I have many, many new recipes to post, but very little time to do so… My collection is definitely growing! I plan on putting a large chunk of my favorites to the ‘athlete’ test sometime next month and take some proper pictures at that point in time too.

I drove by Ottavio bakery and deli in Oak Bay yesterday and decided to go in and see if they have some interesting spices (or anything else) for me to experiment with. Guess what?! they did… I got a little jar with French lavender flowers and the recipe below is my first culinary experiment using them.

What you need

• 1/2 tsp dried French lavender flowers
• 1 tbsp organic coconut oil
• 1 tbsp honey (or Agave nectar, if you are vegan…)
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/8 cup organic almond-hazelnut butter
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 8-10 dates
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/8 cup rolled oats
• Shredded coconut (for rolling)
  

Start by processing the dates in a food processor until they turn into a paste, then mix everything together in a big bowl (except the shredded coconut). Use your hands… trying to mix all these ingredients any other way is not a simple task. Form into balls and roll in the shredded coconut.

There you go… that is all there is to it! Pretty simple and quick Please try making them and let me know what you think!

(Makes 8 golf sized balls)