Peanut butter granola bars

The average cost of a protein or granola bar is around $1.25.

The average man likes protein bars. Or my soon-to-be hubby does. He loves them.

There are certain things in every person's life they can't live without.
For me it's quinoa, eggs, coffee and tofu. I just have to always have these things on hand. I crave these things.

For my lover it's protein bars, soda waters, cereal and coffee. He drinks soda waters everyday and loves to snack on protein bars late night. 

When we first moved here and faced the difference of food costs here and food costs in Georgia, I felt discouraged. I became pragmatic about cooking from scratch and felt like I couldn't afford it. So I bought Sabra hummus.. the same batch of hummus that was recalled for listeria and I had sharp stomach pains for over a week. I felt awful.

I bought protein bars and easily spent over $20 that lasted us a week at best. 

This wasn't and isn't practical.

Where did my brain go? Maybe listeria made me stupid. 

I know I've mentioned this before but trying to figure out how to buy groceries and make them last was very challenging at first.
If you live in the Decatur, Georgia area, love your YDFM.

This week has been the very first week where we ate fulfilling meals every night, we still have plenty of groceries for the weekend and have gone to the store once. We try not to eat out a lot to save money.

Last weekend we carefully made a list, wrote out a rough draft of a menu for the week and went shopping. I gathered up some recipes and cooked all day last Sunday.

We're both 9-5ers. So something quick and easy in the morning and ingredients for fulfilling dinners at night was the goal.

I made chickpea hummus, a mushroom and leek frittata and peanut butter granola bars.

The hummus we snack on constantly. The frittata makes for a quick breakfast and the peanut butter granola bars are for breakfast, snacking and dessert.

PEANUT BUTTER GRANOLA BARS

• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 2 cups crisp rice cereal
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds
• 1 tablespoon flax seeds
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 cup pitted dates (about 7 Medjool dates)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons natural, chunky peanut butter
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of sea salt
• dark chocolate

Toast

1 1/2 cups oats 

at 350 for 10 - 15 minutes. let cool completely.

Chop and blend

1 cup of Medjool dates 

add a little water to help it blend until you get a semi-smooth consistency.. like a paste

In a bowl add

3 tablespoons of chunky peanut butter

1 tablespoon of honey

1 tablespoon of chia seeds

1 tablespoon of flax seeds
1/2 cups toasted almonds

healthy pinch of salt

pinch of cinnamon

date paste

Mix together. 

It helps if you heat the honey and peanut butter in the microwave, oven or stovetop a bit.

Combine toasted oats and 

2 cups crisp rice cereal

Combine everything. It gets messy so just prepare to get your hands dirty. It's fun. 

Melt some dark chocolate in a double boiler and drizzle over the top.

Press in a baking sheet with plastic underneath and on top. 

I lay down a long sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and cut it. Then I do another long sheet and overlap them slightly, creating one large sheet. 

Put that on the bottom and add your granola mixture. Really make sure you press them tightly together. The tighter the better, I always say.

I only had a 9x13 pan free at the time so I used that and just filled it half way. I didn't want super thin bars. Make do with what you have. Press them overnight, then cut to size.

These bar should be refrigerated. 

I had the oats, chia seeds, flax seeds and peanut butter already. The almonds, cereal and chocolate cost me under $10. I got 12 bars out of this recipe and I still have all the ingredients to make two more batches. You do the math. I hate math.

I made them, I know what's in them, they're cheaper than store-bought and they're delicious.

You can also find this recipe from Sprouted Kitchen

HAPPY FRIDAY!