Packing a fiber punch.

Who doesn't love Lara Bars? 

They're simple, delicious and so organic you can still taste the dirt. 

The only downside is the cost, at $1.30 per bar or over 20 bucks for a box of 15, these once were a special, "I've been a good girl", "I went to the gym today (yesterday, last week, will go tomorrow etc)" treat. 

But no longer!

I figured that with so few ingredients, they would be pretty easy to make. 

Year 2 means a new leaf with the KDP experiments! They work!

I also had some awesome cookie cutters, of the ninja and Alaskan animals variety. 

So now my afternoon snack is made even better by being in the shape of a whale. 

Almond Cookie- makes 6 ninja's
1/2 c pitted whole dates
1/2 c pitted whole prunes
1/2 c almonds
1 tbsp flax seeds
1 tbsp coconut oil
dash of sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Cuckoo for Coconut- makes 6 whales

1/2 c pitted whole dates

1/2 c pitted whole prunes

1/2 c almonds

1 tbsp flax seeds

1 tbsp coconut oil

dash of sea salt

1/4 c dried coconut

Pumpkin Pie- makes 6 squirrels

1/2 c pitted whole dates

1/2 c pitted whole prunes

1/2 c almonds

1/3 c pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp flax seeds

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

dash of sea salt

-Place the dates and prunes in the food processor, blend until it's a paste and put in a bowl.
-Add the nuts and seeds to the processor and blend until finely chopped (stop before it's a flour). Dump in the bowl
-Add the nuts, sea salt, coconut oil and spices to bowl, Knead the nuts into the paste
-Transfer to a surface covered with plastic wrap. Shape into bars (I used cookie cutters, you can also roll into a ball, if you aren't as awesome as I am). Wrap individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to eat (Let set for 20 mins in the fridge before eating).

Be warned, the process does make a mess. 

That's a porcupine. It's an Alaska thing.  

The flavor options are endless. Here are some of the other Lara flavors, but you can really throw whatever you want in there. Just get some dried fruit, spices, nuts, nut butter, chocolate chips and go to town.
Apple Pie
Banana Bread
Blueberry Muffin
Carrot Cake
Cherry Pie
Pecan Pie
Tropical Fruit Tart
Peanut Butter Cookie
Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie
Ginger Snap
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Lemon Bar
Coconut Cream Pie
Cashew Cookie


Get your kitchen dance on to this:

Carolina Chocolate Drops new album, Leaving Eden came out in February.
I'm still listening to it everyday.
Now granted, the sounds of the CCD's are completely and utterly my jams, but there is a raw, unprocessed, jam session quality to this CD that is really lovely. It really takes me back to being at the Alaskan Folk Fest, a Juneau relic that I missed and pinned for this year.
They are experimenting more and more with meshing their old time, black string band sound with beat boxing. It's interesting and gives them an update, I just fear that this gimmick will become too over used.
Check them out, they are definitely on the cusp of the bringing back the Americana Roots movement, with a modern spin.