Gorp balls

I'm always trying to find something easy and tasty for a portable snack or quick breakfast.  Granola bars always seem too sweet for my taste.  Nuts and/or fruit on their own don't usually satisfy me,  

I was flipping through a magazine I got from a recent trip to Wegman's ( LOVE that store-why is there not one in this area???) and I saw a recipe for granola balls.  A light went on-dimly, but it went on-"Hey-I can do that!".  Of course, the recipe in the magazine called for Wegman's products but this is simple enough and you can tailor it to your tastes.  So I threw these together and called them Gorp balls, in honor of my father-in-law's favorite hiking snack.  They consist of:

Toasted oats-you can use any kind.  Spread them out on a cookie sheet and pop them into a 350 F oven.  Stir them every 5 minutes or so.  Should take about 15 minutes before they become golden brown.

Nuts-I used a container of mixed nuts.  You can use whatever amount you want.

Dried fruit-The combinations can be endless.  I used a mixed berry blend I found at TJ Maxx.

Nut butter-Again, I have to thank TJ Maxx for the peanut spread with chia seeds I used.  Seriously, if you have not been in the Home section of TJ Maxx, you need to check it out!

I threw in the rest of the Qi'a packet I had, which is hemp, buckwheat, and chia seeds mixed together. You could also add some baking chips or other sweet stuff if you want.  Again, these are easy to personalize.

Mix everything up in a bowl and form into balls,  Note: I wore kitchen gloves to form the balls which made life a whole lot easier.  If you don't mind messy, gooey hands, have at it!

Place the balls on a cookie sheet and pop into the fridge to set so they are easy to handle.  One or two of these at the size I made them should make a substantial snack or a quick breakfast.  I'm going to guess they would freeze well too.

I'm going to play around with different combinations.  Let me know your creations too! Happy snacking!