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Friday, July 17, 2015

Homemade fruit and nut breakfast or snack bars


So, you know I've been making healthy snack-y items for my family to take with them in the mornings, with special thought to my 2 daughters working housekeeping jobs this summer. Here's another recipe I've made this past week. It's another one of those recipes that has been around for a while.

This is a no-sugar added recipe, which can be varied by types of dried fruit and nuts, and added spices. They get their sweetness completely from dried fruit. More like a healthier cookie, as opposed to a healthier candy bar. We use these as breakfast bars. I wrap them, to-go, in a simple wrap of waxed paper, secured by string, rubber bands or stickers.

These cake-like fruit and nut bars are nutrient-dense, rich in fiber, minerals and anti-oxidants, and are made with all natural ingredients. They also have a fair amount of protein (compared to a commercial granola bar), about 3.5 grams, from the eggs and nuts. Paired with a container of homemade yogurt, this is a substantial breakfast, even for my kids who are working physical jobs this summer. Myself, one of these with my morning coffee is all I need.

I cut the pan of bars into 12 pieces, each having about 200 calories. The pan could also be cut into 24 pieces, for a healthy, after-school/activity snack of about 100 calories each.

So, here's the recipe:

Fruit and Nut Breakfast Bars

ingredients
1/2 cup chopped, pitted prunes (measure after chopping)
1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates (measure after chopping)
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans are favorites -- I've used unsalted, dry-roasted almonds, here, measured after chopping)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup all-purpose flour


In a small saucepan, bring water and dried fruits to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter. Allow to cool, and butter to melt thoroughly.



Butter an 8 X 11-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, vanilla, salt and nuts. Stir in cooled fruit and butter mixture. Mix in flour and baking soda. Spread evenly in prepared baking dish.



Bake at 325, for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden all over, and top is springy.  Allow to cool completely in the pan before cutting and removing.



Wrap individual bars in waxed paper or parchment paper, for easy grab and go breakfasts. Store in covered tin or plastic container, in the fridge for up to a week.

This basic recipe can be mixed up by using dried apple slices, chopped, raisins and dates, plus walnuts and a pinch of cinnamon, for a autumnal breakfast bar. Or, chopped dried apricots, dates and dried cherries, plus pecans. Or, a dried berry medley of blueberries, cranberries, cherries, and blackberries, with chopped almonds. Most of the time, I think the flavor is most appealing if some dates are used, as date sugar probably tastes most like cane sugar to me. Just make sure the amounts of dried fruits equal about 1  1/2 cups.

You can also dress these bars up with a drizzle or dip of melted white chocolate (really good on the apricot/cherry/date/pecan bar), or a drizzle of icing and sprinkle of cinnamon (especially yummy on an apple/date/raisin/cinnamon and walnut bar).








Thursday, July 16, 2015

Cheap & Cheerful suppers for the week

Thursday (this was one of the hot days, here. A cold dinner was much appreciated)
Pesto pasta salad -- cooked rotini pasta, garbanzo beans, cooked chicken, olives, canned diced tomatoes, pesto dressing, topped with dollops of pesto, served on lettuce
rhubarb crisp

Friday (not so cheap -- about $6 or $7 for all 5 of us -- but far cheaper than the usual $25-30 at Ivar's fast food fish bar)
fish and chips
carrot-raisin-peanut salad

Saturday (cloudy day, was great for pie-baking, and it cheered us all up, as my son left for out of town for a week, this morning)
leftover carrot-raisin-peanut salad
Swiss chard and garlic frittata
rice cooked in chicken broth
blackberry-rhubarb pie

Sunday (I had leftover refried beans to use up, which became the base for the soup. It was thick and hearty)
chicken-chili soup
bread and butter
leftover blackberry-rhubarb pie

Monday (It looks like it should be a good year for the beets, and we all enjoy them cooked and added to salads)
chicken-noodle soup
grilled cheese sandwiches
leafy green salad with julienned beet and cucumber (all from the garden)
fresh raspberries

Tuesday (this year's rhubarb, but plums from the freezer from 2 years ago, still fine!)
Tex-Mex black beans and rice, with 1 hamburger patty, cooked and crumbled into the skillet
topped with cheddar, diced, canned tomatoes and olives
rhubarb-plum crumble with whipped cream

Wednesday
linguine and meatballs in marinara (with the beet greens added, from the beet added to the salad)
leafy green salad with julienned beet, cooked garbanzo beans and cucumber
leftover rhubarb-plum crumble



I am trying to clean out the freezer a bit, to make room for summer produce surplus. It's tight in there right now. This week, I found some canned tomatoes, canned tomato paste, chopped plums, blackberries, marinara sauce and sliced, sharp cheddar cheese in the freezer, needing using up.

One of my daughters asked me yesterday evening, if foods ever go "bad" in the freezer. As far as I know, if the temp of the freezer is kept at 0 F degrees, food doesn't really spoil, but loses quality of texture and taste. The frozen plums in the crumble this week were from 2 summers ago. Mostly, the container just had a lost of frost inside. Have you ever heard of food actually spoiling in the freezer (if kept at 0 F)?






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