Snacks often seem to be a concern for people who switch to gluten free diets.  These coconut date balls come together fairly easily. They’re great for potlucks, or for hosting gifts when you just don’t want to bring a bottle of wine.

I know medjool dates are rather expensive. When I see recipes with medjool dates, I often wonder if I can just use regular cooking dates instead. If you’re going to make these, I recommend splurging. The medjool dates will be much easier to chop and will give you nicer results all around.

These coconut date balls take additions quite nicely. I sometimes add almond meal to give them a less date-y texture. You can also add some lemon zest and/or a bit of lavender to give these a bit of extra oomph.

10 Minute Coconut Date Balls (vegan, paleo)

Ingredients
1 cup medjool dates (about 12 dates)
Boiling water
1 tsp melted coconut oil
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
More shredded coconut for coating (optional)

Directions
Pit and chop the dates using a sharp knife. Transfer them over to a large bowl.

Boil water and pour over the dates, enough to cover them. Let sit for 30-60 seconds, and then drain. Add in the coconut oil and shredded coconut. If using, pour the extra shredded coconut (about 1/4 cup) in a small plate.

Mix the ingredients with your hands until everything is well combined. Form balls with your hands, and then roll them in the shredded coconut on the plate. Then, place the coconut date balls in a single layer in a container. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving to solidify.

There’s something really peaceful about doing nothing on a nice spring day. Next to me is an open door that leads to my partner’s backyard. I can hear the birds and the rustle of the new leaves. Something about it makes me want to cook anything just so I can go take food pictures outdoors. This is precisely what I did for the strawberry ice cream, except these pictures were taken in my own backyard (for a lack of better term). Oddly enough, it had never occurred to me before to go take pictures outdoors. The nicer weather has been around for a few weeks, and I’ve still been taking pictures indoors.

At my current apartment, the backyard is also a shared parking for the tenants, with tons of student balconies overlooking it. I do feel kind of shy going outdoors to take pictures because there’s almost always someone around (usually drinking). My partner and I will be moving to a new apartment in July with our own backyard. I’m excited to see what kinds of new photography possibilities it will allow. Or I could just sit outside, eating homemade strawberry ice cream.

This strawberry ice cream is so easy to make. Lots of recipes call for an ice cream maker, which can be rather disappointing when you don’t have one. Or, in my case, you have the bowl for the ice cream maker to add to a stand mixer that you don’t actually own. Because my current freezer isn’t the best, I can put the bowl of ice cream in the freezer and come back to it at any point without having to worry about thawing it a little bit first, though I’m not sure how what will be needed with other freezers. If you try out the recipe, let me know how it works out for you.

3 Ingredient Vegan Sugar Free Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients
3 very ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk

Directions
Blend all ingredients together. I used my immersion blender to blend the ingredients I’d placed in a bowl. You can also use a blender or a food processor. Freeze for at least an hour before eating.