Any time I have guests in town, I make sure to have some good meal ideas, ingredients on hand to prepare to prepare those yummy meals, and restaurants ideas for a couple of delicious meals out. I’m pretty sure that anyone that knows me expects nothing less – After all, I call myself a foodie for a reason! 🙂
When my mother-in-law was in town visiting a few weeks ago, we enjoyed some pretty awesome eats. We strolled around at the Vista Farmers Market one day….
…and I wound up picking up some awesome ingredients to make dinner with that night, including zucchini blossoms, which I was excited about because I hardly ever see them! I stuffed them with goat cheese and breadcrumbs, and sautéed them in a bit of olive oil.
I also sautéed farmers market green beans, and we grilled pizza for the first time using dough and fresh mozzarella that I nabbed from a woman at the market who remarked, “Isn’t it awful?” when I told her that I hadn’t yet found any small local biz to get pizza dough from. I must say, her dough was much different than the Trader Joe’s whole wheat dough I often buy — much easier to roll out and not as sticky.
There’s something so nice to me about getting food right from the source and using it that very same day, and this meal was just about perfect!
Other notable eats during my mother-in-law’s visit included homemade fries (possibly my best batch yet!) with veggie panini….
…and this acai bowl that I had when we went to Swami’s Cafe for breakfast one morning (must recreate at home!):
And then there were snacks – obviously, since I’m most definitely a snacker!
Snacks/desserts that I made during her visit included grilled nectarines with banana honey soft serve, banana cinnamon muffins, and these little guys:
While some people eat 3 square meals a day, I prefer to have smaller meals and snacks throughout the day. I feel like my body operates best when I eat every 3 or 4 hours. If I have a big meal, I’m left with an uncomfortable feeling, but if I have smaller meals, I feel great. This is why little snacks are my friend.
These peanut butter oatmeal date bites are perfect for a grab-and-go little something, whether you’re running out the door heading to work, or starving waiting for water to boil to make a pasta dish for dinner post-workout in a state of hangry – not that I’d know what that feels like.
Another great thing about date balls is that they usually stay fresh awhile, so you can make em when you feel like it one day, then have them on hand for a few weeks when a craving for a snack bite strikes.
Oats, raisins, peanut butter, chocolate chips, cinnamon, cocoa…. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to do a chocolate peanut butter thing, or an oatmeal theme, so I did a bit of both. Who says we can’t have it all?
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Date Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 2 TBSP dark chocolate chips
- 2 TBSP old fashioned oats uncooked
- 2 TBSP seedless raisins
- 1/4 TSP cinnamon
- 1 TBSP cocoa
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a food processor, and pulse until combined well. You may need to scrape down the sticky sides once and pulse again.
- Roll the mixture into 7 even balls and transfer to a plate. Place in the refrigerator for a bit for harder bites, or eat as is for a gooier snack.
Tell me… Are you a 3-big-meals-a-day kind of eater, or are you more of a grazer like me?
Nicole @ Squash on Squash says
Ahh yum! These look great (and I’m not only saying that because I’m currently sitting in class and hungry…haha). I’m gonna have to say that I like having 3 meals, aaaaannnd snacks. So, basically I just eat a lot! 🙂
foodielovesfitness says
You and me both! 🙂
Ali says
Think I could come stay with you so that you could make me food like this?!! Everything looks so good!
foodielovesfitness says
Sure, I love cooking/baking/whipping up snacks for guests… What can I say, I suppose I show my love through food!
Brittany says
I’m basically obsessed with dates…obsessed. These bites look so good, as does everything else in this post.
foodielovesfitness says
Thanks, Brittany! Have you ever tried dates dipped in almond butter? It’s one of my favorite little bites ever.
Charlotte @ Commitness to Fitness says
I’ve been obsessed (OBSESSED) with dates lately, so these look absolutely amazing! Also those grilled pizzas look adorable!– what a great idea!
foodielovesfitness says
Yea, grilled pizza is something that I need to do more often. It was so good!
Ashley says
Looks like you had all kinds of awesome eats while she was visiting!
And I’m like you – I prefer to eat smaller meals and then healthier snacks – I feel so much better that way. Otherwise I feel too full and then get hangrryyyyy – and it ain’t pretty! 🙂 haha These date bites sound awesome!
foodielovesfitness says
Oooh I hear ya, hangry is not fun for me or anyone around me! Small meals are where it’s at 🙂
Britt@MyOwnBalance says
I love your dishes! Also, can you please make those stuffed zucchini blossoms for me?? Yum! They look so amazing!
foodielovesfitness says
Zucchini blossoms are so much fun!