Plant-Based on the Go

To say that life now is crazy would be a gross understatement; laughable, in fact. We are living in a collision of two worlds that makes things even a little bit more nutty. On one hand we have this wonderful farm-to-table, eating and cooking beautiful food, taking time to eat mindfully business, and, on the other, we are met with exhausting and demanding work hours that seem to never allow for us to take time for ourselves, much less get an hour in to cut the grass often enough just so that our neighbors don't report us... It's maddening.

I see this all the time, and the food/wellness business IS my business and I have a hard time keeping up. I share a life with a man who has made law his career; he spends crazy hours at the office and God help us if he's in trial. I'll often ask him what he had for lunch on those days and typically it's "nothing" or some "crappy salad". Wonderful.

This got me to thinking, in addition to helping other people add a plant to every plate - especially in challenging times, I thought I'd bring the message home. I have started experimenting often with energy bites that are not filled with sugar and preservatives, (go ahead and look at the one you have stowed away, unless it's a Lara Bar, you may want to toss it). They are extremely easy to make and are freezeable. They make a great little breakfast, a nice mid afternoon office snack (without the sugar crash), perfect snack for the kiddos when they come home from school, a really awesome post-workout recovery nosh, and of course ideal for that spouse who is putting in mad hours at work and really has no time to eat.

Here are two examples of recipes I have added to this site, there will be more coming.

No Bake Bites:

http://stlveggirl.com/recipes/no-bake-sunflower-butter-bites/

Nourishing Nosh Bites:

http://stlveggirl.com/recipes/nourshing-nosh-bites/

Please don't feel you need to follow this recipe (or any recipe for that matter) precisely, I would much rather you use these as a guide and follow your own instincts.

I really like a rolled oat base, I will typically get the gluten-free whole rolled oats at Trader Joe's. Below is a list of varying items you can choose to put in your energy bites. As you make them, you will begin to get familiar with the consistency and you won't measure anything. A rule of thumb is to make sure the mix is not too dry to where it's not sticking together (add in some water) or not too wet to where it's falling out of your hands (add more oats).

A basic recipe includes a pint of medjool dates, soaked in hot water for about 20 minutes. Take out the pits and whirl them up in your food processor. Add in 1 cup of the oats and a binder (below). Transfer it to a large mixing bowl and with your hands, mix in the rest of your ingredients, plus one more cup of oats.  Cover and refrigerate the mix for a half hour, bring it back out and on a parchment paper lined pan, scoop out 1 1/2" and ball up in your hands. Chill for one hour to overnight.

BINDERS:

Natural peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)

cashew butter

almond butter

SPICES:

cinnamon

nutmeg

ginger

cardamon

pumpkin

all spice

ADD - INS:

unsweetened shredded coconut flakes

sesame seeds

hemp seeds

chia seeds

ground flax seeds

goji berries

puffed rice

dried berries (cranberry/blueberry/cherries)

dried chopped apricot

candied ginger

dairy free mini chocolate chips

cocoa powder