RECIPE: SUPER PROTEIN BARS

I have to admit that I have been having a hard time lately.  Roman and I are waiting for the date for his visa interview so we can move to the US.  We have no idea when it will be.  I feel like my future is out of my control, and it's very difficult for me to handle.  Add to this the fact that I'm not doing anything besides taking Spanish lessons a couple times a week, and it makes for a stressful situation for a person like me.  It seems that when I am busy with school or working, all I want is free time, and when all I have is free time, all I want is to work or take classes.

But, I have found that when I occupy my time, I can handle our situation better.  So, in this post, I am including a recipe that I developed in an attempt to...I don't know...do something.  Well, it's not really a recipe, because all you have to do is put a bunch of stuff (and you can use whatever you want really) into a food processor...but I hope you like it anyway.

Super Protein Bars

1.5 cups walnuts (or raw almonds if you prefer)
2 cups pitted medjool dates (or more based on your preference for sweetness)
* If you are in Argentina, you should check your dates for bugs while pitting.  Actually, this is probably a good idea to do regardless of where you are.
0.5 cups shredded coconut
0.5 cups maca powder
0.5 cups hemp protein powder
0.5 cups cacao powder
1 vanilla bean

Throw the walnuts into a food processor to chop them up until they are very small (...perhaps I need to work on my technical writing a little, no?).  Add the coconut, maca, hemp, cacao, and scraped-out insides of the vanilla bean.  Process a bit more and slowly add the dates. The mixture will not form a dough, but once it looks uniform throughout, stop the processing and empty it into a square baking dish or some sort or square tupperware container.  Press the mixture down into the dish and so that the mixture now forms one cohesive unit of 'dough' or 'bar,' if you will.  Once you are finished pressing it all together, flip over the dish onto a plate and help the dough to fall out.  Once on the plate, cut the dough into bars and refrigerate.  You can also make small balls from the mixture by compacting it in your hands and rolling.

So, there you have it.  These bars are kind of like revved-up Lara Bars.  They are good for putting in your bag and eating as an on-the-go snack.

One day, I promise I will become a better food photographer.