I think I made my food processor cry.

There are a lot of homemade Larabar recipes out there, but of course, mine is the best!

It's easily changeable for whatever nuts/mix-ins you feel like and it's very simple.

- Chuck 1 cup of dates into your food processor. It's hard to tell what is an actual cup, because they don't really pack into the cup, so I usually add 6 or 7 extra to make sure it's a complete cup

- Add 1 cup of nuts. It helps if you chop them up a bit first.

- Add another "cup" of dates, and then an extra handful.

- Add about 4 tbsps of cocoa if you like.

- Now add 1 cup of mix-ins. I like raisins, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and chocolate chips.

- Put the lid of your food processor, turn it on, and hold on to it so it doesn't shake right off the counter.

- Blend for 6-7 minutes. This usually makes my food processor sound like it's going to blast off for the moon, or like a NASCAR-type car with engine trouble, or like it might just crap out on me. I think it cried one time.

- Once you have a mushy paste that holds together in a ball when you smush it, dump it all onto plastic wrap and form it into your desired shape. I usually make it into a long flat bar, because I'm boring like that.

- Place bar in the fridge for oh a while. I leave it a few hours. Then just slice it up and store it in the fridge in a container, with layers separated by waxed paper.

*TIPS!*
- Soft nuts like walnuts and pecans blend better than almonds. Almonds really take a while.

- Don't be alarmed if after 5 minutes it doesn't seem like a paste. It really takes a long time to blend it all well!

- If you plan to add dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, etc.), I recommend adding it in when you already have a paste and blending is almost finished.

- Don't leave your chocolate chips in a bag near a heat vent. They will melt into a giant block.

- Mint. Yes. Mint chocolate bars are a good idea.