Homemade Laräbar: Peanut Butter Cookie

//this post has been moved to the new blog! //

After reading about Laräbars on various food blogs I went and bought one about a month ago. The cringe worth $2 price tag for the little tiny bar was worth it, and I was especially excited to see ingredients list! (Or lack there of!) I tried the Peanut Butter Cookie flavor, which only has Dates, Peanuts and Salt. I had seen a few Larabar recipes on some of my favorite healthy food blogs, like Chocolate Covered Katie, and set out to make some for myself. I am going on vacation in just over a week, and have been making healthy snacks for the trip.

I kept it super simple and stuck with the original ingredients: Dates and Peanuts! My mom ordered Date Paste from our co-op, which is perfect for this because it’s already ground up. If you don’t have date paste, just use the same weight of regular dates. I did a 1:1 weight ratio of dates to peanuts, and didn’t add any salt, because: a) It didn’t taste like it needed salt, the peanuts were already a little salty, and b) I forgot to!

Homemade Laräbar: Peanut Butter Cookie 

• 11 oz Salted Peanuts
• 11 oz Date Paste

The measurements are irrelevant as long as you have a weight ratio of 1:1. Process the paste and peanuts in your food processor until they are the consistency of coarse sand. Line a shallow pan with tin foil and firmly press the dough into it. Refrigerate until firm, then cut into bars with a sharp knife. Wrap them in foil and store in the fridge or freezer.

Yield: 14 (~1.5) ounce bars with the pan I used, I had enough dough left on the edges to make #15 but that was a taste-test =)

Date Paste.

Peanuts.

Not fine enough yet…

Perfect!

Press dough into a foil-lined pan.

Smooth top and fold foil over, refrigerate until firm.

Wrap them in foil.

Creative labeling. Oh yes.

Buffalo Chicken Dip and a Coffee Protein Shake! {low carb}

It’s my last week of low-carb+lower calorie eating (hopefully!) until I reach my goal! I’m ready to munch on an apple and have a bowl of oatmeal in the morning, not going to lie. I’ve been too busy to come up with any stellar low carb recipes and have been subsisting on almonds, cottage cheese and lots of romaine lettuce. Okay, not really! =) Eating low carb isn’t really that bad, I had a delicious omelette this morning loaded with asparagus and pepper jack cheese!

Hmmm…. 3rd or 4th cup of coffee? I hit snooze about 4 times then gave up and shut my alarm off completely… This time change *cough* late nights out *cough* has really messed me up!

For lunch a mixed up a hot-wings inspired dip and had it with celery and romaine lettuce hearts. I didn’t have any chicken, so turkey it was. As I was rummaging in the fridge, just after pulling it out of the oven, I realized that we had a wedge of gorgonzola in the cheese drawer! What are hot wings without a bleu cheese dip??! It was too late to incorporate the gorgonzola into the dip, so I sprinkled a little on top. When I make this again the gorgonzola is going inside the dip and on top! I’ll remake this correctly and post a recipe soon =) In the meantime, scroll down for a delicious coffee protein shake recipe!

It is beautiful and warm outside today, and after I came in from cleaning up some fallen branches from the storm the other week with my dad I reallllly wanted something cold and caffeinated. This coffee shake hit the spot!

It didn’t last long enough to get a “real” picture taken =P

Protein Coffee Shake

• 1c. Almond Milk
• 2 TB Instant Coffee
• 1 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
• 1/2 tsp Real Vanilla Extract
• Handful of Ice Cubes
• 2 TB Low Fat Cottage Cheese

Blend in a Vitamix or blender until frothy.

Dinner was waiting for me (gracias to mi madre!) after I got back from my first trip to the beach this year. No swimming but a nice long walk and then some pilates. Pilates on the beach=most relaxing thing I’ve done all week.

Chicken stuffed with gorgonzola and asparagus
Spinach salad with cabbage, onion, bacon and lemon juice+evoo (about 2x as much as is in the picture…. I finished the rest of what was in the bowl too… :D )

Rosemary Asiago Flaxseed Crackers {low carb}

While browsing for more low-carb recipes I found this recipe for Rosemary Flax Crackers on the blog “I Breathe…I’m Hungry”by Mellissa. She has a collection of great low carbohydrate recipes that are on my list to try! I cut her recipe in half, and substituted asiago for parmesan cheese. The crackers are tasty, very “flax-y”, which is expected because they are 100% flaxseed, but good! I think I should have pulsed my flaxseed a little more in the grinder because the consistency was off, but easily fixed with a little extra finely ground flax. You can find the recipe by following the link to Mellissa’s blog.