I've been vegucated

We went to a documentary showing at the library last week. The documentary, Vegucated, was about 3 people who were vegans for 6 weeks and we followed them to farms etc., as they learned about practices regarding eating animals. The one thing we both came away with was the absolute inhumanity in the way animals are treated. If they were just killed, then okay, but there was a total disregard for life. Animals are treated as if they are not live beings, with heartbeats, and hair, and pulsing life-force. It is really difficult to think of eating any meat or drinking milk right now. It may pass if we allow a forgetting, but I don't want to forget just because it is more convenient for me.

Anyway, Don and I have been through this "what do we eat" conundrum many times. Information conflicts all the time, fresh food isn't as available in the winter, food is transported long distances, and then there is our food budget to consider too.

So, I pulled out some veggie cookbooks, and I do have a lot of them, and mused on my next move.
I've been vegetarian before. There was more work. And budget demands no processed food. Hmpf! What to do?

I made bliss balls! We had tea with them and just enjoyed this one food. No animal in it anyway, and pretty much raw.

Bliss balls:

1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cardamon
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup grated coconut

Grind almonds finely in a food processor. Add raisins and grind until chopped up. Add tahini, honey, cinnamon, and cardamon, and blend well. Empty mixture into bowl and handmix in chocolate chips. Put the coconut into a shallow bowl or plate. Form balls with mixture, roll them in the coconut, and arrange on a platter.
Keep refrigerated.