Nut-free Bliss Balls

So I was feeling really organised - I'd chosen a handful of favourite recipes to prep and freeze for school lunches and was all set to start. Then I remembered that my youngest is starting kindy and all the food we provide has to be nut-free. *face palm*

At least I remembered now and not on the first day!

So back to square one with the recipes.

I whipped up these nut-free bliss balls to go in the freezer and will add 1 to his lunchbox every day. I got 16 out of this batch so they should last us about 6 weeks as long as sneaky fingers don't sneak them out of the freezer!

If your child will notice and freak out about the visible green from the pepitas, by all means, roll the bliss balls in coconut to cover them up. Mine don't care luckily as I had run out of desiccated coconut!

With the dates, these are definitely not a low-sugar option but they tick lots of other boxes and will be a great high energy snack for my very active 4-year-old.

Enjoy!

Nut-free Bliss Balls

1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pepitas
1 cup dried dates (soaked in boiling water for 5 mins and drained)
1 heaped tbs raw cacao
1 ts vanilla extract
pinch salt
5 drops Wild Orange essential oil (optional - I only use and recommend doTERRA)
2/3 cup desiccated coconut (optional - extra to roll the balls in)

Place the dates in a small heat-proof bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soften for 5 minutes. Drain and place into your food processor or Thermomix bowl.

Add all remaining ingredients and process until the mixture is sticky and clumps together (TMX SP 5 / 30 secs).

Roll mixture into balls and if desired, into desiccated coconut.

Store in fridge or freezer.

Makes approx 16

What are your favourite nut-free school snacks? Please share some recipes below as I need a refresher!

Susan xx

Raspberry Jelly Ice Blocks

Summer has well and truly arrived here in Brisbane. It's steamy and sticky, the kind of weather where you're still sweating when you step out of a cold shower!

All that really means though is it's DEFINITELY ice block weather.

I've been making batch after batch of ice blocks and icy poles for the kids these holidays, nothing particularly fancy. Often just whatever fruit we haved whizzed up or even just fruit juice with coconut water.

We have a gorgeous set of stainless steel ice block moulds and a couple of sets of silicone icy pole moulds. These are much better options than plastic, even if they say BPA free.

These jelly ice blocks were an experiment, hoping they would fill the kids up a little with the addition of protein-rich gelatin plus, being jelly, they don't drip so much! A big plus when they start melting the instant they come out of the freezer.

I love the combo of raspberry and orange but you could use whatever fruit and juice you have. I added a couple of drops of Wild Orange essential oil to pump up the flavour, but that's totally optional (delicious though!).

The first batch I made I didn't bother straining the mixture but the kids definitely preferred it strained and seed-free.

If you make them let me know what you think!

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Raspberry Jelly Ice Blocks

1 cup fresh orange juice
2 cups frozen raspberries, thawed
1-2 tbs sweetener of choice (I use rice malt syrup)
2 ts good quality gelatin (I use Changing Habits or Great Lakes)
2-3 drops Wild Orange essential oil

Place the juice, raspberries and sweetener into your food processor or Thermomix and blitz for about 10 seconds until well combined.

Pour into a saucepan and set over low heat. Once just warm (not hot), sprinkle over the gelatin and leave for 1 minute. Using a whisk, whisk the jelly mixture until smooth.

Strain into a pouring jug, then pour into your ice block moulds.

Place into the freezer to set.

Enjoy!

Susan xx