Nut Bombs!

This recipe is a combination of a recipe that my genius friend TW gave me, and one that was recommended by Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride, I think it may have been in her wonderful book, Put Your Heart in Your Mouth.   Everyone should read this book, by the way.  It is an easy and quick read but if the suggestions are followed, the only possible outcome will be improved health and a deepened understanding of what real food is and why we should be eating it.  Exclusively.

I make this recipe when life gets hectic and neither of us has time to cook properly.  It offers a quick and simple way to grab a high-energy snack to meet the six-meals-a-day requirement of the sugar handling diet.  Yep, we are still on it.  I just got a check-up and my numbers all dropped....adrenals and blood sugar handling abilities were off-the-chart bad, and these numbers are already about half what they were mere weeks ago.  Now I have renewed resolve to continue and get these numbers even lower....besides, the food is great, the hubby is melting the pounds off, and we both have tons of energy and so much to do in the spring on the farmlet.

If you are a more visual learner,  watch me making Nut Bombs in real time on this ten minute video.  If you have dial-up, I've include the basic instructions below.

I made two batches today, "regular" and chocolate.  The former is strict SHD (sugar handling diet) and the latter is a very mild cheat.  Very mild.  Barely.

There are three main ingredients in this recipe, and no cooking is required....just a little melting.  The variations are endless, though, so use your imagination and make them according to your tastes and enjoy a quick and healthy snack to keep you going on a long, busy day....without crashing.  Really.  No crashes.  Just steady energy.

You need two types of healthy fat, extra virgin organic coconut oil and pastured butter are the basic ones.  If you are avoiding dairy, you still can usually tolerate ghee, which is clarified butter.  You can clarify it yourself simply by melting in gently and scooping the clear butter oil off the top. 

Now don't say "yuk..." but an option for good fats is also lard from pastured pigs, and even bacon grease from pastured pigs, chemical free.  This fat is NOT like the lard you might find in the store, and to my knowledge the only way to get it is to make it yourself from pigs that you know for a fact have been raised on pasture on a good diet....you know the farmer by name.  So for most people, this is not likely an option.  When I use lard, I mix it with the coconut oil and the butter, as these two have wonderful flavor.

The third ingredient is nuts and/or seeds of your choice.  You will grind some into a nut butter or meal, or you may purchase organic nut butter for this part of the recipe.  Then you will choose nuts, seeds, coconut shreds, and maybe some bits of dried fruit if you are not strictly on the SHD. 

You may also choose to add a small amount of honey, preferably raw local wildflower honey.  Or....*GASP!*....chocolate!  I like to use an ounce or so of 80-90% chocolate and a couple of packets of powdered stevia to a batch for a nice sweet treat.

Melt your choice of fats together in a double boiler or in a stainless steel bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Add a shake of sea salt if desired, and the nut butter of choice.  I use about a half cup each of these three ingredients, but any amount can be used.  While that is melting, fill the wells of an ice cube tray with your choice of fillings...nuts, seeds, coconut, dried fruit.

When the fats/butters are melted and rather liquid, pour the mixture over the fillings and let it get into all the spaces between the nuts and seeds.  Place the tray in the fridge to firm up.  Later, you can either cover the tray with wrap or pop the cubes out and store them in a container in the fridge. 

I also make up some in small jars to bring in my lunch and eat it with a small spoon at room temperature.  Yummy!  Today I worked on three massage therapy clients, all needing deep tissue work, and had no lag in energy.  My food for the afternoon was an avocado and one small jar (4 oz) of Nut Bomb.  Remember, our bodies run very, very efficiently on good fats...as long as our digestive system is handling it with good bile production and good hydrochloric acid.  Both of these can be supplemented if we need a little help for a while.

If you want to fancy them up a bit, you can dust them lightly with unsweetened cocoa powder and call them truffles. 

Remember, fat doesn't make you fat!  Sugar, refined flours, many grains, and bad fats will make you fat.  Nut Bombs won't.  Enjoy!