Power Ball recipe

I love this snack recipe, and so do the kids. I learned it while substituting for a wonderful Montessori school. For a while when I was there I felt a difference, I knew the kids were different somehow but couldn't put my finger on it. Actually it was more like I couldn't find words for it. Having substituted at several public schools, including doing 5 weeks of my student teaching at a public school, I had an idea of what children were like in comparison. One day while I was observing the children at play I realized that these children were genuinely happy.  They were truly allowed to be their unique and authentic selves. These kids are so happy and free to be themselves. I wish all children could grow up in this powerfully loving and authentic community of learners. If anyone is struggling to see that group education could ever provide a loving and accepting community they need to observe at a small montessori school here in Northern California. Community and acceptance are for real.

This healthy snack might also be part of the reason for happiness. 

This is a non-cook recipe for snack. Children love to make snack for themselves, they love cooking and eating. This is another recipe that you can’t really go wrong with, all you have to do is mix the ingredients and roll it up and eat it. Even the ingredients can be changed.

Basic recipe:

Power ball

Mix peanut butter, honey or maple syrup, nuts and seeds (small sizes), raisins or cut dried fruit, unsweetened chocolate bits, and coconut and roll teaspoons amounts into small balls, roll in coconut, cocoa powder or sesame seeds. The ratio is about 2:1 wet ingredients. So 4 TBLS peanut butter, 2 TBLS honey; then 1:2 for the wet ingredients to the dry, so add to the peanut butter and honey mixture 3 cups of dry ingredients. The mixture should be a little sticky so it rolls together but not so sticky that it is messy or drippy. I usually roll it in coconut shavings, but you could also roll it in coco powder, sesame seeds, or what ever you come up with. This is a great recipe to play around with.

For younger students I measure and mix as one big batch, but for older students (2^nd grade and up) I offer the ingredients and allow them to mix it up themselves, including new ingredients and making it up as they go.