Pancakes, a New Home and some Gingerbread Fudge Bites

Just a little post for you before Christmas. There's pictures of pancakes and sweet baby Joan doing pull-ups, taken one perfect Saturday earlier this month. And to end, a recipe, for any last-minute Christmas gifts you may need. Or simply for yourself. We're busy moving house at present, so I need all the date balls in every variation, please and thank you, including these festive ones I gifted to friends on the weekend. But let's get back to those pancakes...

Our family of three had just been to visit our new rental, checking measurements and planning where furniture would go, and dreaming up all the wonderful things we'd do in this new house that already feels like home. It was time to move on and despite the task ahead (moving *ugh*!), we're excited. I think this will be the fifth or sixth house I've lived in since starting this blog. There's a lot of good that comes with packing up and relocating, a cleansing and reaffirming of possessions and intentions. We are keen to settle in our new place for a good while and to start fresh, with less stuff. A simple, clutter-free life is what we want.

To celebrate, we went out for pancakes and vegetable juice at Dee's Kitchen. Joan, never the baby to sit still (like, ever), saw our lunch date as an opportunity to practice sitting, pulling her body weight against my hands (a favourite game of hers). Though she needs my support less and less these days. Bubs is already rolling over from her back to her tummy (I think the brace made her legs super strong) and showing great determination in trying to crawl. We lay her on a quilt in "the ballroom", as Ben calls it, and she rolls, does push ups and grunts away, having a solid workout. I'll "spot" from the kitchen, doing dishes or prepping meals as I hand out encouragement and offer refreshments. We'll be sad to leave the place where we brought our baby home for the first time, to leave our bathroom, where we learnt I was pregnant, and our kitchen, where my waters broke... we'll miss our present life by the beach. But we're not going far, and there is a lot to look forward to, with more pancakes and many more milestones.

Now how about that recipe?

These fudgey gingerbread bites are smooth, sticky and sharp. The ginger hits you after just a moment and lingers rather keenly. Tinker with the flavour and texture as you wish, less molasses and more maple for those who aren't molasses inclined, and more almond meal for those who prefer a less sticky/sweet bite. Add more ginger if you wish and additional spices too. That's the beauty of date balls, they are the perfect "taste and adjust as you go" recipe, allowing you to personalise according to your preferences.

Happy Christmas to those who celebrate, from our family to yours. And happy December to us all! 2016, we're ready for you. Let's move.

Gingerbread Fudge Bites

Makes 18 small balls/bites

Ingredients
165g pitted Medjool dates (~7 large)
55g walnuts
1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
2-2.5 tablespoons almond meal
1.5 teaspoons ground ginger
a very small pinch of sea salt

Method
1. Pop all the pitted dates and walnuts in a food processor and blend until very finely chopped.
2. Add the molasses, maple, 2 tablespoons almond meal, ginger and salt, and blend until very smooth. Taste and adjust as necessary. Add more almond meal as you wish (if your dates are very soft and sticky you'll likely need more, but don't add too much as it will dull the flavour of the ginger, dates and molasses).
3. Using moist hands, roll the mixture into balls and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Heidi xo