Christmas is so nearly here now… I can't believe it's been a whole week since I've posted, and I had so many things I want to write up for you!

However, I have been struck down with a horrible cold for the most of this last week, not that it stopped me from doing anything I wanted to, but it has reminded me I have to take my health bit more seriously and factor in that crucial downtime.

I'll write a little bit more about this coming days. It's so important for all of us take time to centre ourselves that recalibrate. In the rush and overwhelm of setting up my coaching business and my food business over these last twelve months I realised I had been putting my own wellness on the back burner....yes i'd been eating the right foods, but that plays such a small part in the overall picture as I have personally come to appreciate more than ever before.

Christmas is the ideal time for rest and recuperation. It's as if the whole world breathes a sigh and slows down.

I have more recipes I am prepping today up today for the main meal tomorrow and I hope i'll be able to capture a few photos to blog later in the week if they turn out to be winners!  I really hope they do!

For now a final recipe that I can't believe I haven't already shared (I checked back through my posts and couldn't find them!)  I previously made a version of these with almond butter for The Real Food Source quite a few months back and I have been making countless variations ever since, usually with peanut butter as it's so much more cost effective.

If you make one chocolately treat this Christmas time... make it this one!!

The ground almonds give these raw bites and almost cake texture unlike the regular 'larabar' style raw bite. As I mentioned you can change up the nut butter base for almond, cashew, or even something like hazelnut butter for a ferrero rocher style treat!!

These freeze really well too. I made some about three weeks ago that I put in the freezer specifically for Christmas, but I kept stealing them and now I need to make another batch as I don't think there will be enough! oops...

I also makes these as gifts and they always go down very well!

Recipe: Nutty chocolate truffles

Makes approx. 12 truffles

Ingredients

• ¾ cup ground almonds

• 1 cup peanut butter (or other buy butter)

• 2 tablespoon maple syrup or agave

• 12 pitted dates (this is based on deglet noor dates but if using larger medjool dates reduce to 7 dates)

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• Dark chocolate for coating

Method:

Soak the dates in boiling water for 5 mins and then drain. In a food processor, mix all the truffle ingredients together to form a thick paste, it should be sticky but not too sticky to handle.

Roll into walnut sized balls and chill until they are a little firmer.

Melt the chocolate and either dip the firm truffles into the chocolate to half coat them,  or just drizzle the chocolate over the top of the truffles on a tray.

Best kept refrigerated. Eat within 1 week or freeze.