Coconut Protein Bars

Charlie's third birthday was this Sunday. I know it is totally cliche but I seriously can't believe how quickly time is going by. I said good-bye to my seniors yesterday and it struck me that in 15 years that will be me... I know that fifteen years is a long time, but the past three have gone by so fast I know it'll be here before I know it. In a year I am going to be walking her into her first day of school... ahhhh!!! Last night I almost laid down and slept with her because I want to be close to her as long as she will let me. I got her a princess bike for her birthday and the fearless creature took off like it was nothing. My sister took this picture at the park the other day and it completely captures her at this time in her life... wearing her tutu, playing in the mud... my girly girl/explorer. 

For her birthday we kept it simple...
I made grilled chicken kabobs (marinated in lemon juice, garlic and olive oil) 
To make life easy I did all my cutting the day before and had an assembly line going the day of...

We also had a side of veggies and a vegetable dip made from greek yogurt and a fruit salad...

She requested a purple dinosaur cake ....

her best friend Henry the dog came....

and we let her butterflies go that we have grown from caterpillars... a Christmas present from her babysitter Ms. Randi. 

Happy 3rd Birthday to my beautiful, smart, little thing. Now stop growing. :)

If you like coconut you are going to LOVE these... it's not a lie at all. They remind me of Mounds candy bars. Just because they contain no refined sugar, flour, etc. I am not going to call these healthy... but they are so fast to put together just keep a batch in you freezer for those moments of cravings. I made mine in a food processor but if you are using finely shredded coconut you could easily do this by hand.

Coconut Protein Bars

(makes 9-12 bars)

- 2 1/4 Cups Unsweetened Coconut (finely shredded if possible)
- 3/4 Cup Protein Powder (vanilla or chocolate)
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 Cup Raw Honey
- 1/4 Cup Water
- 1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil**
- 1/4 Cup Enjoy Life Mega Chunks Chocolate Chips

1. Combine all of the ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and mix.... either by hand or in a food processor... until a consistent batter is reached.

2. Line an 8x8 dish with parchment paper. Pour in a the batter and smooth into an even layer. Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle it over the batter.

3. Place in the freezer for at least an hour before cutting. Store in an air tight container in the freezer. 

** If you are using larger flakes of coconut add the oil in increments because some of the natural oils of coconut will come out when it is in the food processor. The bars will be too "soft" if they are too wet. **

Nutrition Facts
Servings 12.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 236
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 16 g	25 %
Saturated Fat 14 g	70 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 6 mg	2 %
Sodium 67 mg	3 %
Potassium 37 mg	1 %
Total Carbohydrate 20 g	7 %
Dietary Fiber 3 g	10 %
Sugars 16 g
Protein 6 g	11 %
Vitamin A	0 %
Vitamin C	3 %
Calcium	3 %
Iron	4 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.