I get the feeling that my two-year-old daughter — very much like her dad — is going to be a fiercely loyal friend. At the moment, she has a neighborhood squad that rolls five girls deep. Only those in the squad are welcome to join in on group games, or they had better come offering something extremely valuable (namely, snacks).

Her best friend from this crew is Matilda, a little blue-eyed, curly-haired blonde who spends half of the week at our house with a shared nanny, the lovely Miss B. One time, when Matilda's mother had to go away for a couple of weeks, Matilda became very attached to her Elmo doll. When another, much older kid snatched the Elmo doll away, Lulu retrieved it with a vengeance unlike anything Miss B had ever seen. (Or so the legend goes). My husband calls this german shepherd instincts. He jokes that if I were a dog, I would be a golden retriever. So clearly she doesn't get that instinct from me.

Anyway, it's through Lulu that I met Matilda's aunt Megan, who runs Prescribe Nutrition, a subscription plan that guides its members on how live a healthy lifestyle and eat a balanced diet. I love what Prescribe Nutrition is doing and have been inspired by several of its recipes and articles.

Because snacks seem to be the center of my family's universe right now — "snacks" being Lulu's favorite word of the moment, my constant grab-and-go meals, and my husband's attempt to stay fueled between meetings — it seemed appropriate to feature Prescribe's most shared snack recipe.

These little nut and seed bombs are packed with protein and good fats, which help you stay full and energized longer than other snack foods. I slightly modified the recipe to add a few spices and fresh orange zest. I also substituted tahini for the nut butters that it originally called for. But that's the beauty of these — you can make them your own with whatever you have in your pantry. (I will note that I tried them with dates, and figs are the better option for texture and flavor.)

If you're around on Wednesday, March 22 at 7:30 PM PT, Megan and I are partnering up for a Facebook Live video to demonstrate just how easy these bad boys are. Hope to see you there!

COOKING NOTES

You need a high-powered food processor to get these really smooth. I don't have one of those, so mine still have little bits of nuts here and there, which I don't mind. Add a little more orange juice or oil to get them going in the blender or food processor if you have trouble. These will last you for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator, or in the freezer for a few months. (But they'll never last you that long!)

MAKES 2 DOZEN 1-INCH BITES

INGREDIENTS

1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw cashews
1⁄2 cup freshly ground flaxseed
1⁄4 cup tahini (another nut butter works too)
10 dried black figs, chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄4 cup coconut oil, melted
¼ cup walnut oil (olive oil is fine)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 orange, zested and juiced
1⁄2 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut
¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted

INSTRUCTIONS

Pulse nuts, flaxseed, tahini, figs, salt, cardamom and ginger in a food processor until coarsely ground.

Add the coconut oil, walnut oil, orange zest and 1 teaspoon of the orange juice to the food processor along with remaining ingredients. Pulse to create a coarse and pasty mixture.

Transfer everything to a bowl and cover. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until it hardens. In another bowl, combine the coconut flakes and sesame seeds.

Scoop out 1-inch bites (or whatever size you'd like) and roll into little balls. Then dip the balls in the coconut and sesame seed mixture to coat. (You can dip your fingers into a little bowl of warm water to prevent sticking between rolls.)

Store in the refrigerator or the freezer. Try not to eat all at once, you’ll be fueled for a marathon.

Fig and sesame snack bites