Date Chocolate Nut Balls

For the past couple months, I haven't been consuming refined sugars. I will admit that I had a slice of this pie (sans the coconut) that I made on Thanksgiving and tasted a cookie or two over the Christmas Holidays, but for the most part, I haven't been eating it. I haven't been baking very much. I still make my kids cookies or muffins occasionally, but I don't always consume what I make. I also have been experimenting with other ways to enjoy sweet treats.

We are big LARABAR fans in this house. If you are familiar with those, you know that they can be a little bit pricey. Especially when a certain 9 year old wants to eat one- every. single. day. *sidenote- his favorite flavors are - Coconut Cream Pie, Cashew Cookie, and Chocolate Coconut Chew :D

I have seen multiple recipes for Homemade LaraBars and so, I bought a huge bag of dates a few weeks ago.

Long story short- These little Date Chocolate Nut Balls were the first thing that I made with my dates. They are kinda like little nuggets of a LaraBar.

These little treats are so good. They are just sweet enough to qualify as a treat and the perfect way to top off a meal. I made them when I was taking dinner to someone and kept quite a few for us. We have been enjoying them as snacks straight from the freezer. I worked out the calorie info and each one has about 40 calories. I will be making these over and over again.

Here is the recipe for Date Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
* I used a mixture of cashews, pecans, almonds, and hazelnuts instead of peanuts
* I used unsweetened coconut milk instead of water, just because I had it in the fridge

Weekly Lunchbox-Rachael Ray's Bento Lunch, Feta and Pasta Salad, Homemade Lunchable, and Apple-Date Bars

Welcome to this week's lunchbox. First we have Rachael Ray's Bento Lunch which consists of Candy Sushi (isn't that fun?), Tuna Pinwheel and Cold Sesame Noodles.
Next is a really delicious pasta salad, which you make the night before,as you do most of the Bento Lunch. I also make enough for those of us who stay at home, so we can have a great lunch too. My son is always begging for Lunchables, but I think they are too expensive. not to mention, unhealthy, and really how hard would it be to cut up some cheese, use a cookie cutter on a piece of lunchmeat and throw in a veggie? So, we made our own "Lunchable" and I felt much better sending it with him, because it was less-fattening and more fun. Lastly, a healthy little snack bar- The Apple-Date Bars, a yummy little sweet treat. So, have fun this week with something a little bit tastier in your lunchbox!

Candy Sushi From Every Day with Rachael Ray

4 large marshmallows

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 cup rice cereal

2 cherry or strawberry twists, such as Twizzlers

2 fruit roll-ups

In a small saucepan, melt the marshmallows with the butter over low heat. Add the rice cereal and stir to coat; let cool slightly. Cut the cherry twists to the length of the fruit roll-ups. Unroll the fruit roll-ups and peel off the plastic film. Place half of the rice cereal mixture on the edge of each roll-up. Place the twists in the center of the rice mixture and roll up the candy sushi. Cut into 2-inch pieces.

Was-sup Tuna Salad Pinwheels From Every Day with Rachael Ray

1/4 teaspoon wasabi paste, a blob the size of a pea

1 tablespoon tamari (dark soy sauce), eyeball it

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 scallions, chopped

One 6-ounce can water-packed tuna, drained and flaked with a fork

1 large (10 inch) flour tortilla

1 cup fresh baby spinach

1. In a small bowl, mix the wasabi with the tamari and the oil; add the scallions and tuna and mash with a fork to combine.

2. Heat a large skillet over high heat and blister the tortilla for about 30 seconds on each side to soften and toast. Transfer the tortilla to the countertop and let cool for about 1 minute.

3. Top the tortilla with an even layer of the spinach and then the tuna salad. Fold 2 sides of the tortilla over the tuna and tightly roll up the tortilla to enclose the salad. Cut into 1-inch-thick slices to make the pinwheels.

