I love hiking. I really love colder weather hikes. We live in Virginia so it doesn't typically get that cold. Snow is unfortunately non-existent too, so the temperatures are not too extreme in winter. We have a lot of sunny days in the 40's and 50's. We also live close to Shenandoah National Park and some pretty epic views. So crisp cool weather and some awesome hiking trails to explore. What's not to love?
I do pretty much force the family to go on a hike almost every weekend. The kids do enjoy most of the hikes or at least one does anyway. I am confident the other will come around eventually too. I typically bring along a fun snack to help keep energy levels going. These energy bites are a great hiking snack. They are full of sweet dates, nuts, and spices. The first version also had my favorite, carob powder of course.
Carob almond balls
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup carob powder
1 1/2 cups dried dates
1/4 cup dark molasses
Grind the oats, almonds, carob powder in a food processor. Chop the dried dates and add to the food processor along with the molasses. Blend until the mixture holds together. Form into balls.
Orange spice walnut balls
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup rolled oats
1Tbl cinnamon
1Tbl ginger
1Tbl orange peel
2 cups dried dates
Grind the oats, walnuts, cinnamon, ginger, and orange peel in a food processor. Chop the dried dates and add to the food processor. Blend until the mixture holds together. Form into balls.
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