Gluten Free Easily's Paleo Power Balls and Gus!

The summer of 2015 will be remembered by me as the summer of Gus.

Chris and I innocently went out for dog food one afternoon in May and were completely taken by a pup with big brown eyes sitting outside of the pet store with his rescue group. We adopted him on the spot. He was about twelve weeks old and the sweetest, most snugly little pup you've ever seen. Our Elle wasn't sure about him at first but grew to adore him.

The first weeks were full of potty training and crate training. He woke up crazy early and needed so much attention all day long or he would chew everything in sight. I barely function before 7:00 yet there wasn't much choice in waking up and hitting the ground running.

Gus still is sweet and snugly, but at eight months he's 55 pounds of solid muscle. He's sleeping in until at least 7:00 but is still bouncy from the moment he gets up and still has endless energy. He's loving and smart and the most handsome boy. He is still absolutely and completely exhausting.

We walk together well over five miles every day. Every day. I'm so thankful for the beautiful park with endless trails we wander through but it really does get to be a lot.

Over the summer when it was so hot and sticky here in North Carolina and sleep was fleeting, I saw a recipe from Shirley Braden of Gluten Free Easily.

Shirley's Paleo Power Balls for One became my go to pick me up. I knew I had all the ingredients on hand (only four healthy ingredients) and knew they would go together quickly.  I found it much more convenient to double or triple the recipe so I could keep a few in the fridge. If I was out of almond butter I subbed peanut butter - sometimes a little sweeter, sometimes less. I love the flexibility.

Many a morning I grabbed one on my way out the door and it kept me going for the entire four mile morning walk.

If by some chance you aren't familiar with Shirley and Gluten Free Easily, please click on the link above and then look around her site - especially if you are new to living gluten free. Her focus is on real foods, not processed or packaged, making her site one I can easily recommend. Shirley's many, many recipes range from familiar family favorites to paleo and vegan - like this one. I love that she features other bloggers' recipes and sites so graciously. I can always tell when she has shared one of my links - I see the "Shirley Bump" in the traffic. =D Shirley is an absolutely lovely woman inside and out and an amazing resource to the gluten free community.

Enjoy!