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I’m flying solo this week.

After we got back from the Tampa RV show, James immediately jumped in the RV and headed west. He’s been working on some new skid plate design with a fellow RV nerd out in San Francisco…so he’s in major geek mode and having the time of his life I’m sure.

That’s fine by me. Having a little separation now and again is healthy, and I’m positive it’s what keeps us so connected as a couple. He’s on his way home as I type, somewhere across Nevada at the moment. Since I’m feeling excited to see him, I’ve been in a generous mood today. THAT’S why I made these energy bars. For James. Because I’m nice.

James’ cycling training amps up starting in February, so he’ll be riding more beginning this week. Four-hour sessions on the spin bike in our basement will start becoming the norm around here. When he has those long training sessions, he’ll bring a bunch of snacks to keep him fueled. And if I don’t have some homemade workout bars ready, he’ll reach for the store-bought ones. Convenient, sure, but homemade is where it’s at.

These bars, I must say, are surprisingly tasty. I know, using garbanzo beans as the main ingredient may seem weird, but nothing about the taste of these bars screams “BEAN”! I like them as a post-workout running snack myself since they’ve got an excellent ratio of carbs and proteins.

Portable bars like these are the bomb-diggity for active RVers…if you’re interested in portables definitely check out some others favorites of ours too: James requests carrot cake bars all the time and I adore lemon ginger bites!  It’s good to make a variety for RV trips. I wrap portables up in Pan Lining Paper (which is aluminum foil on one side and parchment paper on the other), stick them in our daypacks, and we’re set for a day of hiking, biking, skydiving, whatever. And YES I did skydive recently so I can really say that! (okay, it was indoor…)

Next RV trip, give it a try! (this recipe, not the skydiving…but yeah try that too; it was AWESOME!)

Chickpea and Peanut Butter Energy Bars

Ingredients:

• ½ cup pitted medjool dates (4-5 dates)
• 1/3 cup organic peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 1/3 cup prepared chickpeas/garbanzo beans (or one 15 oz can)
• 1/3 cup almond meal
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, blend dates, peanut butter, almond milk, and maple syrup until smooth.
3. Add the chickpeas and blend until smooth.
4. Add everything else and blend until everything’s well mixed and you’ve got a smooth dough.
5. Pour mixture into pan and smooth it out with a spatula so it’s evenly distributed.
6. Bake for around 20 minutes and then let cool about 15 minutes before cutting.
7. Store in the fridge or freezer.

That’s all there is to it! If you try them I hope you’ll come back and tell me what you thought! Love hearing from y’all…safe travels everyone!

xoxo,

Stef