I absolutely love including our 17 month old, Nora, in the kitchen! She has what's called a "kitchen helper" that is an enclosed stool that she can be at the counter level to help me in preparing meals and snacking. It's a great addition to our kitchen because she is involved in our food prep process and can even "help" with dishes. However, sometimes it get really messy!
Last week we were making energy bites together. I would scoop the ingredients and hand her the measuring cup and she would poor it into the bowl. As I was handing her a scoop of flax seed I watched as instead of pouring it into the bowl, she flung it backwards all over the counter and floor. All I could do was laugh! I was actually taking a video at the time, so I got it all on camera. Here are some screenshots of that video:
After we cleaned up the mess we got right back to cooking. She helped to stir, ate a lot along the way and we had made a delicious snack!
Energy bites are a great snack to make ahead and keep in the fridge. They are tasty for the whole family, can use a lot of ingredients you likely have on hand, and give you energy (which can be used for cleaning up bit messes 😂).
Here is Nora's recipe for Energy bites:
1 cup of oats
1/2 cup of peanut butter
1/2 cup of ground flax seed
1/2 cup of chocolate chips
1/3 cup of honey
1 table spoon of chia seeds
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Stir it all together, roll into balls and place it in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours. Keep them in the fridge and take one out when you need a bit of energy!
I switch up my recipe based on what's in the pantry. I've added maple syrup, crushed nuts, and dried fruit before.
Let us know if you make this recipe - happy cooking!
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