Leaving tomorrow for a week in Texas.  I’m looking forward to it for a couple of reasons, but boy is it difficult for a mama to leave the house!  My dad is having his second knee replaced, and I will get to be with him during his surgery and hospital stay and hopefully his transition back home.  Being so far away from him, I miss being able to see him often, and I’m really thankful for the opportunity to be of help to him next week. So, this week has meant preparing and trying to make it easier on everyone while I’m away, which means lots of grocery shopping, stocking the pantry, cooking and stocking the freezer and leaving a menu so that no one even really has to THINK about food.  It’s a busy week, and having this BIG part out of the way will hopefully mean that my husband doesn’t go crazy next week.  It’s definitely not a super-healthy menu ~ lots of ground beef and hardly any green veggies, but there are apples and carrots and lettuce and frozen veggies to add when necessary!☺

Recently, my friend Yvette, pinned a recipe on Pinterest and commented that it would be a good one for Cross Country meets.  I agreed.  They are called Energy Bites, and are full of protein and healthy grains and sugars.  I made a batch for Cooper’s next Cross Country meet. He ate them on the bus, shared them with teammates, and then we ate some while we watched and cheered on his team. They were gone in no time!

So since the Energy Bites were such a hit, I made a double batch of them the other day and filled a large plastic container with them, so that my kiddos can just grab them out of the freezer for an easy snack all week.  The last two days have also been spent fending them off from all of this food and lots of “Do not eat that!!!! It’s off limits until Mom leaves the house on Saturday!”

And don’t be fooled, they won’t be cooking Salmon and squash while I’m away.  I return Saturday afternoon, and that’s the meal I plan to cook when I get home.  By then, they’ll need a good dose of omega-3’s and winter squash ~ some salad will probably be a good idea for that night, too!

Here’s the recipe:

1 cup GFoats
2/3 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup flax meal
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together.  Form into small balls and place on a cookie sheet.  Place in the freezer for 20 or 30 minutes and then store in a container in the frig or freezer.  They will stay intact without freezing, but I think it helps to store them this way and keeps them fresh.  Toss them into a ziploc bag for a handy to-go snack!