Homemade Energy Bars and a Challenge

I'm alive! Made it to my high school reunion at my goal weight--SWEET! And very exciting.

I'll be back later to blog more about what I'm up to fitness-wise these days, but a few quick things.

First, this morning I made these homemade energy bars. They are v v v v awesome. Why, why did I feel compelled to make my own energy bars? Well, not to be gross, but Eamonn cannot eat oats. Well, he can, but the consumtion of oats comes with dire intestinal consequences. Actually, I'm the same way. TMI, I know. Anyway, he needed an alternative for when he's out on his bike. These are tasty, but we'll see if they stand the rigor test in the pocket of his cycling jersey or his Camelbak. Or the heat. Always have to think about the heat, even out here.

Energy Bars with peanut butter and sunflower seeds
1 cup peanut butter (or experiment with almond butter, too)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
2/3 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries or raisins (or a combination)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/3 cup shredded coconut
3 cups puffed brown rice cereal

Grease an 8×8 pan with a cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, honey and vanilla extract until well-combined.

Add the sunflower seeds, dried fruit, sesame seeds and coconut and combine thoroughly with the peanut butter mixture.

Gradually add the puffed brown rice cereal to this.

Firmly press the mixture into the prepared 8×8 pan; you’ll need to wet your hands slightly, otherwise the mixture just sticks to them. (I used wax paper to press in the mixture and it worked great)

Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours, then cut and go biking, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing or whatever floats your boat!

You can also change up the fruit or add some chocolate to this mix to change it up a bit.

And a final note about energy bars. I don't usually eat them in conjunction with a regular workout because they tend to be high in calories (get a load of all that peanut butter!). I tend to consume them as a snack or even a meal replacement when I'm out doing a long hike or skiing. It's different for Eamonn who is out on his bike for rides of 2, 3, 4 or even 5 or more hours. My guess is he's earning those calories far more than me.

And as for the "challenge" part of this post, a friend and I are kicking off a commitment to wellness starting Monday. Not a challenge, per se, just focusing on our health and wellness. We're talking today to map out the details about how each of us will achieve our goals. I'm going to try and convince her to put her progress on her own blog. I'll keep you updated, but if you want to join in, the more the merrier!

More later...