Thank heaven for almonds.

Seriously, they’re food of the gods. They have protein, taste great, and are easily portable. Plus, they’re pretty durable. I have to work really hard to squash an almond.

Chocolate-covered almonds are even better, especially when the chocolate is really delicious. DOVE® Roasted Almonds covered in Dark Chocolate are totally my bag. And they’re even more fun when they get incorporated into these chocolate almond raspberry bars!

Nothing is happier than enjoying a dessert bar while taking a little “me” break. For those of you who have not discovered the joy of “me” time, it’s probably because you have it and therefore don’t realize how precious it is. Honestly, the quiet moments in my life are very few and far between. Nobody who works in a high school would describe the environment as calm or quiet, and then I come home to more chaos. So when I get home 20 minutes before my kids, I bask in the stillness for as long as it lasts.

Sometimes my dates with myself actually occur outside the house. For instance, I have been known to take myself to the movies. I mean, why not? It’s so much easier to get up and walk out when the movie is bad if I’m alone. In fact, it’s kind of empowering. And if I like the movie, I can enjoy it without worrying if anybody else is having a good time.

When I’m alone, I also enjoy just being still. Sitting is kind of a beautiful thing. I realize that America has been identified as the land of people who sit too much, but teachers don’t have that problem. And there’s nothing nicer than finding a lovely bench and sipping on a drink while people walk by. People watching is fun!

Another favorite spot? The store. I love going to stores alone, wandering down aisles and hunting for products. Nothing is quite as joyful as discovering new food products, which happens to me all the time at Walmart in the candy display. It’s where I found these lovely DOVE® Chocolate Fruit & Nut products, which inspired me to make these chocolate almond raspberry bars! Part of my ongoing wellness lifestyle is to give myself sanity breaks, and those should ideally include dessert! When I let myself have indulgences, it inspires me to eat mindfully for the rest of the day. And we all know that eating well is a decision you have to make every day!

These are based on a childhood favorite of mine, which is a cookie bar base with chocolate on top. I added some flair to these by putting the DOVE® Roasted Almonds covered in Dark Chocolate both inside the cookie dough and on top of the bars. Plus, there’s a sneaky layer of raspberry jelly under the chocolate layer which brings these babies over the top. If you really want to up the ante on these, you can also use DOVE® Dark Chocolate Raspberry & Honey Roasted Almonds, which would be incredible on these bars!

If you actually have any time to yourself, take yourself on a date. You could hit up the movie theater, a restaurant, or if you’re really lucky, you could score yourself a great deal on DOVE® Chocolate Fruit & Nut products. There’s a whole variety out there right now (including the aforementioned DOVE® Dark Chocolate Raspberry & Honey Roasted Almonds), and I’m pretty psyched about baking with them all. Whatever your situation might be, however hectic life is, take some time for yourself. You deserve it!