Happy Valentine's Day!

Food For Friday: Homemade Larabars

We suspect that Hudson might have a food allergy/sensitivity, so almost 2 weeks ago, I eliminated all dairy from my diet.  That eliminated my favorite granola bars for a quick and easy snack, so when I saw this recipe for Homemade Larabars, I decided to give it a try!  They were fairly easy to make with the help of my food processor, and a good snack to grab as I rushed through the kitchen in between nursing sessions, laundry, diaper changes, and entertaining my little man. 

A disclaimer:  I've never eaten an actual Larabar, so I can't comment on how these compare to the real deal.  They were described on the recipe as tasting like Snicker's bars, and I definitely wouldn't go that far!  These bars have chocolate peanut butter flavor, but they don't even come close to tasting like a Snicker's bar in my book, especially because the underlying date flavor is still very noticeable.  Just had to get that out there! 

With Larabars costing over $1.00 each, these homemade bars are definitely a more economical way to have a tasty energy bar on hand.  They would also be an awesome addition if you are taking a meal to a family with a new baby because they are a perfect quick snack for nursing moms.

I adjusted the recipe a little and used 1 lb of dates, which came out to be about 3 cups, from the bulk section of our natural foods store.  I also used vegan chocolate chips to meet my diary free requirement.  The next time that I make a batch of these bars, I think I will add in another tablespoon of peanut butter to see if I can up the peanut butter flavor.  You can find the recipe here!

Our Little Snowbaby

This past weekend, we had a huge snowstorm that left us with 17 inches of snow over 2 days.  We got another few inches the following day for a total somewhere around 20 inches!  We enjoyed some cozy family time in our pj's and drank our fair share of hot chocolate.  Just for fun, we took Hudson outside a couple of times to see the snow, and to "measure" how deep it was.  The first day, the snow was about half a baby deep, and Hudson wasn't quite sure what he thought of it...

On day two, it was nearly 2/3 of a baby deep, and Hudson was much more interested!  It was so deep we didn't even have to hold onto to his arm because the snow itself propped him up.  We laughed watching him explore the snow and captured some fun pictures of our little snowbaby!

 Hmmm, what is this white stuff?

 

Hey, I can pick it up!

 

It's kind of fun!

 

I wonder what it tastes like? 

 

It's kind of deep. 

 

It's sticking to my mitten.

 

I think I like it.

 

See? I'm a big boy!

Happy.

 Happier.

 Happiest.

 Faaaaalllllling.

 Just chillin'.

 I'm not so sure about laying down in it!

We love that Hudson will grow up experiencing all four seasons, and his Daddy is hoping he'll want to join him on the slopes in the next couple of of years!