I have been doing a lot of running lately. More than usual because I am training for a St. Patrick's Day half marathon. My long run days are now 8-10 mile runs and, for that distance, I sometimes need a little energy boost in the middle. I have used gel packets (like this) in the past but I get burned out on those really quickly and I'm ready for something new.

For the past few long runs I have been carrying a little ziploc bag of dates in my SPIbelt (yes, I am a hippie freak), but I really wanted to try a new combination of flavors. I am a HUGE fan of lemon desserts and coconut too. Because they are mostly dates and cashews, these balls are similar to Larabars but the flavor is even better! They are so, so good!


Did you know…? Dates contain glucose which makes them a great food for quick energy. Read more here.


Lemon Coconut Energy Balls
Makes about 7 1-inch balls

1/3 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup coconut flakes (the big crunchy ones work great!)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
A small pinch of salt

Variation: Use lime zest instead of lemon for Key Lime Coconut Energy Balls!

Making popcorn that doesn't come from the microwave is not supposed to be hard. The other day I put a little coconut oil in my stovetop popper and started to make popcorn like I always do. The oil, instead of just getting hot and popping the corn, started smoking like crazy and burned the corn kernels to a crisp. I do not know why. Maybe my coconut oil (a brand I don't normally buy) had more coconut meat in it than usual? I don't know.

After melting a hole through the garbage bag in my kitchen, I ran around the house turning on fans and opening doors and windows to get the smoke out. The house filled up with burnt popcorn smoke and, subsequently, mosquitoes that came in through the open doors. This is not how making popcorn usually goes!

In my desperation to avoid a second smoke bomb, I Googled "pop regular popcorn in the microwave" and learned how ridiculously easy it is to do! No more cleaning the popcorn popper, no more using oil to pop the corn, no more kitchen smoke bombs. No more kids running around the house yelling, "mosquitoooo!!!" PERFECT!

By now we all know that store-bought microwave popcorn is toxic. You know that, right? Even Oprah knows. Please don't eat that stuff! We also know that air-popped is the way to go to avoid excess fat and calories.

Without the oil, popcorn is actually a decent snack that contains 7g of fiber and 4g protein per 120 calorie serving.

Microwave Air-Popped Popcorn
Start with organic popcorn (to avoid GMO, genetically modified, corn) and follow these simple steps for yummy, air-popped popcorn from the microwave!

1. Pour 1/4-1/3 cup organic popcorn kernels into a brown paper lunch sack.

2. Fold down the top of the bag a few times and crease it with your fingernail or the back of a knife.

3. Place in the microwave and press the popcorn button (or cook on high for about 1 1/2 minutes). The bag will puff up, just like microwave popcorn bags do, and the corn will pop. When the popping slows to a couple of seconds between pops, turn off the microwave.

4. Remove the bag and pour the popcorn into a bowl (be careful, it is hot). Top with nutritional yeast, salt, chipotle chile powder, cinnamon and sugar- whatever you like! Enjoy!