Food, Glorious Food

        Somehow, I just can’t stick to recipes; so, if you want to try this one that I am in the process of baking as I write this, feel free to make your own substitutions. I got the original from a friend, Sandy Dick, many years ago and have used it for every backpacking and canoe trip for over 20 years since then in some form or another.

Whole Food Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup raisins

1 cup currants (or more raisins)

[I used currants today.]

1 cup chopped dates (or more raisins)

[I used ground up dates today.]

¼ cup honey (or molasses)

[I used a bit more than ¼ cup honey today.]

¾ cup orange juice

[I blended two oranges today. It was probably a bit less than ¾ cup.]

¼ cup oil

[I used ¼ cup of olive oil today.]

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice (optional0

[I used a bit more than 1 teaspoon today, by accident.]

½ teaspoon salt

[I used a bit less than ½ teaspoon of sea salt today.]

½ cup sunflower seeds

2 cups rolled oats

2 cups stone ground whole wheat flour

[I used 2 cups of stone ground barley flour – less gluten but not gluten free.]

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Proceedure:

        Grind raisins, currants & dates and combine in a large bowl.

Stir in orange juice, honey, oil and soak for 20 minutes

(Or put liquid in blender, add raisins, etc. and blend.)

[I used the blender today.]

        In a bowl combine thoroughly the cinnamon, allspice, salt, sunflower seeds, rolled oats, stone ground whole wheat flour and coconut.

[I added 1 cup chia seeds to this today.]

        Stir in wet mixture until thoroughly combined.

[I used my hands as if mixing bread dough today.]

        Press on a cookie sheet and roll flat with rolling pin.

[I lined the cookie sheet with parchment paper today]

        Bake at 275 F for 22 minutes. (Do not brown.)

Remove from cookie sheet and cool on cake racks.

[Not sure about “do not brown,’ as the mix is “brown” before it goes into the oven so I just did the 22 minute baking.]

        It is a kind of “granola” bar but in this case it costs less money, I think, and I know exactly what is in it and I know that  a couple of bars will serve as most of a lunch on any hike day.