This recipe came up at a spur of a moment, after I made an error in purchasing chopped dates, rather than chopped figs, intending to make Cream Cheese Fig Bars.

Since I never baked with dates before, it was a wonderful experience, and the Granola Date Bars turned out great.

I will definitely make these again, since they make a perfect mid morning, or mid afternoon snack, not to mention the abundance of fiber in these.

Next time I will try to mix in some Super Cranberry, Cherry, and Almond Muesli, made by Dorset Cereals, which I love for breakfast.

I guess the good old saying  “If God gives you lemons, you have to learn to love lemonade”, pairs up well with the birth of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz chopped dates (2 cups)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup (Organic Vanilla Almond FlaxPlus Granola (or increase the oats by 1/2 cup)
• 1 -1/2 cups all-purpose flour ( I used unbleached flour)
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (may use margarine)
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Directions:

1. Combine dates and water in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to boil, and cook 3-4 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
3. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.
4. Set aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, granola,baking soda, salt and brown sugar.
7. Mix well, to incorporate all ingredients.
8. Stir in melted butter, and mix to moisten dry ingredients.
9. Measure 2-1/2 cups of oats mixture, and press gently into a 9 x 9 inch baking pan, to make the bottom crust.
10. Top with date filling, leaving 1/4 inch margin all around the edge, free of filling (to prevent filling from crusting up,  and burning during baking).
11. Combine chopped nuts with the remaining oats mixture, fill the margin around the date filling, and spread the rest on the top of the filling.
12. Press gently into the filling.
13. Bake at 350 degrees F, for 2o minutes.
14. Cool in pan on wire rack.
15. Cut into serving size, 1 x 3 inch bars, or 1 x 1 inch bite size chunks.

Enjoy.

TIP: This recipe is NOT for The Fat Smash Diet phase I, but is OK in phase III.

I already shared the story about my zucchini crop this year,  so now it’s a perfect time to share a zucchini recipe.

I was thinking of posting a Zucchini Bread recipe, but I have been baking a lot lately, so a vegetarian dish sounded more appealing to me.

My sister might like this recipe as well, since she just told me that she is contemplating becoming a vegetarian.

I could be a vegetarian most of the time, but I think I occasionally would miss my poultry and pork dishes.

My mom loved zucchini sauteed with butter, onions, garlic, and some Italian spices.

Today I will share this yummy recipe for Zucchini Casserole with tomatoes, cheeses and Italian spices.

One recipe fills a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini (8 inch long), sliced into thin discs (1/8 inch thick)
• 3 large tomatoes, sliced into thin discs (1/8 inch thick)
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. dry oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dry basil (1/4 cup fresh, chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1-1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tbs. butter (or canola oil)
• 1/2 cup Italian Seasoned bread crumbs

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.
2. Set aside.
3. Grease the casserole dish, or spray with a  cooking spray.
4. Divide the sliced zucchini and sliced tomatoes into two equal parts.
5. Arrange the first half of the zucchini slices in the casserole dish, covering the whole bottom.
6. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese mixture over the zucchini layer.
7. Arrange the first haft of the sliced tomatoes over the cheese sprinkled zucchini.
8. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese mixture over the tomato layer.
9. Repeat the zucchini, tomatoes, cheese, layers again.
10. Set aside.
11. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter, over medium heat.
12. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent (2 minutes).
13. Turn off heat.
14. Add the seasoned bread crumbs, and mix until the butter is totally absorbed and onions are mixed in.
15. Preheat the over to 375 degrees F.
16. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly all over the top of the casserole.
17. Cover with aluminum foil.
18. Bake for 20 minutes.
19. Uncover and bake for 20 minutes longer.
20. Let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Best served fresh, while the topping is nice and crunchy.

Still great the next day, but the bread crumbs become soft as they begin to absorb the moisture from the veggies.

Enjoy, and share your comments.

It has been a while since I shared some useful tips with you, from ecomii website, which I find very informative.

This one is about eating whole foods, rather than processed foods.

Please enjoy this tip.

Today’s tip: Eat Whole Foods Instead of Half Foods

What?
Boost your nutrition – and reduce food industry pollution – by eating whole foods whenever possible.

How?
Is it processed?  Labeled as “low-fat” or “enriched”?  If so, skip it, and look for pure food in its natural state.  Good examples are fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Why?
The food industry emits over 24 million tons of CO2, and a large part of that comes from processing and packaging food.  Plus,  whole foods are indisputably healthier.

Did You Know?

Whole grains can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 30%.

photo credit: iLoveButter

When we think of the word “organic”, we relate to something that is natural, wholesome, crude, unrefined, untreated.   Most often we think of fruit and vegetables which have been cultivated in harmony with nature, and not treated with chemicals found in fertilizers and pesticides.  However there is also organic milk and milk byproducts.

So, you say- how is organic milk different from any other milk?  Isn’t all milk already pure and natural?

The answer is:  Yes, all milk is a natural product, but organic milk is even more pure.  There are special dairy farms, which are producing organic milk, which means that their cows are fed special natural feed, such as corn, soy and hay, which also was grown on organic farms without chemicals and pesticides.

Organic farms and the milk industry are also very strictly regulated by the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) with processing, handling and labeling procedures.  These regulations prohibit the use of antibiotics and synthetic growth hormones (rBGH – recombinant bovine growth hormone) in cows producing organic milk.  These cows are also required to have access to fresh air and pasture.   Organic production prohibits the use of genetically modified organisms (GMO’s).

Even organic product labeling undergoes strict regulations by the USDA, such as:

• 100% Organic – means that this product was made with 100% organic ingredients.

• Organic – means that the product was made with at least 95% organic ingredients, with strict restrictions on the remaining 5%, including no GMO’s.

• Made with Organic Ingredients – means that the product was made with minimum of 70% organic ingredients, with strict restrictions on the remaining 30% including no GMO’s.

• Products which are made with less than 70% organic ingredients, may list specific, organically produced ingredients on the side panel of the package, but may not make any organic claims on the front of the package.

One of the more popular organic dairy farms is Stonyfield Organic Farm in NH.  They make organic, and non-organic products, to cater to customers from all walks of life.  Organic products, whether agricultural or dairy, are slightly more expensive, in comparison to their non-organic counterparts.  The higher prices are a direct result of lower demand for organic products, as well as the cost of production, packaging, and labeling of these products.

Stay tuned to my next upcoming post, where I will provide you  with some very useful information about organic and non-organic yogurt.