POWERBALLS

A. Ingredients you will need (all oz = weight; 1 oz = 28.4 gram):

1/3 cup uncooked oatmeal (19 gram C)
(Most any kind will do, just cook it to a firm texture (see below). I use a slow-cooking brand (20' to mush) and cook it only 10'.)

2 oz fructose (57 gram C)
(Solid,granulated stuff that looks like table sugar. Available at health food stores. One heaping tablespoon (the kind you eat with) is approximately 1 oz.)

1 cup non-fat dry milk (36 gram C, 24 gram P)
(Check the label to confirm amounts per unit volume.)

2.3 oz soy protein powder (65 gram P)
(A critical component in that you want a crude, relatively insoluble protein. The more soluble the protein powder, the more difficulty you will have in forming balls. Designer Protein makes a bowl of glop. All health food stores carry soy protein powder. Check the label to determine about how much volume to use to get 65 grams if you don't have a scale.)

1/2 cup chopped almonds (43 grams F)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Total: 112 grams C (12 blocks), 89 grams P (12 blocks), 43 grams F (14 blocks)*

(*Assumes 3g per fat block since there's essentially no fat associated with the protein source)

B. Directions:

1. Cook oatmeal to a firm consistencey
2. Cool to room temperature.
3. Chop nuts.
4. Add nuts and vanilla to cooled oatmeal.
5. In a separate bowl combine: fructose, 3/4 cup of the dry milk, and protein powder.
6. Stir oatmeal into mixture from 5.
7. Slowly add small amounts of water until the consistency is appropriate. It should get quite stiff and difficult to mix. Don't add too much water, or you'll go past the point of no return. It should be such that small balls can be rolled by hand and are stable.
8. Form 12 small balls from the mixture and roll each one in the remainder of the dry milk so that they can be stored and handled conveniently.
9. Rinse your hands with water and/or coat them with dry milk to facilitate rolling .
10. Store refrigerated. Can be frozen.

That's it. One block = one ball. Add/substitute your favorite ingredients (e.g. honey, cocoa, peanut butter, rum extract, oils, flavored protein powders) and have a ball.

C. Tips:

1. Russ Swan recommends 2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder per recipe for choco Powerballs. He also likes replacing the almonds with toasted hazelnuts.
2. I usually substitute pecans for almonds because I like the texture better and because they're easier to chop. The fat content is similar to almonds, but with a bit more unsaturated.
3. Olive oil can be added if you're on extra fat blocks.