Like so many people, I have a desire to eat healthier.
Like so many people, I lack the FUNDS to eat healthier.
Oh, in some areas it is easy. Organic veggies can often be somewhat reasonable. Keeping to the outside areas of the grocery store instead of going into the aisles is a pretty good tip (though not all that realistic. I, myself, make small steps towards a healthier lifestyle, but one area I cannot do are buying these healthy bars like Larabar or Luna bars or any of those.
Imagine my excitement when a friend on facebook posted that she had made some homemade larabars today!! She said they were as good...or BETTER than the packaged varieties and I instantly asked...where's the recipe. She asked if she could post here and WHAT COULD I SAY?? OF course!! So, here is my friend, Kimberly Vogel, and her version of Larabars which she has decided to call Kim Bars. Please visit her site, where she endeavors to bridge families together. In the meantime, try her recipe!!
Like so many people, I lack the FUNDS to eat healthier.
Oh, in some areas it is easy. Organic veggies can often be somewhat reasonable. Keeping to the outside areas of the grocery store instead of going into the aisles is a pretty good tip (though not all that realistic. I, myself, make small steps towards a healthier lifestyle, but one area I cannot do are buying these healthy bars like Larabar or Luna bars or any of those.
Imagine my excitement when a friend on facebook posted that she had made some homemade larabars today!! She said they were as good...or BETTER than the packaged varieties and I instantly asked...where's the recipe. She asked if she could post here and WHAT COULD I SAY?? OF course!! So, here is my friend, Kimberly Vogel, and her version of Larabars which she has decided to call Kim Bars. Please visit her site, where she endeavors to bridge families together. In the meantime, try her recipe!!
In my quest to eat healthy and avoid foods I have allergic reactions to, I found some great energy bars. Standing in the grocery aisle, I read the ingredient list – only four ingredients and I could easily read them all! I bought a few and really enjoyed them. However, they are over a dollar a bar. After a few weeks I realized that I was having an allergic reaction to them. After researching my allergy, I realized it was the dates in the bars and how they were processed. I was so sad to say adios to my new go-to snack.
I realized I could replace them with a home-made version! I researched several recipes, finding the easiest way to make them, and made one that is “safe” for me.
KimBars
Dates – I use fresh (Medjool) because they are “safe” for me. You can use dried, but may have to let them sit in a little bit of water to soften before chopping them.
Cashews – I prefer raw unsalted.
A pinch of salt – sea salt, of course!
To make them, I used the same amount of dates and cashews with a pinch or two of salt.
½ Cup of Cashews – Chop in food processor (until pieces are really small, where some are fine like sand, but not too much, however, it’s all how you prefer them!) then dump into a bowl.
½ Cup of Dates – Chop in food processor until it forms a large ball. *I took one date out so it was less than ½ cup and preferred it this way – not as sticky or sweet.
I add the salt to the nuts then dump them back into the food processor and pulse until it is all crumbly again. The first time I made the bars, I just added the dates to the bowl and kneaded it until it was all mixed, but the processor is faster and less work.
Remove the mixture and form it into whatever shape you want! (You can even use cookie cutters, but my kids are older that just means more utensils to clean – balls are still lots of fun for kids!) Wrap each bar in plastic wrap and store in fridge. I made 3 bars out of this recipe. From now on, I will make much larger batches! Tip: After wrapping a messily formed log/bar in the plastic wrap, you can then form it into a nice, perfectly formed bar shape.
There are tons of variations you can make, just keep the proportions similar. For example, if you want to make a fruit flavored bar, use half dates, half dried fruit (1/4 cup dates AND ¼ cup dried fruit) and the same ratio of nuts (1/2 cup cashews or ¼ cup cashews AND ¼ cup peanuts). Keep in mind this is a high-calorie snack. I eat only half a bar.
Enjoy and have fun saving money AND being healthy!
Kimberly Vogel
www.kimberlyvogel.wordpress.com
I realized I could replace them with a home-made version! I researched several recipes, finding the easiest way to make them, and made one that is “safe” for me.
KimBars
Dates – I use fresh (Medjool) because they are “safe” for me. You can use dried, but may have to let them sit in a little bit of water to soften before chopping them.
Cashews – I prefer raw unsalted.
A pinch of salt – sea salt, of course!
To make them, I used the same amount of dates and cashews with a pinch or two of salt.
½ Cup of Cashews – Chop in food processor (until pieces are really small, where some are fine like sand, but not too much, however, it’s all how you prefer them!) then dump into a bowl.
½ Cup of Dates – Chop in food processor until it forms a large ball. *I took one date out so it was less than ½ cup and preferred it this way – not as sticky or sweet.
I add the salt to the nuts then dump them back into the food processor and pulse until it is all crumbly again. The first time I made the bars, I just added the dates to the bowl and kneaded it until it was all mixed, but the processor is faster and less work.
Remove the mixture and form it into whatever shape you want! (You can even use cookie cutters, but my kids are older that just means more utensils to clean – balls are still lots of fun for kids!) Wrap each bar in plastic wrap and store in fridge. I made 3 bars out of this recipe. From now on, I will make much larger batches! Tip: After wrapping a messily formed log/bar in the plastic wrap, you can then form it into a nice, perfectly formed bar shape.
There are tons of variations you can make, just keep the proportions similar. For example, if you want to make a fruit flavored bar, use half dates, half dried fruit (1/4 cup dates AND ¼ cup dried fruit) and the same ratio of nuts (1/2 cup cashews or ¼ cup cashews AND ¼ cup peanuts). Keep in mind this is a high-calorie snack. I eat only half a bar.
Enjoy and have fun saving money AND being healthy!
Kimberly Vogel
www.kimberlyvogel.wordpress.com
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