Easy Bitchin' Inulin-Sweetened Chewy Granola Balls

Welcome to my Fit and Bitchin' Kitchen! This is the first recipe on this blog, and it's a sweet--but not sugary--healthy and nutritious snack that's easy to make.

This recipe, like some of the others on this blog, is something I came up with during my recovery from cancer, which continues to this day, and where refined white sugar is an absolute fucking no-no for me and anyone with cancer, as it only serves to feed cancer cells, providing them the acidic environment they need to thrive in.

[Recommended reading: Sugar Blues, by William Dufty. Read it and cry, because intellectually, you'll never want to eat white sugar again, even though Big Food has bastardized your tastebuds to be addicted to it.]

This recipe uses inulin, a pre-biotic, which is a sweet powder derived from Chicory Root that feeds the good bacteria in your gut while providing a good dose of fiber (farting is encouraged!). Its sweetness is mild as compared with sugar and will not impact your blood sugar levels like sugar does. Inulin can be found in most health food stores and Trader Joe's carries a reasonably-priced large bottle in their vitamins section (update: Trader Joe's has informed me they no longer carry their inulin, so I now order it in multiples from AllStarHealth.com).

This recipe is simple and can be made anytime in just minutes.

In medium bowl, mix together 1 c. of Stuff*:

• 1/3 c. raw organic sesame seeds
• 1/3 c. raw organic buckwheat groats
• 1/3 c. uncooked organic rolled oats

*Stuff can be any mixture of things you have around--raisins, other seeds, etc. Just be sure it totals around 1 cup.

Next add inulin and sea salt to the Stuff:

• 4 tb. inulin
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt

In large bowl, cream together:

• 2 tb. organic agave or maple syrup (adjust for sweetness--use vegetable glycerin and/or your fave no-calorie or low-glycemic sweetener instead if you need to limit sugars)
• 2 tb. organic cashew butter
• 1 tb. sweet organic butter, unsalted (use organic Earth Balance if you don't do butter)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Add your dry Stuff to the creamed wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly until everything is evenly mixed and everything is sticky. Roll mixture into balls, then refrigerate. These lil' fuckers are good.

• Option 1--add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon to recipe
• Option 2--add 1/4 c. grain-sweetened or similar chocolate chips
• Option 3--roll balls in dried coconut
• Option 4--roll balls in ground flax meal

Enjoy!