minimum of 4 hours but up to overnight. Drain and dry. Today I used walnuts (an excellent brain food) pumpkin and sunflower (zinc and an excellent energy boost). Plus a generous portion of majool dates. On our recent trip to the beautiful Kalahari we were blessed to buy a few kg of fresh majool. Apart from being my favourite health candy, dates are also excellent for labour. I keep them frozen so into my recipe they go.
Because the dates sweeten the Carob Balls quite a bit you only need a little extra sweetening. A tablespoon of maple syrup is more than enough. Make sure to have enough tahini to make a soft and pliable dough. Use a spoon to mix. Carob and tahini are both high in calcium and magnesium as well as having oodles of other health benefits. Both are fiber-rich foods and carob is loaded with antioxidants. Tahini has an assortment of minerals essential for pregnancy; such as iron, selenium and zinc.
The sticky part of the recipe is rolling the bite size balls. It takes a bit of time and is not advisable to snack on until frozen. Yip, you read correctly. These yummy treats need to be kept frozen. They don't freeze solidly but are surprisingly disappointing to eat unless they are frozen! Carob Balls will last months in the freezer, if you can restrain yourself that long! While I wouldn't exchange chocolate with carob I can appreciate the flavour and health benefits of carob. It is a superfood in its own right and just up my alley for a sweet snack with my hot Rooibos tea.
Yummy snack indeed
Indeed @michelnilles
Hello my Dear Tracey! I am always happy when you join us, because you always bring something very special to our table.; besides your lovely personality!
I absolutely adore that colorful photo! I never saw anything like it! I wish I could come for the visit and runaway from winter that is up on us here in Canada! I also love the mouthwatering, easy to make and incredibly nutritious recipe! The fact that they must be kept is the freezer is very interesting 🌸💖🌸
Running away from the really chilly winter climates to our beautiful African coast is a wonderful idea @lenasveganliving! And you wouldn't be the first. We have plenty of international tourists over summer. It is really a beautiful country. And you can see why I was inspired to add the splash of colour to my post!
Oh my goodness! I would love that so much Tracey 🌸😍🌸
You’ve been visited by @porters on behalf of Natural Medicine!
What a truly amazing sight with your Namaqualand daisies - spectacular to see! Is that the flower featured in your food photos? Your post was making me hungry for those delicious carob balls - I think I'll have to go mix myself a batch - such a simple recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much @porters and @naturalmedicine!
Oh my word, I have to try these, it looks so yum! I was buying fresh medjool dates from my veggie man a while back, will definitely buy enough when it's available and freeze them, they were absolutely delicious!
I still have to go and see the flowers, it looks spectacular!
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Yum!!!! These look amazing just like those wild daisies :) The color is simply spectacular, another of Mother Natures spring surprises! Oh, and btw congrats on the pregnancy!! When are you due? This is so exciting to hear. I see you are taking good care of yourself and baby to be. Cheers to you and the family.
Thank you @birdsinparadise. Only a couple weeks to go......
Those fields of flowers look spectacular what a great setting for displaying and eating those healthy treats. I like a recipe that is special in sits for awhile so you think about it... you wrote 'soak nuts and seeds for a minimum of 4 hours' ..and yet also very simple to make and lets not forget super healthy.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment!
Everything in this post looked so delish....! I love the colorful field....spectacular!
Thank you @mers. the daisies are spectacular!
Always such a pleasure when you are able to join us! I would gladly take a whole bowl of those delicious balls! Tahini and dates are a staple in my kitchen, though I think I have all the rest of the healthy nuts and seeds, as well. Might have to whip up some of these myself. Those fields of flowers are so stunning to see! I can only imagine how magical that is to see in person. Lovely that you are entering into the Spring with the promise of new life in your own household so close at hand!
Looks good and healthy.
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wonderful snack and gorgeous colors
Love it.