I Am So Hungry!

I've been running a lot lately- more than I thought I ever would or could. This has made me so hungry that I wake up at 3AM with my stomach growling. I am so hungry that I will eat old, cold, cheesy eggs off of my preschooler's plate - you know, the ones that have been rolled around in watermelon juice or dipped in vanilla yogurt. I am so hungry that I eat graham crackers and goldfish crackers and pretzels and really almost anything that formerly had absolutely no appeal. I have never been pregnant with quintuplets, but this is how I imagine it would feel.

My goal for this week? Make and freeze 5 quick snacks so that I have some reasonable options for when the hungries strike. I bought some chia seeds today, so you know it's gonna get real.

You know that picture of no-flour, no-dairy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies that has been circulating on Facebook? They looked so ooey and gooey and I love snacks that are actually more like treats.Of course those were at the top of my list. I found a recipe here - I think she gets credit for this ingenious recipe.

Adorable photo-bombing.

Peanut Butter Cookie Bites 

Adapted from Texanerin 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup garbanzo beans - drained, rinsed, and dried on several layers of paper towel or in a salad spinner

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. natural peanut butter (must be the kind that needs to be stirred)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup honey or maple syrup

2/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Place all ingredients except the chocolate chips in a food processor and process until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Shape into balls or flatten into cookie-shaped circles (they won't really change shape while they bake). Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Eat while warm. If freezing, allow to cool and then freeze on a cookie sheet. After about an hour, pop off the cookie sheet and into a freezer bag. Label, date, and put the bag in the freezer. Warm them in the microwave for about 20 seconds when you want a little bean-cookie-treat. I suggest doubling the recipe because you never know if you might be really hungry after these come out of the oven and have to eat 3-4 of them.

Much like her mother, this little girl will eat anything with chocolate chips in it. And smile.

Nutrition Info per 1/16th of recipe: Calories - 102, Fat: 6g, Protein: 4g, Fiber: 2g, Sugars - 9g