LEMON. Luscious lemon! It’s one of my top three flavors (I’m sure you’re wondering, so the other two are vanilla and coconut)! Adding fresh lemon juice to most any recipe just completes it. Lemon juice is not only full of flavor and is a way to impart freshness, it also adds a punch of Vitamin C, Folate and Potassium.
While composing this post for Lemon Turmeric Granola Bars, I couldn’t help but remember the photo shoot I took at my Nana’s house of my first daughter when she was just a little lady. The picture below warms my heart so much because she is holding the lemons that my Nana grew in her yard.
The yard that she left behind almost a year ago now. I miss her dearly and wish I could just pick up the phone and hear her voice. Truthfully, I don’t even know when I’ll ever step foot in her yard again, as I recently moved out of the area.
Life in retrospect is such a trippy thing. At the time this photo was taken, I lived in California, saw my mom on the daily, had one little girl and was joyfully taking pictures of my Nana making her raspberry jam. I would never expect just five years later everything would be different. And that’s why pictures are so important. They make time stop. They mark a time in history and tell a story years into the future of a time that was precious enough to capture.
I’ve actually had these photos in my arsenol for many months now. This was the last photo shoot I took at the place I called home for the past 33 years. While I’ve taken many shots of food, I will always remember this one as the last. I didn’t have many props, as they were beginning to be packed away. So the simplicity, I embraced.
I’ve made these Lemon Turmeric Granola Bars many a time. The girls, especially my youngest, loves them. They are nicely balanced: sweet and sour, soft and chewy, healthy and utterly satisfying, all the things I love!
Turmeric
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Image by by Marco Verch via Flickr
So let’s chat a little bit about turmeric. It’s been like the “in food” for quite some time now. Why? It’s because of a polyphenol called curcumin that is present in turmeric. That little compound is an anti-inflammatory helping diseases like arthritis, anxiety, and hyperlipidemia, among others. And of course any little scavenger in the body is great for disease prevention.
Curcumin is not well absorbed by the body on its own, but IS when paired with black pepper. So cool how foods work in conjunction with one another, huh!? So companies have made spice blends that are ideal for health benefits.
Why you’ll love it!
The blend is made from turmeric, dates, black pepper, cardamom, vanilla and ashwagandha. It is inspired by the traditional Ayurvedic recipe for Golden Milk that has been loved for centuries for its support of the mind and body.
You can get it at most health food stores that sell a variety of supplements, like Whole Foods and Sprouts. I used to get it on Amazon but now I buy on Emerson Wellevate so I can utilize my professional discount!! (By the way, that link is a link for you to take advantage of that insane discount too!)
NUTRITIONALS:
I like to cut these bars into rectangle portions, usually I get about 20 bars per batch. So that is how I calculated the nutrient facts! Each bar will give you about:
95 Kcal 95 | Fat 3g | Sat Fat 0g | Chol 0mg | Sodium 30mg | Carb 14g | Fiber 2g | Sugar 6g | Protein 3g
Reasons to Love Lemon Turmeric Granola Bars
Taste: A sweet and sour tangy zing!
Texture: Soft, moist, chewy and cold (keep them in the refrigerator for best texture).
Pros: Can be frozen and thawed without affecting quality. Full of anti-inflammatory action! Only made with natural sugar source (dates).
Cons: You’ll need to get the Gaia Herbs Golden Milk Powder to make them. (But you’ll love it so it’s okay!)
Cook With The Kids
One of my favorite things is cooking one-on-one with my kids. They love to help and, really, can do most things. Cooking and baking gives the perfect situation to teach math, nutrition, science and life skills. Actually, that just gave me an idea of another post. Oh! Cooking with kiddos, coming soon!
As you can see, Jianna shows how easy these bars are to make. But be sure to not just dump all the ingredients in all at once. See below.
Tips
Before Jianna added the oats to the mix, we pulsed the dates to become a paste like the photo below. Be sure to remove the dates from the processor and set aside so you can properly chop up the nuts.
- Don’t just throw all the ingredients in and pulse, be sure to do the dates and nuts individually. Then add back in.
- Be sure not to over process the nuts or oats – you’ll loose the texture. See the photo below for reference.
Photo 1: Dates only
Photo 2: Nuts, dates and oats
Photo 3: Done, ready for the pan
It’s always easier to press the bars into parchment paper inside the pan for easy removal. Be sure to give them some time in the refrigerator to set up and chill.
I like to cut and store them in the freezer for easy snacks. They defrost well, but to be honest, they are fabulous right out of the freezer.
Lemon Turmeric Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup Mejool Dates (about 10)
- 1/2 cup Cashews
- 1/2 cup Walnuts Almonds also work great
- 1 cup Oats
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon zest
- 3 Tablespoons Lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon Golden Milk Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Into a food processor, add the dates and process until a ball forms.
- Remove the date ball and set aside.
- Add nuts into the processor and pulse into bits.
- Add oats and date ball back to the processor.Add lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, golden milk powder and salt to the processor.Pulse until mixed together well.
- Empty and press into an 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper.
- Chill and enjoy!
I hope you enjoy these yummy treats! Be sure to save to your Pinterest for later!!
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