Clean Energy Bars

Clean Energy Bar

my fellow crossfitter, Katie, found this on www.snack-girl.com
(makes 12 or 24)
Ingredients:

1/2 cup nut butter
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup whole nuts (choose your favorite)
1 ½ cup total of dried fruits (cherries, cranberries, apricots, raisins, coconut, etc.)
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
Pinch cinnamon (optional)
1/4 cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds (optional)
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a food processor, coarsely chop nuts and dried fruits. Mix nut butter and bananas until a paste forms. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. Spoon into lightly greased muffin cups and bake for 15 minutes. Can be stored in refrigerator for 5 days.

For one granola bite (12 in recipe) = 190 calories, 8.4 g fat, 26.7 g carbohydrates, 5.4 g protein, 3.1 g fiber

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

http://www.sarabconsulting.com/

Natural Energy Bars

The "bar" aisle at the grocery store can be daunting...all those flavors, brands, ingredients, and claims.

Hopefully this article from http://www.appforhealth.com/ will help clear up some of that confusion:

Best Natural Energy Bars

You may run across a familiar name within the article :)

Here is another great article:

How to Choose the Right Energy Bar

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

www.sarabconsulting.com

Almond Butter Bars

Almond Butter Bars
Recipe is from my Almond Mania blog post
I made some small changes to this round....I used Land o Lakes all natural whipped butter (fewer ingredients than most tub butters)
and if you do not have Almond Butter try Peanut Butter!

Nutrition for 1 bar: 419 calories, prot 8g, carbs 29g, fat 33g, sat fat 2g, trans fat 0g
Slice into individual serving sizes, wrap servings in plastic wrap and freeze till you are ready for a nutty, awakening treat.

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

http://www.sarabconsulting.com/

Caramel Apple Bars

My mom whipped up these tasty treats for J and I last night.

It's always nice having your Mom make your bedtime snack.

Caramel Apple Bars

Ingredients:

1 C natural peanut butter (Parker's and Maranatha are my favorites)

3/4 C caramel-flavored ice cream topping

3 T packed brown sugar

3 C Cherrios

1 C coarse chopped dried apples

1/2 C peanuts, whole OR chopped

Instructions:

Line 8x8x2 inch baking pan with foil, extend foil over edge of pan. Spray foil. In large saucepan combine 3/4 C peanut butter, 1/2 C caramel topping, and brown sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat just until mixture starts to bubble. Remove from heat. Add cereal and apples; stir gently to coat. Transfer to prepared pan; press firmly into pan with spatula or wax paper. In small bowl stir together remaining 1/4 C peanut butter and 1/4 C caramel topping. Spread evenly over bars and sprinkle peanuts over top, pressing lightly. Let bars stand for 1 hour. Enjoy!

ps..this is a good item to make on hot summer days when you don't want to heat up your oven...and the kids can help!

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

http://www.sarabconsulting.com/

Peanut Butter Energy Bars

My best friend and fellow teammate on the ISU track team, Leigh, used to make these yummy bars for meets. She was gracious enough to share the recipe with me so I could pass it down to the Solon High School track girls!

We all got together for MOTIVATION NIGHT at the Coach's house which was the perfect opportunity to introduce them to these squares of heaven.

Peanut Butter Energy Bars
Ingredients:
1.5 cup pb
1.5 cup honey
1 cup brown sugar
5 c rice krispies or other cereal (I like to mix bran flakes in there)
4 c oatmeal
1.5 c peanuts
1 tsp vanilla
Instructions:
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl together.
Boil the wet ingredients in a large pot and add the vanilla when it starts boiling. Stir it in, and take it off the heat.

Once the wet ingredients are boiled/mixed, you pour it over the dry and mix it all together. Then, you pour the mixture in a brownie pan and press it in...cool, cut and serve!

We also made a giant bowl of trail mix! Each girl brought there favorite mix in....nuts, seeds, dried fruit, cereal...

Congrats to the Solon girls for a stellar meet last night. Come cheer them on at Clear Creek-Amana Friday!

Thanks Leigh for sharing the tradition!

To come: homemade humus, coconut chicken

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good
http://www.sarabconsulting.com/