“Live the actual moment. Only this moment is life.”

— Thich Nhat Hanh

Can I call it consistent if it’s just two posts? Yes? Okay, perfect! As I have always been a HUGE planner and list maker, having a baby has taken that to an entirely different level. At the start of each week I make a nice long list as to what I want to get done, from the bigger things to the basically insignificant things (yes, I wrote ‘weed garden’ down…) just so that I can visually see and tick off everything throughout the week. There’s nothing like the feeling of completing a to-do list! That being said, I’ve been adding in time for me to recipe test and blog each week. Finally! I am back to it. Big win for this mama!

This week on parent-friendly-recipes-that-won’t-eat-up-your-whole-day, we are going back to a childhood favorite of mine! Do y’all remember Sunbelt granola bars?! The chewy ones covered in chocolate?! Yeah, they were AMAZING. I’m not afraid to admit that I used to eat multiple at a time—who could resist? To this day, I’m still a big snacker. Sure, I try my best to be better at three meals, but lunch isn’t always for me! Maybe it’s because I’m constantly eating handfuls of nuts or fruit or chocolate…

Anyways! Back to these granola bars. I’ve been wanting to spice up my snack game with a little something something homemade. Probably one of my all-time favorite things I make are these raw granola bars. They’re SO simple and quick, which, as we know, is my go-to these days. With these bars, I wanted to go even more back to basics! I’m hoping that once Oliver is old enough to eat and then old enough to talk, he will be ALL about my homemade bars. Is it too much to want him to bake with me and love eating raw cookie dough as much as I do?! Ugh I can’t wait!! There are so few ingredients in these, and I was able to make them AND clean up before his nap was over, so a win all over!

The base is sweetened from dates and loaded with oats, which I think is what gives it the very authentic childhood granola bar taste. Cashews, coconut, a little bit of salt, nothing too overwhelming so that every flavor can be tasted. Plain and simple. Of course, we had to jazz it up somehow! And so I went for it and added a chocolate layer in the middle. Oohhhh la la. Yes, please! A little bit of cocoa powder, coconut sugar (the flavor of coconut sugar is out. of. this. world.), and coconut oil or butter, and that’s it! Again, a basic yet extremely satisfying layer! More of the base on top, freeze them and boom – you’ve got yourself a nice sweet and salty snacking bar! I also am so tempted to do a jam filling. A peanut butter filling. A coconut-based filling. The limit does not exist!

Could I eat the entire tray of them? Duh, don’t even tempt me! Will I? No, because I’m a sweet wife who will let their husband have a few. In true mom/baker/health obsessed gal fashion, these bars won’t take you an entire afternoon to make, have a flavor that is so satisfying and nostalgic, and the ingredients are simple and wholesome. I have somehow done it again!