Recipe: Raw, No-Bake, Agave PB Oat Cashew Etc Balls

This recipe doesn't really have a name since I just made it up, but these little treats taste AWESOME and you can make them with whatever nuts/berries/additives you have on hand. I'm going to share it with you and I hope you like it, because it is super easy to make in a vehicle, very healthy (as long as you don't eat the whole batch in one sitting!), and you don't need an oven or a stove. Just a mixing bowl, a spoon, and maybe a fridge or a cooler to help them harden. They are delicious, though, straight out of the mixing bowl, which is how I am eating them, without refrigeration. These are guaranteed to become my new, perfect, on-the-road snack treats.

These are basically little gooey peanut butter balls - only better - because they don't use white sugar... I instead used "Wholesome Sweeteners" brand Organic Blue Agave, which is an agave plant-based sweetener that is sweeter than honey, but very low on the glycemic index (making it safe for diabetics or anyone watching their sugar intake). These really aren't very sweet because I only used 1 Tbl. of Agave in my batch. Feel free to use a little more if you want them sweeter.

Mix together:

1/2 cup (heaping) chunky peanut butter (refrigerated natural kind)
1 Tbl. Agave Nectar (add another little bit if you want the end result to be a little sweeter)
a good handful of quick-oats (I think I sprinkled in a little extra)
a heaping scoop of chocolate protein powder
2 Tbl. chopped cashews (raw, unsalted)
1 Tbl. shredded coconut
a dash of cinnamon
1 cap-full of real vanilla (not that imitation stuff)
1 Tbl. water (or a little dash more if needed)

The mixture should be thick and kind of sticky. Is it too wet? Add some more oats, some ground flax seed, some wheat germ, or something else that is dry. Is it too dry? Just add a little more water. I wouldn't add more agave nectar, though, if it's too dry because then the whole batch might end up way too sweet.

Re-mix and then use your hands to roll it into tiny balls (I think my batch made 14) and either start eating them or put them in the fridge to let them harden a bit.

The cool thing about this recipe is the fact that it doesn't make a whole bunch - just enough to satisfy a little sweet tooth. You can also add dried cherries, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, goji berries, raisins, sesame seeds, basically whatever you've got on hand that you think would be delicious in a peanut butter ball. Don't have agave nectar? Try it with a little maple syrup, honey, or black-strap molasses instead. Mmm. Happy Snacking.

Health Nuttiness

For the past couple days, I've had this slight feeling that I'm on the verge of getting sick. There's been that tickle in the back of my throat and the inkling that my body is preparing to ward off whatever is slowing starting to attack. I must be doing something right, though, (or else I've been blessed with a naturally strong immune system), because I don't remember the last time I was sick...and I really don't plan to be any time soon.

I'm still feeling okay, so I hope this "pre-sick feeling" doesn't progress any further. I've been popping additional zinc, Vitamin C, and Echinacea, just to be sure. I will admit, I'm a bit of a health nut, and I have been for quite a while. I take a few supplements and I'm very conscious of many things regarding my health. The honest truth is that I strongly want my teeth & hair to be strong, I hope to "age well," I want to feel continually healthy & aware, and I don't want to be plagued with any problems that I can knowingly prevent.

I know that writing about nutrition and what I eat may not seem like it fits in with this topic of "living in a van." Actually, I think it fits very well: When you live in a van, you pretty much have to be conscious of your health, because admit it - It would be downright miserable to be sick and have to lay around inside your vehicle. No fun whatsoever. Plus, if you get sick & live in your vehicle, you'd better find yourself a good parking space, because you are probably not going to feel like driving around very much. I want to live a very long, healthy, and happy life. I want others that I care about to do the same. I deem "what you put into your body" (especially when you are living on the road) to be a very important topic.

I love reading, and I am always in the middle of one book or another. I am currently between pages in two terrific ones, and it is surely no surprise that they are regarding health (perhaps becoming a nutritionist would be right up my alley):

"In Defense of Food - An Eater's Manifesto," by Michael Pollan

"Cure Tooth Decay - Heal & Prevent Cavities with Nutrition," by Ramiel Nagel

Both are excellent books, really making me think about how the American Diet today is so different from the diet of our great grandparents. We are living in an age of obesity, where people are now trying way too-hard to eat "right," when all we really have to do is eat "real food." People are eating so many "low-fat" products & "zero-calorie" caffeine drinks that are loaded with chemically-altered fake-sweeteners that are causing cancer, not to mention other things. I believe Michael Pollan sums it up perfectly, by saying, "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants."

I have read so many articles and books regarding nutrition, trying to figure out the best of all the information out there. It is quite a task, trying to pull the best aspects out of different diets (Adkins Diet, Abs Diet, Juice Fasts, Raw-Foodism, Vegan, Vegetarian, High-Fat, Low-Fat...) and create the ultimate diet for yourself, without becoming an obsessive health freak. :-) There are hundreds of supplements people can take, and certain ones supposedly need certain others to help them absorb properly, etc. What a mess! Ideal health shouldn't be so complicated, although, at this point, I really don't think it is.

