Chocolate-PB Energy Balls

After a good morning, my day got even better. My parents offered to watch Ada this afternoon so I could go grocery shopping alone. It was glorious. I'm sorry to say I didn't exactly stick to our usual budget. We've been running low of staples for a while now, so I decided to get them all in one big shop.

Our refrigerator is stuffed to the gills with what I'm hoping is enough food for two weeks.

Since I had a late breakfast, I also had a late-ish lunch, which wasn't anything remarkable: A large sweet potato stuffed with a black bean-veggie mix and a bit of cheese broiled on top. I'll post a recipe later in the week because I plan to have it again.

I like to eat snacks throughout the day, too.  I'll admit, though, that lately that snack has either been Goldfish or Reese's peanut butter pumpkins. Plural. I don't mind indulging, but my habit was getting ridiculous.

So, I wanted to try and get my fix in a slightly healthier way. I'm a huge fan of homemade energy chunks. Done!


CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER ENERGY BALLS

Toss the following ingredients into your food processor:

• 1 cup rolled oats (uncooked)
• 1/2 cup natural no-stir peanut butter
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Method . . . 

1. Pulse all ingredients until they form into a thick batter/ball. 
2. You may adjust the consistency by adding more maple syrup, but start with just 1/4 cup and go from there. 
3. Then scoop out balls using a tablespoon measure. 
4. Roll in the palm of your hand. Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.

These may just be a cookie in disguise. Something I made to seem healthy, but really isn't. I don't know. At least the ingredients are simple and the sugars can be more easily digested/processed by my body. Now I just need to stay away from the candy aisles until after Halloween.

I'm so glad that some of you have decided to join me in making your own strides toward health and happiness in a new way. I find that the first two days are usually pretty easy for me. It's sticking with it that's the hard part.

A miso stew is on tap for dinner. I'm also hoping to get in a solo walk of 3 miles or so later this afternoon. Maybe even a few sun salutations if I'm feeling particularly inspired. My legs are definitely feeling the race, so whatever I do will be easy. And beyond all things food and exercise, I'd like to organize our mail tonight. It's been hanging over my head for a few weeks now.

Have a lovely evening. And if you'd like to read a bit about our weekend, check out Writing Chapter Three.

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