DIY Lara bars

Hello there bloggy blog.  I'm sorry that I've neglected you.  I'm just boring and keep eating the same stuff over and over, or I've been using a lot of the recipes from eMeals, or just kept it basic.

However, I finally got to the business of organizing my kitchen cabinets and to my surprise, found 4 separate containers of sesame seeds (whoopsie, I'll need to do something with those) and a big ass container of dates, as well as 2 others.  So after perusing Pinterest and looking for a homemade Lara bar recipe that I could make with what I had on hand, I improvised because I was short on one thing or another.  So here's what I came up with and the results were quite pleasant.  I apologize in advance for the lack of precise measurements.

• 1 cup sunflower seeds (I had roasted/salted but unsalted is fine too)
• 1 cup almonds (again, I used roasted/salted)
• 15-20 dates, pitted
• Coconut oil, melted.  (maybe a tablespoon or two, I didn't measure)
• Couple of handfuls of dried fruit of your choice, I used Craisins
• Vanilla

In a food processor, combine the sunflower seeds and almonds and pulse until ground well and combined.  Don't let it go too long, you don't want to make almond/sun butter out of this.

Once the nut/seed mix is blended, toss in the dates and continue to pulse.  This is where your coconut oil comes in.  I just drizzled it in so everything would mix better.

After those are combined, toss in a handful or two of whatever dried fruit you want (or chocolate chips, that's your choice) and a teaspoon or two of vanilla.  Continue to pulse for another minute or two until everything is combined.

Unload your mix into a baking dish (my 8x8 was dirty so I used, I don't know, a 5x7 one or something) lined with parchment paper and press down evenly.  Refrigerate for a few minutes to let things solidify a little and cut into squares.

I was surprised with how quick and easy these came together and how delicious they were!  The dates and dried fruit are plenty sweet on their own, so you don't need honey, but that's always an option if that's your thing.