Wildland Man is the cook in our household. I know, I’m a lucky one. I can cook if I have to, but my hubs loves it, so I do the baking and he does the cooking. It’s a solid arrangement we have and I relish in it…until Wildland Man leaves to fight fires, but I guess that’s just part of “Living the Fire Life.” Then I’m left to fend for myself in the kitchen. When I’m a household of one in Wildland Man’s absence, let’s just say my meals usually leave a little something to be desired.
Cooking for One
It’s hard to get motivated to cook for just one. Plus, as I’m not the go-to cook in our house, I kind of have a terrible lack of understanding when it comes to prep/cook time. Combine that with the fact that I have a bad habit of waiting until I’m on the edge of hangry before going to the kitchen to see what I can whip up and the result is usually cereal for dinner.
So, enter these homemade energy bites I found on Money Saving Mom’s blog. They are quick, border on the baking side (although they are no-bake) which is more my comfort zone, and they make a big batch I can throw in the freezer and munch on any time hunger strikes. I use protein powder in this recipe, which provides a little more sustenance in the event that I eat a handful of these as a quick lunch substitute.
I’m working on my cooking ability and I usually do get brave enough to start making some meals when Wildland Man is away, but those first couple of days are HARD. When he first leaves for a detail, I often get a little mopey, I don’t sleep well, and my motivation is totally lacking. So these little energy bites help to get me through the first rough couple of days until I can get back in sync with my usual routine.
I’ve also learned to start preparing for Wildland Man’s absence as we begin to approach a new fire season. I’ll start making a point to portion out dinners that he cooks and will freeze well to set aside for me to have when he’s gone. I will also make casseroles that I can freeze to have on hand as well. Have I mentioned my strong love affair with casseroles, like my savory Chile Rellenos Casserole or my decadent Indoor S’mores Casserole? Now, that’s a meal I can tackle all my own in the kitchen. Thinking ahead and preparing has saved me many a night of pathetic dinners when Wildland Man is away.
Homemade Energy Bites
Ok, back to these energy bites…they are so easy-peasy (really—just two steps!) and a great little snack to have on hand any time of the year. Here’s how you throw them together:
Step 1: Mix all the ingredients together—my version contains oatmeal, peanut butter, honey, protein powder, ground flaxseed, chocolate chips, and vanilla.
Step 2: Form balls and freeze. And…done. So simple!
If you get the chance, make yourself a batch of these—they’ll keep well in the freezer and you’ll have a healthy, ready-to-eat, non-processed snack for the whole family. No fire season necessary to enjoy these little treats!
Be Still & Know…
- 2 cups oatmeal
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 2/3 cup honey
- 2 cups protein powder
- 1 cup ground flaxseed
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Form into small balls and place on a cookie sheet.
- Freeze for 1-2 hours to set up. Remove from cookie sheet and store in an airtight freezer bag in the freezer.
- Can be eaten straight from the freezer (which is what I prefer--especially in the summer!) or you can set out at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before eating.
- This recipe was adapted from http://www.moneysavingmom.com.
- Blog post URL: http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/05/4-weeks-to-fill-your-freezer-homemade-energy-bites-day-18.html.
- Original recipe adapted from http://www.smashedpeasandcarrots.com.
- Recipe Post URL: http://smashedpeasandcarrots.com/no-bake-energy-bites-recipe/.