September Ball of the Month

Hey, ballers! This is your last Ball of the Month recipe for a while. Hopefully you have enough recipes to stock your freezer for a long time. And, hopefully I have inspired you to create some of your own ball concoctions! I haven't quite decided what recipes to throw at you next, so stay tuned. It has been a super busy fall so far with two girls in high school and a son in multiple sports and music activities. It's homecoming weekend here for my girls, the weather has been perfect, and I am starting to buy cans of pumpkin every time I'm at the store. Bars, pancakes, bread, muffins, smoothies--so many ways to use it and enjoy it. Come January, I am usually sick of it, so I put it to rest until fall comes around again. Since my very first blog post was a pumpkin ball recipe, I wanted to come full circle with something that was also kind of fall-ish with warm spices. So, this month, it's Carrot Cake Protein Balls, my friends. They are grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and really yummy, so give them a try. You will feel like you are indulging in carrot cake without the guilt or the need for frosting. You can either add raisins or dried pineapple to this recipe, and I went with the pineapple this time, which makes them extra sweet. I have a little six-pound Yorkie that literally stands right at my feet EVERY time I am in the kitchen just waiting for me to drop something. So, I get a little scared when I am working with raisins. It's on the list of things that could easily kill a little dog, and I didn't feel like sacrificing her for the ball of the month :). I hope you like this recipe!

Carrot Cake Protein Balls

1 cup finely shredded carrots

10 medjool dates, pitted

¼ cup raisins or dried pineapple

1/2 t. fresh ginger

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or sunflower seeds

1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder (I like PlantFusion)

1-2 t. cinnamon

Coconut for rolling

Mix all ingredients in food processor making sure that dates and nuts/seeds are chopped up well. If mixture is too dry, keep adding one tablespoon of water until mixture is uniform and slightly sticky. If mixture gets too wet, add more cinnamon and coconut.

Form into balls. Roll each ball in coconut to evenly coat. Arrange balls on plate and sprinkle with cinnamon. Store in freezer.