Mason celebrated his 4th b-day on October 19th. we had a big b-day party for him that started with loads of outdoor activity- soccer, games and more. We were blessed with the most beautiful day in October!! It was sunny and just the perfect temp. I was faced with the question of what food to provide for kids and parents that will be Delicious but also Nutritious (or at least not harmful). I don't want to be that crazy mom that has no birthday cake and only serves fruit- even though i would sooo much rather do that. I had my friend and colleague, Rachel Merga, make a "healthier" b-day cake with an amazing picture of a transformer on it!! Mason is all about Transformers now. Everyone loved it and i could feel good that it had nothing that could possibly harm the kids. If you buy these terrible mainstream cakes from Giant (or many other stores) you are literally feeding your kids and guests chemicals that can seriously harm them.
i also served fabulous "oat energy balls" that i make often for my kids and events. i have loads of variations of these balls and other energy balls but this is a good base that almost everyone loves. You can vary the nuts and seeds, the nut/seed butter, the dried fruit, the type of sugar etc. Just play with it. i often add carob for more calcium or Sun Warrior Vanilla Protein Powder for more protein. i also provided a fruit and veggie tray and organic apple juice. i went around to each child and asked if they wanted some colorful fruit with their cake. almost everyone took some!! I loved it!!
Here is the "Oat Energy Balls" recipe:
Energy Bites:
2 ½ cups rolled oats
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ cup raisins
2 tbsp raw sunflower seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup almond butter, sunflower seed butter or any nut/seed butter you prefer
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp honey or agave nectar (i'm not a fan of agave so i use a variety of other sweeteners- lucuma, mesquite, stevia, dates etc. Date paste works very well because it combines everything).
2 tbsp barley malt syrup (i don't often use this or i use less. I substitute the other sweeteners)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1. grind ½ cup oats and ¼ cup pumpkin seeds in food processor until powdery. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
2. combine remaining 2 cups oats, remaining ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, raisins, sunflower seeds and cinnamon in large bowl. Stir in almond butter, honey, barley malt syrup and vanilla until soft dough forms.
3. moisten hands, and roll dough into 1 inch ball. Coat balls in oat-pumpkin seed powder. Place in freezer for 20 minutes to set, then serve or store in the fridge.
Namaste, Kelly
