I feel that I made it apparently clear that I am done with snowy Fridays…

But apparently Mother Nature did not get my memo!

 

 

Despite the bad weather, I made my weekly stop at Trader Joe’s to stock up on some favorites.

 

 

And some wine…I was surprised to see a Trader Joe’s version of Blanc de Blancs.  For less than $5, I knew I had to try it!

 

 

 

The snow was getting thick by the time I made it home.

 

 

 

 

It was definitely a different homecoming than last week, but I had to smile watching the BOY sip on a beer and snack on some pretzels.

 

 

 

Plus, this new beer was amazing!!!  Have you tried this new spring blend yet???  I stole a sip before passing the BOY his favorite Trader Joe’s sweet, mini peanut butter cups.

 

 

 

His pre-dinner snack looked tempting, but I had a filling snack of my own this afternoon at work, these No Bake Quinoa Energy Balls.

 

 

At the beginning of the week, I made a batch of quinoa.  I was inspired by my Afternoon Energy Bars to make another homemade power snack.

 

 

These no-bake bars start with quinoa and add more high protein ingredients to create a filling snack.

 

 

These will keep you satisfied so you won’t go looking for sweets in the office. Which is exactly what I need since I will be sporting my bathing suit in Vegas in 1 week.  And considering one of my 8 year old patients just asked me if I was having a baby this week (no joke…looked at my tummy and asked if it was a baby), I am all about the healthy and satisfying treats. BTW, this little boy learned an important lesson totally unrelated to our session. There are three things that you NEVER ask a lady…her age, her weight, and if she is having a baby!

 

 

 

 

I have been trying to keep my meals and snacks healthy (and dairy free), which is where these balls fit in.  Although my mom thought they were a little bland, they do make a good afternoon snack and they are easy to grab quickly in between patients.  They kept me full enough to keep my fingers away from the peanut butter cups while I threw together dinner and poured myself a drink.

 

 

CHEERS!!!

Here’s another great healthy snack…Almond Butter Cacao Balls

 

 

No Bake Quinoa Energy Balls

 

Ingredients

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/4 cup almond butter

1/3 cup natural shredded coconut

1/4 cup dried cranberries

4 Tbsp ground flax

2 Tbsp light agave

 

Directions

 

Stir together quinoa, almond butter, coconut, cranberries, and flax in a bowl until well combined.  Add in agave until well coated.  Form mixture into balls and freeze until set.  Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 week.

Makes 9-10 balls.