ROTW All Balled Up

So I have a new gadget that I got from my amazing husband from Christmas and I think that we are on the brink of marriage.  It blows my good processor out of the water and has fully replaced its place in my heart.  My food processor broke when I dropped the lid back in October and I'm pretty sure that I cried.  Daniel compared and saw that the Ninja worked just as well.  Since using it I have so many reasons why I love it.

1) There are three different size containers.
2) Each container comes with a fitting lid so that it can easily be stored in the fridge.
3) The blades drop right into the containers, so there is no hole like in the food processors.  When I am done, I just take the blade out and can either pour or store!
4) There is no mess because the blades drop right in and come right out.
5) It works on everything! 

I have used it for my chicken tortilla soup, homemade tahini, hummus, banana freeze, smoothies, and my lovely new Recipe of the Week:

Chocolate Coconut Dough Ball

I wish that I could claim this as my own creation, but I found it at Edible Perspective.  I gave it a try yesterday morning for a potluck with my bootcamp ladies at Fit2Wed.  I was a little hesitant because it looked too easy and I had never worked with dates before. 

12 dates

1 c. ground almonds

1-2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 T. coconut oil

I first put the almond into the Ninja and ground until there was just little pieces left.  Then, I measured out a cup and set it aside.  Next, I pitted the dates and processed them in the Ninja.

Then, I added the almonds, cocoa powder, and coconut oil to the processed dates. 

The dough sticks together easily so you can easily mold balls out of the mixture.  Roll 12 balls, refrigerate, and enjoy!

They tasted delicious!  Each ingredient brings about a great flavor, and the cocoa can really be tasted so it's not like you're just eating dates.  The almonds provide a nice crunch, and they kind of remind me of a Larabar.  I am LOVING these and am so glad to find another "sweet" without the added sugar. 

I just had to show proof that these make me go crazy...I'm posting a very unpleasant picture but I was SO ready to eat them all up!