Gluten Free Lemony Pistachio & Apricot Energy Bites

If you’ve been following this blog for some time, you’re probably starting to get to know us a little bit by now.

And you’ve also probably noticed by now that I’m somewhat of a glutton for punishment. You know, with my sugar detoxes, my runs out in the cold and that sort of thing.

Well yesterday, I think I outdid myself. No, really. I actually stopped for a second and said to myself: “What the heck??”

Tuesday night I got a text from my boss asking me if I could cover a bootcamp type class in the morning. I had already planned on going for a run, but of course, I agreed to do it.

Now, I’m not sure who or what puts these ideas in my brain. I don’t know if it’s just plain stubbornness or a super woman complex or just pure madness… But I thought, hey, why not do both?

Well, that was a brilliant idea... as I found out half way through my run. My legs literally did not want to move. My pace was terrible. My calves started to cramp up. My water was gone and I was 4 miles away from the car. That’s when I stopped, took a deep breath and rolled my eyes at myself.

And then, I kept going.

I had no choice, so I figured, I might a well make the best of it. I turned the music up and took off. And by the time I was done, I was exhausted, but I felt like a million bucks.

I’ve always thought that in some ways, running isn’t much different than life. When we’re first faced with the challenge, the first couple of miles are always the hardest and the most discouraging. But if you push through them, the rest slowly becomes easier and you'll accomplish your goal. The key is to stay focused and never give up.

And a couple of energy bars in hand to help you out, don't hurt either 🙂

Have a great weekend,

Ruth

• Prep time: 15 minutes plus 30 minutes in the freezer 
• Ingredients (makes about 24):

• ½ cup shelled pistachios
• ½ cup raw slivered almonds
• ½ cup chopped dried apricots
• 2 gluten free lemon flavored muffins (we use Udi's Gluten Free Lemon Streusel Muffins)
• 3 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water (optional)
• ¾ cup chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

1. Combine pistachios and almonds in the food processor and pulse 10-15 times, until coarsely ground. Add apricots and pulse again a few times until well incorporated
2. Crumble muffins over the mixture, add almond milk and orange blossom water (if using) and pulse again until it forms a paste
3. Transfer mixture to a lightly sprayed sheet of wax paper and press it together to form a log. Flatten it on the sides and top to give it a square shape
4. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes (this will harden it and will make it easer to slice)
5. Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil (you can do it in the microwave for about a minutes, checking every 15-20 seconds and stirring to make sure the chocolate doesn’t burn)
6. Slice the log in about 12 even square pieces then cut each piece in half. Dip the top of each piece in melted chocolate, gently shaking off the excess
7. Refrigerate until ready to eat
8. Enjoy from May I Have That Recipe