Cranberry Chocolate Cashew Balls

Since becoming a new mom, I snack way more than I used to. Maybe it’s because nursing makes me extremely hungry, or because when you have a little one you can never count on eating full meals all the time. I am constantly raiding my kitchen for healthy snacks throughout the day. I started making little energy balls at the beginning of the week and storing them in the refrigerator so I have a healthy snack to grab when I am craving a cookie or brownie. These cranberry chocolate cashew balls are full of nuts and dried fruit, but with the addition of chocolate and cocoa powder I’m convinced they taste similar to a chocolate truffle. (I originally shared this recipe on my instagram, where I am also doing a cool giveaway with Ocean Spray!)

All you need is a food processor to crush up the cashews and break up the dates. Then, you add in the rest of the ingredients and use a small cookie scoop or a spoon to roll into balls. I store them in the refrigerator to have an easy chocolate-satisfying snack anytime!

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Cranberry Chocolate Cashew Balls

makes 12 - 15 balls

Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews
15 pitted medjool dates
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
Blend cashews in a food processor until crumbly but tiny pieces of cashew bits remain. Pour into a bowl and set aside. Add dates and pulse until a sticky ball forms. Add in the cashew bits, dried cranberries, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Pulse until a sticky dough forms. It can still be a little loose, you will be packing it down with your hands. Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop, shape into balls. Refrigerate until ready to eat! (optional: roll a few into cocoa powder)

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Anchorage, Alaska

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We went on our first (big) trip as a family of 3! With a 6 month old!

In mid-August we flew to Anchorage, Alaska after booking flights on a whim after realizing we had earned enough points on our travel credit card for free flights. Back in January when we booked it, I was still 8 months pregnant and we had no idea what life with a baby would look like, but decided to book it anyway and hope for the best. Kyle and I have always talked about how we didn’t want to change our life just because we were growing our family. We wanted to do our best to keep doing the things (well, most things anyway) we have always done, just adding a baby along to the mix!

Camila did so great on the long flight and didn’t even really cry. She slept through most of the flights there, but on the way back was awake the whole time. I would nurse her on takeoff and landing so the pressure wouldn’t hurt her little ears. She was so tired by the time we got home. And while we were also exhausted, we were so glad we brought her with us. It would not have been the same without her little smiles and laughs!

Traveling with a six month old is probably more stressful in the planning stages, but once we actually did it, everything worked out great. I flew with her by myself when she was two months old to New Orleans, so I kind of knew what to expect already. This age is great because she is not mobile yet, so we are able to just carry her everywhere like a backpack, haha! We did try to get back to our Airbnb early though due to the three hour time change, so we could get her to bed at a somewhat reasonable hour.

We packed pretty light, knowing we could do laundry at our Airbnb, and just made sure to bring plenty of wipes and diapers for the flight. We bought more diapers once we arrived, and some baby food there since we had just started solids! Our Airbnb host graciously provided a pack and play for us to borrow.

While we didn’t get to do all the Alaska things one probably pictures when going to Alaska (like long hikes, canoeing, camping, or looking for bears) we did get to still see the city and the surrounding mountains and forests. One thing we loved about Anchorage was how remote it was, but how it also had everything you could want or need there. The food was so good too! I hope one day we can go back when Camila is older and visit Denali!

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Here is a short guide to everything we did in our four day stay:

Moose's Tooth - we went here twice!! We weren’t sure if the pizza would live up to its hype of being #3 in the country, but it was SO good! This place is a must!

Wild Scoops - ice cream with unique flavors and made with all natural ingredients! Yum!

Kaladi Brothers Coffee - a local coffee joint with several shops across the city. We went to a couple locations. Alaskans love their coffee!

New Sagaya Markets & Wholesale - if you are like me and love going to grocery stores while visiting new cities, this one is a health food store with fresh seafood. It even had a small deli and kaladi brothers coffee inside.

Snow City Cafe - this place was so crowded, but thankfully we made reservations ahead of time. Very good brunch place! Try the Alaskan king crab eggs benedict.

Taco King - pretty good Mexican food! Of course we are picky about this being from San Antonio!

Alaska Zoo - one of our favorite things we did here! The layout is really unique because it is part of the woods and has trails going to all the different zoo animals.

Flattop Mountain Trail - we weren’t able to hike all the way to the top with Camila, but we did part of it and actually saw a MOOSE in the wild!! Beautiful, picturesque views and this hike is right in the middle of Anchorage.

Iditarod Headquarters (Wasilla) - about 45 minutes from Anchorage, this free museum lets you meet the Alaskan husky puppies! We learned so much about the dog sledding and the staff here was so friendly. 

We took a day to drive outside of Anchorage, through Girdwood and to a town called Hope. We stopped at the following:

Alpine Cafe & Bakery - yummy bakery we found while driving around Alaska! Kyle says to get the ham and cheese croissant.

The Bake Shop - They use a 100 year old sourdough starter! Famous for their breakfast and, obviously, breads.

The Grind - retro coffee shop in Girdwood. The staff were vey friendly!

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Cucumber Carrot Salad with Ginger Sesame Dressing

Isn’t it a little funny how our tastebuds change as we get older? As a kid (who was probably the least picky eater ever I might add - I started eating salad at age 3!), I remember hating the taste of vinegary things. Although I loved pickles, I just could never wrap my head around why my parents would purposely add vinegar to their meat marinades or in salad dressings. The tangy, strong flavor did not resonate with me!

But now in the middle of a Texas summer, vinegary, cold foods are all I can think about. This salad came about when my mom had an overabundance of carrots which she shared with me, and I came home with a dinosaur-sized cucumber from the store. I wanted to make an Asian inspired salad with sesame oil and —yep, you guessed it—vinegar as the base for the dressing. Rice vinegar is a little more mild than regular distilled vinegar and goes great in dressings. The crunch of the cucumbers, carrots, and scallions is so satisfying. The peanuts add protein and a nutty flavor, and the raw ginger gives it a subtlety-spicy oomph that is also so good for you! If you can, I suggest making this a few hours before serving so it can get really cold in the refrigerator and the vegetables can marinade in the dressing. With temps climbing to triple digits here some days, a refreshing hydrating salad is just what we need for lunch time!

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Cucumber Carrot Salad with Ginger Sesame Dressing

serves 2 - 4

Ingredients 

• 1 dinosaur-sized (or 2 medium) seedless cucumbers, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch rounds

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned

• 1 scallion, sliced

• 1 tbl black sesame seeds

• 1/4 cup peanuts

• 3 tbl rice vinegar

• 1 tbl soy sauce

• 2 tsp honey

• 2 tbl sesame oil

• 1/2-inch knob of fresh ginger, grated

• Juice of 1/2 lime

Directions

In a large bowl, toss the prepared cucumbers, carrots, scallion, sesame seeds, and peanuts. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

In a mason jar or liquid measuring cup, combine vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, ginger, and lime juice. Whisk/shake until combined.

Pour dressing over salad and toss. Eat immediately or chill in the refrigerator for several hours and up to 1 day. 

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