truly GREAT oat, walnut + date bars

and a very handy parchment trick!!!!!!!

Hey there! On Tuesdays I share easy lunch recipes for paid subscribers.

To me, lunch recipes are especially simple to make and simple to clean-up (of course you can make the recipe for any mealtime that you’d like!).

I always include a number of helpful notes for paid subscribers (i.e. ways to make vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free versions of the recipe and other fun notes/ideas).

Want today’s recipe + thorough list of variations/notes?? Become a paid subscriber today!

BUT FIRST…

THANK YOU to all of you who left such kind comments on my obituary for our sweet Hope last week (and sent emails and texts and offered hugs in person). Grace and I read every single one and appreciate the love so much. 🐶 💕 🫂

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BEHIND THE RECIPE

Today’s recipe for TRULY GREAT OAT, WALNUT + DATE BARS is a snack, not a meal, but I think still fits well in the lunch lexicon. It’s the ideal item for before or after lunch when you need a little something. It’s extremely portable and easy to make a big batch of. It will tide you over and keep you going.

Last month when I went on a truly incredible hiking trip in the Dolomites (see here for a few photos), my BFF and I attempted to make a version of these bars to take with us. We ended up with what was essentially a Ziploc bag of delicious granola. I contemplated how to make them hold together throughout our trip. When I got home, I set to work in my kitchen to figure it out.

Friends, I am SO HAPPY WITH THE RESULT.

I’ve now brought these on hikes and long drives, taken them as a perfect snack when I’m helping at the farm and eaten them after lifting weights when I’m hungry but not quite ready to figure out my next meal.

A friend who I shared them with said “these might be my favorite thing ever.”

I’m typing these words right now as I have another batch in our oven.

Note that I’ve only been home for two weeks!

I’m…into them. And think you will be, too.

They cut beautifully! Also do you notice those cuts in the corners of the parchment? More on that below….

Just so good.

A HANDY TRICK FOR LINING A SQUARE OR RECTANGULAR BAKING DISH

Okay, before I get into the recipe, I want to share a handy trick for lining a square or rectangular baking dish.

• Cut a piece of parchment slightly larger than the pan (for an 8-inch square pan, a 9-inch or 10-inch square will work — I never measure this with a ruler, I just eyeball it by placing my pan on top of the parchment as pictured below)

• Cut a ~2-inch slit in each corner of the parchment (you can fold the parchment and just cut all the corners at the same time to make this faster)

• Spray your pan with baking spray (or rub with oil or butter) so the parchment has something to stick to

• Press the parchment in the pan and the sides/corners will basically just take care of themselves….watch the video below to see because this is hard to put into words!!!

It works!

This is all easier to see rather than to read about so I made this video for you. One of my favorite tricks!!

….I only realized after that my phone recorded the music it was playing at the same time.

WHAT PAID SUBSCRIBERS GET

Below, for paid subscribers only:

• The complete recipe (which happens to be totally gluten-free if that’s important to you to know!)

• Notes for how to store these/how long they last

• Ideas for what to use instead of eggs if you’re vegan (otherwise note that these are 100% vegetarian and dairy-free)

• Thoughts if you’re not a fan or dates or walnuts

• What to do if you don’t have a food processor

• All of the above as a PDF that’s easy to print/save/etc.

In process!

Oat, Walnut + Date Bars

Makes 16 bars