Hi friends! It’s good to be back! I ended up taking 2 weeks off of blogging after my husband came home from his business travel.
He’s had a light work schedule since he got back so I couldn’t get enough family time. It’s funny how it took no time at all for things to go back to normal. We are just thrilled to have him home again.
He arrived the Monday night, Memorial Day, then that first weekend our good friends from Texas came to visit us which was totally awesome. They have 4 kids the same ages as ours but ever since we got back in the military we only get to see them once a year. The kids had a blast catching up, as did the adults, and we enjoyed some amazing Washington weather.
They left on Tuesday morning then this past Friday my husband’s brother from Texas surprised him for a visit (I was in on the secret but nobody else). It was priceless to see my husband get home from work on Friday to be greeted by his brother. Best surprise ever! So tomorrow marks the start of our first normal week as a family of six! Hubby goes back to work full time, kids finish up school and all activities resume (including blogging)!
So with my husband being back home, I can already see the grocery bill rising again. He pokes fun at me that I spent more on groceries when he was gone, but I really think that was because of baby stuff like diapers, wipes, etc. from adding a fourth kiddo to our family while he was away. In fact I am sure of it.
Anyway, my hubby can EAT. Well for one thing, he’s a guy. Two, he’s super lean and workouts out daily. Three, he’s back home after 9 months in Afghanistan so he’s enjoying all his old favorite foods from home. I think I need to get a job to cover our groceries!
One thing I started making a couple months ago are these copycat homemade coconut cream pie Larabars. You can find copycat Larabar recipes all over the net, but this is my version.
My husband loves these so much that I decided they should be on my blog. These are honestly better than the regular Larabars in my opinion which can sometimes be too sweet for my tastes.
I decided to keep measurements simple at 1 cup each- don’t you love that? I also added a little water to help the mixture come together easier.
After I popped the mixture into the refrigerator to set I decided to look up other recipes online to compare- basically everyone did something slightly different- some recipes used less coconut, some more dates, some added coconut oil (which I don’t see necessary as you are already using a cup of raw coconut), some used more water….so I am thinking this recipe is pretty forgiving!
I looked at the Lara bar ingredient list again after I made my bars are realized they had cashews too, in addition to the almonds. So if you really wanted you could to half almond, half coconut instead of 1 cup almond, but using all almonds works wonderfully!
It doesn’t get much easier than that friends!
I will definitely be getting back to meal planning soon now that he is home and I have another person to cook for (that actually doesn’t complain about what I make).
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup unsalted almonds
- 1 cup pitted & chopped Medjool dates (~7-8 large ones)
- ¼ cup water
- Line a 8x8 baking dish with foil, coat foil with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a food processor blend nuts and coconuts until a medium fine texture. Add chopped dates and water and process for ~1 minute or until a balls starts to form.
- Transfer mixture to pan and pat down using your hands or a rubber spoon (spray a squirt of cooking spray into your hands if mixture is too sticky for you to handle).
- Refrigerate for 1+ hours or until firm. Remove foil from pan. Cut into 8 bars or smaller squares if desired.
Questions: Are you a fan of Larabars? Have you tried making your own at home? Favorite flavor?
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I’m so so happy that you’ve gotten in some good family time since you’re husband has returned home and have had a chance to soak it all up. And these look amazing! I love the idea of larabars but my problem is that I’m allergic to all nuts and well, all larabars seem to have nuts in them. I want to try and make some of my own and you’re inspiring me to play around n the kitchen!
Christine @ Love, Life, Surf recently posted..Fathers and Smiles
How did I not know this Christine? Can you eat sunflower seeds?? I bet those would work well in place of the nuts. The coconut flavor is so overpowering anyway. Let me know and I’d be happy to try it out for you!
Lara Bars are definitely one of the best out there – because they only have like 3 – 5 ingredients that are all fruits and no added sugars!!! Now, people need to realize that they’re NOT protein bars though, so if they want something a bit more filling, a piece of chicken is probably better, but a between meal snack… Lara Bars, not too shabby… But your “copy-cat” bar… SO MUCH BETTER!
GiGi Eats Celebrities recently posted..Tote-ally Fashionable For The Summer
Very true. These are really satisfying with all that good fat!
It makes me so happy that you are all back together again. And what a great surprise! Love that!
AND I do love larabars! My kids do too so I’ve learned to make my own versions at home or we’d have stock in the company. These look great!
Angela @ Happy Fit Mama recently posted..A Do and A Do Not
Thanks friend. It’s true- these are such a money saver! P.S. Last night I had a dream I met you! It must have been from looking at Blend Conference pictures, lol
AMAZING. I am going to have to try these. I have a mean recipe for homemade Snickerdoodle Larabars but coconut sounds dreamy.
Madeline @ Food Fitness and Family recently posted..Who’s FitBloggin’ With Me?
Ooh, I’ll have to look up your recipe!!
YUM! Larabars are a staple in my house, but I’ve never tried the coconut, these look delicious, and couldnt be any easier!
Natalie @ Twenty-Something Talk recently posted..A really stupid idea.
I need to try experimenting with the other flavors too- now that I know how easy they are to make!
YUM!! WANT – a million times over!
Linz @ Itz Linz recently posted..William and Baby Fredbird
Perfect nursing snack! 🙂
Oh my son loves larabars, I am going to have to make these!
Kelly @ Cupcake Kelly’s recently posted..BarreFit App Giveaway
Great! I was surprised my 5 year old loves these- she takes them in her lunch. 🙂
We love making date/nut balls or bars, but usually with cocoa powder for chocolate flavors. I haven’t tried making the coconut ones- but I love those, too! Yours look fantastic!! Glad we’re not the only ones with a crazy grocery budget. No matter how we try to trim it back, it just seems to keep growing!
Laura @ Mommy Run Fast recently posted..20 minute Vacation Resistance Band Workout
I love larabars! but they can be pricey, so I will definitely have to try to make my own. I actually just bought a bag of unsweetened coconut flakes, so looks like I can put them to good use 🙂
Kammie @ Sensual Appeal recently posted..Giveaway: Now this is pudding made right
Yay! This is definitely a money saver!