Granola Energy Bites

Hello Clean Eaters! I have been so busy theses past few weeks between work, finally going on a vacation, and LIFE in general that I barely have time to breathe. I know it's not healthy...that is definitely something I will address in a later blog.For today, I am going to post a delicious recipe that I finally got to make! It is not an original as it was inspired by soooo many amazing bloggers before me! I took bits and pieces from my favorite and adjusted it to what I had in my kitchen! :)

Just a warning, these are simple to make and DEEELLICIOUS! Once I popped one in my mouth, I literally could not stop eating! Make at your own risk!

Ingredients
The simpler, the better!

• 1 cup quick oats
• 1 tablespoon powdered peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup ground extract (I tried to ground them in my blender but it didn't turn out too well)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Prep

To make these delicious bites, all you do is blend and stir all the ingredients together! This is what I did

1. Combine the powdered peanut butter, oats, and ground flax seeds together. Stir well!
2. Mix in vanilla and honey.
3. Spoon in peanut butter
4. Sprinkle in the dried cranberries and give one last good stir!
5. Once the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, roll into into balls and chill into the fridge for 30 minutes! They can be stored and kept fresh in an airtight container for 3 days!

This last part is messy (I'm not fancy shamncy enough to have parchment paper so I had to use my hands and Tupperware). I tried rolling the energy bites into balls using tablespoons. I just ended up using my hands and had more fun eating the stuck on granola than I did rolling them!

Fun, Fun, Fruit!

Hello readers! Yesterday, we had on office potluck and of course I signed up to bring the only healthy dish! My wallet this past week was particularly slim but since I love my staff so much, I did not want to show up completely empty handed so I made a fruit tray. Making a fruit tray turned out to be more fun than I thought, all you need is a couple different colored fruits and you are set! Let me show you how I did mines:

1. Find a ton of delicious fruits! Luckily, many of the fruits I found were on sale
2. Clean and cut the fruit
3. Place a small bowl (I used a $1 guacamole dish) in the middle of the tray (which I found at Party City for $1)
4. Get any yogurt to place in the middle. I like to use regular, unsweetened yogurt and fold in strawberries in the middle for taste. You can also add honey for a sweeter taste since plain yogurt is an acquired taste
5. Arrange your fruit anyway you see fit! I did mines with bright kiwi in the center as an eye grabber and berries on the corners for a color contrast. The color contrast really made the yellow/orange from the mango, pineapples, and tangerines stand out!

Here is how much everything costs:
-Raspberries $1.25

• Antioxidant support, anti-inflammatory phytonurtients, Vitamin C, Manganese (defends the body against free radicals), Fiber

-Blackberries $1.50

• Known to have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties; their dark color also gives them a high antioxidant factor; high in Vitamin C, and Fiber

-Kiwis 3/$1

• These tiny fruit are packed with Vitamin C and Vitamin K (a fat soluble vitamin that acts primarily in blood clotting)

-Tangerines 3/$1

• These cute little citrus fruits are high in Vitamin C and have a long shelf life; like most fruits, it has a natural antioxidant that is best for giving your body a natural defense system

-Mango .68c each

• Not only is mango one of my absolute favorite fruit, but it easily one of the best tasting things on the planet! Mangoes are packed with Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Fiber (which helps aid in digestion and elimination)

-Pineapple $1.98

• This tropical wonder is made for more than just pina coladas! Just like the other fruits above, pineapples are a great source of Vitamin C but also contain Manganese and Vitamin B1 for energy production and antioxidant support.

Total - $10.09 
Why did I name this article fun, fun, fruit? Well because fruit is a colorful and delicious way to get many key vitamins. Why would you settle for fake fruit flavored snacks and drinks when you can have the real thing for a cheap price? Processed foods, particularity those aimed at tasting like fruit, are laced with artificial sugars and ingredients that are created to mimic the taste of the real thing. Don't be fooled by the labels of many popular fruit snacks, while they claim to be gluten free, fat free, and have no preservatives don't forget the other funky ingredients who are secretly eating. This list includes:
-Corn Syrup
-Artificial Flavors
-Sodium Citrate
-Carnauba Wax
-Red 40
-Yellow 40
-Blue 1
It is almost as if you are consuming gummy bears...with marginal amounts of health benefits.
In all, fresh fruits is the best snacking choice out there!
-Eating Clean in College