Holy family parties over indulging weekend, batman!

That’s what Robin would be saying in the batcave right now as he tried to strip off his spandex suit and give his tummy some room to breathe.

Whew. A Barbecue with three rounds of delicious homemade food on Saturday (burgers, hot dogs, potato salad, cake, perogies, kielbasa, more cake) followed by a surprise Birthday brunch today (bacon, eggs, pancakes, sausage, french toast, pizza, sushi, cake, brownies, and yes I said pizza and sushi. Who doesn’t like sushi with their pancakes?)

I’m laying in bed in sweatpants right now wondering how I am ever going to find something in my closet for work that I can actually zip tomorrow.

So with this gluttony in mind, I prepped for a healthy week.

I did my usual food shop of fresh fruit and came home and washed it and chopped it all up. It’s stacked in the fridge and ready to go. There’s Greek yogurt, too. So we’re good.

But here’s my downfall.

I always need something crunchy.

Yes, fruit is crunchy.

But it’s not the same crunch factor.

I love granola in my yogurt and granola bars are a great grab and go, but they’re so… processed.

After all the stuff I put in me this weekend, I’m feeling like I want all pure, natural, fresh foods.

And as few chemicals as possible.

When I’m in my holistic, granola earthy-crunchy moods, my first thought is always Trader Joe’s. I know I can trust what’s in the store, but at the same time, not break the bank like I would at Whole Foods.

Remember, this itty bitty city kitchen doesn’t come cheap.

So off we went to Trader Joe’s for a few more things to set us up for a healthy week. We got some dried fruits and some nuts for munching.

Then I saw this.

Puffed rice cereal. No artificial colors or flavors and no preservatives. We’re talking my language.

There’s a recipe on the box for a sort of peanut butter rice crispie treat, but it had way too much sugar going on.

So I got home and came up with this less sweet, but salty and satisfyingly crunchy, and healthy!, snack bar.

Pour 2 cups of the cereal and 1 cup of quick cook oats into a bowl.

Mix.

Add 5 tablespoons chunky peanut butter. I like the extra crunch factor of chunky peanut butter.

Drizzle over about a tablespoon of honey.

Stir.

Line a baking dish with plastic wrap, leaving enough extra to be able to fold over and cover the top.

Turn the mixture out into the plastic-lined dish and press down.

Pull the plastic wrap over the top, pulling tight and pressing down to bring the mix together.

Pop in the fridge for a few hours so it firms up.

Cut, grab and go!

This satisfies my salty and crunchy cravings so I stay out of the peanut M&Ms at work.

At least for one day.