Minty Fresh!

Hello there beautiful people!!

Today I'm popping in (for what seems like the first time in a long time- #studylife) for a quick little recipe creation that was purely a let's-see-if-this-works-out-because-it-just-came-to-me inspiration/ epiphany that got the brain cogs (the none mole-ratio, anti deriving, English technique cogs that have been in overuse) turning.

You see, in this season of life- things be busy. Real busy. And more often than not I'm heading into school early for some kind of meeting/ commitment/ cross country training. And in particular with cross-country training mornings- brekky needs to be prep-ahead, transportable and still delicious after sitting in my bag for an hour.

Just you wait... :D

Yes, you've heard it all before- but when you're in a period of life that requires certain recipes, than the recipes that will be shared will be of certain characteristics- and recently as you made have deduced, they have been prep-ahead and take on-the-go meals! And I think we all appreciate these recipes at some point in our lives!

So anyway, onto today's inspired creation!

I had fresh mint leaves hanging around in my fridge that needed to be used up in the next day or so. I also had cross-country training the following morning. I'm also a person who love, love, loves the malt-y, vanilla-y, rich flavour of protein powder added to recipes. And oats are a great addition to a post-workout breakfast as well as my undying love for them meaning they would also be included in this recipe.

So I got to thinking, what would tired, hot, sweaty, muscle-sore Steph want to devour as soon as she made it back to the change rooms after a heavy training sesh? (And I mean heavy; think stair runs, interval sprints and suicides... for 12 minutes EACH.)

Unfortunately my imagination cannot make stairs appear flat... no matter how hard I tried :P

It was then that I knew I would be making some sort of vanilla-mint, fudge, no-bake oat bite creation. And so it was created:

Now I could go into lengthy detail about how soft, chewy, fudge-y rich and delicious these bites were and that hint of fresh mint coupled with the delectable, sweetness of the vanilla protein powder and the nutty tones hidden throughout every bite... but I just did so I guess I will in fact!

To make a batch of these bad boys for yourself all you will need is:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
2 dates
3-4 fresh mint leaves
1 large scoop peanut butter (or any nut butter)
1/4-1/2 cup almond milk (add more if too crumbly and not forming nice compact balls)
dash of cinnamon (optional)

And all you will need to do is:

Method:
1. Place everything in a high-speed belnder/ food processor and whaz! You may need to stop and give everything a little stir around and whaz some more until combined!)
2. Line a container with baking paper
3. Roll mix into balls, place in container, cover with lid and pop in the freezer overnight until required (around 30-40mins should be enough if you're making it for that day).

This:

 To this: (frozen)

 Nice and cold; perfect for a cooling brekky treat:

 No Steph; don't devour it yet- an hour defrosting will make it all the more delicious! (tip for anyone creating it; let defrost for at least half an hour for optimal texture and taste)

And just for your viewing pleasure; here is my hand, holding my delicious vanilla-mint oat fudge bites in said change room, crying tears of joy (or maybe I was just delirious after being so smashed from training!)

 Yeah, I'm the weird kid taking pictures of her food in the school change room. No shame.

That texture tho...

 Happy, happy days.

 Beautifully balanced with carbs, fat and protein for optimum recovery; the body was happy!

Your turn:
Had any good runs recently? Workouts that have left you completely hammered? It hurts.. but it's so, so good!
Fav brekky of recently?
What's your fav combo with mint? Choc mint is pretty good, though vanilla-mint has suddenly taken the spotlight in my life at the minute!!

 I hope you all have a fabulous weekend, filled with love, laughter and good times- make a memory you will never forget and, as always; EAT SOMETHING DELICIOUS!! Bye for now friendly friends! :D