Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Nut and Granola Energy Bites


I found out on Sunday that one of my newest friends just had her first baby. It instantly brought me back to those first precious days with our little girl. Remembering what made me smile in those early days and what made me cry. There has never been such an emotional point in my life. The tears can turn to laughter faster than you can imagine. There is an incredible amount of unpredictability that causes you to savor the bright moments as much as you pray for the rough patches to pass quickly.


Living away from most of your friends and family can be extremely difficult. Having our baby in Florida while our families were in the Midwest meant it was up to us from day one. There was little support for me as I was trying to figure out what came next. Not that I'm complaining. My hubby got a week off of work, which was fantastic, but sometimes the 'glow' lasts just long enough to get you through that first week whether or not you have help.

After that, things get real. Any confidence you gained in that first week can instantly be torn from you and you may start to question everything.


The luxury of being a stay-at-home mom with a first baby is that you can lay in bed all day with your little one and no one needs you for anything. My one complaint was having enough food to keep my energy up. This is the perfect snack to have on hand, especially for nursing mothers. Because we all need to keep our energy up, but may not have the time or inclination for cooking.


Since these literally take 10 minutes to make, it's hard to come up with an excuse not to make them. So, in honor of that precious little baby boy, I made these nut and granola energy bites for the new mama.

There's oats for milk supply, natural sweetness from dates and honey, nuts for protein and healthy fats, and a little bit of dark chocolate for a 'treat'.

Not a nursing/new mother? Don't worry, these will appeal to pretty much everyone. After all, don't we all need a healthy but quick snack to grab?



Nut and Granola Energy Bites
Yield: 1 dozen
Time: 10 minutes

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup almonds
1/2 cup cashews
10 pitted dates
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, or chopped bar chocolate
2 tablespoons water (more or less, as needed)
1 tablespoon honey
Sprinkle of ground cinnamon, optional

In a large food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the oats, almonds, and cashews for about 10 seconds until it forms a coarse meal.

Add the remaining ingredients and process until the ingredients form a large sticky mass.

Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions (a cookie scoop is perfect) and roll into balls.

They can be eaten immediately, but are best when allowed to firm up in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.


Pinit

12 comments:

  1. Tanya-Lemonsforlulu.comMar 15, 2013, 7:01:00 AM

    I love anything that only takes 10 minutes to make! These are the perfect little snack for those early days of motherhood! Oh, how I miss those! These would be perfect for my life now too with three buys kids! Time flies!

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    Replies
    1. It does, doesn't it? Sometimes there's nothing I like more than to spend hours in the kitchen working on something super involved, but those other times, I'm in and out as fast as possible...

      Thanks Tanya :)

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  • sally @ sallys baking addictionMar 20, 2013, 10:40:00 AM

    i love making energy bites with all of these flavors. So convenient and delicious when you're in a hurry. I like to pop a few before a workout. Keeps me going!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's the perfect pre- or post-workout snack Sally. You're so right!

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