JR Date Bar and More

Today I modified my JR DATE BAR RECIPE and added Zego Cranberry Seed + Fruit Blend MIX-INS to the top of the bars for extra flavor, texture, and visual interest!

The original recipe called for:

1 Cup of Dates (I get mine from Futterman Farms) - pitted and diced
2 Cups of Nuts - your choice to use one nut or a mix to create the flavor profile of your choice
1/3 Cup Flavor Ad-Ins

Today I modified the recipe:

2 cups of dates
1 cup of nuts ( I used cashew)
1 cup of gluten free oats 
1 tsp vanilla
NOTE: You may need to add/reduce oats based on moisture content of the dates you are using.

Instructions:

Add 1/2 of the ingredients into a VitaMix or powerful blender/food processor.
Get to a relatively smooth consistency and add the rest. 
Place in a glass Pyrex container, press down to help solidify, and cover.
NOTE: The thickness of the bars is based on the size of the container you use. I made THINK ones today!
Refrigerate for about 1 hour to help the bars set.
NOTE: Just before placing the bars in the refrigerator I added 1/2 cup of MIX-INS to the top of the bars.

The Wonders of Jool

The Wonders of Jool

There are many uses for Jool. It is great on its own as well as in recipes. Jool's natural sweetness lends it to uses for breakfast or dessert.

Jool for Breakfast

I added a layer of Jool Chocolate Date Spread to my Banana Bread Recipe to create a layer of flavor in the middle. I served the bread with a thin layer of Jool Chocolate Spread and even added a roasted banana.

Dates contain natural sugars and are high in fiber and antioxidants. They have a low glycemic index and may help control blood sugar. They contain 20% of the RDI for potassium, 14% of magnesium, and 12% of vitamin B6. Studies have shown they may contribute to brain health, bone health, and ease a woman's labor pains.

I DROOL for JOOL

I DROOL for JOOL

I Drool for Jool! 

When I came across Jool Chocolate Date Spread at the La Jolla Open Aire Market I KNEW I needed to try the product. It was everything I love in one package! To me, dates and chocolate go together like peanut butter and jelly. I am SO happy I tried this product!

You Know You Love A Product When ...

When you open the jar you see something that LOOKS like Nutella, but know that it is not Nutella as it only has THREE ingredients: dates, chocolate, and olive oil. I celebrate a product with no added sugars...the natural sugar of the dates is all you need here!

When you spread the Jool Chocolate Date spread on bread, a banana, a pancake, a waffle, or an apple you are transformed. The rich cacao and the sweet date flavor complement the fruit and pastry and send you on flavor thrill ride. Sprinkle on some walnuts and you get a crunchy delicacy!

So Many Ways to Use Jool Chocolate Date Spread ...

I decided to use Jool Chocolate Date Spread in one of my tried-and-true recipes. I added it to my Power Cookie Sandwich Recipe. I loved the results! I made a batch using dates and cranberries and a batch using dried bananas. Both tasted great ... but the dried bananas were special. The next batch I make, I will use a combination of dates and dried bananas.

Smoothie Bowl Formula ... A Breakfast Staple

I love recipes that can be modified based on flavor preferences and dietary needs. A smoothie bowl is just that "dish". You can customize the basic formula to create the breakfast you want ... and modify the recipe for  each member of the household. A smoothie bowl takes less than 5 minutes to make and clean up. it is a great quick-fix breakfast to enjoy when the weather is warm.

Pictured: Blueberry Smoothie Bowl with a garnish of walnuts, pepitas, and blueberries.

Smoothie Bowl Formula:

2 frozen bananas

1 cup milk of choice ( I use almond milk)

2 pitted dates (I order mine from Futterman Farms in Indio, CA)

1 cup of fruit

Optional: Protein Powder 

Topping Options:

• Granola
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Coconut
• Chocolate chips
• Fruit (to match flavor of bowl)
• Dried Fruit 

Pictured here is a smoothie bowl with raspberries, homemade granola, help seeds (Interstate Bait), and walnuts. 

A Smoothie Bowl is Quick to Prepare

I keep frozen bananas (ones that have started to get brown freckles) on hand at all times. To prepare a nutritious breakfast all you have to do is put the ingredients in your Vitamix (or blender of choice) and blend. After about a minute the bananas are chopped and integrated into the other non-frozen ingredients. You DO NOT want to OVER MIX, that would create a smoothie you DRINK not EAT with a SPOON. The clean up is simple. All you have to do is wash out the blender and put the bowl in the dishwasher.

Pictured here is a smoothie bowl with peaches, unsweetened coconut, pepitas, and walnuts.

Date and Seed Bars

Cooking is something that brings me joy! I get excited to try a new recipe or make a few changes to a tried-and-true No Bake Date Delights Energy Bar Recipe.This recipe allows for customization in flavor profiles and well as presentation. You can make them in squares, rectangles, use a cookie cutter, or even roll into balls. Have fun! Play with your food! Make cooking fun!

