The Crunchy Dance of Joy

I may have turned to the Dark Side. I really hope this post doesn't cost me my one and only reader, Awkward Mom!

(drumroll)

I just made my own Larabars!  If you're reading this and you happen to not be Awkward Mom, the whole "make-your-own-granola-bars" controversy stems from this hilarious and also thought-provoking post: Awkward Mom vs. Other Moms. (Do check it out; it's a delightful post.) It seems that granola-bar-making is something only annoying, overbearing, sanctimonious Perfect Moms do.

I promise I'm not trying to be a Perfect Mom!  Yuck. If you could see the outfit I'm wearing right now, or the state of my hair, you'd know right away that I'm not one.  ;)

But anyway - this Larabar obsession of mine took root about a week ago, when I saw a copycat recipe on a craft website. I love copycat recipes, but I'd never tried a Larabar. The copycat post mentioned how horribly expensive they can be: up to $1.89 per bar, and they're teeny.  Fast forward a couple of days later, when what should be on sale at my local market? Larabars!!  Woohoo. I tried two and fell in love with the Coconut Cream Pie flavor.  So of COURSE I had to try the recipe.

Truth is, this could be the easiest thing I've ever made. The bulk of my time was spent searching for ingredients!  There are only five: Dates, cashews, almonds, coconut and coconut oil.  Pit the dates (I had to google that, but it couldn't be simpler). Then you process everything in a food processor, and turn it out onto waxed paper and mush it into a bar shape.  No brainer.  The noise of the processor didn't even wake Katie up!  Could there be a bigger win?

And they are TASTY as all get-out.  I am stunned at how simple the ingredients are.  I'm not the type to turn up my nose at refined sugar (there are some Snickers wrappers in the trash can right now that will attest to that) but I do occasionally enjoy the wholesome feeling I get from eating food that's...well, real food.  :)

Thank you, Lara, whoever you are, for inventing these. I promise I'm not trying to put you out of business, and that I'll continue to buy your bars for their awesome individually-wrapped convenience. But, as my local Trader Joe's doesn't sell Coconut Cream Pie, I'm gonna whip up my own once in a while too.