The One Bite Wellness version of Larabar

For the record, I've been loving on Larabar since 2006 when I was traveling back and forth from Manhattan to attend a nutrition and health coaching school. They traveled well and, even when they were squished in my bag, it never affected their taste. My favorite Larabar flavors are Cashew Cookie, Chocolate Coconut Chew, Coconut Cream Pie, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. I have always had a box of them in my refrigerator and a couple in my purse or work-bag as insurance against getting hungry enough to start thinking that fast food would ever be a good choice.

That being said, my DIY self has known for quite a long time that I am perfectly capable of making my own delicious (raw, gluten-free, and organic) bars...or at least it thinks so. Let's give it a try....

Coconut, cacao, vanilla, cocoa powder, almonds, and dates

 
I took about 1/2 pound of dates, soaked them overnight, and removed the pits before throwing them in my high-powered blender. I added in cacao nibs, 3/4 cup of almonds, 1/2 cup coconut, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/3 cup of cocoa powder. The blender didn't like all these dry, sticky ingredients so the end product has large pieces of almonds and such. Next time, I will create more work for myself by using the wet container for dates and the dry container for the rest of it. Really looking forward to that :p. Anyway, it worked pretty well and here is the 8x8 pan of chocolate nut date bars which are 'resting' in the fridge before I cut them into sections and wrap them individually.

Bars-to-be! First, refrigeration.

So let's talk benefits:
1. fresh ingredients
2. <15 minutes from start to finish
3. save money
4. not support General Mills
5.  fun and creative ingredients


In the meantime, a spot of tea and bit of the bar are the perfect way to unwind from a busy day :).

For the love of CHOCOLATE & Cacao

Milk chocolate bars and all their fancy nut and fruit versions used to be just delightful. As I learned that dark chocolate was better for health, I made the mistake of jumping from the low percentages up to 80%...and that was a bitter mistake I didn't repeat again. I used a version of the 'step-down' method, which was 'stepping-up' the percentages of cacao in my chocolates slowly.
Then, in a lecture with one of my teachers, the amazing David Wolfe, raw foods enthusiast, I learned Waaay more than I ever knew before about this...could it be true?....health food. Chocolate IS a health food, but only as you get close to the very source, the cacao bean.
Do you want a treat that will provide you with vitamins, minerals, and even FIBER? Holy crap (literally), it is way better tasting than the 'fiber alternatives' (think Metamucil).


Or, you could go crazy and get the 10 pound bag I do every year :)

But I would say that THIS option will provide you with enough as you get comfortable with trying more cacao in your foods during the next few months:

So how do you use it? Some quick ways are in oatmeal, smoothies, yogurt, baking, and trail mix are good places to start. More cacao recipes are on their way!
It's also Portlandia's 'safe word'
)