5 years.

"Sorrow prepares you for Joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart far better things will take their place."

 ~ Rumi

Red Maca chocolate Protein Balls

These Simple Red Maca Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls make the perfect snack They're packed with protein and taste similar to  (No Bake) Preacher cookies!

These are really easy to make and you can really change up the recipe however you like. i used ground pecans, oats, peanut coconut butter, hemp hearts, shredded coconut, cocoa, red maca and raw honey. Mix all your ingredients together in a large bowl.   

This Red Maca powder by The Organique Co. is considered an Incan superfood. The Maca root is native to Peru and sometimes called Peruvian Ginseng. It's super nutritious and is a great source of several important vitamins and minerals. Red Maca root  is thought to help with energy, balance mood, alleviate menopausal symptoms and more. Maca root has a nice nutty flavor with a hint of butterscotch and work great in these protein balls. 

Chill for about 30 min. in fridge, then coat your hands with a little coconut oil and roll into balls about the size of a large gumball.  You can then roll each ball in a little cocoa powder and red maca.

Chocolate Protein Balls Ingredients: -

1/2 cup nut butter (i used coconut peanut butter.)
1 cup whole oats
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2- 3/4 cup almonds, pecans, other nuts or seeds. (ground or chopped small)
1/3 cup raw honey
2 Tbsp hemp hearts, flax seeds or chia seeds etc
1 Tbsp Red Maca Powder
coconut oil (for coating fingers.)

Mix ingredients together really well in a large bowl. i coated my hands in coconut oil, and kneaded/mixed them by hand. Then let them chill for about 30 min in the fridge. Now, coat your hands again in coconut oil and roll them into little balls (large gumball size).  Roll in a little maca  and cocoa  powder. Store them in the fridge in an airtight container.


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Latest addiction- Woven Dishcloths

i'm not sure how i got so behind with this blog, but now that winter is here i am in full hibernation mode.  So i'm going to try to play a bit of catch up.  November and December were super busy, i had a couple craft shows, we took a trip to Michigan and i always go a little crazy preparing for the holidays.  It's when my sales are the best, so i bust butt to get as much work made/sold as possible. i've been working in the glass shop regularly up until xmas, and still haven't quite recovered from all that. This week we've been recovering from the stomach bug that hit over the weekend and the kids just went back to school ( from a weather extended break) today.

Anyhow, i picked up a new hobby (addiction) and wanted to share.

While up in Michigan visiting family, my MIL showed me how to use a 10" square bias loom to make a continuous weave dishcloth. My MIL in an amazing weaver, and my FIL makes all their looms from hand. They have an etsy shop where you can find the looms and other weaving materials. 

i ended up making dishcloths all the way home in the car, while the husband drove.  i knew they would make fantastic gifts, and wanted to have a nice selection for a craft show i was participating in Dec.

Fast forward, hibernation mode. This has been me, since xmas. Doctor who marathon, and weaving dishcloths.  They are so easy and fun to make, and really make a nice sturdy dishcloth.

i add a simple crocheted border to them, and once washed they tighten up nicely.  This is quite similar to the old pot holder looms i did as a child, but because it's continuous weave, you are weaving the top and bottom simultaneously and so they really go quite quickly.

i can not stress how much i love to make these. It's the perfect activity on a cold winter day, sitting by the fire and binge watching my favorite netflix show. :) 

i've been putting them together in sets to sell at the Floyd Artisan market this spring, along with my glasswork. i used a little raffia, applesauce cinnamon ornaments and mini pinecones to decorate the sets. i currently have 14 sets of 3 made up and that doesn't include the ones i've already sold and gifted. i'm really enjoying these, and i know once garden season starts i won't want to sit around and make them so i'm taking advantage of my need to hibernate while i can.

i'm making these using  a 10" mini loom, 100% cotton yarn (peaches & cream, sugar & cream) a crochet hook and a large tapesty  needle (for weaving in the ends).

My dish cloths are available for $5 each or $12 for a set of 3.  i'm hoping to have them at the Floyd Artisan market this spring and i'll have some available online as well.  i'm also going to put together a tutorial for how i make these, for those interested.

 i just wanted to pop in and let you know what i've been up to!  i've working through a few back posts, and then will try to get back to posting regularly.