2-on-Tuesday: Homemade Fruit & Nut Bars

Recently while online searching for healthy ideas and treats, I saw a recipe post for Fruit & Nut Bars from FitSugar.com similar to the popular Larabar. With my pursuit of fitness and healthy nutrition crossing the one year mark, this grabbed my attention.
You CANNOT make this recipe without some sort of kitchen food processor. The base of the recipe can be built on and changed up to suit your fancy! So, get to it and #playwithyourfood!

3 Ingredient Fruit & Nut Bars

10 Pitted Dates (I used Medjool Dates)
1/4 cup dried Cranberries
1 cup "raw" Almonds (always raw nuts not dry, roasted)
**Optional: Hershey's Cocoa Powder or Ground Spices

• Secure lid and hang on to your processor. Process all three ingredients for about 2 minutes!
• The mixture will have bits of nuts, but the fruit will be combined.
• It's at this point, you can add ground spices or --my fave-- Hershey's Cocoa Powder and pulse a couple of times to incorporate.
• Pour mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap and begin kneading. Form into a 1/4" thick rectangle approximately 7" long, which will be sliced into bars, later. Mixture will quickly come (press) together inside the plastic wrap.
• Once shaped, keep wrapped in plastic wrap and place in fridge until firm.
• Slice into bars and store in fridge for a chewier texture!

Continue playing with the recipe choosing different ingredients...

1. Keeping the dates, but substituting dried Apricots (instead of cranberries) and raw Cashews for thealmonds, process. 
2. Once the mixture has been kneaded and formed, press sunflower seeds into the top, re-wrap and place in fridge until firm!
3. TRY dried pineapple and coconut with raw nuts like pistachio or macadamia for an island flavor!
4. OR, instead of bars -- pinch off enough to roll into balls for a quick pop-in-your-mouth sweet & healthy fix!

Let your creative juices flow to concoct what sounds good to you! There are no rules!