Carrot-Fig ‘Nola Bars

I’m not too sure which direction my day is gonna go in in a couple of hours (re: when the vet comes) so I might as well post now while I’m in a relatively neutral mood.

Mainly because my “lets keep my mind busy” techniques involved granola bars.

First, though, fuelage:

Most Thursday mornings, as I’ve mentioned briefly in the past, I peruse the Camelot auction horses, and “taking my picks.” This morning, however, no photos were up on the website. So, I took the liberty to save them from the facebook site and upload them to the forum where all the action/networking happens. People were having difficulties figuring it out – so I’m hoping I’ve started off with some good karma to come in handy later 😉

I called to see if there was a timeframe yet for when the vet was going to get around to Teddie, and he said not until this afternoon – 3-3:30. Yikes! That’s a lot of…morning time. Worry time. I did some yoga (oi, I’d let too long of a time go without doing some yoga!) and then buckled down to make a bar.

I wanted to make something a bit diferent from my usual. I tend to make date-based bars – or these, or these “everything but the kitchen sink” chunks of energy. Not complaining – I’ve loved them all. But I just wanted to sit down with some bars I love, and draw up something out of the blue.

I made sure to gather my thoughts first, and my motives. If I go in with no plan, I tend to forget ingredients I initially wanted to add, and ending up throwing everything in at the same time. Not a bad thing – but I had an idea this time:

• easy – as in, no food processor! i get sick of cleaning the darn thing, and I know if I started using it, they would end up like my Chunks of Energy, anyways.
• preferably raw – just because
• nutty with crunch – yet chewy at the same time (a lot of raw bars are anyways, though.)
• use puffed grains – I’ve noticed I really like the texture they add!
• use figs!
• heck, if we’re using figs, why not make them like carrot cake?! apparently, I have a one-track mind. It’s always thinking about carrot cake.

When all was mixed and chopped, this is what my paper looked like. What, you can’t read my cat-scratch? Okay, I guess I’ll translate for you…

Fun fact: I nearly always write in cursive. Which is odd, because the older I got, the more often classmates would complain “I can’t read cursive!” Dude, isn’t that what we learnt before print?

I had some business to take care of before getting around to baking...

I sort of met my “rules,” as you’ll see. I ended up leaving half raw, and baking half. I actually think I prefer the raw ones, but the baked are easier to eat. I’ll share my recipe as I made it, and make notations for what I’d do next.

Carrot-Fig ‘Nola Bars

• 1/4 c. chopped pecans (I used salted and roasted)
• 1/4 c. chopped dried figs – about 3 medium figs
• 2 T. raisins
• 2 T. chia seeds
• 1 T. sunflower nuts
• 3/4 c. quick oats (I’m sure rolled would work, too, and likely be better)
• 1/4 c. puffed rice
• 1/4 c. puffed millet
• 3/4 t. cinnamo
• 1/4 t. nutmeg
• pinch of ginger
• pinch of salt
• 1 T. The Organic Whey
• 1/4 c. nut butter (I used chunky peanut butter)
• 2 T. honey (bare minimum – and if you’re baking these, I’d probably double it. For whatever reason – the baked ones turned out a little less sweet)
• 4 T. water (I used this to thin it a bit – though next time I’d probably use 2 T, and if you use more honey, just cut back. And if you’re baking, I’d probably go ahead and use almond milk)
• 2 T. milled flax
• 1/2 c. grated carrot

Oi! That list looks long!! I promise it’s not difficult, though – and really, open to interpretation. (1/2 c. puffed grains to sub the rice & millet, walnuts rather than pecans, maple syrup rather than honey, nix the chia seeds, etc. etc. etc.)

1. Combine the first 13 (holy cow) ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl.

2. In a smaller, microwave-safe bowl, nuke your nut butter, honey, and water for a few seconds, until it is stirrable. Add in the milled flaxseed and grated carrots, and stir.

3. Combine the two separate containers and combine. Use your big muscles!

4. If leaving raw: press down very firmly in a tupperware-type container – or something you can cover and refrigerate. Allow to chill before cutting.

5. If baking: pack down very firmly in an oven-safe casserole type dish. I sprayed mine lightly with cooking spray. Drizzle a little bit of honey on top, and bake at 400* for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting!

raw

baked

I think I prefer the raw ones. I’m sort of surprised because I thought for sure I’d prefer the baked, since they at first seemed too sticky/messy to just leave raw! But they firmed up okay. I think I’d like the baked ones more if I had used more honey.

And, moving on – dis anyone else, as a child, put bbq potato chips in their PB & J sandwiches? I remember my mom always doing that growing up, so of course I would too.

I saw this McCormick Sweet & Smoky rub and decided I had to try it on….tempeh! On a PB & J!

Ironically, I just wanted “normal jam” for this and didn’t have any open. Apple Rum Walnut? check. Peach Ginger? check. Pumpkin? check. Fig? check. Apple Honey Butter? check.

Why don’t I have any strawberry? Or raspberry?!

I ended up just opening yet another one, that was the closest to normal I could find. And it was still a mix of strawberries, cranberries, some other fruit, and maple syrup. I guess I like intricate things.

I will do this again, however, I will use more rub (and probably the BBQ rub rather than this one for more of a mesquit-y flavor). So, go try it. Or look at me like I have three heads. Whichever 😉