Did I tell you that my husband loves to ride his bike? Like for miles. He’ll ride the 35+ miles to work in the morning and then for fun, ride another 20 or so at lunch time. Sometimes he even rides his bike home instead of taking the bus.
And to be a good sport, I will sometimes suggest we take a day off from hiking to go on a bike ride. Not that I don’t love a good stroll on my bicycle but I love it short and to some fun destination like the co-op. So, on the July 4th holiday when I didn’t want to drive anywhere and worry about parking or losing my parking spot (we live close to a parade route), I offered that we go for a little jaunt to a neighboring town about 7 miles away that had a nice beach before all the crazy festivities got started. I have walked there when prepping for my Washington section hike of the PCT. No biggie.
However, the one thing I forgot is that it is mostly downhill to get to this lovely little spot. And you know what that means? It was uphill to get home. I joked when we got to the beach that maybe my hubby could just come back and get me. After a little break at the beach watching the ferries come and go from Whidbey Island, I mustered the energy to return home.
What a great leg burner and I didn’t do too bad once I got the gear shifting down. This is one of the reasons I prefer hiking, no equipment to figure out. Just get walking!
I had packed a few snacks to eat on our trip, we had planned to be out a few hours. Let’s just say that one should not stop by the co-op on the way home from said trip to pick up some last minute family BBQ items without making sure they have had some treats during their ride. It’s that whole don’t-go-to-the-store-starving kind of thing. And these little scrumptious energy balls were perfect!
#pineapple #bacon #pecans #datepaste #horseradish #ginger #turmeric
Do you miss bacon and pineapple pizza? I sure do. In college I worked at several pizzerias and one of my favorites was bacon and pineapple pizza. And there was often plenty of it leftover at the end of my shift to take home to my roommates. It was just a enough variation from normal pizza topping combinations for you to think you were eating a different meal.
I was in a mood to come up with some unique energy ball flavors and bacon just popped into my head. I don’t think I have EVER seen an energy ball with BACON! But what to go with it…
I had a bunch of dehydrated pineapple leftover from my Put The Lime In The Coconut Pineapple Granola and the idea to combine the two seemed logical. So I tossed in some pecans and date paste and the ball came together nicely. If you haven’t heard about date paste yet, check out my Perfect Date post. It is a game changer.
However, I decided I wanted a little spice to go with it since I had already broken conformity with the bacon. I started with horseradish and then the ginger and turmeric joined the bandwagon because I am always looking for ways to add some anti-inflammatory ingredients into my recipes. These aren’t spicy hot, more like a spicy warm. Almost like a sweet and sour flavor (thus the tangy). If you want to kick it up a notch, feel free to add more horsey or ginger.
These are like those bacon wrapped pineapple party appetizer bites but without all the work! Use your food processor to break the main components down into a coarse meal. Don’t worry if you have a few smaller chunks. Then add the date paste and spices. I measure the date paste out and then pinch off pieces into the food processor. Test a small pinch in your hand to make sure it binds into a ball. If not, add a touch more date until it does.
Be warned, turmeric does what turmeric does and colors things yellow (like your fingers when you eat these). All in the name of healthy eating, I say.
Tangy Bacon Pineapple Energy Balls
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Nightshade Free, Paleo, Whole Food
Servings: 18 balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried pineapple
- 1 cup crumbled bacon
- 1 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup date paste or softened medjool dates
- 1 teaspoon horseradish
- 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
- The first three ingredients together until they form a coarse meal. Add the date paste in clumps plus the spices and process until well incorporated.
- Form the mixture into balls with your hands (I scooped with a 1/8 measuring cup).
- Store in an airtight container. Makes 18 balls.
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