I have to admit. I really love making and eating all kinds of different foods. Why am I saying this?

Well, it’s like this…..

I’m really not part of a “food culture or lifestyle”.

I’m not vegan.

I’m not vegetarian.

I’m not fruitarian.

I’m not paleo.

I’m not shellfish free.

I’m not grain free.

I’m not gluten free.

I’m not dairy free.

I’m not sugar free.

I’m not nut free (even though my family might disagree).

And I may be Jewish, but I’m far from being kosher.

I love crossing the threshold of world food trends and trying just about anything but hang on a sec.

That’s not to say I don’t eat healthy or at least try to. In fact, this past year I tried just about every single diet to alleviate symptoms I suffer from stemming from an autoimmune disease that’s been plaguing me for most of my life. Wanna know something? It did absolutely nothing for me. Ya, that’s right, a big fat ol’ zilch.

I like to eat.

Period.

Hey. I’m not gonna lie. There’s certain foods that I detest. One of which is a lima bean. Weird right?

When push comes to shove, I will eat almost anything that’s put in front of my face, with the exception of animals toes, privates or brains. What can I say? I like chopped liver on tam tam crackers. No one is perfect.

So why am I telling you this?

See these bars? They’re  100% vegan. Yep. Vegan as vegan can be.

So?

Why did I make em’???

Because they’re GOOD. Best. Reason. Ever.

VEGAN FRUIT & NUT BARS -6 tablespoons coconut oil (I used JaxCoco) -2 tablespoons raw peanut butter -4 heaping tablespoons of raw cacao powder -2 tablespoons agave (for non vegan use honey or maple syrup) -pinch of kosher salt -1 cup puffed quinoa cereal -¼ cup dried cranberries -¼ cup chopped pistachio nuts -¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1) Melt together coconut oil, peanut butter, cacao powder, agave and salt in a microwavable bowl. (about 1 minute on high) 2) Stir in the quinoa cereal, cranberries, pistachios and shredded coconut. 3) Pour into a lined loaf pan and chill until set. (about 1 hour) 4) Lift bars from pan, slice and serve. 5) Can be stored in refrigerator for up to one week but they won't last that long so don't even bother reading this instruction.

See you next week!

debi @simplybeautifuleatingsimplybeautifuleating.com