Energy Balls

Energy Balls

• 1/2 cup of raisins (I use golden raisins because I don't like the taste of other raisins so much)
• 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
• 1 cup of hazelnuts
• 1/3 cup of chocolate chips
• ~1 TBSP of milk

Start by processing your raisins and cranberries until a paste forms.

When it gets moist, scrape it into a separate bowl and process your hazelnuts for about 20 seconds.

You want them to be just about finely chopped.  Add your chocolate chips and process until the nuts and chocolate are chopped, but not crumbs.

Add the nuts/chocolate to your paste and combine with your hands.  At this point, I added about a TBSP or so of milk to make it a little more moist.

Once everything is combined (your hands WILL be sticky), form until 12-14 mini balls, a little smaller than ping pong balls.


Cool in the fridge for 30 minutes to set and then store them in the fridge for a quick snack.


They are about 100 calories, but perfect for on the go.  Let me know what you think!

Just Starting Out

Well, I am just starting this blog. I am pretty new to the whole blogging thing. I read a few people's blogs lately on their fitness and weight loss goals and journey and decided to give it a try. I wrestled in High School and was pretty active and fit then. Then my senior year, I had my spine partially fused. That slowed me down and I gained weight. Then I went off to college and served a mission in the South. Gained more weight. I came back home from the mission and lost quite a bit. Then, went back to college, got married, went to grad school, well, it all caught up and gained more. I am the most I have ever weighed currently and I don't like it. I have begun making some changes in eating habits and exercise this past couple weeks. I have lost 5 pounds so far. I am back down to where I was when I came home from the mission. So, I know I can lose the weight again.

I have friends that have done the HcG diet, Weight Watchers, South Beath, Inches-A-Weigh and various others. It has worked for them and I applaude them. I just don't have the money to do those. So, I am going with go ol' diet and exersice. I got some of the Weight Watchers cookbooks and will start using those and begin fitting in exercise where I can. Whether that is actually going to the gym, Wii Fit, or outdoor recreation, it's time to get moving and do it.  I don't think that I ate poorly before now. I just think that potion size was too big for activity level. American Society does not make it any too easy for us either. Super size this, processed that, $5 this. It is a bit hard at first to see what a serving size really is and how much you are served. Part of my NEw Years goal was to add at least 1-2 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. That seems to be going okay. Another goal was to eat more whole grains (I know, not very measurable or concrete but we had to start somewhere). So, I have started setting the rice cooker when I go to bed to cook Steel Cut Oats in the morning while I am getting ready for work. This seems to be working fairly well. Except now my wife has caught on to it and wants to share. Which works.

Since I am not training for a National Wrestling Tournement again, I have to find other little goals to work for. Currently, I am thinking of running in the Shamrock Shuffle in Pocatello on March 12. It will be a birthday type thing since it is the day before my birthday. My ultimate goal is to try to lose 20 pounds by June and to hike the South Teton in Grand Teton NAtional Park this summer. I will have to start with a couple hikes before the South Teton. I will probably start with Palisades, Table Rock and the Jenny Lake Loop before. But that won't be till the snow is gone. 

Anyway, I guess we're off and we'll see how it goes. Keep reading along and making suggestions and stuff and we'll see what happens.

This was dinner last night. Stuffed Shells with roasted broccoli and cauliflower. The shells are stuff with extra lean ground beef, diced carrots and zucchinni, and pasta sauce.