Prepare for me to go through withdrawals over the next few days. Withdrawals of what? Television. I know, right?! Who am I?!? I went three whole years without cable or television and now I am addicted to Orange is the New Black… well, Netflix in general. I finished Season 1 the last time Donny was gone and then he had to catch up. Well one week later and we are now done with all 13 episodes of Season 2. Yikes.
Over the last week we watched one or two episodes before bed each night and then binge-watched Sunday. We didn’t have anything going on Sunday so we relaxed, aka watched OITNB. It was wonderful, in case you were wondering.
Season 1: done. Season 2: done. Season 3: NOT OUT UNTIL JUNE! What are we going to do?
Maybe I will actually get some good solid reading time in now that I won’t be addicted to the TV. I am in the middle of reading American Sniper and have another book or two waiting. Any good book recommendations? I need a new addiction.
Besides just binge-watching TV, this weekend I made my own granola bars! I had never made my own before, but I kept reading how easy they were. I basically made them similar to how I make energy bites but put them in a pan and baked them.
I like having energy bites or these granola bars to grab quickly before heading to boot camp or the gym in the mornings. I don’t want to have to make anything because that would mean I would have to wake up a few minutes earlier than I already do… I don’t think so.
One of the best parts about this recipe is that it only requires four ingredients. Yes, four. Plus, coconut and cashews make a great flavor combination. I mean peanut butter & jelly, macaroni & cheese, peas & carrots, coconut & cashews. I’m sure it’ll catch on……..
Dates are what basically hold all the ingredients together in this recipe. I actually made a date paste. I soaked one cup of pitted dates in one cup of water for around 2 hours. Then I put the soaked dates in a food processor along with about one tablespoon of the leftover water and pureed until it was smooth. Easy peasy. After that, just add the other ingredients in and mix together. So simple.
The dates and the coconut add sweetness to the granola bars so no added sugar is necessary! If you do want make them more sweet then add some honey or agave.
There are a ton of ways to change up the flavors in these granola bars. Substitute almonds or peanuts, add dried cranberries or blueberries, throw some chocolate chips in the mix!
One of the key steps is toasting the cashews and coconut. It add so much flavor to both ingredients. I toasted both (separately) in a small saute pan on the stove over medium heat. When toasting, make sure to stir frequently so it doesn’t burn. Once most the coconut shreds/cashews are mostly golden brown then remove from the heat.
- 1 cup dates, soaked in 1 cup water for 1-2 hours
- 1/2 cup organic cashew pieces, toasted
- 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- Pinch or two of Himalayan pink salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- After soaking dates in water, place dates in a food processor and puree until smooth. If necessary, add leftover date-water one tablespoon at a time.
- Put date paste in a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the toasted coconut, toasted cashews, rolled oates, and salt to the bowl. Stir until well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased 9x9 baking dish. Spread the mixture out evenly and press firmly into the pan **If you do not press firmly enough, the bars will fall apart after baking**
- Place pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into bars.
- Let the pan completely cool before placing in the refrigerator. Keep them in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes before removing.
- These can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free oats!
