CousCous Granola Bars-Travel Style

Whole Wheat Couscous Granola Bars

Any sane person would come home immediately following work and start packing, cleaning & getting ready for a million hour plan ride to San Fransisco tomorrow, but a food addict only thinks about food....So I came home and made granola bars for bfast in the morning & a mid-morning snack from Salt Lake City (my lay over) & emergency snacks for when I arrive & I'm starved.

The Whole Wheat CousCous Granola Bars turned out...okay. I really liked them but they just didn't stick together quite right. Probably because I didn't use any honey, agave or sugar which normally acts as the main binding source in a granola bar.

Crumbly Whole Wheat Couscous Breakfast Bars

Instead I used these ingredients:

• Unsweetened coconut
• Walnuts
• PB
• Oats
• 1 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup uncooked couscous
• cinnamon
• vanilla
• Wheat Germ
• Flax Seed 
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Chia Seeds 

The first five ingredients I processed in the food process until smooth. I cooked the couscous with 1 cup water, 2 t vanilla & 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Once the couscous was done I mixed in pumpkin seeds, wheat germ & flaxseed. The added the PB mixture. Once mixed place in glass baking dish & top with 1/2 oz chopped unsweetened chocolate & chia seeds. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Delicious Chocolate Chucks & Chia Seeds

Like I said they were good, but just didn't hold together. 1 serving which was 1/10 of the recipe (about the size of a normal granola bar) had 200ish calories, 6g Fiber, 8g Protein and only 1.5g of Sugar! Hopefully they won't crumble all over me at the airport.

YUM Chocolate!

Here are my 2 bags: notice the "purse" is practically the same size as my bag...so proud of myself for packing so light (4 pairs of shoes, 2 skirts, 5 tops, 6 dresses, work out shorts, work out top, 2 pairs of work out capris & 1 pair of pants...now that is packing light!).

Not a cute bag I know...but it has a water bottle holder which is SO convenient!--It's my gym bag!

GOOD MORNING!

This is the beautiful-ness I woke up to every morning. The flowers really held up this week, so I am passing them off to my co-worker who is picking up at 5:30am tomorrow for the airport (SO NICE OF HER!)

Hope everyone has a great labor day weekend. Can't wait to enjoy chocolate truffles & delicious mexican food in the mission district--And of course best of all to spend some quality time with I & B!!!! I will come back with lots of stories & pictures!