Cold Ginger, Soy and Honey Sesame Noodles From Every Day with Rachael Ray

2 teaspoons peanut butter

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons tamari (dark soy sauce), eyeball it

1 teaspoon sesame oil (eyeball it)

1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1/4 pound whole wheat spaghetti, cooked and rinsed under cold water

1 tablespoon light sesame seeds, toasted over medium-low heat for 3 minutes (optional)

In a medium microwavable bowl, heat the peanut butter in the microwave oven on high until melted, 15 to 20 seconds. Whisk the honey and tamari into the peanut butter, then whisk in the sesame oil and ginger. Toss the spaghetti with the sauce and top with the sesame seeds, if you want to go really groovy with the noodles.

Feta and Pasta Salad from kids' healthy lunchbox by cara hobday

1 cup whole wheat pasta

2 Tbls olive oil

6 oz reduced fat feta, cut into cubes

3 Tbls salsa

3/4 cup bottled roasted red peppers, chopped

2 zucchini, diced

1 cup fresh green beans, chopped or broken into pieces

Cook pasta according to pkg directions. Drain and rinse with cool water. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, and salsa. Add the peppers, zucchini, feta, and green beans. Stir in the pasta. season with salt and pepper and let refrigerate overnight.

Homemade Lunchable by Mary Ann

6 or more crackers (I used whole wheat Ritz)

6 slices mozzarella cheese (I cut it myself)

6 circles of low-fat lunchmeat, cut with a small round cookie cutter

very thinly sliced cucumber

Pack all slices in a plastic container and let child stack at school.

Apple-Date Bars slightly adapted from Lunch Lessons- by Ann Cooper and Lisa Holmes
5 Tbls butter, plus extra for the pan
2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

3 Tbls 2% milk

1/2 cup peeled and chopped apple

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground allspice

1/2 cup walnut pieces

1/2 cup pitted and chopped dried dates

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9x12-inch pan.

Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the egg and milk. Stir in the apple. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, mix thoroughly. Stir in the nuts and dates. Spread the dough in the greased pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and all to cool for 10 minutes before cutting in 18 2x3-inch pieces.

Chocolate Chip Cookies, 2 Ways- Oatmeal-Date-Chocolate Cookies and Dorie's "My best Chocolate Chip Cookies"

When Dorie said "They're thin and crisp and a bit chewy in the center..", she wasn't kidding about the thin and crisp part. My husband loves chocolate chip cookies. He prefers the refrigerated cookie dough that you slap on the baking sheet, but I wanted to find a great homemade recipe that he would love too. I have made the oatmeal-date cookies before, but my hubby doesn't really like all that other stuff to be going on in his cookie. I am so shocked to say that I didn't love these chocolate chip cookies, Dories, that is. They spread so thin and were so crispy, I have never had that happen before. They looked nothing like the picture in the book. So with the next batch, I stuck the baking sheet in the fridge, as well as the dough, and made sure it was very chilled, so it wouldn't spread as fast. Same result. Hmmm....... don't get me wrong, they were still okay, but not something that I am going to make again. The oatmeal-date variety are great. I will make them again and it is nice to know they don't use an entire stick of butter! (Dorie's cookies below, all other pics are the Oatmeal Date)


Oatmeal-Date-Chocolate Cookies from Health Magazine

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup whole-wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups regular oats

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 lightly beaten egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pitted dates

3 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350º. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and add brown sugar. Stir until smooth.

In a medium bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda, oats, and salt. Combine the butter mixture with the dry ingredients, and add egg, vanilla, and chopped dates. Fold in bittersweet chocolate. Mix well and spoon mixture by tablespoon-fulls out onto lightly greased (or silicone baking mat–covered) baking sheets.

Bake for 12 minutes, until tops are dry to the touch.

Dorie's-"My best Chocolate Chip Cookies"- from Baking by Dorie Greenspan

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

12 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped or 2 cups store-bought chips

1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Center a rack in the over and preheat to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment.
Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.

Beat butter for 1 minute on medium speed, until smooth. Add sugars and beat for another 2 minutes or so, until well blended. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 3 portions, mixing only until each addition is incorporated. On low speed, or by hand with a rubber spatula, mix in the chocolate and nuts.

Spoon the dough by slightly rounded tablespoonsfuls onto the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until brown at the edges and golden in the middle; they may be a little soft in the center and that's just fine. Pull the sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for 1 minute, then carefully, using a wide metal spatula, transfer them to racks to cool to room temperature.

Repeat with the remainder of the dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.