Larabars!

As I mentioned in a previous post I've come to love Larabar's. I also mentioned that I would be finding a recipe for them since I love them so much.

Well, it didn't take long after that post for me to find one and I made my first batch last Thursday (the first batch was not too hot since I didn't use dates). But by the second batch I got the hang of it and I have to say that Daniel and I love the ones that I've made a 100X more than the actual Larabar's! I'm not sure how that happened but I'm glad it did since it's much more cost efficient.

I found a website called Damy Health and it has tons of recipes for these. So far we've made two batches of the key lime pie, one peanut butter cookie, and one chocolate coconut macaroon. Don't worry, we haven't ate them all yet. :) I made three batches on Sunday night for Daniel and I this week to take for snacks.

I'm constantly looking for things for us (mainly Daniel) to take to work to have something healthy to eat. I'd have to say that the one thing that makes me feel like an awful wife is if he goes to work without a lunch and snacks. I know...I know. He's a grown man who can feed himself. And he's never once gripped or complained if he doesn't have something to eat from home. I just feel like it's my job for us to eat healthy even if we aren't at home. I have mixed feelings about eating out anyway since you never know what's in the food. I like to think of it as limiting our unknown food intake. ;)

Anyway....

Please know that these bars are healthy in moderation. They have good fat, sugar, calories in them. Your body needs all of those things just from the right foods. This is not a food that will aid in weightloss, it is a healthy all natural snack.

When I was visiting my mom on Friday I let her try one and she was curious to know what was in them and seemed to like them as well! When we were eating one I said, "These are pretty much like a candy bar!" My mom looked at me like I was delusional! So I'm not sure if the lack of sugar in my diet makes these things seem amazing, if I'm crazy, or if they are actually as good as I think they are. But my husband loves them too, so that must be a good sign.

Please give them a try for yourself! They are SO easy to make and such a great alternative to all those other fruit/snack bars that 'claim' to be all natural. 

Here are the three recipes I've made so far but the website above has many more.

Key Lime Pie

• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup Seedless/Pitted whole Dates
• dash of sea salt
• Zest of 1 lime
• 1/2 tbsp lime juice
• 1/3 shredded coconut

Peanut Butter Cookie

• 1/2 cup Seedless/Pitted whole Dates
• 1/4 cup cashews
• 1 tbsp natural peanut butter
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup peanuts

 Chocolate Coconut Macaroon

• 1/3 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup Seedless/Pitted whole Dates
• 3 tbsp dark chocolate
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Clarity.

Besides my husband being stuck in Dallas studying for an upcoming test, the weekend was close to perfect.

Friday night when I got into Athens my mom and I got to go eat dinner and catch up. We had a tough time deciding where to eat with all the options in town. Applebee's or Ochoa's? Since my mom had gone with friends to Ochoa's for lunch, Applebee's it was. We walked in and while waiting for a table I listened and watched everyone as they passed by. Everyone knows everyone in our town and that's pretty clear at the local Applebee's. ;)

On Saturday morning I got up early to head to Newton (where my Daddy lives). When I showed up he was outside welding/building fence. I've never known this man to sit still. I've also never known him to not do something on his own. That is one of the biggest things I admire about my Dad, he's a hard worker. That's something that I also admire in my husband. They may be different as night and day in some ways, but working hard isn't one of them.

My stepmom and I spent all day outside cheering my Dad on and occasionally helping when he'd let us. So we grabbed some lawn chairs under a shade tree, sipped on some sweet tea and ate watermelon. Perfect Saturday I think.

It's been such an amazing experience getting to see my Dad turn a piece of land into a home. When he bought this 100 acres about two years ago it was nothing but trees. Now it's cleared off, has a house, roads, he's building a lake, and as you can see above, the fence is coming along. That may not sound like a lot in two years but when you do the majority of it yourself with a little help from family and friends it really is a lot in a short period of time. I'm proud of him. And I can tell how happy it makes him to have this place to call home.

On Saturday evening I took a walk on the land and snapped a quick picture of the sunset. Not because it was the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen but because I found myself really appreciating that moment.

As I looked around me surrounded by everything God made I felt overwhelmingly joyful. As Daniel and I like to say, I got a 'heart jump'. That moment when something makes you so happy your heart does a flip. And at the very same time I found myself wanting to cry because I don't feel like this more often where we live. If I needed anymore clarity that I was not made for the city life, this was it. 

We are still working on our next move and waiting on answers about jobs but everyday is a day closer to getting those answers and we are thankful for all the prayers that have been given.