Many adults like to think themselves young at heart, but some are young in appearance as well. I happen to fall into the latter category. Here’s a rule to live by: Never assume age. Whether you guess too young or too old, it can be offensive.

Too many times I met someone new and they attempted small talk by asking, “So what grade are you in?”

Each time, I smiled politely and said, “I graduated. Years ago.”

The person looked surprised, gasped a little, and then composed herself. “Oh, it’s good that you look young. You will be grateful for it when you are older.”

I’m still waiting for that gratitude. In the meantime, there are inquiries about high school and being routinely carded to contend with.

This past summer, a presumptuous camper saw me drinking coffee one morning.

“Coffee?” she said. “You shouldn’t be drinking coffee! Wait, how old are you?”

“How old do you think I am?” I asked.

“Fifteen?”

I must be grateful to be mistaken as a teenager. Or at least, I will be. One day. Maybe.

That camper does not realize that I lived before the time of the Internet and cell phones. In those days, there was only one main phone line and every phone conversation was easily eavesdropped on. Superman comics made a lot more sense in those days because phone booths were still used.

My childhood was full of finding toys and computer games in cereal boxes. Computer time consisted of drowning people in Rollercoaster Tycoon. Video games were still retro. Pokemon was for nerds only. We had to blow on our Game Boy games whenever the dust broke up the pixelated screen. We listened to music in cassette tapes. We watched movies on VHS. Youtube consisted of nerdy kids who found their parents’ non-digital camera and posted videos of copyrighted lip syncing. Blockbuster was a thing. That was during the short-lived age of DVDs. Those discs are fading away faster than the cassettes did. At least the tapes had a transition. Anyone remember when cars had both CD and cassette slots?

If you don’t remember any of this, that means I’m older than you. Don’t degrade my height by assuming my age. Oh wait, I’m supposed to be grateful for looking younger. So thank you. I should be very grateful.

Back to the recipe. These granola balls are fun and perfect for the kids-at-heart, no matter how old you look. I used my Maple Nut Granola recipe, but you can you any other recipe or healthy store-bought version. Don’t substitute the natural peanut butter for regular or else the texture won’t be the same. Depending on how much your sweet tooth is acting up, dip the granola balls in coconut or chocolate, or both.

Protein Granola Balls

Ingredients:

• 3 cups granola (see my recipe for Maple Nut Granola)
• 3/4 cup natural peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• coconut flakes (optional)
• 72% dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Mix the granola with peanut butter and honey until combined.
2. Add the flour and mix until the mixture is workable, and roll the granola dough into tablespoon-sized balls.
3. Place the coconut flakes in a pan and roll in the granola balls until well-coated with coconut.
4. If using chocolate, melt the chips and dip the granola balls until covered.
5. Place the chocolate-covered balls into the freezer to harden for about 10 minutes.
6. Store in the refrigerator. (Freezer also works is you like more of a crunch.)

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