Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

So, year's ago when I was just starting my quest of healthier food I ran across a recipe for homemade larabars.  I read the ingredients list and said "forget it."  Who has dates, prunes and nuts in the refrigerator to make these things??

Then some time passed and my friend at Just Trying to Live Better braved the water and made them.  I was thrilled to read her blog post.  But yet, did I want to invest the time to soak the nuts, dry the nuts, find organic dates and prunes, etc etc.  The answer then was..."well maybe."

The answer now is a big "YES!"

Now, years later they are a staple in our house.  We said goodbye a long time ago to all protein bars and the ever loved Cascadian Farms granola bars.  Now with the homemade larabars my kids think they are getting a candy bar and my husband loves them too.  And I know that they are eating healthy fruit, soaked/crispy nuts and of course a little something extra and fun thrown in.

Here is our favorite recipe right now.  There are a million more waiting for us to try them!

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
1 1/3 c soaked/crispy peanuts (I also want to try soaked/crispy cashews and almonds)
2/3 c semi sweet chocolate chips (I also do 1/3 c carob chips + 1/3 c semi sweet chips.  You can also use milk chocolate chips.)
2 c organic pitted dates (can also do 1 c organic dates + 1 c organic prunes)
1/2 c organic peanut butter
2 tsp homemade vanilla
Reverse osmosis water, 1/2 tsp at a time

Place peanuts in food processor and pulse.  Blend only to the point where the peanuts are now crumbs.  Stop here.  If you keep processing the peanuts you will have peanut butter (yum, but not what we are looking for here).  Place peanut crumbs in a bowl, set aside.

Place pitted dates in your food processor.  Process until the dates form a ball.

Add chocolate chips and 1/2 of the peanut crumbs, use a spoon to break up the ball of dates, process until combined.  Stop.  Add remaining peanuts and peanut butter.  Process until well blended.  You may have to stop and use your spoon to break up the large ball in your processor.  Add vanilla.

You want a consistency that will maintain a "bar" shape.  If your mix looks too dry and crumbly add 1/2 tsp of water at a time, processing in between until your mixture looks slightly moist and most of the ingredients are holding together.

Grease a 9x9 in glass pyrex dish with a small amount of organic virgin coconut oil.

Press bar mixture into the glass dish, flattening with your hand or the back of a spoon.

Let bars sit in refrigerator 4-6 hours or overnight.  Cut into bars.  Wrap in bpa free plastic wrap or unbleached parchment paper and store in a glass container in your refrigerator.  YUM!!!!!!

They make a great "grab on the go" breakfast or snack.

Notes:  I buy organic peanuts through Green Bean Delivery.  I have also bought raw peanuts at Meijer.  I buy organic dates and prunes at Green Bean Delivery, Downtown Farm Stand or Whole Foods.  Organic peanut butter at Meijer.  

Enjoy!


*Recipe adapted from Kitchen Stewardship e-cook book.

Coconut Chips

So pretty.

I read this on one of my favorite blogs...The Healthy Home Economist and made a batch yesterday!  YUMMO!!!

Coconut Chips
Coconut chips, unsweetened, organic, (or can be called flakes, not shredded)
Organic cinnamon
Sea Salt (Redmonds or Celtic)

Heat a cast iron skillet to medium heat.  Spread a thin layer of coconut chips in the skillet.  DO NOT leave the kitchen...you will regret this.  :-)  Continue moving the chips around in the skillet until they are a beautiful golden brown.

Transfer golden coconut chips to a glass pan or baking stone, spread chips out into a single layer.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sea salt, whatever amount you like.  Mix.  Spread out again, let cool.  

Continue repeating these steps until you have made the amount you like.  Allow chips to cool completely and store in a glass pyrex bowl or ball jar with lid.

Snack on or use on top of dishes (I am thinking this would taste great on top of my Homemade Cold Breakfast Cereal!).  I am also thinking this would be reeeally good on top of my homemade ice cream!  YUM!!!!

And I am thinking a spicy recipe is in the works....maybe cayenne....or a cayenne/chipotle mix....hmmmmmmm :-)  Do you have any recipes or ideas?

I bought my organic coconut chips through Nutiva, 3 pounds (48 oz) for $13.89.  Whole Foods also sells them $2.99 for 7 oz.  (Bulk is cheaper here.  Nutiva breaks down to $.29 per ounce and Whole Foods is $.43 per ounce.)

Coconut chips and chia on top of Homemade Cold Breakfast Cereal. YUM!!

Click here for Nutiva's website.

Enjoy!!

Why Should you Soak Nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts, etc.) Before you Eat Them???

This was one of those GREEN things, that I did not understand.  I put it off to the very last thing on my "how to eat real food list."  And when I finally soaked some almonds and dried them.....wow did I kick myself.  If you like to snack on almonds or any nut.  This is a must read for you.

Soaking is sooo easy, it makes nuts taste 1000% times more delicious and allows your body to actually use the nutrients, vitamins and good stuff that are inside a nut.

My favorite way to soak is all in one day.  My feeling is, get is all done and over with, then I have a refrigerator full of nuts that are ready.  Either to snack on or to cook with.  For example the delicious almonds pancakes I posted here.

Think of it this way.  (Gonna get gross here....)  When you eat nuts that have not been soaked and dried, you eat them, you think to yourself, hey these taste pretty good, down the hatch they go, your body says oh, he or she ate some nuts, great...what do we do with these things....???....well we can't get much nutrition out of them, so out the old poop shoot they go. 

I have heard many people say they notice an "upset stomach" when they eat nuts that have not been soaked.  This is because your body cannot digest them correctly.   When we listen to our bodies we can learn a lot.

So.....why don't we soak 'em and allow your body to say WOW we can actually get a TON of vitamins and minerals and all sorts of nutrition out of these nuts.  Think of it this way...you will eat less when you body can tell you, "hey we've had enough, you can stop eating, you have given us some great vitamins and nutrients."  When the opposite happens with unsoaked nuts.  Your body cannot pull anything from them, so you brain never flips a switch to tell you it's full and you have ate the entire jar of nuts.  So, you actually save yourself money when you soak nuts.  You eat a little and you feel full.  And you have less "upset stomach" issues.  And get soooo much more nutrition out of them soaked.

Got it?  Good.  Now go buy some organic raw nuts (almonds are our fave) and get to SOAKING!!!!!

I will be posting recipes for each nut separately.  :-)  Soaked nuts make a GREAT snack!  Try some with raw cheese or a glass of REAL milk....delish and oh so filling.  :-)

And don't forget to reread my post on soaking oats, rice and beans here.