Recipe:

• 2 cups pitted dates (I get mine from Futterman Farms)
• 1 cup nuts of choice (I used peanut this time)
• 1 cup oats (I use gluten free)
• 1 serving SunWarrior Classic Plus Chocolate Flavor Plant Based Protein
• 1/4 cup pepitas/hemp seeds to garnish top - optional

Options:

• Substitute 1 TSP vanilla flavoring or vanilla protein powder for the chocolate protein powder
• Substitute I TSP coconut flavoring for the chocolate protein powder and ADD 1/4 cup dried cranberries and 1/4 cup coconut 

Instructions:

• Combine 1/2 of the ingredients at a time in a Vitamix and blend until a paste is formed. 
• Add the "dough" to a glass pan and flatten with the flat end of a spatula
• Sprinkle the seeds to the top and push into the bar with the flat end of a spatula
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
• Cut into bars the size of your choice

NOTE: From time to time, the mixture can be extra moist depending on the moisture of the dates you are using. When the mixture is extra moist, the bar "dough" could bunch up and stop the mixture. If this happens, use a spatula and remove the mixture from the Vitamix. After a few minutes, add 1/2 back at a time and pulse until a thick smooth paste.  Add a bit more oatmeal if necessary. Each batch of dates is different!

Simple Scrumptious Smoothie Bowl

Smoothie bowls can be a great breakfast, snack, or dessert. What makes them great is the versatility of the recipe and the speed at which you can prepare one! The simple recipe is a BLANK CANVAS that allows you to create your masterpiece! The formula can be adapted to make an "ice cream" too.

Smoothie Bowl Formula (Breakfast):

2 Frozen Bananas + 3/4 cup Milk of choice (I use almond milk) + 2 pitted dates + 1 cup of berries (organic if possible as berries are consistently on the EWG's Dirty Dozen List)

Options:

• Add protein powder ... vanilla or chocolate
• Cut the recipe in half to create a snack rather than a meal! 

A FAST, SIMPLE, and NUTRITIOUS Breakfast

A smoothie bowl contains natural sugars from bananas and berries and protein from the milk variety you use. You can top the bowl with the flavor and texture profiles that you prefer.

Healthy breakfast toppings include:

• Granola
• Oats
• Nuts
• Seeds ... Hemp, Chia, Pepita, Sunflower
• Coconut (no sugar added is preferable)
• A few slices of the fruit you added
• Dried fruit
• Diced protein bar
• Crumbled rice cake 
• Handfulls Fusions

You can add protein powder to the smoothie bowl if you wish the added protein in your diet and are looking for the breakfast to hold you through a workout or get you through to a late lunch.

Smoothie Bowl Formula (Dessert):

2 Frozen Bananas + 1 cup Milk of choice (I use almond milk) + 8 pitted dates + 1 TBSP coconut butter

Options:

• Add protien powder (chocolate or vanilla)
• Add 1 cup of fruit to flavor and reduce milk to 3/4 cup
• Add flavoring (vanilla, maple, coconut)
• Add 1 TBSP nut/seed butter

A FAST, SIMPLE, AND HEALTHIER OPTION for Dessert

The smoothie bowl formula provides you with the BLANK CANVAS with which to create your masterpiece. You can create the flavor profile you wish. You can get nostalgic and think about flavors from your childhood such as chocolate chip, black cherry, cookies and cream, just to name a few. Make it your own! Play with your food! Enjoy the healthier version of "ice cream".

Dessert smoothie bowl toppings include:

• Gluten Free chocolate chips
• Granola
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Crumbled Gluten Free cookies
• Dried fruit 
• Fresh fruit
• Diced protein bar
• Coconut (I prefer no sugar added) 
• Handfulls Fusions

Frozen Adaptation:

Prepare the smoothie bowl with the desired sweetness from dates and ADD an ADDITIONAL TBSP COCONUT BUTTER. I usually prepare the dessert version if I am going to freeze it and make an "ice-cream" treat. Put the smoothie in individual containers and cover for 30 minutes then serve with or without toppings. You can also put the smoothie mixture in a large container and freeze and portion out servings as you wish!

The consistency is icy the longer it stays frozen. I suggest eating it after 30 minutes of freezing for a soft serve consistency or within 3 days for an "ice cream" like consistency.

TIP

When bananas start getting brown, peel a few and keep them handy in the freezer. If you keep a few frozen at all times, you can make a smoothie bowl in minutes!

Pumpkin Date Bread

I believe in experimenting with recipes to continually evolve them and create endless varieties!

