Pinterest or Pin-uninterest?

Are you a fan of Pinterest?  I'm guessing that 85% of you reading this are fans of this new social/creative-idea-sharing website.  I have not joined nor do I see myself joining anytime in the near future.  I know it might help grow my blog or my photo props business, but honestly I'm already on such idea overload that I'm not sure adding one more website will be beneficial to my brain.  So for now...I graciously decline all of the invites many of you keep sending me.

That said, there was a recipe from Pinterest that a friend shared on Facebook today.  The minute I saw it, I knew I had to try it.  And boy am I glad I did!  I wasn't able to access the actual recipe (it took another friend to get it for me) but for those of you who can, here's the original recipe and all of her notes so that you can go re-pin it and encourage the originator: http://pinterest.com/pin/215046950926882633/ 

For those of you in my pin-uninterest camp, the recipe is below.  These, to me, are the closest tasting to chocolate chip cookie dough I've made.  And it's almost-raw, clean and oh so healthy!  What surprised me was that 1) the kids were willing to try them right away (we've come a long way, baby! and 2) the kids...and me...couldn't stop eating them!  These are super easy and really worth making.  The kids are excited to have them in their lunches tomorrow.

The original maker calls them: No-Bake Energy Bites Recipe

I would simply call them "Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Dough Balls"

Ingredients:

1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)

1 cup no-sugar-added coconut flakes

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I use free trade dark chocolate chips)

1/2 cup peanut butter (I use Kirkland Signature natural peanut butter)

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp. vanilla

Method:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

I made mini dime-sized balls perfect to pop into little kids' mouths.  Towards the bottom of the bowl it was hard to make it stick together so I dumped the rest into a baggie and shaped it into a granola bar size bar and tossed it in the fridge.  I don't know how many it makes because we ate so much!  But I still have an entire Ziploc storage container full in the fridge.  Sorry I don't have a picture to add.  Maybe tomorrow...

Enjoy!

*the only change I made from the original was the coconut.  She put to use toasted coconut.  I used un-toasted no-sugar-added coconut flakes from Sprouts.  Really good!!