a simple recipe :: no-bake energy bites (aka super balls)

For the past few months, I have been trying (very strong emphasis on trying) to get up at the C.R.A.C.K. of dawn to exercise with a friend of mine. I stink at getting up even 5 minutes before I absolutely have to and I really really stink at getting up when I know I could sleep for 2 more hours. She is such a good friend to put up with my intermittent commitment to the cause.

One tidbit of wisdom (one of many) that she has given to me over the course of our early morning rendezvous is a little recipe she found on Pinterest (they should just change the name to Pinterecipe because it is just chock full of amazing recipes) to help her wake up and get pumped for her morning workouts. When she found them they were called Energy Bites but she has two young boys who she thought might like them so she came up with the name Super Balls and told her sons if they ate them, they would get superpowers. She is truly a brilliant woman. These tasty little treats are healthy, scrumptious and so simple (and kind of fun, actually) to make that it almost seems too easy. And too easy is always a good thing in this crazy life of a mom.

Ingredients ::

1 cup oats
1/2 cup flax seed
1/2 cup peanut butter (any natural peanut butter is good…the only ingredient on the label should be peanuts)
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
Cinnamon to taste
Craisins (as many or as few as you would like)

Additional add-ins:
Chocolate chips
Chia seeds
Coconut
Dried prunes

Directions ::

Stir ingredients together
Let sit in fridge for 30 min
Roll into bite-sized balls and store in airtight container in fridge for up to one week.

***Note: when I asked my friend for her recipe, she said “Don’t credit me, I found it on Pinterest.” So I googled and found that original recipe came from two great sources: Smashed Peas and Carrots and Gimme Some Oven. Check them out!