This recipe started with my gluten free, eggless, vegan banana bread recipe posted on Valentine's Day 2018 and was modified as follows:



Modified for Pumpkin Date Bread:

2 cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix
1 Cup Gluten Free Oats
2 FLAX EGGS
2 TBSP Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 1/4 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup dates diced into uniform pieces
1 cup low fat Greek Yogurt (I used OKIOS)
Replacing the coconut butter with Greek Yogurt adds moisture, but does not allow the bread to be titled VEGAN. I have wanted to make this substitution for a while to see how it changes the bread's texture and I am glad I did it. The bread is very moist and full bodied.

Yes, I will make bread using the Greek Yogurt again, but I will continue to make gluten free and vegan options to satisfy my entire household's needs!

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a loaf pan with olive oil or coconut oil
2. Prepare the flax eggs in your mixing bowl
3. Once the flax eggs set, add the wet ingredients and combine
4. Add the dry ingredients  one at a time and mix
5. Bake for 30 minutes and use a knife to check to see if done; if not, continue to check every 15 minutes until done. 

Serving Suggestions:

• Serve warm or room temperature. 
• Enjoy with fresh fruit or Greek Yogurt as a breakfast. 
• Top with a nut or seed butter for added protein post workout

 

No Bake Date Bars Featuring Chocolate Superfood Protein

Cooking is a creative process for me; it is my art! I love to try new recipes or modify tried-and-true recipes with a new product that I have encountered. Today I modified my NoBakeDateDelight ENERGY BARS and added SUPERFOOD PROTEIN! The result was a batch of bars that I could not keep in the refrigerator for more than a day! They flew off the shelf! I WILL MAKE THIS VERSION AGAIN!!!

Base Recipe:

• 2 cups pitted dates (I get mine from Futterman Farms)
• 1 cup nuts of choice (I used cashew this time)
• 1 cup oats (I use gluten free)
• 1 scoop Ground Based Nutrition Superfood Protein - Chocolate Flavor
• 1/3 cup pepitas to garnish top - optional
• 1 tsp flavoring - I used vanilla in this recipe. Almond pairs well with dates too.

Instructions:

• Blend the dates, nuts, oats, and protein in a Vitamix until combined. You can leave it a bit chunky for more texture in your bars or blend until smooth. 
• NOTE: I suggest you add the dates 1/4 at a time. The moister the dates are, the greater he chance the mixture will turn into a paste and stop the Vitamix. If this does happen, take a spatula and break up the dense mixture and start again. 
• When combined to your liking, press into a glass dish and garnish. 
• Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 
• Cut into bars and enjoy!
•  

Rice Cakes Make Eating Healthy Fun

Sometimes all you want or need are the simple things. Life does not need to be complicated. All recipes do not need elaborate steps and lists of ingredients.

A rice cake topped with SunButter is a blank canvas waiting to be topped with anything you desire. Add dried fruits, nuts, seeds and enjoy. Thin slices of fresh fruit are delicious too!

Today's version is an example of how the rice cake can be made playful for a child as well!

Encourage healthy eating in your home...make eating healthy fun!

JR Date Bar

I have been searching for the formula to create my own date snack bars and finally hit the jackpot. The recipe allows you to customize the bars to create the flavor profile you desire. You can wrap them in Saran Wrap or Aluminum Foil (I prefer non-stick), carry them in a Ziplock baggie, or carry with you in a small plastic "tupperware" type of container.

The bars have two simple ingredients and the third or fourth is the flavor profile you create. The recipe is so simple you will be making these quite often! The most challenging part of this recipe is that the bars need to be refrigerated for at least 30 minutes to "set". Patience is required prior to "digging in".

Enjoy these energy bars before, during, or after a workout or as a simple mid-day snack.

Base Ingredients:
1 Cup of Dates (I get mine from Futterman Farms) - pitted and diced
2 Cups of Nuts - your choice to use one nut or a mix to create the flavor profile of your choice
1/3 Cup Flavor Ad-Ins

Step 1:

• Place nuts in a VitaMix or a food processor and pulse until they break up and BEGIN to form a paste. You want to keep some chunks and stop processing PRIOR to creating Nut Butter.
• Add dates and continue to pulse to combine.

Step 2:
Add 1/3 Cup of Flavor Add-Ins and pulse to combine.
Add-Ins can include:
Dried Cranberries (pictured)
Dried Cherries and Coconut
Dark Chocolate Pieces + 2 TBSP Nutella
Dried Diced Apple + 2 TBSP Cinnamon
Dried Diced Apricot + 1 TBSP Almond Flavoring

Step 3:

• Transfer JR Date Bar Mixture from VitaMix or food processor and place in an 8x8 glass pan. I suggest using spray olive oil or parchment paper or Saran Wrap to coat the pan so the date bars do not stick. 
• Cover the pan and place it in the refrigerator to cool for at least 30 minutes. 
• Cut the bars to the size you desire and enjoy!