I guess I consider myself to be semi-vegetarian with raw-foodist & vegan tendencies - I do eat fish, chicken, turkey, and beef, BUT no pork or pasteurized dairy products for me. I also believe that it is ok to eat small amounts of ANYTHING, as long as it is 100% "real" food. I am getting to the point where I don't want to eat anything that contains ingredients that I can't read out-loud, don't know what they are, or have never heard of. I won't go near hydrogenated oils, "low-fat" products, artificial sweeteners (aspartame, splenda...), margarine, or anything that has been chemically altered. I don't eat things that are man-made. I will never own a microwave again or use one to heat my food (stove-tops, ovens, or over a fire will work just fine). I prefer to eat eggs that only come from cage-free, grass-fed chickens. There are lots of little things like that that I believe in... Things just used to be so different "back in the day," they farmed differently, certain diseases & cancers weren't as much of a problem, and people weren't eating the packaged food-like products that are sold today. I am using the method of trying the best that I can to eat only things that my great-great grandmother would most-likely recognize as actual food.

I do love the taste of food, so I do eat a variety when I can. I do not just eat salads and vitamins. Lately (for convenience & storage reasons) I've mostly been eating non-perishables like peanuts, apples, shredded wheat with almond milk, turkey-jerky, PB & Jam sandwiches, and goji-berry/pine-nut trail mix, but today I had a whole-grain bagel with real butter (cream & salt) and a piece of grilled salmon (on a bed of veggies) from the natural-food store nearby. I really am not a fan of taking supplements, but I do take a couple (and they make me feel terrific, not to sound like an infomercial): A multi-vitamin, cod-liver oil, a chocolate calcium chew, and spirulina. I also love wheatgrass juice, whenever I can find it.

I know that everyone eats differently, and what works for one person won't necessarily work for another. I am also constantly changing-up my diet, since I love lots of different foods, and, lets be realistic here, I live in my van. Many of my favorite things can't be easily made inside a van, so visiting with friends is an ideal situation for utilizing their kitchen and whipping up those things that you've been missing out on. In my case, that would include making some delicious cabbage rolls, baking a little home-made granola, cooking up a pot of steaming white-chicken chili, or blending up some powerful green smoothies. In fact, back when I was drinking a green-smoothie every day, my hair and skin were the healthiest that they have ever been in my entire life. The power of greens is truly amazing.

 

I think what I really miss most is having a kitchen. I have always loved to bake & cook things from scatch. (It's never been Betty Crocker cake-mixes for me!)... In storage, I've still got my bread-machine, my food dehydrator, and my soy-milk maker, all of which used to get many hours of use. They are patiently waiting for my return. Someday I'm sure we will be re-united, but until then, I will just enjoy where my time takes me without them.

Back in my old apartment, this was my first attempt at making a green smoothie (Peaches & Parsley (or was it Spinach?) in this particular one, and it tasted wonderful!!). Obviously it was my first attempt, as I didn't realize I was putting in way too much...

Another green smoothie, but this one was made in my brother's kitchen, while I was living in my van & parked in his driveway... Mmm. They really aren't disgusting at all, even though you might be tempted to think so:

 

Van Food Options

For a healthy snack or small meal, I will often make my own little stuffed appetizer... It's very easy to do in a van, and it also won't cost you much money. Pick one item from each list and experiment - the possibilities are endless.

STUFF: avacado, red pepper, cabbage or lettuce leaves, celery, cucumber, nori, tomato, or zucchini.


WITH: guacamole, hummus, nut or seed butters, ceviche, pate, veggies or fruits, diced mango or papaya with ginger, pesto, diced tomatoes with basil, carrots, coleslaw, or greens.

I am honestly all over the place when it comes to what I eat, although I always prefer to eat very healthy & simply. Sometimes I am on a raw-food-only phase, and then sometimes I just switch to a vegan or vegetarian diet. And then, of course, there are times when I get on a spree of eating junk, which is what I've been doing lately and it feels horrible.

When I don't think about what I'm taking in, I end up feeling lost & like a completely different person. I really want to stay away from sugars, meat, and white products, but I always seem to eventually fall back into some pattern of eating things that I don't really want to. Ugh. That is when I decide to clear my palette and start over by doing a one day fast - and that is what I'm doing today. I have often heard that it is very beneficial to do a one day fast every month or couple months. If your body isn't busy trying to digest & process, it is better able to help rid your body of toxins. I don't fast that often, although I do try out different methods of detoxing from time to time. A short while back I did a Blessed Herbs internal cleansing program & colon cleanse, and the results were amazing.

When it comes to eating healthy on the road, I mainly just buy non-perishables like granola bars, oatmeal, peanut butter, brown rice crackers, dried fruit, and nuts. The only perishable food I normally buy is fruit, and I eat that so incredibly often that it never has a chance to go bad. If I am hungry, I just stop at a grocery store. I love fruits, veggies, and salads of all types. Is there a Farmers Market nearby? If so, I am jumping for joy! It is so much cheaper to try and make my own creations in my van, although McDonalds has a surprisingly tasty Asian Chicken Salad, and Subway will never cease to be my friend. Mmm.

Trying to eat in my van doesn't really require much effort. My top utensils used are a cutting board, spork, knife, can opener, and my Orikaso backpacking dishes. I also don't know what I would do without my mug, since green tea is essential. Have you tried "By the Light of Day" teas? Peaceful Peninsulas Organic & Fair Trade Green Tea is my favorite. Also, if you are into organic eating, raw foods, or health, I recommend checking out David Wolfe's Sunfood Nutrition and the Raw Family. Lots of great nutritional foods and info there.