Pumpin Pie Smoothie

It can be Thanksgiving all year round...if you want it to be. Well, I am about to show you how this can be done. By making this pumpkin smoothie. I do not remember how I came across these 2 women, but suffice it to say they are a hoot. They are the kind of people who make you want to eat healthy. With that said, let's start gearing up for the holidays and try some new and tasty foods. Let's begin...shall we? But before I let you read the recipe I want you to know where I found this great smoothie. I got it from The Plant Based Dietitian. They have so many little videos and so easy to follow. You cannot resist these two women. They are real and just so full of life. You will see once you visit their website.
16 ounces-unsweetened almond milk
2 bananas-frozen
Dates to taste (I am going 4-5ish)
1T alcohol free vanilla
1-14oz can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1T pumpkin pie spice (or 2T cinnamon & 1/2 t nutmeg)
Ice-if needed
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Throw all of these things together in a blender and viola, it can be the holidays all year round. I have made this and my husband and myself did not leave any for my children to sample...Awwwwww! Ain't that a shame? Not! So give this a try and you will see just how refreshing yet soothing this lovely little gem truly is. Make...eat...enjoy!

Raw Chocolate Fruit Balls

A little piece of heaven I shall call these globes of goodness. I made these tonight for my raw food class and they went wild. Now, I have made a few different variations of these and bar none, these have been the best thus far. Trust me on this one. I found these on VegWeb. A truly great site for those new to veganism. They have tens of thousands of recipes to pick from. And how they have them broke down is just a breeze to sift through. So go take a gander at the site, you will not be disappointed.
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 cup nuts (choose any combination you so desire)
1/2 cup chopped dates (use medjool dates and you can soak them for a little bit so they puree better)
1/2 cup apricots, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder (use nibs if you want a bit more texture)
1/8 t almond extract
1 T fresh orange juice
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Mix the coconut and cinnamon together and set aside in a small bowl.  Place all thee other ingredients in the food processor, except for the orange juice. Process, adding the OJ until you get a firm not but hard dough mixture.

Have a small bowl of water near by to be able to dunk your hands in so not to have the dough mixture stick to your hands. If you want to help keep the size of the balls even, you can use a tablespoon measure and then roll out the balls in your hand, then roll them in the coconut mixture.

Transfer to a plate and refrigerate for at least 1 hour so they have time to chill and firm up a bit. Serve and watch the smile creep onto folks faces. Make...eat...enjoy!