Healthy Homemade Energy Bars

4 servings at about 450 calories each or can be eaten as 8 servings at about 225 calories each

10 large dates, chopped finely  ( I use Medjool dates which are quite large . . .if you use smaller dates you need to put in the amount that adds up to 700 calories)
1/4 cup apple juice
2 Tablespoons butter
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons Jack Daniels
3/4 cup Rice Krispies
1 cup of chopped mixed pecans, walnuts, and almonds
1/3 cup dried tart cherries (or some other dried fruit of your choice . . . apricots would be good I think)
1 Tablespoon Chia seeds, optional
2/3 to 3/4 cup roasted, unsalted pumpkin seeds (the shelled kind)

After chopping dates place them in a sauce pan with apple juice and butter; cover and let cook, stirring occasionally until dates become very soft; this takes about 8 to 10 minutes over medium to low heat; be careful not to burn them . . .you should end up with a moist mass of fruit.  Add the cinnamon and Jack Daniels and cook for another minute while stirring.  Remove from the heat and stir in the Rice Krispies, nuts, dried fruit, and Chia seeds.  While the mixture is still really warm pour it out onto a piece of parchment, wax, or plastic paper and flatten it . . . next, make the soft mixture into rectangular bars and then coat each bar with pumpkin seeds . . . wrap the bars individually as they will be very soft; refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating any of them.  They are great for hiking or taking with you after that but keep them in the refrigerator until the day you want to enjoy them as they don't contain any preservatives and are always moist.