Cinnamon, Cacao and Hazelnut Truffolini

I have three weeks off uni before the new semester starts and I'm using this time to do what I love the most but had no time to do because of studying : experimenting in my kitchen..Trying new foods and flavours.
Enter my Truffolini.
They're actually called truffles but they're so tiny and cute I gave them my own nickname.. A couple of days ago I bought my very first dates and I was dying to try them in a recipe.
Healthy truffles sound pretty good to me so I started researching on line and in the end came up with a recipe that includes my favourite things: Cinnamon, Cacao and Hazelnuts.
I find the smell and taste of cinnamon extremely comforting, raw cacao is perfect for my sweet cravings and packs some serious antioxidant power and hazelnuts have protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. On top of that remember that dates are packed with fibre, potassium, zinc, selenium and B vitamins amongst others...
These are the perfect small treats to eat while me and my boy are powering through the whole Harry Potter Box Set. Somehow, every time I watch one of those films I always end up needing something sweet and I'd rather have something delicious that I also know is oh so good for me!
They are perfect to take in to work (1 or 2) to give you a little boost mid afternoon, or as an energy bite after your workout. As with everything though, don't stuff your face with them as dates have more potassium than bananas but also more calories..
So treat yourself but don't overdo it!

4 Medjool dates (soaked in warm water for 5 minutes)
75g Hazelnuts
a handful of almonds (I used some leftover ones)
3 or 4 walnuts (again, they were leftovers in the cupboard)
1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1tbsp raw cacao powder
1/2 tbsp cinnamon (plus more to roll the truffolini in)
2tsp chia seeds ( optional)

Place the nuts in your food processor and whiz till they become fine but are still retaining some texture.
Add your coconut oil, cacao and cinnamon and whiz again to mix everything in and slowly add your dates.
Once all the ingredients are nicely blended (about a minute) you can open the food processor and start forming little balls of deliciousness between the palms of your hands, sprinkle some cinnamon on a plate and roll the truffolini in it.
Place them on a tray and pop them in the refrigerator for at least half hour before eating them.
If you can actually manage to wait that long.. xxx

One cup of water and lemon a day...

It's the morning after New Year's Eve or, as some people would say..The first day of 2014! I'm honestly feeling quite sluggish due to the ridiculous amount of sugar I have allowed myself to eat throughout the holidays and especially in the past two days as the weather outside was pretty grim and I chose to snuggle on the couch instead, with my boyfriend, watching Harry Potter and eating all kinds of chocolates and cookies my parents have sent from Italy..

So this morning especially (I actually do this every morning but today there's a giant need of such drink..) I warmed up my water and squeezed the juice of almost half a lemon (you can squeeze more but I find it too strong for me) in it and sipped it slowly while enjoying the view outside my window.

Now, the reason I am telling you this is because I am sure I am probably not the only one feeling this way today and water and lemon first thing in the morning is a fabulous way of stimulating your liver function so we can detoxify our body from all the nasty toxins, on top of that, lemon contains the wonderful vitamin C which boosts our immune system and is wonderful for our skin!

So my suggestion to you for 2014 is to get your body to wake up the right way by preparing this super quick drink as soon as you get up. Here's to your healthy 2014!