Well, here it is: my first official “Paleo” recipe.  I’m taking advantage of the short but sweet early-summer apricot season to make these naturally fruit-sweetened and full of fiber (although I’m actually using dried apricots in this recipe so you can enjoy these scrumptious balls any time of year).  And since it seems like the healthiest thing you can do these days is attempt to eat, sleep and breathe coconut, I’ve got not just toasted coconut but also coconut flour in this recipe.  Stick it all together with some delectable creamy almond butter and you’ve got a winning combination.  I’m sure Paleolithic Man would scarf a few (or more) of these before mastadon hunting.  Hopefully your pursuits aren’t as perilous, but this is a healthy fuel source all the same!

One of the things I’ve really enjoyed and benefited from in posting my recipes is researching just what it is that makes these good foods, good-for-you.  In an effort to be an inspiring and informative healthy food blogger (or at least to seem and actually be somewhat knowledgeable), I’ve been researching some of the health benefits of various ingredients featured in my recipes.  As an adult with a university-level education (it might also come as a surprise to you that I hold a professional accounting designation as well, which I guess is actually technically considered a form of post-graduate education), I think it’s fair to say that I have a general sense of “healthy” versus “unhealthy” food choices (although I really bristle at the broad-brush application of either of those adjectives because they are used so generically and almost any food has an element that is beneficial for health when consumed in the proper quantity at the proper frequency).  Fruit & vegetables = healthy. I think there’s a consensus on that, in general terms anyway.  But why?  It’s fun for me to learn just what macro- and micro-nutrients and other food properties different foods bring to the table (pardon the pun!).

So, for this recipe, apricots are an excellent source of soluble fiber (which can really help get things moving along with your digestion and help clear waste products from your system), potassium and iron.  This is still true in their dried form; in fact, the dehydration process actually concentrates these nutrients relative to the fresh fruit.  Another fun fact?  Apricots are actually botanically related to another star in this recipe: almonds!  You can learn all of this and more from: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/health-benefits-dried-apricots-prunes-2372.html.  Don’t even get me started on coconuts; with the proliferation of positive press on them in all forms of media lately, I don’t think I need to re-hash their quasi-miraculous health claims here!

On a related note, I’ve also had to get up-to-speed on some of the current dietary trends and requirements.  This means getting down and dirty on the ins and outs of the Paleo movement (there seems to be a lot of “grey area” depending on how strictly you want to adhere to the dietary stipulations), various forms (degrees?) of vegetarianism and plant-based eating vs. vegan lifestyles (for example, many in the former will consume honey whereas strict vegans will not) and food allergies vs. intolerances vs. sensitivities vs. preferences (Celiac disease vs. gluten intolerance vs. low-carb dieters).  I’m by no means an expert in any one of these areas and I don’t currently follow any particular “eating regime.”  So, if I make a mistake in YOUR area of expertise, please let me know in the comments or via e-mail or any other social media contact available.  Hopefully we’re here to learn from each other, dear readers!

All that being said, here’s my (hopefully) Paleo balls (snicker, snicker).

*Please note that I am currently NOT sponsored by or affiliated with any particular brand, company or product. Any ideas, comments or opinions are my own, as mentioned in my Product Review page.  However, if you choose to purchase new-to-you products I recommend using the link(s) I provide, I can earn a small credit.  More information on that is available here.

Some process shots: