Baking, Cooking, Health and Nutrition

Need a pick me up? Try the Bliss Poppers!

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Have you ever been to a Brazilian birthday party and tasted “docinhos”?  No? Do not worry, today I’m bringing you the infamous Brazilian treat to your kitchen. Literally translated into little sweets, docinhos range in a variety of flavors.  From chocolate, coconut, to fruit flavors. The “brigadeiro” or the chocolate kind is by far the most popular and the genesis for this post.

Your favorite Vedic Master has been experimenting in the Bliss Balance Health test kitchen with an assortment of energy snacks for myself, husband, and children. My husband and I will usually eat things just because they are good for us, but add kids to the mix and taste becomes super important! A healthier version of docinhos was the perfect solution for my family and yours too! Thus, I bring you the Bliss Popper!

Interesting enough, “energy balls” seem to be popping up on social media sites. Embracing the trend, I created a couple of unique versions with full flavor combinations.

So what is in an “Energy Ball” aka Bliss Popper?

Dates are a very under appreciated treat.  And in our house, they are used in multiple ways for cooking and acting as a base ingredient for many recipes. A little side note, I have even turned a couple of people into “date addicts”.  But alas, lets get back to the Bliss Popper.  Dates have a pure organic taste of sweetness and wonderful texture that makes them very easy to substitute for sugar.  Dates are the base of my poppers. Nuts and nut butter are also added to help with texture and increase protein and healthy fats. I recommend almond butter. Completing the organic mix for the base are coconut flakes and cacao powder. These ingredients are essential in their Brazilian counterparts. As your taste dictates, experiment with the options I provide.

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You can also play around with toppings to roll the “docinhos” . My favorites are cacao powder, cacao nibs, goji berries, and coconut. Feel free to come up with your own!

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Ingredients:

Base

1 cup of dates

1 cup of almonds

1/4 cup of almond butter

Version I add…

2 tbs of cacao powder

2 tbs of water

1/4 cup of coconut flakes

Version II add…

1 tbs of maca powder

1 tsp spirulina

2 tbs of water

1/4 cup of coconut flakes

In a food processor blend all the ingredients together. Roll them into balls, add more water if necessary. Roll them with your favorite topping and enjoy!

http://www.blissbalancehealth.com

armenia@blissbalancehealth.com

864 551 5731

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Receita em Português

Ingredientes:

Base:

1 xícara de tâmaras

1 xícara de amêndoas

1/4 xícara de manteiga de amêndoa

Versão I adicionar …

2 colheres de sopa de cacau em pó

2 colheres de sopa de água

1/4 xícara de flocos de coco

Versão II adicionar …

1 colher de sopa de pó de maca

1 colher de chá de spirulina

2 colheres de sopa de água

1/4 xícara de flocos de coco

Em um processador de alimentos misture todos os ingredientes juntos. Rolar em bolas, adicione mais água se necessário. Cobrir com sua cobertura favorita!

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Health and Nutrition

The Incredible Smoothie!

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During the cold months I usually want something comforting and grounding for breakfast. Recently I had a few requests for a smoothie that included the flavors of my home town in Brazil.  The requests reminded me of growing up, and a few of my favorite Brazilian fruits; Papaya, Mango, and Pineapple.  By the way, Brazilian pineapple is better than Hawaii’s!  Actually this is a big debate in my house.  But we will save that for another post.

Searching in the market I found a few of my childhood favorites. As I shopped for these beautiful fruits an idea began to form in my mind about the nutritional content of the fruits I had chosen. Most of them have a high content of vitamin C, much more than the usual “old faithful orange”. As the flavors came together, the orange still managed to find a place in my smoothie.

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Brazilian inspired, locally crafted I present to you my “Incredible Vitamin C Hulk smoothie”! Why Hulk, well, he is one of the more popular super heroes in Brazil and nothing can hurt The Incredible Hulk.  Not to say my smoothie will make you impervious to the Flu, but it sure will help.  During the winter season it is important to load up  with Vitamin C preparing for a possible cold or flu. My philosophy is always stock up in the nutrients in the most natural way possible, so this is it!

Add some color and tropical flavors to the cold months, with an organic southern hemisphere blend of fruits.

Incredibly delicious and nutritious yet, simple to make!

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1 cup of diced pineapple

1/2 cup of diced papaya

1/4 cup of diced mango

1 diced Kiwi

1 3 inch piece of cucumber (skin off if not organic)

1/2 cup of orange juice

1 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk

1/2 tsp of ground turmeric

1 scoop of a vegetable based protein of choice (optional)

Just mix it all in your favorite blender and enjoy!

http://www.blissbalancehealth.com

armenia@blissbalancehealth.com

864 5515731

Follow Bliss Balance Health on Instagram or Facebook!

1 xícara de abacaxi em cubos

1/2 xícara de mamão em cubos

1/4 xícara de manga em cubos

1 de Kiwi em cubos

1 pedaço de pepino de 7 cm ( pele fora se não orgânico )

1/2 xícara de suco de laranja

1 1/2 xícara de leite de amêndoa sem açúcar

1/2 colher de chá de cúrcuma em pó

1 colher de uma proteína à base de vegetais de escolha (opcional)

Basta misturar tudo em seu liquidificador favorito e aproveite!

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